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From eerie theaters to ghostly saloons, Portland is really firing on all cylinders when it comes to haunted attractions. Spooky stoners with their hearts set on a mystical Halloween climax to their harvest season frivolities have options aplenty. And pairing those esoteric excursions with the right mind-bending cannabis cultivar can take an otherwise average paranormal experience to weird new levels.
A lot of these supposed hauntings come from visitor speculation and ghost tours created to freak us out; In the spirit of the holiday, we don’t aim to prove them wrong. Here are a few of our favorite haunted spots and the strains we think would synergize best with their ooky-spooky lore.
The Benson Hotel with Jack Frost
The spectral remains of Simon Benson, founder of Portland’s iconic hotel (and donor of the city’s ubiquitous Benson Bubbler drinking fountains), can be spotted on the seventh, ninth and 12th floors of The Benson (309 SW Broadway, 503-228-2000, bensonhotel.com). Reports also describe Benson descending the main staircase in a grandiose formal suit, sometimes knocking drinks out of patrons’ hands (Benson was a known advocate of prohibition).
Other apparitions include a porter who gently guides elderly and disabled guests, as well as a woman hurrying through the corridors of the hotel as if she were late for something. The spirit of another woman, wearing a bright turquoise dress, can often be seen in the hotel lobby’s mirrors. Mitch Mitchell, best known as the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, died there in 2008, not to imply that he’s haunting the spot (but maybe if you offer him a bit of Purple Haze).
Ghost hunting at The Benson does require a room reservation to visit (or a meal at The Palm Court). Since Jack Frost is a balanced cross of relaxing White Widow and euphoric Northern Lights, it delivers the precise type of mind-expanding, calm, blissful highs we imagine are perfect for possible ghost encounters. Expect a woody, citrus perfume and a grassy, pine exhale.
BUY IT: $40 per Orchid Essentials cart at Club Sky High, 8957 N Lombard St., 503-719-5801, clubskyhigh.net. 9 am–9 pm daily.
Crystal Ballroom with Nightmare Cookies
Both staff and concertgoers at Portland’s bouncy Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside St., 503-384-2511, crystalballroompdx.com) have reported seeing apparitions moving around the historic space. Visitors have also reported hearing the sounds of smooth, leathered soles dancing across the spring-loaded floor and otherworldly conversation as the ballroom stands empty. Revelers have even told tales of ghostly fingers pulling on their clothing and feeling cold spots after performances.
But to ghost hunt at the Crystal Ballroom is also to dance the night away.
Nightmare Cookies, the punchy, enthusiastic hybrid of White Nightmare and Girl Scout Cookies, delivers just the right electric body high and a cushy daze to move like nobody’s watching (except the ghouls). Expect a sweet perfume and a woody exhale.
BUY IT: $6 per gram at Rose Budz, 2410 N Mississippi Ave., 503-208-3955, rosebudzpdx.com. 10 am–8 pm daily.
White Eagle Saloon with Dia de los Muertos
For spooky romantics, White Eagle Saloon (836 N Russell St., 503-282-6810, mcmenamins.com/white-eagle-saloon-hotel) is the perfect spot for a ghost-hunting date night. The historic saloon’s lore includes a beautiful “working girl” named Rose who frequented the saloon for many years. While working, she fell in love with a sailor. After a long voyage, he came back to find that Rose had been murdered. Legend says a lovelorn Rose haunts the upstairs rooms of the White Eagle, weeping for her long lost lover.
Romance or nah, the saloon is a great spot for stoned ghost chasers looking for a chilled-out spectral experience, and Dia de los Muertos could be the spot’s dopest holiday option. This cross of Motorbreath and Project 4516 delivers euphoric relaxation and uplifted cognitive effects without weighty sedation. Expect a gassy perfume and a lemony exhale.
BUY IT: $22 for 1 gram of isolate by Trichome Extracts at Fire and Frost, 6818 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Wash., 360-213-1011, fireandfrostcannabis.com. 8 am–11 pm daily.
Hollywood Theatre with Vortex
While other spots in town boast full-bodied apparitions, the paranormal record of the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, hollywoodtheatre.org) includes another unique feature: Some ghost are known to appear as vortexes, others as orbs. According to Portland Ghosts (the organization, not the spirits), a lucky investigator purportedly heard and recorded the voice of a spirit named Toby who had been at the Hollywood Theatre since it first opened in the 1920s. Another ghost enjoys tapping customers and staff on the shoulder, then running off giggling down the hallway.
It seems appropriate to bring Vortex to this particular affair. This cultivar is bred from a cross of Apollo 13 and Space Queen, both of which are sweetly uplifting strains. Vortex delivers both bliss and focus in equal measure, which is likely what one needs to both enjoy a film and simultaneously ghost hunt for orbs and bratty spectral shoulder tappers. Expect a tropical funk perfume and a citrusy exhale.
BUY IT: $11 per gram of Buddies Brand shatter at WeedLand, 4027 N Interstate Ave., 541-904-0000, weedland.com. 8 am–9:50 pm daily.