Haunting Tale About ‘Ghost Boy Billy’ Roaming an Arizona Hotel

Seeing Ghostly Spirits in Bisbee

I love to visit Bisbee, especially with my ghost-hunting friends. For a short while, I was part of a small team called Ghost Patrol. We visited a lot of haunted locations throughout Southeastern Arizona, but one of our favorites was the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee.

The {Haunted} Copper Queen Hotel

One of the most fascinating towns in Cochise County is Bisbee. With a rich history as a turn of the last century mining town, it's no wonder the area is replete with hauntings and stories of citizens and visitors who still hang around. Long after they've left this earthly plane.

If you're looking for haunted locations, you can't be the Copper Queen Hotel. It's Arizona's oldest continuously operated hotel. It's beautiful and grand. If you visit, be sure to check out some of the specialty rooms. There are quite a few rooms labeled with the names of spirits who never left.

Visiting the Copper Queen Hotel in Search of Billy

One evening, a friend and I were hanging around the Copper Queen Hotel lobby casually looking into the history of the ghosts there.

We stopped to chat with the front desk clerk and asked her what she knew about Billy, a young boy who was reported to still haunt one of the rooms.

The Legend of Billy at the Copper Queen Hotel

As the story goes, Billy's mom likely worked at the Copper Queen Hotel. There's no record, but they believe she was either a maid or worked the check-in desk.

Sadly, it's believed Billy drowned. Over a hundred years ago, young Billy is rumored to have died while playing along the San Pedro River.

To this day, Billy is often spotted playing in hallways and in the room marked "Billy's Room" on one of the upper floors of the hotel.

Who Can See Billy?

Billy seems to appear to children visiting the hotel more often than to any adults. Some of the folks who work at the Copper Queen claim adults aren't able to see or sense Billy. In spite of that, Billy often plays pranks on hotel guests and workers.

Other guests have reported that women, especially mothers visiting with their own children, have made contact with Billy, often without realizing what's happened until much later.

"Paying" Billy to Show Up

Most of the residents around Bisee are familiar with stories surrounding Billy. Some folks recommend leaving candy and other treats out for Billy to encourage him to show up.

If you'd like to learn more or book a stay at the Copper Queen Hotel, make reservations on their website. If you go, let us know how your visit went!

Learn more about the legend of Billy and Billy's room at the Copper Queen Hotel from this YouTube story by Arizona Family: