Some secrets refuse to stay buried. This October, brave souls are invited to discover the nightmare waiting at the end of Main Street as The River Haunt Hotel opens its doors for the first time ever.
Every Friday and Saturday night, visitors can step beyond the fog and into a chilling immersive experience where history’s ghosts never checked out.
The nightmare awakens every Friday and Saturday night in October, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The River Haunt is operated by the Batesville Downtown Foundation, which will hold a dedication ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25. The hotel is located at 171 W. Main St., at the corner of lower Main Street and State Street.
According to principal organizer Suzanne Magouyrk, the River Haunt Hotel serves as a primary fundraiser for the Batesville Downtown Foundation and was created to bring big-city haunted attraction quality to the Batesville area. With Halloween now a billion-dollar industry and America’s second most popular holiday, today’s thrill-seekers want an immersive, professionally curated scare experience.
“The River Haunt Hotel has been designed to give our thrill-seeking customers maximum scare in a creepy environment, staying true to our hotel theme but with a Haunted Halloween twist, and with waiting lines as short as possible,” she said. “With so many of the organizers having so many years of experience in different haunts, we are uniquely qualified to bring quality Halloween entertainment to the Batesville area.”
Outside of “spooky season,” The River Haunt Hotel will serve as a year-round event venue, providing much-needed space for local gatherings and events.
After bouncing between a few locations, the haunted house finally found a home in a city-owned building along the White River on Stadium Drive — inspiring the name The River Haunt. Its stay was cut short, however, when back-to-back city construction projects forced the town to reclaim the space for storage.
Volunteers began searching for a new location, and luckily, the owner of the State and Main lot agreed to sell. Plans quickly got underway for a new multipurpose building on the site, and the haunted house underwent another name change, this time to pay homage to the historical Marvin and Arlington hotels.
The Arlington in the early 1900s. (Image courtesy of Alan Bufford)
Built in 1879, the Arlington was a three-story luxury hotel that was rumored to have hosted outlaw Jesse James and other famous guests. After a fire in 1903 destroyed the top floor, the owner removed the level and rebuilt a flat roof. The hotel was renamed the Marvin Hotel in the 1930s when Marvin R. Bailey leased it. Once known as the oldest continuously operating hotel in Arkansas, the Marvin closed for good in April 1990 after the northeast corner of the building collapsed. The hotel burned in 2001 and was eventually torn down.
Foundation president Amy Crouch-Howard said The River Haunt Hotel reflects the dedication of the many volunteers and professionals who worked to bring it to life. She especially wants to recognize lead organizers Rear Admiral Robert Carius, Suzanne Magouyrk, David Thompson, Tammy Arnold, Patrick Arnold, Andy Edwards, and Danny Dozier. She noted that the team is incredibly hardworking and creative, bringing decades of combined industry experience and a deep dedication to the Batesville community.
An image of the Marvin Hotel from the 1960s. (Image courtesy of Kenneth Wayne Rorie)
Crouch-Howard also recognized noted local historian Alan Bufford for his historical research, which helped shape the authenticity and depth of the attraction, and also extended gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to the generous donors who have made this venue possible.
For more information and updates, check out The River Haunt’s Facebook page.
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