DeSoto House Hotel — haunted_place in Galena, IL
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DeSoto House Hotel

Haunted Place · Hotel · Galena, IL

4.6Google· 1877 Reviews

4.6Google· 1877 reviewsRead reviews

Next open

Open year round · Hours vary

Admission

See website

Location

230 S Main St, Galena, IL 61036

Added by HCMapsLast updated September 7, 2026
DeSoto House Hotel atmosphere

The story

About DeSoto House Hotel

The DeSoto House Hotel is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois, first opening its doors in 1855. We offer 55 graciously decorated oversized Victorian style rooms named for historic personages who visited Galena.

What you'll find

Reported Activity

  • Apparitions
  • Moving Objects
  • Footsteps/Sounds
  • Folklore

What visitors are saying

★ 4.6 on Google · 1877 reviews · A selection of reviews provided by Google

David Thomas

2 months ago

Staying at the DeSoto House Hotel was an incredible experience. The historic charm and roots of this property are absolutely unmatched, and you truly cannot beat the perfect downtown location for exploring the area. A massive highlight of our stay was dining at the Generals Restaurant. The food was phenomenal, and I highly recommend ordering the blackened New York strip with blue cheese. It was cooked to absolute perfection and packed with incredible flavor. Between the rich history, the ideal setup, and the top-tier dining, it is worth every single penny. We will definitely be back!

Review from Google

Helen Allen

4 months ago

DeSoto House was amazing! The staff were personable and funny, they'll help with anything! The rooms are a little older, but it's an old building. They were clean, and that's all that matters. Enjoy the charm or go book a boring Marriott room. The location was amazing, right on Main street, close to shops and restaurants. We parked our car in the free hotel garage and walked everywhere. The restaurant in the hotel was a must! Heavy poors, the best broccoli cheddar soup I've ever tasted, and the fried shrimp may have been the best ice ever had, which is crazy being from San Diego. Anyway, don't miss out! Book this amazing hotel. You can't go wrong.

Review from Google

Chris

4 months ago

Hotel is beautiful. Desk clerk very helpful & had a lot of information. Explains there premium rooms are facing the street & runner up faces center courtyard. Bar started out friendly. But not really quick. Got drinks & app. Which were weird. Artichoke & pepper dip only tasted like cold cheese soup & chips were hot greasy pita quarters. Then city had a tornado alert & they made everyone go to the basement. Which was a cluster. No one knew how to handle over 50 people in the basement. An hour later we left. No more alert.

Review from Google

Larissa Martinez

2 months ago

My first time staying here and all I can say is I was impressed. The staff members were very welcoming and our room was super super clean, probably the cleanest hotel room I’ve ever stayed at. I love the convenience of it being in the middle of downtown. I will definitely stay here again!

Review from Google

Denise Benavidez

4 months ago

The Desoto was everything I had hoped it would be. The staff was one of the best parts. Dan at front desk went above and beyond and would have make to original owner of this historal wonder proud. Dan takes pride in his job and the hotel! It was such a cool experience when he gave us a tour of the hotel filled with exciting stories about the history it. Also, I hurt myself trying to carry too much to my car and there was the kindest women on the cleaning staff that was all of 90 pounds. She picked up my heaviest case and preceded to carry it all the way to my car to help me. It honestly brought tears to my eyes. If at all possible, I would highly recommend a weekend stay at the DeSoto house for couples, best friends, or even a family who wants to spend quantity time together in a stressful world. It has that Hallmark movie town cozy vibe!.

Review from Google

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Galena, IL

230 S Main St, Galena, IL 61036

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