Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, CO (The Birth of Redrum)

333 E Wonderview Ave.

Estes Park, CO 80517

www.stanleyhotel.com

I have always had an immense love for horror movies. This love has fortunately been passed down to my daughter, who is equally an aficionado for the sinister cinema. My son, on the other hand, wants no part of anything remotely spooky! Sadly, most of the horror movies of today are not very good and if there happens to be a decent one, it is likely a remake of a classic. Personally, there are no better horror movies than those produced in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Sure, the special effects may not have always been the most realistic but I think that is what makes them so good. Nothing like the neon red blood used in George Romero's Dawn of the Dead or Dario Argento's Suspiria!
What many people may not realize is that there are quite a few fictitious horror movies that are not quite as fictitious as you might think. Many of the classics were at least inspired by some sort of real life events. For instance, Silence of the Lambs was inspired by the true life terror reigned by the Plainfield, Wisconsin serial killer and necrophiliac, Ed Gein. Additionally, while Tobe Hooper's classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was also loosely based on Gein, the whole premise of the character Leatherface is rather comical. During a busy holiday season, Hooper was standing in what seemed like an endless line of shoppers at a department store. As most of us in such a similar situation, Hooper became so aggravated with the crowds, he glanced over to the hardware department and noticed several chainsaws on display. In a moment of hidden rage, Hooper thought, “I bet I could really reduce these crowds with one of those chainsaws!” The rest is history and an instant classic was born for years to come and would ultimately be one of my all time favorites! However, nothing can top my all time favorite movie, the Stanley Kubrick's classic, The Shining.

Pontchatrain Hotel - New Orleans, LA

2031 St. Charles Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.935133,-90.079629

www.thepontchartrainhotel.com  

            In such an upscale part of town as the Garden District, it is only suiting that an equally-refined hotel tower over the area. The fourteen-story Pontchartrain Hotel does just that, as it overlooks the neighborhood, giving its guests a great view of the ancient oak trees with a calm shot of the Mississippi River in the distance. For nearly a century, this grand hotel has been home to numerous celebrities such as Tom Cruise, ZsaZsa Gabor, Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, and Walt Disney, Sears and Roebuck heiress Edith Stern, and Frankie Besthoff, whose family co-founded the K&B drugstore chain.
            The Pontchartrain Hotel officially opened in March of 1927 and was named after Louis Phélypeaux, comte de Pontchartrain, or Count de Pontchartrain. Some researches claim that prior to this, another hotel stood on the property, dating back to 1825. I have been unable to verify this information and I strongly feel that this may have been confused with another piece of land further north near Lake Pontchartrain, near Bayou St. John. Here, a Spanish Fort, Fort San Juan del Bayou, stood. When Congress first allowed the sale of obsolete military sites in 1823, the land that the fort sat on was sold to Harvey Elkins, who built a hotel there. Here is where the confusion sets, where the name of the hotel was said to have been called either the Bayou St. John Hotel or the Pontchartrain Hotel. Bayou St. John never traveled down far enough to allow the current hotel to be near it and I feel that, over time, people confused the names.

Place d'Armes Hotel - New Orleans, LA (The Spectral Girl)

625 St. Anne St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.958753,-90.063406

www.placedarmes.com 

            Walking around the French Quarter, as with any tourist location, you usually cannot walk more than twenty feet without running into a gift shop. As you look around for your Mardi Gras beads, shot glasses and offensive t-shirts, you will probably see a plethora of paintings and postcards showing the iconic Jackson Square. This picturesque view of the Saint Louis Cathedral and the gated square is probably the most photographed area of the city.
            Jackson Square was designed in 1721 and was mimicked after the famous Place des Vosges in Paris, France. When the small village of New Orleans was initially designed, it was built on a grid system. The center block was used for military parades and other public gatherings so this area was called the Place d’Armes or Place of the Arms. As the city expanded, the Place d’Armes continued to remain as the central hub, with all buildings radiating from it. By 1815, the land was renamed Jackson’s Square, after the city’s famed hero, Andrew Jackson. From here, decorative touches would be added to the area by the previously mentioned Baroness Micaela Almonester-Pontalba, such as the ornate shrubbery and wrought-iron fences. Today, Jackson Square is visited by thousands of people a day and is a prime place to catch interesting street performers, buy one-of-a-kind artwork and get your fortune read by many of the individuals claiming to be psychic. For more information regarding that subject, please refer back to the Bottom of the Cup Tearoom blog.

Omni Royal Orleans Hotel - New Orleans, LA (Fifty Shades of Ghosts)

Photo courtesy of www.omnihotels.com

621 St. Louis St.

New Orleans, LA 70140

29.948051,-90.071066

www.omnihotels.com 

             I previously mentioned how it was not uncommon for a place to be haunted due to the possessions that it contains, as opposed to the individuals that died there. Such may be the case with our next location, although there are a few additional spirits thrown in for good measure. We folks in Louisiana love to live in excess. We often eat too much, drink too much and party too much so why would we not haunt too much? The Omni Royal Orleans Hotel is such a place, rumored to be haunted by over fifty spirits, many of which are attached to the hundreds of centuries-old antiques that are spread through the building.
            The property that the hotel currently sits on dates back to the 1830’s, when a small dirt-floor café stood here, allowing locals to trade in real estate, local goods and even slaves. To accommodate to the rise of the growing community, a grand hotel was built here in 1843, named the Saint Louis Hotel, by architect Jacques Nicholas Bussiere De Poilly. The hotel was one of the top places to stay in the area, often offering free lunches to patrons and serving their creation, the American "cocktail", a drink served in an egg cup, or coquetier. This term, easily handled by the Creole patrons, was soon mangled into the word cocktail by the Americans.

Olivier House Hotel - New Orleans, LA

828 Toulouse St.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.958012,-90.067104

www.olivierhousehotel.com 

            Only steps away from the karaoke spectacular that is Razzoo’s bar where tourists flock to drop all inhibitions by showcasing their horrible vocal skills, sits the Olivier House Hotel. This is a great place to stay if you want that historical feel while still being close to all of the activity. As I’ve said before, proximity is the key when you are stumbling around at four in the morning and you are seeing three of everything!
            The history of the Olivier House Hotel begins with a young woman by the name of Madame Marie Anne Bievenu, who was born in 1772. At the tender age of sixteen, she would marry Nicolas Godefroy Olivier, who was a well-known painter in the community. The Olivier family would grow to be very prominent in the city, becoming one of the wealthiest families in the area. By the 1830’s, Nicolas had passed away, leaving behind a handsome inheritance to Marie and their nine children. With her newly found funds, Marie decided that she would build a grand home on a piece of property she already owned on Toulouse Street.

Le Richelieu Hotel - New Orleans, LA (From Public Executions to Executive Suites)

1234 Chartres St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.961888,-90.059717

www.lerichelieuhotel.com 

            At the turn of the nineteenth century, Louisiana was quite a happening place. The fight for the eight hundred and twenty-eight thousand acres that was known as the Louisiana Purchase was underway. France would battle tooth and nail against Spain to retrieve this massive piece of land with the hopes of transforming it into a grand empire. Once acquired, France would face an impending war against Britain, which would interfere with these plans so the decision was made to sell the land to the United States in 1803. 
            During this time, an expanding New Orleans was dealing with their own growing pains, such as riots, revolts and many of the other gruesome acts we have learned about so far in these blogs. The remnants of Spanish soldiers who had committed treason against the French were also an issue in the city as many were captured and executed. Public executions were often held in various parts of the city. One such location where many of these death sentences were carried out was on the land that now is at 1234 Chartres Street.

Bourbon Orleans Hotel - New Orleans (The City's Most Haunted Hotel)

717 Orleans St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.958726,-90.06473

www.bourbonorleans.com   

            Of the near endless number of hotels in the French Quarter, for one to be considered amongst the top three haunted places to stay, it must have quite the resume. The Bourbon Orleans backs up its claims, as its vast history can be held accountable for the many strange events that take place here on nearly a regular basis. I often get e-mails from tourists visiting New Orleans for the first time, wanting to know the best hotel to stay at that will give them a good chance of experiencing something paranormal. I almost always immediately suggest the Bourbon Orleans.
            This historic hotel stands on the grounds that once contained two buildings; an old convent and an orphanage. The first building was built in 1816-1817 and was next to the first district courthouse. The building burnt down shortly thereafter, yet it was rebuilt in 1819. The building was used for Mardi Gras balls as early as 1823 and was also the site of the New Orleans Theater. Rumor is that the building was also used to hold the famous "Quadroon Balls", that I mentioned earlier. Here, wealthy Creole men would meet with their Quadroon mistresses to engage in their secret love affairs without exposing their mischievousness.

Ashley House/Avenue Plaza Resort - New Orleans, LA (Short But Sweet)

2111 St. Charles Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

29.934918,-90.080199

www.avenueplazaresort.com 

            The Garden District of New Orleans has always been my favorite place to visit when in the area. Seeming a lot less “touristy”, the strip of St. Charles has all the great amenities one would want without the obnoxious out-of-towners known to congregate on and around Bourbon Street. Amidst the modern Avenue Plaza Resort, lies a historical hidden gem, many claim is one of the most haunted locations in the Garden District. Adjacent from the main hotel, sits the Ashley House. The home was built sometime in the 1830’s and records indicate that it was owned by Mr. D. R. Carroll. During the Civil War, the home was predominately used as a boarding home for Confederate prisoners of war by the Union army.
            Visitors to the Ashley House claim that most of the home’s activity seems to reside on the second floor. The apparition of a young woman has been seen patrolling through the home as well as disembodied voices and footsteps have been heard when no one is around. Poltergeist-like activity has also been reported such as strange electrical malfunctions and doors opening and closing on their own. Individuals who have conducted paranormal investigations of the home have reported capturing several electronic voice phenomena as well as strange light anomalies. Although the history may be brief with the Ashley House, this is not necessarily proof that the reported hauntings or inaccurate. I definitely plan on adding this location to my “to-do” list. If I don’t capture any evidence, oh well; I will be right down the street from my all-time favorite pub, the Irish House. Damn the bad luck!   

Audubon Cottages/Dauphine Orleans - New Orleans, LA (The Home of John Audubon)

509 Dauphine St.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.957873,-90.067809

www.auduboncottages.com

One of the most helpful pieces of advice I can give to first-time visitors to the French Quarter is that there is no short supply of places to drink, places to eat and places to sleep. I purposely placed those locations in a specific order; as most first-timers prioritize in that manner. “Give me something to drink, something to eat, then if I get tired, somewhere to sleep!” If you do decide to partake in burning the midnight oil and end up needing a place to stay, fear not, as every block contains at least one place to rest your weary head. What’s unique about the inns in the French Quarter is that each one has quite a long history attached to it. These are not quite your everyday “no-tell motels”, if you know what I mean, where a $10 deposit garners you a can of Lysol!

A look into that mysterious pool! You first!

The Audubon Cottages on Dauphine Street are a perfect example of these great little historical inns. These intimate homes were built just after the two great fires destroyed most of the area in the late 1700’s. The grounds consist of seven beautiful and cozy homes, all surrounding a courtyard containing what many claim is the oldest swimming pool in the French Quarter. Fortunately, it is cleaned regularly, as one could only fathom the stories that would culminate from the area’s oldest swimming pool!

Andrew Jackson Hotel - New Orleans, LA (The Haunted Hotbed of New Orleans)

919 Royal St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.96005,-90.062989

www.frenchquarterinns.com/andrewjackson

            With a little under sixty locations covered so far in this blog, we now reach the city of New Orleans, said to be the most haunted city in the United States. This claim may very well be true, as you will see that New Orleans makes up nearly half of the state’s paranormal hot spots. I have always been so fascinated with New Orleans and the plethora of history it contains. It's almost as if New Orleans was founded on the simple goal of becoming a haunted city a century or so later. Settled in 1718, New Orleans literally served as dumping grounds for the worst that society had to offer. Murderers, rapists and thieves from all over the world basically fled to New Orleans as a safe haven. Throw in the fact that the city was already home to clashing cultures such as French, Spanish and Irish; New Orleans was a ticking time bomb.
             As most people know, most of these haunts originate from the French Quarter. What many may not know is that almost every location in the French Quarter is built over something that once stood prior to 1788. It was on Good Friday, March 21, 1788, when the Great New Orleans Fire began, destroying eight hundred and fifty-six of the one thousand one hundred structures in the city! Said to have started at the location that is now 619 Chartres Street, the home of Army Treasurer Don Vincente Jose Nunez, nearly the entire city was destroyed in five hours! Due to this fact, it is often impossible to pinpoint the origin of many of the French Quarter hauntings. Such is the case with our first location, as a building historically known for one event is haunted due to a completely different happening in a building that once stood here.

Egan Hotel - Crowley, LA (A Secret Mafia Hangout)

North Parkerson Ave.

Crowley, LA

30.213785,-92.373109

 
            The Egan Hotel in Crowley had been a long sought after location to investigate along with the adjacent Crowley Opera House. Both locations were owned by the same individual and he had never allowed a group inside either building to investigate. This made me want in even more so we pulled together all our resources and met with the owner several times. After much sweet talking and convincing that our group was legitimate enough, he finally gave us the green light. We have been eternally grateful since then.
            After many attempts by the group and the building owner, very little information was found on the history of the Egan Hotel. All we know is that the hotel was built in the early 1900's and closed down in the 1960's. During its tenure as a hotel, celebrities such as Babe Ruth, the New York Yankees, and Clark Gable have stayed here.

Hotel Bentley - Alexandria, LA (Cenla's Crown Jewel)

 801 3rd St. 

Alexandria, LA 71301

31.312283,-92.445391

The beautiful Hotel Bentley has served as the quintessential landmark for Alexandria for many years. From its beautiful classic Renaissance design to its illustrious past clientele, the Bentley was the place to stay during its years in operation. In 1892, a lumber tycoon by the name of Joseph A. Bentley moved to the area, looking to construct a grand hotel. Once initial construction was complete, the Bentley opened to the public in 1908, which a later addition being erected in the 1930's. What made the hotel especially unique is that Mr. Bentley transformed the top floor into his own personal apartment, event containing its own private elevator, all of which is still intact to this day.
Throughout the years, the hotel has seen its share of notable individuals. Primarily, during WWII maneuvers, military figures such as Major General George Patton, Lieutenant Colonel Omar Bradley, Colonel Dwight David Eisenhower, and Second Lieutenant Henry Kissinger laid their heads to rest here.