Yellowstone Wyoming
Lake Hotel
Spirits of former guests ar
still in vacation mode – even the drowning victims.
Former employees still care for guests with their service.
DESCRIPTION
Lake Yellowstone Hotel is an immense yellow clapboard, sprawling structure, with stunning white colonial classical columns that offers various levels accommodations within the main building, its East and West Wings, as well as less expensive options in its annex; (former employee housing) and many cabins.
Tom and I were impressed with its massive buildings, and the main building’s beautiful sunroom and lounge that have big windows to view the lake. The very large sun room is very inviting, with its comfortable sofas and chairs, places to read, its lovely stone fireplace, free lemon water and to top it off, there is a live piano player providing music for all to enjoy. There is also an outside porch where guests can sit and enjoy the sun and the lake.
The Lake Yellowstone Hotel opens on May 15th, 2015, and closes on October 4th, 2015. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the organization that runs all the hotels and lodges that are located within Yellowstone Park. When Lake Yellowstone Hotel is closed for the season, they are the ones who restore, renovate and make repairs to the hotel. As the upkeep and need to periodically restore an old building makes it imperative to have a hearty cash fund, and the facts that there is no competition inside the park, and demand to stay within the park is high, top dollar is charged. As it has been from the beginning, people yearn to stay within the Yellowstone Park, and reservations have to be made at least a year in advance.
For 2015, the top price is $660.00 a night for the Presidential Suite, and the least expensive is $149.00 for the Frontier Cabin. Superior rooms range from $383-$405. Standard rooms range from $393-$363. A Standard Lodge room, located in the old employee annex is $160.00. Each kind of guest accommodation is plainly explained on their website, and what exactly is offered at each price point. On social media websites, Many people complain about what is offered for the money, but if they did their homework, they could see the facts before booking a room here, and know that they won’t have the amenities of a Hilton or fancy resort, but will experience a pleasant stay. The guests we saw were enjoying themselves, and very happy indeed with the Lake Yellowstone Hotel.
HISTORY
This elegant hotel was built in 1889-1891, in a gloriously beautiful spot: right on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. This lakefront hotel started out as a rather plain, inelegant, clapboard, three story structure with “projecting bays at each end” of the structure. It was originally designed by R.R. Cummins for the Northern Pacific Railway, during the time that the Northern Pacific Railway was building two other hotels in the Yellowstone Park. It opened to its guests in 1891. No one had planned for the number of people who would love to visit Yellowstone Park.
As more and more people with wealth wanted to visit Yellowstone Park and stay in more elegant facilities, major upgrades were made and an elegant hotel, The Lake Colonial Hotel came into existence. After the success that architect Robert Reamer had in building The Old Faithful Inn, he was hired to redesign and greatly expand The Lake Hotel, giving this plain Jane sister hotel of The Old Faithful Inn new beauty such as changing the projecting bays into Ionic porticoes. He added an eastern extension with its own ionic portico.
Many prominent people came to stay and enjoy not only the spectacular view from all the first floor up-graded, elegant common rooms, outside sitting areas, but from their hotel rooms as well. In 1922-1933, another extension was added to the East Wing, and a flat roof was constructed. In 1928, more expansion was needed, so a two-story West Wing was built, while also expanding the dining room, and adding a solarium to the front of the hotel.
By 1984, The Lake Hotel needed some TLC, so the entire hotel was “extensively renovated”, from 1984 to 1990.
A new multi-million dollar project was started in 2012, with renovation/restoration plans that would include all guest rooms, dining room, bar and public spaces and a redesigned deli. During the winter and spring of 2012, the West Wing rooms were renovated/restored, as well as the formal dining room and beautiful sun room/lounge. The East Wing was renovated during the fall and winter of 2013-2014, and finished in late June of 2014.
More work will probably be done to improve and update the annex rooms in the near future, as they have been reported to be in need of some TLC by guests who have stayed there in 2015. The spirit people who reside and or visit here, seem to love it and have continued their holiday or job duties in their after-life.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS
People who love a place in this world while alive, especially vacation and party spots, like to visit them when they pass and become spirits. They have great memories of all the good times they had while alive.
President Coolidge enjoyed staying at this hotel, and apparently still likes to visit.
A group of musicians now in spirit form. A small ensemble used to play music in the evenings for the guests. As the day shift employees got off work, they would join this small ensemble with their instruments and the group became an orchestra.
Children or adults who die from accidents or illness like to stay in the place where they died or in a place that they knew, were comfortable and enjoyed being at while alive in this world.
A lot of people of all ages drowned in boating and swimming accidents in the Yellowstone Lake. Two possible drownings in Lake Yellowstone that may be the cause of two hauntings:
A young woman dressed in flapper attire, probably stayed here during the 1920s.
A young boy who came with his family on a holiday long ago.
Sometimes employees love their jobs so much, and have such a strong pride and identity to their place of employment, that they don’t stop working there, even when in spirit form; not letting the fact that they are dead stand in the way. A lead porter who is in spirit form apparently is still working at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, though he is no longer on the payroll.
MANIFESTATIONS
Most of the spirit people like to haunt the oldest sections of the hotel.
There are at least six spirit people checked into the hotel, and a few who like to visit as well. The adult spirit people become active on or after midnight.
Entity of a Small Active Guest
A young boy entity is active all the time.
Described as being full of joy and mischief – The hotel is his playground.
He has blondish, brown hair, and is wearing a dress shirt.
He was seen by an employee looking out of the attic window. The attic was locked at the time.
He is a happy, full of fun little boy who has surprised men in public, downstairs bathroom in a playful way.
A Female Entity in Her Twenties
Dressed as a flapper, complete with tight headband or hat. She has been named Matilda.
Likes to stay on the second floor of the older section.
She has a favorite room on this floor, located on the backside of the hotel that has a wonderful view of the forest.
Matilda has been seen looking out the window of this room at the forest by employees walking to work.
A woman staying in her room felt a strong unseen presence in this room and felt that she was being watched.
A housekeeper and others on the staff were cleaning the rooms for the coming summer season. When everyone went home, this housekeeper jogged up and down the hallways for exercise. As she jogged by an open room on the second floor, she felt a strong unseen presence. She told this presence, that she wasn’t going to intrude, and the strong feeling dissipated.
Matilda has been seen walking the second floor hallway of the hotel, still in a jovial mood, ready for fun.
Sometimes she likes to touch people, and sometimes appears for a second to get their reaction for chuckles.
She interacts with the hotel’s staff more often than she does with guests.
The Entity of President Coolidge
His unseen presence likes to sit in an old rocker in the lounge and rock in it.
To the living, they see that the rocker is rocking by itself.
Staff just shrug, and are glad that whomever is rocking there is enjoying himself or herself.
The Male Entity Porter
He is dressed in his early 20th Century attire.
Has been known to appear in solid form and help people who are struggling with their luggage, especially those going to the second floor.
He picks up their luggage, and talks in a kind, soothing manner, giving tips on trails to take in Yellowstone.
To read the full story, buy S.E. Schlosser’s book, Spooky Yellowstone.
Group of Music-loving Spirits
These former Lake Hotel musicians still like to visit, and still enjoy playing together in the lounge.
They provide music once again to guests and staff long after people have gone to bed and the hotel is quiet.
STILL HAUNTED?
Most Probably so!
This upscale hotel is so beautiful, pleasant and relaxing with its comfy, large lobby, with live piano music, and beautiful views of the Yellowstone Lake, how can former guests and employees resist its charms? Though there is no published hard evidence, so many people over the years have experienced the same manifestations, which does point to the probable conclusion that the Lake Yellowstone Hotel has a group of spirit people guest-residents; as well as being a very popular place to stay for the living who want to stay inside the Yellowstone Park, and are willing to wait a year to do so.
Little boy entity – Ghost hunter/sensitive Al Brindza and his family stayed at The Lake Hotel while on a road trip. His paranormal experience was told on his blog, Lake Hotel in Yellowstone, posted on his group’s website, Allegheny Ghost Hunters: www.amghosthunters.com. He went into the empty men’s public bathroom on the first floor lobby, and got his usual slight headache before he experiences something paranormal.
In his blog, Al Brindza explained what happened next. “Next I heard some footsteps and a little boy giggling and laughing and was surprised to see him peeking under the stall door. I believe I said “Hey” and then he was gone. Total silence, I heard no more footsteps or the opening or closing of the door. Now I’m thinking OK, what just happened? I didn’t see much of the little boy just his face and his kind of light brown or blondish hair, wearing a white dress up kind of shirt. ”
Yes indeed, he saw this little apparition with his physical eyes just for a second or two.
Over the years, many guests and staff have experienced the above manifestations.
No paranormal scientific investigations have been published on-line. As this is a classy, somewhat upscale hotel for the area, they don’t want ghost hunter types invading their property, scaring their guests and spirit residents as well.
LOCATION
1 Grand Loop Road
Yellowstone Park, Wyoming 82190
Sitting right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins are 2.3 miles from Fishing Bridge and 38.1 miles from Old Faithful.
SOURCES INCLUDE
- Yellowstone Ghost Stories: Spooky tales from the world’s first national park
by Shellie Larios
Riverbend Publishing
2006 - Spooky Yellowstone; Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings and Other Local Lore Yellowstone National Park Ghost Stories
by S.E. Schlosser
Globe Pequot Press
2013 - Americanfolklore.net article: “From Yellowstone Ghost Stories”
- David B. Riley’s Rants & Raves — Haunted Yellowstone, Part 1
- “Lake Hotel, Yellowstone National Park,”
by Al Brindza
for Allegheny Mountain Ghosthunters - “Lake Yellowstone Hotel Cabins” page on Yellowstone National Park Lodges website
- Lake Hotel page on Wikipedia
- “Lodging” page on Yellowstone National Park Lodges website
- “Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins” page on Historic Hotels of America web site
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
