The Spirits of Hotel Conneaut

The Hotel Conneaut (courtesy of clphotelconneaut.com)

Conneaut Lake Park

In the summer of 2010, I went to my family's camp in Pymatuning, Ohio. About half an hour from where we were was Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. We decided to take a drive out there to see Conneaut Lake Park, which is a small amusement park. 

When we got there, we were disappointed to see that it wasn't technically open and running at the time, but we were still able to walk in. The tiny park seemed like a ghost town... but that's probably because it was. We headed towards the back of the park near the beach, which is where we found the Hotel Conneaut. The hotel was open, and we were able to go inside and explore.

At that time, we weren't allowed to go very far since we were not guests there. As we went in, we saw a flyer at the front desk advertising a ghost tour, which was happening that night. We didn't know much about the history of the hotel, so we thought that it would be interesting to come back for the tour.

Later that night, I returned with a friend and several members of my family. They agreed that it would be cool to come, but they were also a bit wary. My cousin's fiancé Mike told me, "I'd like to see a ghost, but if I do, I'm running." We gathered in the parlor and waited for the chance to walk through the old hotel.

Elizabeth

Our guide told us that the hotel opened in 1903. In 1943, a lightning strike hit the hotel, which started a great fire. The hotel's most famous ghost is Elizabeth, the bride who died in this fire. 

We went through the hotel to areas that weren't open to guests. The dark hallway that used to have guest rooms was now used as storage. Boxes filled the space, and we had to maneuver our way through. Halfway down, there was an open door with light shining through. This is the room that they claimed Elizabeth stayed in. Unfortunately, we didn't see a woman in white anywhere in there.

The Stairwell

Afterwards, she led us through a door, which led to a stairwell. There was no light in here either, so we all had to rely on the light of our phones to make our way up. She told us that people have felt a dark presence in that stairwell. It was something that you could sense as you walked in. I felt like something was going to grab me through the open stairs.

An Amusing Turn of Events

We made our way to the part of the hotel that guests were staying in. Our tour took a hilarious turn when an incredibly drunk woman came up to our group, telling us of her ghost encounters there. "I love my Elizabeth!" she exclaimed. "I've been coming here for years. I've seen her, she's real." We could smell the alcohol wafting off of her, and our guide gently tried to brush her away. We continued on with our tour, laughing about what had just happened.

Not long after, we were near another stairway when my friend Nicole said that something was touching her. She told me that she felt a hand on her back, and that she couldn't breathe. Perhaps a ghost was nearby, and it was having a negative effect on her.

Thoughts

I enjoyed my visit to the Hotel Conneaut, but I wish that it would have lasted longer. We were only there for about two hours, which didn't give us much time to explore, especially since we were on a guided tour. One day I'd like to go back, perhaps overnight as a guest. We didn't have much of an opportunity to take pictures, so I'd like to go back and really see what the hotel has to offer.


Related Links:
Hotel Conneaut
Conneaut Lake Park
Pennsylvania Haunts and History- Hotel Conneaut