Post by auntym on May 22, 2012 23:57:04 GMT -6
www.ksl.com/?sid=20450654&nid=711
Fright night: The 3 most haunted hotels in the West[/color]
By Grant Olsen
May 22nd, 2012
SALT LAKE CITY — I’m fascinated by the local legends I encounter as I travel throughout the Western United States. Whimsical or chilling, they provide a unique glimpse into the local culture.
Stories of haunted hotels particularly intrigue me. I’ve stayed in several of these infamous hotels over the years and have a great appreciation for the history and folklore they embody. Most of them have been harmless enough. Some are even charming. But a select few go beyond mere folklore and have a tangible eeriness to them.
Here is my list of the three most haunted hotels that I’ve encountered in the West.
3. The first to make the list is a bed and breakfast located right here in Salt Lake City. Built in 1893, the Armstrong Mansion marked the fulfillment of a wedding day promise from Francis Armstrong to his new wife, Isabel. It was a social hub for decades before falling into disrepair following Isabel’s death in 1930.
The Armstrong Mansion in Salt Lake City (Photo/Laura Seitz, Deseret News).
The mansion first came to my attention when I heard a creepy story about a husband and wife that stayed there a few years ago. Their room featured a large window, built into the gable of the mansion, which overlooked the yard.
That evening the couple decided to go out for dinner. When they reached the parking lot, the wife thought it would be fun to walk around the mansion to find the gable window to their room from the outside.
After a moment or two, they found it. Staring down at them, her face pressed up against the glass, was a woman in a black dress. The startled couple ran back into the mansion to find out who was in their room.
The desk manager insisted she was the only person on duty and no one else had a room key. When they reached the door, it was still locked and the room was just as they’d left it.
This story is not unique. Guests in the Armstrong Mansion regularly report hearing mysterious voices in the night, and some claim to have seen phantoms like the woman in the window.
My wife and I stayed in the mansion earlier this year. Our gorgeous room had a four-poster bed and several pieces of antique furniture, including a large armoire.
Throughout the night we heard tapping and skidding sounds, which we simply wrote off as quirks you’d expect from a house that’s nearly 120 years old. Around 2 a.m., the doors to the armoire suddenly slammed shut. They’d been closed when we went to bed, and we still have no idea how it happened.
CONTINUE READING: www.ksl.com/?sid=20450654&nid=711
Fright night: The 3 most haunted hotels in the West[/color]
By Grant Olsen
May 22nd, 2012
SALT LAKE CITY — I’m fascinated by the local legends I encounter as I travel throughout the Western United States. Whimsical or chilling, they provide a unique glimpse into the local culture.
Stories of haunted hotels particularly intrigue me. I’ve stayed in several of these infamous hotels over the years and have a great appreciation for the history and folklore they embody. Most of them have been harmless enough. Some are even charming. But a select few go beyond mere folklore and have a tangible eeriness to them.
Here is my list of the three most haunted hotels that I’ve encountered in the West.
3. The first to make the list is a bed and breakfast located right here in Salt Lake City. Built in 1893, the Armstrong Mansion marked the fulfillment of a wedding day promise from Francis Armstrong to his new wife, Isabel. It was a social hub for decades before falling into disrepair following Isabel’s death in 1930.
The Armstrong Mansion in Salt Lake City (Photo/Laura Seitz, Deseret News).
The mansion first came to my attention when I heard a creepy story about a husband and wife that stayed there a few years ago. Their room featured a large window, built into the gable of the mansion, which overlooked the yard.
That evening the couple decided to go out for dinner. When they reached the parking lot, the wife thought it would be fun to walk around the mansion to find the gable window to their room from the outside.
After a moment or two, they found it. Staring down at them, her face pressed up against the glass, was a woman in a black dress. The startled couple ran back into the mansion to find out who was in their room.
The desk manager insisted she was the only person on duty and no one else had a room key. When they reached the door, it was still locked and the room was just as they’d left it.
This story is not unique. Guests in the Armstrong Mansion regularly report hearing mysterious voices in the night, and some claim to have seen phantoms like the woman in the window.
My wife and I stayed in the mansion earlier this year. Our gorgeous room had a four-poster bed and several pieces of antique furniture, including a large armoire.
Throughout the night we heard tapping and skidding sounds, which we simply wrote off as quirks you’d expect from a house that’s nearly 120 years old. Around 2 a.m., the doors to the armoire suddenly slammed shut. They’d been closed when we went to bed, and we still have no idea how it happened.
CONTINUE READING: www.ksl.com/?sid=20450654&nid=711