The Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, Colo., has nearly a century of history. The hotel was also the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel, the setting for Stephen King’s masterpiece The Shining. It has also hosted some famous names such as Stephen King, Theodore Roosevelt, and even the Emperor and Empress of Japan. But the Stanley may be hosting more than just guests. It has been the site of numerous reports of supposed hauntings.

The Stanley was built in 1909 by Freelan O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, after coming to Estes Park when he came down with tuberculosis. When he found that the town was economically poor, and with the amazing view of the Rockies, he decided to have the hotel built using his connections he had made from the success of the Steamer. He also had a new road built into the town. To help christen it, he had the first visitors come in on steamers. In 1940, the year he died, he finished having a sewer, water, and power company developed for the town. Since then, the hotel had become a major success.

Many reports have come from the guests of the hotel that they had seen strange images and had unexplainable things happen to them. Some believe that F. O. Stanley haunts the hotel himself. He has been seen most often in the lobby and the Billiards room, which was his favorite room when he was alive. He has also been seen in the bar but quickly disappears before anyone can get a better look.

It is also believed that F.O.’s wife Flora haunts the hotel as well. When she was in the hotel, she used to entertain the guests by playing piano in the music room. Though there have been no actual sightings of her, the keys of the piano have been seen by several guests to be moving by themselves.

Guests have also reported hearing children playing in the hallway when no children were present, one couple even checking out because of the noise. Various employees have reported hearing voices when no one was around and seeing impressions in beds in rooms where no guests have stayed in for awhile. One guest claimed to have recorded a faded image of a man in a cowboy hat in his room, standing in front of the window. It lasted for a few minutes and then faded away. Another incident occurred where a guest attending her sister’s wedding wrote “REDRUM” on a mirror with lipstick in her sister and her groom-to-be’s room a joke. Later, as she was walking down the grand staircase to the lobby, she felt someone shove her and she fell down the stairs. After being helped up, she looked to see who shoved her, but no one was around to have done so.

Many strange events seem to take place in the Stanley Hotel for sure. Some are certainly less explainable than others. Why people believe they see the Stanleys has no reasonable explanation. Noises that guests and employees hear could be the creaking of heaters that they think might be ghosts, or the shifting of the pine wood that some of the hotel is made from. Voices that they hear could be echoing through the floors and walls from other rooms. That could account for the children that are heard as well. Or they could actually be children that hide when someone tells them to stop or keep it down. The guest who recorded the ghost wearing the cowboy hat would be more reliable if he showed this recording rather than say he did. And the girl who claimed to be shoved could very well have lied. After all, she was in the process of pulling a prank when it happened.

The Stanley Hotel has managed to stand as the very essence of the haunted hotel story, even before Stephen King used it for inspiration. It has also been visited by the T.A.P.S team, aka the Ghost Hunters on the SciFi channel. But does the Stanley still have guests that have not checked out?

Scott Tepperman of Syfy's series Ghost Hunters International

TARA TOURS will team up again with Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International! We are proud to announce that paranormal expert Scott Tepperman will lead our investigation through the corridors of the old Green Cove Springs Jail. I will also be bringing three selected tour guests to share in this experience with me.

First built in 1894 the old jail was in service till 1972. During that time at least 5 documented executions have occurred on the front steps of the jail. Death was by hanging.

The jail housed the insane, juveniles, men and women. At least one sheriff was assassinated and his bleeding body dragged into the jail, where it lay bleeding on the floor. One deranged inmate slit his own throat. Another suicide occurred on the lawn of the courthouse/jail complex. The elderly gentleman stabbed himself repeatedly in his own chest.

Teams have consistently recorded electronic voice phenomena (EVP) in the empty cells. Disembodied voices, footsteps, shuffling of feet, the sound of cell doors creaking open have all been experienced. Video has caught unexplained apparitions and photographs show unexplained anomalies. And most creepy of all, the jailbirds like to touch investigators and pull their hair.

To his credit, Scott has been a regular investigator on Ghost Hunters International for about four years now. Scott’s interest in paranormal activity was sparked when, as a child, he was allowed the rare opportunity to step inside the Amityville Horror House! We can’t wait to investigate  and see what kind of spooky situations we can get into together! We’ll keep you posted……..

When restoration started on the building 20 years ago, the remains of two head stones were found underneath the building. While investigating the site it was revealed they were British soldiers.  Now you know the British don’t get along with the Irish!  The Pub and Deli also features guest rooms upstairs.  Several complaints of loud “boot” stomping on the stairs, and mens voices captured on EVP by NEFPI were confirmed in this haunted location.
Some claim it’s the deceased irish patrons of long ago purposely stomping the floors and stairs to annoy the british buried there so long ago!  Glasses have also been documented to fly off shelves, and pictues literally had to be nailed permanently into the walls to keep them from falling off as well.

Tara and daughter with Ghost Hunters International cast members

My daughter and I recently attended an official paranormal investigation with Syfy Channel’s Ghost Hunters International (GHI). That evening we boarded this massive ship and stayed overnight, participating in a live investigation alongside the cast and crew of the television series! We were pleased to meet GHI cast members like Paul Bradford, Donna Lacroix, and Brandy Green. I documented the experience and made the photos I have available on my Facebook account. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

The USS North Carolina is a haunted battleship that lost 10 men in battle during World War 2. Five men died when the ship was torpedoed September 1942. Another three were killed by friendly fire in April 1945. The remaining two died in separate incidents.

Today, the USS North Carolina is still haunted by at least two of the dead sailors. One is good but one is evil. One likes to rattle things, cut off the lights, slam the doors, move things around in the room. The other is cold and much more wicked. When he is near, the temperature in the room drops and you can see your own breath. He has chased people and even yelled at them.

A ghostly young blond man has been seen in the passageways. Another spirit peers out of portholes occasionally. One has even hitched a ride with an unsuspecting guest.

Hatches and doors open or close themselves, televisions and lights turn themselves off or on. Things move by themselves in front of witnesses. And they don’t hesitate to make themselves known by talking and even yelling. And of course there are cold spots, footsteps and other eerie experiences.

One night, a watchman was fixing a power box below deck when he felt a gust of cold air and a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and shone his flashlight but there was nothing there. He heard footsteps walking away.

He jerked the beam of light around the room. There were empty tables and benches. In the open hatch nearby stood a sailor with blond hair so fair it looked white. The light from the flashlight passed right through him. When the night watchman screamed, the ghostly sailor turned his head and disappeared.

It may go months or even years between experiences. Several experiences may happen in a short amount of time. But when the ghosts of this battleship become active they certainly appear to make themselves heard very loud and clear.

Savannah's infamous Moon River Brewing Company

Tara Tours has added a new stop, the Moon River Brewing Company, on our 8:00PM BOOS AND BREWS Tour. All I can say is CREEPY!   A man slapped in the face, a woman screaming (not part of the tour group), tour guide and a skeptic guest seeing a full blown apparition of a women in the upstairs section of the building and more…….

Aug. 17th 2010- Downstairs in the basement I saw a grown woman drop to her knees in fear, crying hysterically as she saw a 6 ft. black shadow of solid mass pass in front of her. Get this…for a living she’s a CSI (Crime Scene Investigator) from Florida!

April 2011- A series of photos taken by Steve Burke from Clearwater, FL. on tour. A tour guest literally got slapped in the face at the bottom of  a staircase that a man was shot on and fell to his death at. This poor man was just standing there, then WHAM…..a slap so hard it knocked him backwards! These three photos (taken seconds apart from each other)can be viewed on our Facebook “Ghost Pictures from Tours” album.

November 6th 2011- My daughter Lyn joins the staff at Moon River Brewing Company. We are patiently awaiting the news of any after hour paranormal activity that may happen in one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah! Stay tuned for more info………

Nov. 25th 2011- My tour guide Chad called me right after the tour tonight. Two of his tour guests captured a live video of an orb moving around on the second floor. Crazy thing is the two guests that filmed the paranormal incident, did not know each otheduring the tour,  at all until meeting tonight on the tour. There was also a rep from WJCL (local tv staion in Savannah) with her friends doing the “Black Friday” tour, and she was absolutely astonished at the two separate videos. She gave my guide her card and said she would like to air these videos on the news!!!! You never know who or what will show up on these tours. Video has been posted to our facebook page.

Nov. 26th 2011- I love it when a skeptic has an encounter on the tour. Chad once again called me at home after the tour and said that one of the tour guests Mr. Hamilton, was touched a couple of times downstairs in the basement of Moon River Brewing Company. Mr. Hamilton had mentioned to Chad he did’nt believe in ghosts , but quickly changed his mind when something started to poke  him while touring the creepy basement area. He also had his wife and daughter with him on tour.

Strange orb in front of Kehoe House

My Great-Great Grandfather’s house was originally built in 1892.  He and his wife Anne had a large family of 10 children….5 boys and 5 girls.  His wealth did not come easy, but was a product of his dedicated years working,  then later owning,  a massive Iron Foundry (Kehoe Iron Works).

Many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren played through out the large hallways and bedrooms of this spectacular residential mansion.  A handful of family members died in the home as well.

Sept. 19, 1902 – Anna Louise Kehoe ( 4 yrs. 2 mth. at time of death)

Sept. 22, 1902 - Mary Elizabeth Kehoe (1 yr. 8 mth. at time of death)

These two young girls were my grandfather’s older sisters.  While his mother was pregnant with him, they contracted Roseola and died within 3 days of each other. They were sent to the house to be nursed back to health, but died in the home instead. My grandfather was born 3 weeks later. They are buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Savannah. Their tombstone reads “Suffer little children to come unto me”.

These beautiful blonde hair, blue eyed angels are extremely playful all throughout the home. Guests of the Inn have reported to visually see them standing at the foot of the bed….whispering in each others ears giggling, or turning door knobs for thrills.  Several complaints from hotel guests are the pitter patter of  little feet running up and down the hallway! Some people mistake them for twins, but they are only sisters very close in age at the time of their death.

Sept. 27, 1922 – Francis Percy Kehoe (41 Yrs. at time of death)

One of the original 10 children, Percy died of Tuburculous in the home. 3 months later his own mother dies in the house.

Dec. 30th,1922-Anne Flood  (73 yrs. at time of death) 

The matriarch of  this huge family, she is the famous “lady in white”  that is constantly seen and photographed in the home. In her final years of life, she suffered severly with Rhuematoid Arthritis.  A crippling painful disease that kept  her confined to certain areas of the home. One in particular is the “Tybee Room”.  This was her bedroom on the 2nd floor in her final days, and she is also seen on the 3rd floor, where her beloved granddaughters died. 

Dec. 29,1929 – William Kehoe ( 87 yrs. at time of death)

Upon the loss of my Great-Great Grandfather and the beginning of the great depression, the home was sold.  This was the sole decision of the 7  survivng children. The new owners turned turned this beautiful family home into a funeral home for 47 years! (1930-1977)  The downstairs front parlors, and the second story bedrooms were turned into “viewing” rooms for the deceased. The basement area which was onced used for canning and coal storage, kitchen and washing areas, was now converted into embalming, prep, and cold storage rooms for dead bodies!  As recent as 2007, the new owners wanting to expand the Inn by adding more rooms,  utilized these old death rooms by gutting them out and creating three new guests rooms.  Now there are 13 rooms at the Inn.

What an amazing experience!  Three days and nights of filming and investigating in a ghost-filled family/ex-funeral home was an extremely intense experience!  My daughter Lyn and brother Lee also participated . The same company that produces Ghost Hunters International is also responsible for this series.  The date to be aired has not been determined yet.

This haunted home is definately on all of our Tara Tour ghost routes. Take a tour with us and see this magnificent home up close for yourself!