On August 8, 2009, my brother, daughter, and I spent the night in damp, dark, old hotel in northwestern Pennsylvania on Lake Conneaut. Hotel Conneaut dates back to 1892 but officially opened in 1903 and was once one of a dozen or so hotels surrounding the lake. Hotel Conneaut is now the last one standing. The hotel maintains its historic style, which means no elevators, televisions, phones, or air conditioning!
The A&E television show
"Paranormal State" investigated and filmed at the hotel just a few days before we arrived. Legend has it that the hotel is home to several ghosts who have permanently checked in...but can never check out.
The most famous ghost at the hotel is Elizabeth, a bride who supposedly died in a hotel fire on her wedding night. The room where she stayed (#128) is closed, but hotel guests are allowed to explore the deserted wing. My daughter took some photos of what was Elizabeth's room, and "orbs" showed up in several. (Some people theorize that orbs are spirit energy.) After taking the photos, we heard two very loud BANGS on the wall directly beside us, and we both noticed a strong floral scent. There was no one else in that part of the hotel with us, nor were there any flower arrangements. We were like the Three Stooges, bumping into each other and the walls as we ran as fast as we could to get out of that hallway!
Upon returning to our room after exploring the hotel, my brother noticed that the water in his bathroom sink was running. None of us had used the water that evening.
After finally falling asleep, I awoke because I felt something heavy near my legs. It felt just like someone had sat on the edge of the bed. When I sat up the heaviness disappeared, and I didn't see anything other than my brother asleep in his bed and my daughter in hers.
Sometime later, my daughter woke me by frantically scrambling into my bed because something was slowly pulling the covers from hers. She spent the rest of the night with me.
In the morning, my brother's toothbrush was missing. I saw him carefully put it in a ziplock bag and place it on his sink the night before. We searched the entire room multiple times, under his bed, inside the bedcovers, the closet, his suitcase...everywhere...and that toothbrush could not be found. We gave up and ventured downstairs for coffee in the lobby (we were gone, perhaps, 5 minutes). When we returned, we immediately noticed that the toothbrush had been neatly placed inside the suitcase on top of his clothes. Housekeeping had not been in our room.
Did we have ghostly encounters at Hotel Conneaut? That will remain a mystery. BUT, it's a fun adventure to share!
