The Olde Park Hotel is a bed and breakfast and tourist attraction located in Ballinger, Texas. Today's the Olde Park Hotel has seen various uses such as a schoolhouse, saloon, and hotel over its history but is today a bed and breakfast and event venue owned by the LaFave family.
| Olde Park Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Texas | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | Runnels County |
| Address | 107 S. 6th Street |
| Town or city | Ballinger, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 31°44′21″N 99°56′42″W / 31.7392°N 99.9451°W |
| Construction started | c. 1886 |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editThe Olde Park Hotel, standing where it has since before Ballinger existed,[1] was built as a bunkhouse for railroad workers, but was sold in an auction in July 1886.[2][1]
In the hotel's life, it has been a schoolhouse, a hotel, and a saloon.[1]
In 2016, Dan and Connie LaFave, the founders of the paranormal investigation group Graveyard Shift, bought the hotel to restore it to its original condition.[2]
Architecture
editThe building has been enlarged a few times in its history. One expansion was moved to Ballinger on logs from nearby Runnels City, and it is believed that another part of the building was once briefly used as Runnels's courthouse.[1]
Purported haunting
editThe hotel is considered to be haunted and marketed as such. One previous owner, Jeanette Findlay,[1] has reportedly identified 30 different entities present in the hotel.[2] The hotel's reputation has resulted in its periodically appearing in paranormal television programming. The hotel was visited in 2018 by Brad and Barry Klinge, hosts Ghost Lab, and Brandy Green of Ghost Hunters International,[3] and in 2019 by paranormal investigator and actor Chad Lindberg.[4] The hotel is to be featured in the Travel Channel television show Fright Club, hosted by Jack Osbourne.[5]
Notes
edit- ^ a b c d e Ramirez, Brandy. "Old Ballinger Hotel is a Hub of History and Paranormal Activity". San Angelo Live. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ a b c LaFave, Dan. "Ghost Stories". oldparkhotel.com. Olde Park Hotel.
- ^ Hancock, Bill (24 January 2020). "Ballinger's Olde Park Hotel Featured on Travel Channel". Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ Hancock, Bill (23 July 2019). "Hollywood actor conducts ghost hunt at Ballinger's Olde Park Hotel". Runnels County Register. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ Edgin, Alan (25 September 2020). "Haunted hotel in Ballinger to be featured on Travel Channel show with Ozzy Osbourne's son". Go San Angelo. USA Today. Retrieved 12 February 2021.