Not far from here, in northwestern Pennsylvania, you'll find a century-old hotel. It will soon close for the winter, hiding its secrets in the cold and dark. But while it's open, spend some time with us as we explore its mysteries.
Welcome to the Hotel Conneaut at Conneaut Lake in Crawford County. This place, so the legends say, is full of ghosts. Carrie Pavlik can tell you. She has worked the front desk and has put the dark tales of this old building in her book, "The Ghosts of Hotel Conneaut and Conneaut Lake Park."
"If you're walking the halls alone, it can be a little creepy," she said. "It kind of feels like there's something at your back, you know."
The ballroom easily echoes to your footsteps and some have seen a ghostly couple dancing there, locked in a waltz for all eternity.
As you enjoy the warmth of the fireplace, the spirit of a former hotel employee, John, may join you. He shocked Carrie and some visiting students.
"We decided we would try to summon the ghost of John, so we asked him, if he was present, to press a key on the piano in the room," she said. "Nobody was near the piano and we heard the piano key press."
Over there, is that the spirit of Angelina, a little girl who died here? She plays in the hallways and she needs a best friend -- forever.
But of all the ghosts who might linger here, Elizabeth, the bride, is perhaps best known. She can play tricks. Be careful where you set your keys. They may disappear. The legend says Elizabeth died in a fire around her wedding day. Could it be the fire that swept through the hotel in April, 1943? The answer is unclear, but guests have seen her and tour guide Laura Gramelt has no doubts.
"We have had many reports of women that have been upset in the hotel, crying and they would feel somebody sit on the bed and wipe their tears away," said Carrie. "I believe it's Elizabeth. I believe she doesn't want to see women cry."
So does this hotel hold earthbound spirits, so attracted to this place they must stay? Carrie may have said it best in her book: whatever your eyes can see, your heart can feel. That is why she believes.
