Located in remote resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas stands the gothic Crescent Hotel. Called by some the "Grand Old Lady of the Ozarks, the hotel has served as many things over the years and yet strangely, each incarnation was reported to be haunted and each one also contributed to the legion of phantoms believed to walk the corridors of the building. If there is a single place in the Ozark Mountain region that can be called "most haunted", it is this one! The Crescent became almost immediately popular and attracted people from all over the south. It flourished for several years and from 1902 to 1907, it was taken over by the Frisco Railroad, which leased the property as a summer hotel. Not long after, people began to realize that while the local hot springs were certainly wonderful, they held no curative powers. The springs soon lost the interest of the wealthier class, who had many other pursuits in that "gilded age" and business for the town dropped off. The loss of revenue convinced the railroad to quickly abandon their attempt at running a hotel. The next 60 years were not good ones for the Crescent. It was open year-round, but it was starting to slip into a more run-down and decrepit condition. Various attempts were made to keep the place up and running, but as time passed, Eureka Springs lost its past prominence and the hotel became a forgotten curiosity. But it did not stand empty, as history goes on to testify. In 1908, the hotel was opened as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women and served as an exclusive academy for wealthy ladies. During the summer it still catered to the tourist crowd, but the money it made was not enough to keep the aging monolith in business. The costs of running, heating and repairing the place were so overwhelming that they were not ever offset by the staggering tuition charged to the students. The school closed in 1924 and then reopened briefly from 1930 to 1934 as a junior college. By the 1920's, the automobile was transforming Arkansas into a vacation state. One estimate even claimed that nearly a half million people drove to the Ozarks for vacations in 1929, a staggering number for the time. Because of this, there were a number of businesses that leased the Crescent as a summer resort after the school closed down. However, in 1937, Norman Baker leased the hotel for another purpose altogether. These were the darkest days of the hotel and according to most, the time when the haunting really began at the Crescent Hotel. The deeds committed during this era have unquestionably had a lasting impact on the building... and perhaps on the spirits who still linger here. When Baker took over the hotel, he had plans to turn the place into a hospital and "health resort". Baker was an Iowa-born charlatan who had made his fortune by inventing the Calliaphone, an organ played with air pressure and not steam. He had made millions of dollars by 1934 but he was never content with this. He considered himself something of a medical expert, although he had no training. He claimed to have discovered a number of "cures" for various ailments but he was sure that organized medicine was conspiring to keep these "miracle medicines" from the market. He was also sure that these same "enemies" were trying to kill him. Baker started a hospital in Muscatine, Iowa but ran afoul of the law over his "cure" for cancer. He was convicted of practicing medicine without a license in 1936 and all of his medicines were condemned by the American Medical Association. Nevertheless, he purchased the Crescent Hotel and remodeled it, tragically tearing out the distinctive wooden handrails and balconies and painting the wonderful woodwork in garish shades of red, orange, black and yellow. He decorated his own penthouse in shades of purple. He also added a few other touches to his private rooms, hanging machine guns on the walls and installing secret escape passages that would save him should his AMA "enemies" attack. Baker moved his cancer patients from Iowa to Arkansas and he advertised the health resort by saying that no X-rays or operations were performed to save his patients lives. The "cures" mostly consisted of drinking the natural spring water of the area and various home remedies... or so the "official stories" say. According to most reports, no one was actually killed by Baker’s medical claims, but local legend tells a different story. The legends say that when remodeling has been done at the hotel over the years, dozens of human skeletons have been discovered secreted within the walls. It has also been said that somewhere within the place are jars of preserved body parts that were hidden so as to not scare off prospective buyers. They still have not been found to this day. The hotel was built on the crest of West Mountain between 1884 and 1886 and may have gained its first ghost when a workmen fell from the roof during the construction. His body landed in the second floor area where Room 218 is now located. I doubt that it’s a coincidence that this room is considered to be one of the most haunted in the hotel!
This futuristically sylvan church is a glass-enclosed marvel of modern architecture.
Explore the source that put Eureka Springs on the map. Dozens of natural springs flow in locations throughout town but some of the natural springs are extra special. Here are […]
Gracious hospitality and warm personal service blend for just the right mix of pampering and privacy in this historic Victorian home where no stress is allowed! Located in Eureka Springs' Historic District you'll enjoy a leisurely walk through the neighborhood, or you can catch a trolley just one block away. Take advantage of the in-house movie library, or simply enjoy the breezes on the shady veranda just outside your room. You'll feel like royalty when you feast on innkeeper Keith Hubband's special breakfast. After a meal like that, you probably won't feel like lunch, but treat yourself to an afternoon dessert, or enjoy cold drinks, coffees or teas anytime.
Explore this beautiful town nestled in the Ozark Mountains with nightlife, natural beauty, and lots to do. #hosted @crescenthotel @Eurekasprings #thingstodoinEurekasprings #UStravel
The Ozarks are beautiful in autumn. Here are the best things to do in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, during the fall, plus where to eat and stay.
Besides eating bamboo leaves I like all kind of oddities. Being bored of usual buildings I have traveled the world (with the help of Internet) and found 50 strangest and most extraordinary churches in the world, and I'm kind enough to share it with you.
These places are amazing!
Eureka Springs is an historic town in northwest Arkansas, full of interesting attractions and things to see during your visit.
Whether you're interested in ghost tours, shopping, or spa treatments, we guarantee you won't be bored in Eureka Springs!
In 1979, a former school teacher had the idea to build a chapel in the woods and share it with the world. It seemed like a crazy plan to everyone else,
This town is super photogenic! Use this guide to make sure you hit all the most Instagrammable spots in Eureka Springs Arkansas.
Eureka Springs Hiking at Lake Leatherwood City Park offers both beautiful views and Bigfoot!
Enjoy a scenic dinner train ride in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, featuring a delicious meal and
“So it is not only the form of elements and their relationship in and to the landscape that is fundamental in site considerations, but shapes and materials, methods of building character, and associative cultural and remembered image evocations are also important. Such is Thorncrown Chapel by Fay Jones in rural Arkansas, an architecture which complements […]
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When traveling to the Ozarks, be sure that Eureka Spring, Arkansas, is on your must-see list. The hills are a gorgeous backdrop for having some fun
Just in case Eureka Springs is not yet in your bucket list, then you might consider adding it. Check this list of things to do in Eureka Springs, Arkansas!
Before we headed home we visited a few of the sites around Eureka Springs. It is a small town with a population of just over 2000 but it is also a huge tourist town and goes all out to cater to them - especially the bikers. We didn't like that at all as they were just so noisy roaring up and down the roads and it kind of made Mom chuckle as they weren't young bikers - most of them looked over their 50's. At one time there use to be a thriving railroad at Eureka Springs but today there is just a tourist train. Many of the carriages and trains are SLOWLY being worked on but with such a small resident population they don't have a lot of people with the skills needed to repair them and bring them back to their former glory. Across from the trains was this awesome little musical park where they have created all kinds of musical sculptures that you can play. Mom's favorite was this giant wind chime and she had fun tinkling them all. Eureka Spring has the most amazing collection of unusual houses too. The town is built in a very narrow and rocky valley so a lot of the houses are tall and cling to sides of the hills. We thought it had a kind of German, Swiss, San Francisco feel to the town especially as the streets are very narrow. They class the architecture as Victorian. As the names suggests Eureka Springs is well known for its springs. There are four main ones and the biggest is this one - the Blue Spring - it puts out 38 million gallons of water a day! We also went to visit Thorncrown Chapel which is a 48 foot high glass chapel. It is a lot like the one we saw in Hot Springs last year but not as big. Dad says the one in Hot Springs was a lot nicer as they had used wood for all the supports where as this one has metal supports. We had the best mini vacation ever and would highly recommend it because not only is Retreat pet friendly but all the parks were and many of restaurants had outdoor areas that were also pet friendly.
