Olde Park Hotel
| Olde Park Hotel | |
|---|---|
Location within Texas | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | Runnels County, 107 S. 6th Street, Ballinger, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 31°44′21″N 99°56′42″W / 31.7392°N 99.9451°W |
| Construction started | c. 1886 |
| Website | |
| www | |
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.
History
The 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]
The LaFave family owned the building for several years from 2016 through 2025, which led to the building being recognized for several things and projects being done to the building over time. The LaFave's coined the phrase "Bringing the building back to Life" which was referenced in a newspaper article in the Runnels County Register several years ago. They took on several projects over their years owning the building. They also introduced the building to being featured on television and in numerous newspaper articles. Any slanderous things being depicted or said about the LaFave family on here are unreliable and simply untrue being considered just heresay and would be dealt with legally. All owners of this great historical building should be noted and appreciated for all their contributions per their historical periods. The LaFave's have numerous supporters over the years who will verify and attest to their great years there at The Olde Park Hotel building. The LaFave family also appreciates all the good things that they Wandel family is doing with this old building.
In 2025, Chad and Leslie Wandel, the founders of the paranormal research team Ghost Geeks, bought the hotel to restore it to its original condition.[2]
Architecture
The 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
The 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
- ^ a b c d e Ramirez, Brandy. "Old Ballinger Hotel is a Hub of History and Paranormal Activity". San Angelo Live. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
- ^ a b c LaFave, Dan. "Ghost Stories". oldparkhotel.com. Olde Park Hotel. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
- ^ Hancock, Bill (January 24, 2020). "Ballinger's Olde Park Hotel Featured on Travel Channel". Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ Hancock, Bill (July 23, 2019). "Hollywood actor conducts ghost hunt at Ballinger's Olde Park Hotel". Runnels County Register. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ Edgin, Alan (September 25, 2020). "Haunted hotel in Ballinger to be featured on Travel Channel show with Ozzy Osbourne's son". Go San Angelo. USA Today. Retrieved February 12, 2021.