They Say it’s the Most Haunted Hotel in the State of Texas
This is a well-known hotel In Mineral Wells, Texas, which was once abandoned and borderline creepy. It's considered to be one of the most haunted places in the state.
Are you familiar with the Baker Hotel? Better yet, do you know any ghost stories about this place? Many have been told stories over the years since it opened...and then closed.
This Mineral Wells real estate icon first opened its doors just a few weeks prior to the Great Market Crash of 1929. (Talk about bad timing, eh?) But in fact, the 14-story Baker Hotel was "once the crowning glory of the tiny town, host to the rich and famous and anyone hoping to benefit from the local healing waters. Then, it became an abandoned hotel in Texas," according to a story shared on Onlyinyourstate.com.
The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas thrived, despite the Great Depression, during the 1930s and 40s.
The military base nearby certainly helped with that. But also, it was frequented by dazzling celebrities, including Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and even Helen Keller. Both the famous AND the infamous were alleged visitors. Rumor has it that Bonnie and Clyde were guests here.
Unfortunately, things started to go downhill during the 1950s, for various purported reasons. Although the proprietors sought to keep the doors open, they struggled to find interested investors. Thus, the doors permanently closed in 1972.
That's scary enough. But then there are the rumors of paranormal activity at the Baker Hotel.
What "paranormal activity" has been reported from guests at the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas?
According to rumors, dozens of spirits were thought to have been present. (Did somebody count them? Are we sure? We wouldn't want to leave any of them out and thus encourage a retributive personal haunting.)
No seriously, claims have also been made that the ghosts of Bonnie and Clyde still reside in one of the rooms. You can delve a bit deeper into the ghostly legends here. The most famous of these tales involves the Lady in White. *shivers* Yeah, go check it out, if you're into that kind of thing.
Now, the Baker Hotel is preparing to live a whole new renovated life in the near future.
This historic hotel is finally being renovated, with a goal to restore it to its former glory and beyond. Just look at this video featuring the man in charge of construction, Mark Rawlings, to see what they've got planned:
To be honest, I can't wait for this project to be completed. Their new website is downright compelling--take a look. I can't wait to see what it looks like when they're done. Now whether or not I'll get up the nerve to actually spend the night there...well, that remains to be seen.
How about you?
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