Friday, September 13, 2013

HELLo Hotel It's Friday The Thirteenth

You can't scare me anymore
with your 13 steps!

I came home the back way from
my daughter's house in Milwaukee yesterday.
County Road R winds through some
pretty gorgeous Wisconsin hills
between Manitowoc and Green Bay.

One of the most photographed sights
is the old Maribel Caves Hotel.
Before that there was another old hotel and
people used to go to be cleansed and healed
by the sweet spring waters that flowed there.

Here is the only picture I could find of 
The Maribel Caves Hotel
when it was still in use.
click on picture for source
It has always kind of fascinated me.
It was built in 1900 and 
supposedly visited by Al Capone.
It went up in flames in the 1920's,
was rebuilt  and burned again in the 1960's.
It was reported to be haunted and 
singing could be heard
along with sightings of  a child 
dressed in white.
When there was a new moon it "glowed".
The floors have been gone for several years
and this is what it looked like from the first time 
I ever saw it.
This was considered to be haunted
and was often called Hotel Hell because of the 
red stains on the walls of the cellar
and there were accounts of moans
and cold spots when it felt as if you
were brushed by cold hands.

There used to be doors from the basement
that went into the Maribel Caves,
some of which were located below the hotel.
click on image for source
This place has scared generations of kids
that would go there at night.
Including my son who swore he heard 
"something" in the old stables.

We had had some bad storms in the last few weeks.
Bad storms with high winds.
Sadly, when I went by this time,
here is what I saw.
Gone- All Gone-
Only the door facade stands intact.
No one will walk those haunted halls again.
No more reason to be scared.
Or is there?
This is what you see just down the road.
Camping anyone?
I've got a camper you can rent cheap!
your photo name

35 comments:

Musings from Kim K. said...

I can just imagine all kinds of scared teens exploring the ruins at dusk. Very creepy. Very cool.

Susie said...

Sad that old place was left to ruin. It would be an unsafe place for kids to hang around now. You know teens loved to be scared.:):) Hope your day out was a fun one. xoxo, Susie

Anonymous said...

it looked like a castle didn't it, its amazing the way stories take hold, I don't believe in ghosts, I don't think, lol!

andy said...

Very cool building and great history too ! Have a great weekend

Beth said...

It is always sad to see a building like that reduced to rubbish. I don't think I would have wanted to visit there in its heyday.

Dewena said...

Happy Friday the 13th! We were married on Friday the 13th and so believe it has always been lucky for us!
Can't scare me with any of those haunted places. Of course, you couldn't get me in any of them, either!

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

Oh, how sad...or spooky! Happy Friday the 13th!

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

We have a poor farm at home that is suppose to be haunted. The roof was blown off this spring in a tornado, not sure how much longer it will be standing.
Your place looks like a old medevil castle!

Vee said...

Makes for a great story and some fine photos. Wonder if the camping area is well attended. I'd not be there!

Unknown said...

I felt so heart sick the day that I heard that it had fallen! So much history gone. Also glad that I got some nice pictures of it last summer. There was just something about it that really made me love it. Just a stone shell of a hotel, but was beautiful anyway. I haven't been back there at all this summer. Not sure if I want to see it now. I wonder what will happen to it now?

Nancy @ The Headmistress said...

I never saw this wonderful sight! :( thanks for showing us your pictures!

Tina@WhatWeKeep said...

I ain't scared of no ghosts! Yes, I still quote Ghostbusters. It will never leave my brain thanks to my son.
What a shame it's been destroyed...interesting history lost forever.

Unknown said...

Oh how I wish we had gorgeous buildings and ruins out here with wonderful history and stories to tell.
Not here in my neck of the "mountains"...
I am always so fascinated by the homes, hotels and such that have been around for sooooo long.
That is why I just loved visiting Ireland... and hearing all their stories...
Of course they talked more about trolls! lol

It is a beautiful site.
So sorry to see that it is almost all gone... I wonder why no-one ever tried to fix it again...

Have a great weekend!

Sandy

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

Oh no...how sad that the house collapsed!! Do you think they will re-build it?...Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

That was a neat old hotel. Sad that someone could not save it. We have something similar here that someone restored along with a multi-acre garden.

This N That said...

Sad that it's gone..Thanks for sharing it's history..

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

Oh my goodness! It seems destiny has it for the place not to be! That's crazy!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It does seem a shame...I hate to see ruins. We went to Devil's Millhopper the other day! lol We wouldn't want to camp there though! Happy weekend!

SImple and Serene Living said...

What a great story. I love tales of haunted houses :)

Junkchiccottage said...

Diana,
What a great place she once was. Wow what a shame it is in ruins. Where will the ghosts hang out now?!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Kris

joanne said...

perfect friday 13 post! It must have been a grand place to visit in it's hey day. Too bad it's all in ruins, or is it? I wonder what will happen to it now.

Boopnut said...

Maribel Caves is where my husband and I "connected." It was a bar in 1978 so had not burned out yet. Behind the bar was an area outside where they used to have bands. We were told the upper levels were too unstable to visit. The rumor is, and I tend to believe it, is that the owner burned the bar to collect insurance. (He had done it once before). This would have taken place in the early 80's.
Deb

Edith DUTERTRE said...

hello
comme beaucoup de châteaux
si ils ne sont pas entretenus
ils s'écroulent
mais il faut une fortune pour
entretenir de tels édifices
mais même comme cela il reste très beau
bonne journée
tendresse
edith (iris) France

Leslie Anne Tarabella said...

What goes up, must come down. What a (once) beautiful structure! Too bad it has suffered from time and neglect. But wow! What a great spooky story!!!

Tammy said...

I love old places like that with a story to tell. Fascinating to me. I would have been one of those frightened teens daring to check the place out. Oh the tales you'd have to tell!
Too bad nobody could ever restore the old hotel. It would have been awesome.

Anonymous said...

I would have loved to have gone there as a teen! What is it about us that we like to be scared? It is a shame it is disappearing.

Linda said...

I live very close to that....and now I really regret that I never visited that site. Great post!

tlcukjourney said...

Ooooooo your son is brave!!
I'm a big chicken!!
Tammy x

Sandy said...

I love scary stories and am fascinated by haunted places. Have stayed at a few in Savannah GA. This place looks scary. It's interesting all the weird sounds an old place makes. Sometimes there just isn't a logical explanation of what we experience in these old places. I love the number 13 and am not superstitious at all! Telling scary stories by the campfire is fun but not if you'e staying in a tent!

Chatty Crone said...

Very interesting. My dad was born on a Friday the 13th - in fact Sept. 13 1918.

Annesphamily said...

Two of my daughters have birthdays on the 13th! Yesterday was good for us. We watched our youngest Nick's former high school run in the Liberty Bell XC race and the boys ran really well! Good day!

Sad to see old buildings crumble away. With all the rain we are getting hammered with it scares me to think what else will happen here, my niece and her phamily are returning from Florida, and the Natl Guard would not let them thru to their home in Longmont. Roads are closed all over.

Janice Kay Schaub said...

OOh I would love to explore those caves it looks delightfully spooky
Janice

Anne said...

I am fascinated by places like that.It's a shame it blew down.

Lynn Wood said...

I just love a good ghost story! How sad to see this crumbling away...

Leena Milligan Lanteigne said...

What a cool building! It's a shame it fell apart! That Devils campground sounds like something that a bunch of dumb teens in a movie would go to! Hugs, Leena