Lord Baltimore Hotel: Ghost Detectives’ probe airs for Halloween
It may not be the Bates Motel, but over the course of its almost 90-year history, the Lord Baltimore Hotel has played portal to a plethora of paranormal activity. No other spot in town can claim the presence of a child-like apparition, paired with the occasional occurrence of screaming specters bedeviled by the depths of the Great Depression. This week, viewers in central Pennsylvania will get a glimpse of the venue’s haunted happenings, when Fox 43 (York, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Gettysburg), Fox 56 (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre) and WYLN 35 (Hazelton) airs first of the group’s two-part March investigation of the Lord Baltimore Hotel.
To celebrate the show’s airing, the Lord Baltimore Hotel is inviting area residents in to survey the spooky spots of the storied hotel.
“As you know, the hotel has some haunted lore tucked into its 88-year history,” said Kristen Zatina – Account Manager for the Lord Baltimore Hotel. “On the 19th floor, there’s the recurring sightings of a young girl in a white dress with a red ball. It’s rumored her name is Molly.
“Then there’s the documented suicides that occurred from its rooftop during the Great Depression, due to the fact it was one of the highest buildings in the city at the time.
“Locals are welcome to check out the Lord Baltimore Hotel’s mysterious 19th floor themselves. It’s also the location of LB Skybar. If thirsty, the Lady Baltimore cocktail may add to the mood with its eerie golden glow.
“For those more interested in finding treats than tricks, the ground level’s LB Bakery is offering a host of pumpkin-flavored sweets, including scones, croissants, and their signature macarons.”
(LB Bakery provided treats – including a ghostly “Molly” cake – for the Ghost Detectives’ two-night investigation of the local landmark.)
Back in March, Bob Christopher – lead investigator for the Ghost Detectives – told the Baltimore Post-Examiner he had hoped to return to Charm City, specifically because of rumored happenings at the Lord Baltimore Hotel.
“When we were in Baltimore a few years back to investigate the Admiral Fell Inn, we became friends with the manager, Lee Johnson-Lowe. Lee is the one who told us about The Lord Baltimore Hotel; about some of the hauntings – especially up on the 19th floor where guests and hotel staff have had some strange encounters.”
Christopher’s return to Baltimore a few days after that interview was certainly not in vain. He and his purposeful crew checked in to find a phantasmal child’s hand print on their hotel room wall. Later that night, they recorded an unseen child squealing, and an other-wordly voice beseeching them to, “GET OUT!”.
Was any of this staged? Absolutely not, in the view of this reporter, who tagged along for the investigation. I wrote a lengthy piece about my own observations of the paranormal activity.
Not convinced? Then judge for yourselves by watching the shows. We will update this story by adding both episodes of the two-part investigation as they are posted on the Ghost Detectives‘ Youtube channel. Or stay the night at the Lord Baltimore Hotel – if you dare.
Happy Halloween.
Anthony C. Hayes is an actor, author, raconteur, rapscallion and bon vivant. A one-time newsboy for the Evening Sun and professional presence at the Washington Herald, Tony’s poetry, photography, humor, and prose have also been featured in Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore!, Destination Maryland, Magic Octopus Magazine, Los Angeles Post-Examiner, Voice of Baltimore, SmartCEO, Alvarez Fiction, and Tales of Blood and Roses. If you notice that his work has been purloined, please let him know. As the Good Book says, “Thou shalt not steal.”