Just wondering what people can tell me about Hot Lake Hotel located between La Grande Oregon and Union Oregon. I grew up in that area, so I know some about it, but am always looking for more, especially personal stories people may have.

Hello there ironjenny! Don't know anything about that area but I'm from Idaho myself and I grew up in Hermiston so I just thought that I'd say hello to a fellow idahoan and oregonian!!

Ha! I'm actually living in Idaho too! Nampa to be exact--small world, eh?

LOL...that's funny! I'm in Boise right now myself...

So Ironjenny, are you on staff at the Idaho Spirit Seekers? I've visited the site a few times and they have some great pics.

Yup--i am a member of the Idaho Spirit Seekers We havent done a whole lot lately with investigations or our website lately, but Im trying to see if we can get that changed and get some new stuff on there.

I used to live in la grande and when I was little, Id go play at the hotel. (what a wonderful playground, huh?)

Once, I was in this room medical room on the second floor and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by 3 HUGE snakes.

A lot of people I know used to take police radio scanners in there and it would work as a transmitter for spirits.

The one thing I remember most about the hotel tho, is this red room. I could never bring myself to go in it.

Now, 10 years later, Im just still just as obsessed with the place.

-nicole

wow i used to live in union for about a year, so i would constantly drive by it...it was relaly creepy when it was cold outside and the lakes were streaming....i've heard a couple of stories from people that have gone in, but i myself never did. Some people I know bought it and are turning it back into a spa...and are doing tours every sunday...im hoping to make it to one of those...hopefully they will still be doing them in the springs.....

Sounds like a interesting place to go to, I would love to see if there's any ghost socities here were I live. But I'm too busy with work and school. It would be cool to hear more stories on this hotel though.

correct me if im wrong, but i think it was first a mental hospital and then a spa (or i might have those backwards) and it had a huge fire which burned a lot of it..i think it was also on an episode of "scariest places on earth."

Yeah, it was also a resturant for a while.

Im going up to la grande this summer, hopefully they will still have tours goin on.

I just visited La Grande and Union, Oregon a week and a half ago. I went to see my aunt, as we were driving by the hotel I asked her about it and she told me that she had been in the hotel one time and would never go back. She said in one room, she said it used to be the surgical room when it was the sanitarium really gave her the creeps she could not bring herself to walk all the way in. Somebody had came in and painted satanic pictures and symbols in there. It made it all the more creepy!

Hi, looks like this is an old thread but I grew up in Hermiston too~!! (just moved back in fact) How old are you Munchkin? If you don't mind me asking?

I'm 35... wondered if we knew eachother..

My aunt/uncle live in LaGrande but I've never heard of this hotel.

my step sister lives in Hermiston

Is she oldish?

I'm coughcough35cough and could use a friend... LOL

I moved from Portland and needless to say... I miss it over there!

she's 26, but i think she might be moving over here....

HI, my dad, brother, and i have been quite interestied about the Hot Lake Hotel. We've made a couple trips to la grande to see it. i have a ton of information, and some very interesting stories/ video. if you are interested, drop me an e mail. ltldrmurboy@hotmail.com

I'd love to tell you my stories!

My wife's family (one of her mom's aunt anduncle) use to own it when it was a restaraunt in the 80's. We've been going through there since '98. My in-laws first vistited it in '95 when they stopped by and got a tour from the then care-taker, Brian. They've got a great video of it as he took them on the tour.
It would be nice to spark up a conversation about this place and what any of you know about it. We have tons of information and "stuff" (nothing stolen) from the hotel. Last Sunday we stopped by and walked around the grounds and saw what they have done so far. It looks pretty good! Much better than even last year at this time!!!
If you can, help by donating to get the project complete, which is suppose to be done (hopefully) by next September. Here's a link to their site: http://hotlakesprings.com

Take it easy

Here's a couple pictures of the place from pics I took about 5-7 years ago:

Hi everybody:

Correct me if I am wrong, I could be thinking of another hospital. But, didn't the doctor that used to run this as a hospital get caught doing medical experiments on the patients?

He was a very progressive doctor (Phy). He was among the first to test with radiology. Every once in a while you can come across his radiology books. Pretty neat.
Whether or not he got caught doing experiments, I don't know. He definately use to do experiments on patients. There's also rumours that he performed hystorectomies (sp?) on women, some of whom died. Supposedly they're some of the haunted *spirits* that haunt Hot Lake.

Yikes! Glad I won't be going to him if I need a hysterectomy!

Anyway, do you know the docs name? I would like to look it up and research its history.

Thanks

Amy

Dr. William T. Phy was his name. His son also practiced with him. His name Marcus Phy. He apparently killed himself after his dad died a couple years later. Dr. Phy is said to die of a cold he got after swimming or something, but many believe he had radiation poisoning. Remember, in those days not enough research had been done on radiation so I'm sure he was practically swimming in it not knowing the actual dangers of it.



Dr. William T. Phy: 1878 - 1931. Marcus T. Phy: 1898 - 1935
These were some of the least elaborate gravestones of the many hundreds at this cemetary.

I live in La Grande, Oregon. They are currently fixing up the Hotel. So far they have a museum in the old foyer, a small bakery, and a coffee shop out front. They will be fixing up the whole thing, and people are able to donate to the restoration and have their names on a plack. Its really neato out there... Besides, I used to go out there alot before they where fixing it up. It was cool then too....

Yep, and for $125 you can have your name put on a brick that will be put out front. Along with that, they give you your own authentic Hot Lake brick to take home that says "Hot Lake 2004" on it. 2004 being the year they started to rennovate it.

edit: The name you get put on the plaque is if you donate a window toward the project, which I think is $100. They need LOTS of windows.

If anyone has any pictures, I'd really love you to send the full resolutions to me if you can.

that place looks very creeppy!

ExplOregon:

Thanks for the information and the picture of the head stones! It should make for some good research......

Amy

Hi everyone:

I knew while I was researching The Hot Lake Hotel, I was getting it confused with another hotel that also once belong to a doctor and I was right. I realized it tonight that I was getting it confused with the Crescent Hotel in Arkansas. I realized it while watching Ghost Hunters, LOL.

It used to be a morgue as well. Anyway, I thought some of you might find the following link interesting. If you are ever planning a vacation in Arkansas, you may wanna check this place out.

http://crescent-hotel.com/ghosts/index.html

Ok, so the story with hotlake, http://www.juiceenewsdaily.com/1004/news/h...l?1129573801265 and look under la grande.. good description there..
I've been up there quite a few times, I can say it's very creepy, every time that i've been up there, i've seen the fog and twice have i seen the "ghost train" go by.. well one time i rather heard it.. also during the day we talked with the grounds keeper, even though supposebly no one is doing that job right now.. the other creepy part, we started hearing a clicking noisecoming from the lobby, so we went to explore it, and found a safe that was cracked open, and inside were papers dated from the early early 1900's (I believe it was of patients checked in).. as of right now the place is in fairly poor condition, except for a certain stairs.. when going up them, they are in good condition and above them is a banner reading "walk quietly so you don't wake the spirits" or something regarding that.. creepy.. then in one room, there's actual carpeting laid out, and the story with that is a blood pentigram was on the floor, and every time they've laid new carpeting the blood keeps coming up through the floor.....





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I grew up in the area as well. Recently, our local paper had an insert about the new ownership etc and in it is a full page history of Hot Lake from pre 1812 to present. Of course they are playing down anything metaphysical and the new owners are fairly fundamentalist Christian so they don't "cotton to the rumors". It is an interesting history though. Lots of myth, lots of rumor surround that place. My dad was a geologist and there were some studies done of water samples and geothermal energy probably in the 1970s. It WAS featured on an episode of worlds scariest places. My son (much to my dismay) spent time there a few years back as a party place the kids would go run around in it to scare themselves (the building was not structurally safe). I have heard rumors about snakes (rattlers), and many accounts of voices, sounds, and intimidating spirits. I mean, heck, it was a healing place for the native americans and well, we took it. That would tick off that population, and I think it was a sanitarium rather than a mental hospital but medical technology being what it was, I'm sure people suffered.

I had a friend who said once she and her family were driving by and the old Hot Lake sign lit up momentarily even though it hasn't worked in eons. Personally, I wouldn't go there. I have enough spirits around me and nasty ones are not something I would go looking to expose myself too. I know the new owners have undertaken a monumental task in restoration of both the building and the reputation, but it doesn't matter how much you clean it up, the ley lines have been disrupted and there is a lot of cleansing that needs to happen. Often, when I drive by I have this message pound in my head "drive off the road, drive off the road, DRIVE OFF THE ROAD!!!!". So yeah, I avoid it.

If you do some searches, there are a few other strings of discussion about Hot Lake on the web with personal accounts. I have a scanner but I'm not sure that article I have would scan for posting to the site, and I'm not sure I would even be allowed to do that if I could figure it out. If you want to find the article you could probably find The La Grande Observer on-line and e-mail them. The insert is recent within the last few months and the title of it was Experience History and Bronze In the Making. MSWMOM

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P.S. There is also a "haunted" hotel in Baker City Oregon called the Geiser Grande Hotel (fully restored) and another in Union Oregon that I think is just called the Union Hotel (also under restoration)...but truly, I've found MOST old buildings have spirits who hang around. They all have so much history and people who have walked their halls. But both of these two other places are interesting as well. I recently found a web site that somebody recommended to me at www.energymattersinc.com This woman is a "ghost liberator" who does cleansings. Very interesting and down to earth, approachable person. You might look at that if it is of interest. She is in the Seattle, WA area. MSWMOM

I am new here, thought I would look hot springs hotel, wow IT is on here. LOL. All I know about the place is that they have reopened it for tours(atleast from what I have found out.) Anyway, my story about it is this, My hb and I were going to Idaho, to see if we wanted to move there, instead of staying in Oregon. We live in the willamete valley Not the prettiest place in Oregon. WE drove the hotel, turned around and parked in front by the gate. It looked at the time that it was being restored, or may have been restored. Anyway, I got this creepy feeling feeling about the place, and few other things. I wouldnt get out of the car. So my question is, since is now open, and is supposedly haunted, are their any resent activities going on? Would it be a with another trip over, u know to get over the creepy feeling of the place.?

Kawani

My husband and I visited briefly Fall of 2006 - a great deal of the restoration has been done - still lots to do. I found it facinating, but did not know of anything "mysterious" at the time. We would like to go back. We are in south central Washington State, so maybe next spring.

I agree that this place is very freaky. I use to live very close to here and have gone in there as well. I also was hearing noises from the lobby but did not have time to explore. I am hoping that I will get to go on a tour of it soon.

By the ways... there are train tracks right across the street and every time I have driven past those train tracks there has always been a train on them... so i doubt it was a "ghost train" and just a normal train. But I completely agree with you that this place is haunted and very creepy. It has been the center of me and my friends ghostly experiences.

I also used to go there. Did you ever hear the rumor about the kid that went to the hotel to play (this was after it got burned down) and he was with another kid and his friend said he saw him get pushed into the hot spring and the kid died. My grandma used to tell it to me. It was probably just so i wouldnt go there but did you hear it too? But then I started hearing that people were seeing a young kid walking around the hot springs. just a thought!

Hello everyone! I'm new to this site but just wanted to say that I grew up in La Grande and have also been to "Hot Lake Hotel" many times and am always intrigued by the many stories and experiences that I have heard over the years. My mom actually worked at the Hotel at one point as a "Candy Striper" when it was a hospital. I have heard all the stories that everyone has spoken of on this site and one suprised me a little because I was just speaking of it the other day. I think the site name was MSNMOM or something like that, and maybe was posted a while back. Anyway, she talked about having driven by the Hotel, had the message in her head to "Drive off the road". I had a friend/ boss who was driving a co-worker home after work one night who experienced the exact same thing! Wierd! I have also known people who have pulled off the road at night after witnessing a small boy (who did drown in the Hot Lake a long time ago, at age 5, i believe) running around near the road, only to find no boy out there at all. Ok, well, i'm not sure how much you can write on here at one time, but it was fun to see all the people who are interested in the Hotel too! Take Care!

This has been such an interesting read, im so fascinated by this hotel now..

I must say, the pics of the place not only posted hear but around Google are pretty creepy looking