The Olde Park Hotel
Where friendly spirits are welcome...

Our Story

The presentation room downstairs has a 10 foot movie screen and wifi access. The Secrest Sitting Room, Chrisco's French Bordello, Virginia's Country Kitchen, and Annes Theater are part of its charm and decor.

One of the first ghostly haunts happened the first night the owners stayed overnight. Dan and Connie slept in the downstairs owner's suite after a ghost hunt, when Dan was awoken by a strange ghostly caress. Startled by the encounter, Dan awoke to find a strange woman dressed in black, white and red clothing staring at him within just a few feet of where he slept. As he leapt from the bed, the woman vanished from his bedside. Other ghostly encounters include strange boot steps, various apparitions of cowboys and bordello women, children, and other entities.

As soon as the toy room was created for the mysterious ghostly children, activity has increased as the room is modified over time. Figures on the SLS kinect along with electronic voice recordings, and audio and video compliment the hotel hauntings.

Ginny, a porcelain doll that was purchased by Dan 15 years ago, is known to have moved positions in its permanent home, Ginny's Honeysuckle Suite. Other occurrences include disembodied voices, strange knocks, and slamming of doors. Many visitors who stay the night report shadow figures, cold spots, strange perfume and cigar smells, and voices of both men and women. People have reported being touched, scratched, and being pushed in the building.

Outlaws such as Sam Bass, the Newton Boys, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, John Wesley Hardin, Emmanuel "Mannen" Clements, and Jim "Killer" Miller aka,"The Deacon" have been associated with the area of Ballinger and the hotel as outlaws who lived and moved through the area.

As additions are made to this beautiful location, we honor its history and continue to restore the building with new rooms and additions to the museum. In order to book, please go to the Event Bookings page and check the availability dates on the booking calendar and prepay using the paypal link. The motto of the Hotel is Friendly spirits welcome, including its ghostly visitors.

As the Santa Fe, Gulf, and Colorado Railroads merged in West Texas and the railroad expanded from Brownwood, it took many casualties such as Runnels City and unlawful cowboys. In 1886, the town of Hutchins, formally known as Gresham, renamed its town Ballinger after receiving donations from its benefactor, Judge William Pitt Ballinger. It was on June 29, 1886 that the town formally gathered to sell lots and incorporated with approximately 3000 people in its population.

The town was known for its commerce, cotton production, railroads, saloons and outlaws. The area has a rich history to include gun battles and ghost stories. One of the reasons for this is the numerous locations that are claimed to be haunted. Along with houses in Ballinger and other business locations, The Olde Park Hotel remains a hot spot for paranormal activity.

The owners Dan and Connie LaFave purchased the building in 2016 with the intention of restoration with different themed rooms. The pair have experienced numerous paranormal events that led them to share the building with other paranormal enthusiast and history lovers both on the travel channel and discovery plus. As members of the Runnels County Historical Commission, the pair have slowly worked towards documenting their experiences and new discoveries.

The hotel was originally a meeting house, boarding house, school house, restaurant, music store, brothel, and antique store. It was also previously the Secrest Hotel, The Three Sisters Hotel, The Royal Hotel, and also the Park Hotel When the park complex in front of the hotel was annexed, it was renamed the the Olde Park complex, which ultimately led to the change in name to the Olde Park Hotel in the 1920's by the previous owner. The original fence that bordered the courthouse park was moved and now encirlces the evergreen cemetary just outside of town.

Owners such as Washington Hampton Secrest II, The Keel Family and numerous others have left their mark on the hotel as some of the rooms are still named after them to honor their history of ownership. Their pictures can be found in the museum downstairs in the hotel along with a gift shop for souvenirs.

The hotel has been featured on the Travel Channel, Discovery plus on Deathwalker and Fright Club. Dan has written four books in the paranotmral field and was featured on Paranormal 911.