Is Hotel De Paris Haunted?

Hotel De Paris

Find some French-inspired frights and francophile phantoms at this historic Colorado hotel museum

Paranormal Claims at
Hotel De Paris

  • A woman's apparition is seen at times
  • Strange smells of cigarette smoke are reported at times
  • Cold spots are frequently encountered
  • The apparition of Louis Dupuy is encountered by visitors
  • Disembodied voices reportedly converse with visitors

Fine Wine & Peace of Mind:
History of Hotel de Paris

Museums around America come in all shapes and sizes. Some are grand, purpose-built galleries, but many more are living relics just hoping to tell their stories. Old ships welcoming tourists instead of sailors. Victorian homes wanting to share the history of their neighborhoods.

And, in Georgetown, Colorado, a historic hotel keeping 1800s hospitality alive.

Restored in 1954, the Hotel de Paris preserves original artifacts but is also said to still hold lingering spirits from its past.
The allegedly haunted Hotel de Paris saw huge success as a hotel-restaurant as the silver economy thrived through the 1800s.

Hotel de Paris has stood as an institution in Georgetown since the 1870s. While the old building hasn’t been an active hotel since the mid-1900s, dedicated museum staff have preserved the lodge’s old world atmosphere.

They may have also preserved the souls of former owners and staff, who now linger the museum in spirit.

Timeline of Hotel De Paris's History

Swipe or use timeline points to see Hotel De Paris through the years

Combined with its ghost stories, the history of the haunted Hotel de Paris remains one of Georgetown's most mysterious and atmospheric landmarks.

1875

Opened in 1875, when Georgetown was a small but prosperous mining village, Hotel de Paris was the passion project of Louis Dupuy, an army deserter whose real name was Adolphe Gerard. After a mining accident left him out of work, Dupuy bought an old bakery in town and opened his new hotel and restaurant. His new venture promised to bring a little bit of France to Colorado’s mining region.

Disembodied voices heard throughout the haunted Hotel de Paris often provide witnesses with names or reasons for remaining in the hotel.

1893

As silver boomed through the 1880s, so did Louis Dupuy’s hotel. His success allowed him to import dozens of different French wines, which helped make his hotel restaurant an in-demand eatery across the state. He also continually expanded the building in this time, until it finally reached its present size and appearance in 1893. But, that same year, national policy changes wrecked silver prices, sent the country into a depression, and spelled doom for Georgetown and the Hotel de Paris.

Sudden, unexplained cold spots are a commonly reported experience throughout the haunted Hotel de Paris.

1903

Life in Georgetown was never the same after the Panic of 1893. Hotel business never recovered, and Louis Dupuy died in 1900, with his secret past and army desertion coming to light shortly after. In 1903, Sarah Burkholder purchased the struggling hotel and converted it into a boarding house. She and her family operated the business that way until 1949, when the aged hotel finally closed for good. But a few years later, a new opportunity would arise for the old building.

Unexplained sounds, like footsteps or knocking, are often heard throughout the Hotel de Paris, with some visitors even claiming to hear voices speaking.

1954

In 1954, the Colonial Dames of Colorado purchased the building with a unique goal in mind: a restored hotel. Not for operation, but for a museum. The society restored the property to its 1890s appearance, and opened it as the Hotel de Paris Museum. Still today, the museum keeps a collection of almost entirely original artifacts from Louis Dupuy’s hotel. It’s also said to maintain a collection of hotel-era hauntings as well.

Sick of ads? Help us remove them.

Is Hotel De Paris Haunted?

Louis Dupuy himself is frequently mentioned as a resident ghost of the Hotel de Paris. He spent his final decades tirelessly developing the business, and died in the building at the end of it all.

Now, many visitors and staff report seeing a man’s apparition, in 1890s attire, wandering in the hotel.

Guests of the haunted Hotel de Paris report strange smells, such as lingering cigar or cigarette smoke, despite no smoking occurring in the building for decades.
A visitor of the haunted Hotel de Paris purportedly almost fell down the stairs, though an unseen force pulled them back to safety, most often attributed to the spirit of the housekeeper.
The apparition of an alleged housekeeper at the haunted Hotel de Paris is said to focus on cleaning and maintaining order by tidying rooms or adjusting exhibits.

Some tourists even report getting directions from this man.

But, when they thank other staff members for the man’s help, they learn that no such person works for the museum. Witnesses to the apparition often point to images of Dupuy as the man they see lingering in the hotel today.

Sick of ads? Help us remove them.

The Hotel’s Helpful Housekeeper

Dupuy may not be alone in haunting the hotel. At least one other staff member may join him in keeping tabs on the business. A woman’s apparition is also spotted around the building.

But while Louis’ ghost seems to delight in helping tourists find their way, this woman’s ghost busies herself with the same work she likely did in life: cleaning.

A woman's apparition has been seen moving throughout the Hotel de Paris, and is believed to be the ghost of a former housekeeper.
Witnesses of an apparition in 1890s clothing in the haunted Hotel de Paris often identify the figure as Louis Dupuy based on historical images.
Guests of the haunted Hotel de Paris claim a man in 1890s clothing gave them directions in the hotel; however, they're later told that no such employee exists.

The woman’s figure is thought to be that of a former hotel housekeeper, given how she is often said to be picking up after people or keeping exhibits in order.

At least one person has claimed to be helped by the housekeeper’s haunting. A woman reportedly almost took a tumble down the hotel’s stairs, only to be pulled back by unseen hands, thought to be those of the mysterious housekeeper.

Sick of ads? Help us remove them.
Louis Dupuy devoted his later years to the Hotel de Paris, even dying in the building, and now visitors report seeing a man in 1890s clothing wandering the halls.

Eerie Smells & Strange Chills

As apparitions dart around the hotel keeping the museum in order, other strange encounters await tourists and staff in the Hotel de Paris.

Many visitors report an odd stench of cigarette or cigar smoke lingering in certain rooms, even though no one has smoked in the hotel in generations. Others report sudden, unexplainable cold spots hanging in the air around the building.

The Hotel de Paris is widely rumored to be haunted by figures from its past, with Louis Dupuy often named as one of the most persistent ones.

Sounds of Specters at Hotel de Paris

Some people also report unexplained noises and voices around the Hotel de Paris.

While some people only hear out of place noises, like small knocks or possible footsteps, others report ghostly voices calling out to people. Sometimes, the phantom voices even respond to questions, telling people their names and why they are still haunting the hotel.

Sick of ads? Help us remove them.

Hotel de Paris:
Home of Georgetown’s Ghosts

There aren’t many museums built into the frames of former hotels. And that makes the Hotel de Paris Museum, and its wide array of original artifacts, all the more valuable to Colorado’s history. There’s unlikely to be a better time capsule for an 1890s hotel and restaurant than exists in Georgetown today.

While artifacts do most of the work setting the scene of the 1890s Hotel de Paris, the ghosts certainly add a special ambiance.

Originally opened in 1875, the allegedly haunted Hotel de Paris was founded by Louise Dupuy, also known as Adolphe Gerard.
In Georgetown, Colorado, the historic Hotel de Paris stands as preserved site maintaining the feel of 1800s hospitality telling stories of the past.

Hotel de Paris focuses mostly on historic tours and programs these days, though the ghost stories are tough to avoid. Anyone exploring the hotel on a history tour might spot a ghostly housekeeper or get directions from Mr. Dupuy himself.

Louis Dupuy’s life may have been a complicated and uncertain mystery. But, in death, he and his hotel are more mysterious than ever.