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Despite what the recent weather might suggest, we’re already approaching mid-October. Which means it’s spooky season — prime time for ghost tours, haunted houses, and swapping sinister stories.
One such tale: Local legend has it that on the sixth floor of a historic local hotel, you’ll find more than just guest rooms. Visitor reports over the years include unexplained footsteps, flickering lights, and sudden cold drafts, particularly near the Rainbow Room’s storied dance floor.
But more on that in a minute.
A brief history
Perched along the Fox River since 1928, Hotel Baker is closing in on a century as a downtown St. Charles mainstay. Built by Colonel Edward J. Baker — who poured his Texaco-fortune inheritance into his hometown — the hotel was originally conceived as a “masterpiece” for all to enjoy.
But after his death in 1959, the hotel’s fortunes shifted.
His niece Dellora Norris inherited what she called “that white elephant of a hotel,” eventually donating it to Lutheran Social Services, which converted it into a retirement home. By the late 1900s, the property had fallen into disrepair and faced a very real threat of demolition to make way for condos or possibly a casino.
A rescue mission materialized in 1996, when Craig Frank and Neil Johnson led a $9 million restoration, reopening the hotel in 1997 to reestablish the building as an operational St. Charles landmark.
A haunted reputation
As we’ve learned, history may not be the only thing lingering in Hotel Baker’s halls.
Staff and guests have whispered for years about a chambermaid who drowned nearby in the Fox River decades ago. Back in the day, the employee quarters were on the sixth floor — which is where she’s said to cause her mischief today, even sneaking into the sixth-floor penthouse to mess with people’s bedding.
In fact, Haunts.com ranks the hotel as the third most haunted place in Illinois.
Whether the spiritual side of things resonates with you or not, it’s a fittingly eerie local legend for Halloween season.
Interested in digging deeper on Hotel Baker’s history? Check out this detailed historical overview from the St. Charles History Museum.
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