Northwest of Manitowoc, is the Manitowoc County Cherney Maribel Caves Park. Near the entrance to the park are the stone ruins of an old building. They look like some sort of medieval castle, but it was actually a hotel back in the day. Because of its tragic history and unique look many people believe it to be haunted.
Built in 1900, by Austrian immigrant Charles Steinbrecker the stone hotel which he named The Maribel Caves Hotel. He built it in an old world European style using local stone. The hotel was a place for the wealthy to receive spa treatments from the nearby natural spring. The natural spring water was piped into the hotel and guests could both bath in it for relaxation and drink it to purify their body. The water was so popular that a bottling plant was built in 1915 to ship the water to fine restaurants in Milwaukee and Chicago.
By the 1930s the hotel fell on hard times and it was sold to Adolph Cherney, but never regained the glory it once had in the early part of the century. The hotel was purchased in 1981 by Jeff Miller and reopened. It did not operate for long because a devastating fire tore through the building burning everything but the stone walls. For years the the walls stood in the Wisconsin countryside until a tornado ripped through the area in 2013 knocking down most of the structure. The tower on the corner and a portion of the walls somehow managed to remain standing along with the archway for the front door. The words The Maribel Caves Hotel can still be seen above the arch.
Because of its tragic ending and eerie look some have given it the nickname Hotel Hell. There are many stories and rumors about the hotel being used by witches and that an old well is a portal to hell. I don’t know if it is haunted or not but I do know that it is hauntingly beautiful.
Please Note: The old hotel is on private property. You can get a good view of it from the road but please be respectful of the owner and do not trespass.
Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.