The Hauntings of the Eldridge Hotel, Part One | Grave Talks CLASSIC
The Grave Talks | Haunted, Paranormal & Supernatural
Ghost Stores, Haunted, Paranormal & Supernatural Stories
4.6 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 4 April 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE!
In the 1850s, Lawrence, Kansas, stood at the center of a violent struggle that helped shape the nation—and the story of the Eldridge Hotel begins right in the middle of it.
Originally built in 1855 as the Free State Hotel, the structure was burned to the ground the day it opened, a symbol of the conflict tearing through the region. Determined to rebuild, Colonel Shalor Eldridge brought the hotel back to life, establishing what would become a lasting landmark in Lawrence.
Historian Dennis Sneed takes us inside the origins of the Eldridge Hotel, exploring the events that shaped its early years and the legacy that remains today. Alongside its history, reports of ongoing paranormal activity have continued to surface—particularly in areas tied closely to the building’s past.
From Room 506 to other parts of the hotel, the stories suggest that something may still linger within its walls.
It’s a look at the history and hauntings of the Eldridge Hotel—and how its past may still be present today.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today on The Grave Talks, the historic and haunted Eldridge Hotel. |
| 0:17.0 | Before the Civil War began, Kansas was embroiled in its own battle. |
| 0:22.7 | The pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions fought over the issue of allowing slavery in Kansas |
| 0:28.8 | in a battle known as Bleeding Kansas or the Border Wars. |
| 0:34.6 | Lawrence, Kansas was at the epicenter. |
| 0:42.5 | And in 1855, the anti-slavery side built a hotel, |
| 0:47.2 | so like-minded people new to the territory would have a place to stay. |
| 0:50.6 | They named it the Free State Hotel. |
| 0:54.0 | There was no question about what it represented. On the day of its grand opening, |
| 0:56.6 | it was burned to the ground. Colonel Shaler Eldridge rebuilt the hotel and vowed to |
| 1:02.7 | rebuild it every time the pro-slavery forces attacked it. In 1856, it was burned down again. |
| 1:10.3 | The hotel was rebuilt. In 1926, it was burned down again. The hotel was rebuilt. |
| 1:12.1 | In 1926, it underwent extensive renovations, and that is the hotel you see today. |
| 1:19.0 | It is said that Colonel Eldridge loved the hotel so much that he's never left. |
| 1:25.7 | In fact, room 506 is the hotbed of activity at the hotel. |
| 1:31.9 | Today on The Grave Talks a conversation about the historic and haunted Eldridge Hotel in |
| 1:37.3 | Lawrence, Kansas with Dennis Sneed. Now, Dennis, what do you do at the hotel? |
| 1:43.3 | I handle all the marketing and social media, and I also |
| 1:48.3 | created the website. So I developed the website and do all the upkeep and maintenance on the |
| 1:53.9 | website. And Lawrence is an incredible town. It's a really interesting place in Kansas. I live there |
| 2:00.7 | at one time when I was right out of high school. It's been a while since I live there, but I still have family that lives in Lawrence. And Lawrence itself has such an interesting history. In this hotel, the Eldridge Hotel, it really represents the history of the city of Lawrence. So let's go way, |
| 2:19.6 | way back and start with a history because Kansas was a free state. So as with a lot of free |
... |
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