Overnight Stay Booking Required
Overnight stay at the historic inn
Book a room in the 1917 lodge. Guest tradition includes leaving a key behind for the inn's collection of more than 20,000.
- Duration:
- 12 hr
No photograph
on file
Est. 1917on file
HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
- 01Apparitions in former family rooms
- 02Cigarettes extinguished
- 03Drinks spilled
- 04Sense of family presence
Haunted Hotel / Inn
Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge)
The 1917 Estes Park Mountain Inn with 20,000 Keys
4900 South Highway 7, Estes Park, CO 80517
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Overnight room rates vary by season; the Key Room and public spaces are accessible for dining or day visits per the inn's current operating policy.
Access
Limited Access
Historic mountain lodge with steps
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1917 · Early 20th Century Mountain Resort · Literary Connection (Earl Derr Biggers) · Rocky Mountain Tourism History
Gordon and Ethel Mace homesteaded their Estes Park property and built a log cabin on it in 1911. The Baldpate Inn formally opened in 1917, named for the fictional inn in Earl Derr Biggers' popular 1913 mystery novel 'Seven Keys to Baldpate.' Local tradition holds that when Biggers visited the inn, he remarked that the Mace property was so close to his imagined setting that the Baldpate would have to become the 'real' Baldpate Inn.
The Maces gave each guest a souvenir key, a practice that ended during World War I when wartime metal costs made the giveaways unaffordable. Guests began the inverse tradition of leaving a key for the inn, and the Baldpate's Key Room now holds more than 20,000 keys collected over a century, including several keys with claimed provenance to famous people and places.
The property has been owned by the Smith family since 1986, only the second family ever to hold it. In recent years the inn has marketed itself under the Seven Keys Lodge name. It continues to operate as a historic mountain inn near the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Sources
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/baldpate-inn-estes-park/
- https://www.visitestespark.com/blog/post/the-haunting-at-the-baldpate-inn/
- http://www.baldpateinn.com/index_php/page_id-22/
- https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/27/baldpate-inn/
Apparitions in former family roomsCigarettes extinguishedDrinks spilledSense of family presence
Baldpate Inn's haunted reputation is closely tied to its founding family and is among the most affectionate in Colorado mountain folklore. Long-time staff and returning guests have shared that Ethel Mace continues to occupy her old room and the Key Room. The most-cited detail is a wing-backed rocker by a fireplace in what is now used as a storage room; Ethel is said to sit with her feet up reading her Bible.
A second tradition centers on Gordon Mace's preferences. The lodge is non-smoking, and tradition holds that guests who attempt to smoke indoors find their cigarettes mysteriously extinguished or their packs missing. Mixed drinks on tables are also said to spill more frequently than chance would explain.
Reports from staff have remained consistent across multiple ownership periods, and the inn's haunted reputation has been highlighted in Legends of America and the Estes Park visitor bureau's seasonal storytelling.
Notable Entities
Ethel MaceGordon Mace
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Dinner Booking Required
Dining at the lodge
Dine at the historic lodge restaurant and visit the famous Key Room and public lounges.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Book a room at Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge)
Stay the nightSome links on this page may earn HauntBound a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial picks are independent. Full disclosure
See current room rates and availability at Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge).
Check rates and bookRates come from booking partners, so a small property may not be listed. Book direct with Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge)
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Free Guide
Get the Colorado Haunted Trail Guide
11 verified stops, rated for families, mapped in order. Free.
One email to confirm, then the guide link. Unsubscribe anytime.
Similar Destinations
Haunted Hotel / Inn
Farnsworth House Inn
Gettysburg, PA
Built around 1810 by tanner John F. McFarlane and expanded with an 1833 brick addition, the Farnsworth House sits on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg. During the 1863 battle, Confederate sharpshooters occupied the structure, and the south-facing wall still carries more than 100 bullet holes from Union counter-fire.
$$ All Ages for Haunted Cellar and Shadow Shooters tours; 16 & Up Only for Mini Paranormal Night and Paranormal Night.
Family: Moderate
Haunted Hotel / Inn
The Historic Karsten Inn
Kewaunee, WI
The Hotel Karsten opened on Valentine's Day 1913 in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, replacing an earlier wood inn called The Steamboat House that burned in the early 1910s. Built and operated by William Karsten Sr., the 52-room Arts and Crafts hotel sits on the Lake Michigan shoreline and remains one of the few surviving hotels of its period in the region.
$$ All Ages
Family: Moderate
Haunted Hotel / Inn
The Driskill
Austin, TX
Colonel Jesse Lincoln Driskill, a Tennessee-born cattle baron who supplied beef to the Confederate Army and later the Texas Rangers, opened The Driskill Hotel on December 20, 1886. Its first event, two weeks after opening, was the inaugural ball for Texas Governor Sul Ross. Driskill sold the hotel in 1888 after severe drought devastated his cattle herds and died in 1890. The hotel has hosted every Texas governor's inaugural ball since 1887.
$$$ All ages
Family: Moderate
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge) family-friendly?
Family-friendly historic mountain inn. Ghost stories are light-hearted and tied to the founding family rather than violent events. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge)?
Overnight room rates vary by season; the Key Room and public spaces are accessible for dining or day visits per the inn's current operating policy.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge) wheelchair accessible?
Baldpate Inn (Seven Keys Lodge) has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Historic mountain lodge with steps.