HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
An 1896 Cripple Creek hotel where the owner's confined daughter became the prime suspect in his death
123 N 3rd St, Cripple Creek, CO 80813
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Hotel room rates vary; restaurant open to public
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story Victorian building; stairs throughout
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1896 · Cripple Creek Historic District · National Historic Landmark District · Post-fire reconstruction era
Most of Cripple Creek burned in back-to-back fires in April 1896. The town rebuilt in brick almost immediately, and the building that would become the Imperial Hotel rose at the corner of 3rd Street and Bennett Avenue that same year, originally called the Collins Hotel. It offered electric lights and steam heat—amenities that set it apart from the rougher establishments that had dominated the boomtown.
In the early 20th century, an Englishman named George Long operated the property with his wife, focusing on fine dining and hospitality. The couple raised three children in rooms adjacent to the lobby. Their oldest daughter, Alice, developed a severe mental disorder as she grew older, and rather than send her to an institutional facility, the Longs confined her to the family apartment off the main floor.
George Long died after falling down a narrow staircase to the basement. The circumstances were never fully established—officially an accident—but the rumor circulating in Cripple Creek was that Alice had struck him with a cast-iron skillet at the top of the stairs. No charges were ever filed. The building was later renamed the Imperial Hotel and operated as a hotel and casino through the 20th century.
The hotel changed hands multiple times and was listed in various states of operation into the 2020s. It sits within the Cripple Creek Historic District, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. The building served briefly as a temporary morgue following the 1896 fire.
Sources
The Imperial's paranormal reputation centers on its former owner and his confined daughter. Security guards working overnight at the casino floor have described hearing the unmistakable sound of slot machines—the mechanical ding and the clatter of coins hitting a hopper—after the casino closed and all machines had been powered down. Witnesses attributed the noise to George Long's ghost, who during his life was known to enjoy the casino floor.
Female guests and staff have reported unexplained touching sensations, also associated with Long's spirit. The accounts follow a consistent pattern: a sense of physical contact with no visible source, reported more often in the lobby and bar areas than in the guest rooms.
Alice's presence is associated with the door to the Red Rooster Bar, which occupies the space that was once the Long family apartment. Staff have described scratching sounds at that door when it is closed for the night. Actors who performed in the hotel's Gold Bar Room melodrama theater—a fixture of the property for decades—reported sensing presences in the backstage dressing rooms and occasionally feeling touched on their backs while preparing for performances.
The hotel was featured in local paranormal accounts in the Colorado Springs Gazette and on regional ghost tour itineraries in the early 2000s.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Where this legend is told
Guest rooms in the 1896 hotel, including rooms adjacent to the former Long family apartment where Alice was confined. Security staff have reported hearing slot machines operating on silent floors late at night.
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