Boulder is a town in the county seat of Jefferson County, Montana. People visit the area for the Elkhorn State Park, the Tizer Botanical Gardens & Arboretum, the Last Chance Ranch, the Berkeley Pit, the Granite Mountain Memorial Overlook, the Ringing Rocks, the Karmidillos, the Butte Brewing Company, and many more.

Downtown Boulder, Montana. (Link: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/428264245801423488/)

It is also famous for a haunted hotel where an alleged prostitute was murder. The ghost of the woman reportedly haunts the hotel, called Boulder Hot Springs Hotel, to this day.

An old photo of Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. (Link: https://boulderhotsprings.com/about-the-inn/history-of-boulder-hot-springs/)

History Of Boulder Hot Springs Hotel

The Boulder Hot Springs Hotel, which is also referred to as Boulder Hot Springs Inn, Spa, and Retreat Center, is located at the snow-covered peaks of the Elkhorn Mountains. The area where it was built is called the Peace Valley because the First People in the land believed all people should go there to heal in the hot mineral waters.

According to the records, the first building of the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel was constructed sometime in 1863 by James E. Riley. He built a saloon and a bathhouse for the miners and ranchers to relax in. by 1881, Riley made the facility larger by adding a new hotel that originally accommodated 50 people. During the same year, Riley, however, died of smallpox. The Boulder Hot Springs Hotel was then bought by Abel C. Quaintance and Cornelius Griswold.

Nine years later, one C.K. Kerrick offered a ten-year lease on the property and he developed it into a larger facility. The Boulder Hot Springs Hotel later became a Victorian-looking establishment with a veranda. He then named it Hotel May, after his daughter. However, during the lease period, Kerrick lost interest and had a local businessman oversee the hotel.

By the year 1909, James A. Murray, a millionaire miner and banker, purchased the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. Murray then ordered major renovations because he really loved the architecture in California during that time. The Boulder Hot Springs Hotel later became a huge building that resembled a Spanish and California Mission mix style.

In the year 1940, the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel was sold to C.L. “Pappy” Smith. He changed the name of the hotel to Diamond S. Ranchotel and it was known as that for the next 35 years. By 1960, it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Lane and they operated it as a hotel, a bar, and a dining room.

More owners managed the hotel in the next year. Stuart Lewin was one of them and he changed the name of the hotel back to Boulder Hot Springs. He managed it for 11 years until it closed down in 1989. It was later bought by Anne Wilson Schaef. During the time she bought it, she did major renovations as well. She had the plunges tiled, the bathhouse completely renovated, installed innovative heating system, and more. It finally re-opened in the year 1991.

Boulder Hot Springs Hotel today. (Link: https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/hot-springs-resort/boulder-hot-springs.html)

The Ghost Of Boulder Hot Springs Hotel

It remains unclear if this is true but a prostitute named Simone was reportedly murdered at the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. Some said that it was during the time when mining was a huge deal in the area. Allegedly, Simone was murdered by a mining executive at one of the former offices of the hotel.

Some workers who worked on the different renovations of the hotel claimed that they saw the ghost of a woman. The woman is said to wear a white gown and it looks like a periodic dress. The ghost is reportedly usually seen peering out the windows.

Also, a strong scent of a perfume fills up the room whenever she is around. Most of the rooms that smell her perfume are at the first floor of the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. Many believe this is her scent because there is never any source of origin where the smell comes from.

Some men also claim that she is a bit violent towards the opposite gender. Males said they had the feeling of being pushed or tugged at without anyone else in the room or near them.

At night time, guests have also heard the footsteps of someone going down the hall only to find out no one was walking there.

The Simone’s Suite is available for booking but it is unclear if this is where most of the activity involving the ghost of the alleged murdered prostitute happens.

A photo of the door of Simone’s Suite at the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. (Link: https://helenair.com/boulder-hot-springs-in-search-of-simone/collection_9845c9e0-01cf-11e1-aaa0-001cc4c03286.html)

A Creepy Photo

A woman shared their experience at the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. She wrote on one website, “I stayed at the Boulder Hotsprings about 10 years ago. My boyfriend and I were out exploring the grounds and I took a photo of him out back of the hotel. When I downloaded the photos on to my computer I noticed what looked like a woman in a white Victorian style dress looking out from the upstairs window. Later when I read about what people report seeing I got goosebumps. Sounded exactly like my photo. Unfortunately the hard drive crashed on my old lap top so I can’t access that photo anymore.”

A photo of some of the windows at the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel. (Link: https://helenair.com/boulder-hot-springs-in-search-of-simone/collection_9845c9e0-01cf-11e1-aaa0-001cc4c03286.html#2)

Man Was Woken Up By The Ghost

A man also shared his experience saying that he stayed at the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel with his wife. The ghost never bothered his wife but it seemed that the entity wanted him out.

He shared, “I did not sleep more than a couple hours that night. I have never in my life had an encounter with a ghost until I slept here. Needless to say it did not want me around. I had the most TERRIFYING dreams all night long and at one point I was awoken in the night by someone tapping, then hitting my shoulder to wake me up. I thought maybe there was a problem and it was hotel staff trying to get us up…however nobody was there when I opened my eyes. I could not close my eyes the rest of the night.”

Do you have any experience at the Boulder Hot Springs Hotel? Share it in the comments!