Geiser Grand Hotel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Geiser Grand Hotel
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Geiser Grand Hotel
Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Main and Washington Baker, Oregon, U.S.
Built	1889
Architect	John Bennes
Architectural style	Italianate Victorian architecture
Part of	Baker Historic District (ID78002277)
Added to NRHP	December 14, 1978

The Geiser Grand Hotel is a historic hotel in Baker City, Oregon. It first opened its doors in 1889. The hotel closed in 1968 but was beautifully restored and reopened in 1993.

Inside, you'll see amazing decorations. There are tall mahogany columns, fancy Victorian-style chandeliers, and a beautiful stained glass ceiling. During the Gold Rush, people called it "the Queen of the Mines." It was considered one of the best hotels between Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City. It even had one of the first elevators built west of the Mississippi River!

Hotel Design and History

The Geiser Grand Hotel was designed in a special style. This style is called Italianate Victorian architecture. It was designed by architect John Bennes. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historic building.

The hotel first opened in November 1889. It was originally named Hotel Warshauer. This name came from its first owner, Louis F Cook. Later, in 1900, Mr. Geiser bought the hotel. He made plans to update it. The hotel was renamed the Geiser Grand Hotel. It reopened with its new name on January 1, 1902.

Interesting Stories and Events

The Geiser Grand Hotel has been part of many interesting stories. In 1906, a newspaper story mentioned the hotel. The story was called "Baker City Has No Poor." It suggested that Baker City was a very lucky place.

In 1959, a clever hotel clerk helped catch some robbers. She pretended to have arthritis. This made the robbers tie her up loosely. She then freed herself and called the police after they left. Country music singer Presley Wayne Spriet gave his last performance at the hotel. This was the night before he passed away in 1997.

Some people say the hotel might be haunted. There have been various reports of strange sightings.