The Historic Wolf Hotel in Ellinwood, Kansas is full of interesting and unbelievable history. It was built in 1894 by John Wolf as an addition to the Delmonico Hotel that previously stood where the Sunflower Bank parking lot presently is. It was built to add extra rooms, a new lobby, a bank, and underground stores. Now, the underground tunnels are abandoned and supposedly haunted. You can buy tickets to tour them and occasionally join in on ghost tours. The hotel has many fun activities such as murder mystery dinners, escape rooms, comedy shows, and a prohibition era bar. Ellinwood prides itself on its history and the Historic Wolf Hotel is definitely something to be proud of.

The hotel can be used as a venue for weddings, birthday parties, business meetings, and any other event you would like. There are many interesting facts surrounding the hotel. The underground tunnels even still house the very first air conditioner in Barton county. The hotel was used as an antique store back in the 80’s before being purchased again to return it to its original state. 

The underground tunnels are definitely something the hotel prides itself on. Once basically being a thriving town to being empty and giving guests or any who visit an eerie feeling. Kennedy Kern, a senior at Great Bend High School who has visited the tunnels said, “they are really dark and creepy and it feels like something could pop out at you anytime”. The tunnels have a barber shop, an underground bar, a bank, and a bath. Men mostly inhabited the underground, including German immigrants and cowboys. You can still see bullet holes on the walls and many items from the time period are displayed.

The Historic Wolf Hotel is said to be haunted by 3 spirits. There is a legend that says during the “Sundown laws” (which occurred from the 1930s-1960s), the police shot an African American to death for violating the curfew. The legend claims that the angry spirit of the man scares and confronts guests. There are no records of this happening, many locals believe it to be true. The second spirit is a man named Bernard I. Millet who committed suicide in the dining room on February 24, 1927. He had checked into the hotel that morning and once he had finished his meal, he pulled out a pistol and shot himself in the dining room. His spirit is seen in the dining room in the late evenings. The third spirit is an unknown young woman who has been around for years. She enjoys practical jokes and placing items under guest’s pillows. 

The Historic Wolf Hotel also advertises its sister locations which are the Cottage, the Manor, Grandma’s place, and the Slammer. All four are available to stay in. The Cottage was built by a man and his wife in 1900 where they spent the rest of their lives. The house was later used as a boarding house in WWII by the owner’s daughter. The Manor is most commonly used when there are too many people staying at the Wolf Hotel and is a former Catholic Rectory built in the late 1800s. Grandma’s place is a nice 3 bedroom house located near the Ellinwood High school.

The hotel has been around for the good and bad of the past. From violence in the bars underground and the Sundown Laws to new technological advances and generations of families. This building holds so much rich history that hopefully will be around for more generations to come. It is a great place to revisit the past, especially near Halloween.