Room 506 Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
The Lawrence Journal-World reported in 2016 that assistant general manager David Longhurst had received reports from guests about Room 506 and had witnessed strange occurrences there himself. Source: Lawrence Journal-World, 2016.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
The Free State Hotel on this site was burned during the Sack of Lawrence on May 21, 1856. Shalor Eldridge's replacement, the Eldridge House, was burned in Quantrill's raid on August 21, 1863; a third building was finished in 1866, and the hotel was rebuilt in its current form in 1925. It closed as a hotel in the 1960s, became apartments in 1970 and later reopened as a hotel (Wikipedia).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
A "portal" Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
The Topeka Capital-Journal wrote in 2025 that a room at the hotel is said to be the site of a portal to the other side. Source: Topeka Capital-Journal, 2025.
The Topeka Capital-Journal wrote in 2025 that a room at the hotel is said to be the site of a portal to the other side. Source: Topeka Capital-Journal, 2025.
Then and now
Public access
Open to the public The Eldridge takes bookings on its own site (Eldridge Hotel). Last checked: Nov 1, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Lawrence and Kansas
- More haunted & abandoned hotels
- Nearby: Stull Cemetery (Stull, KS), Sauer Castle (Kansas City, KS), Quindaro Townsite (Kansas City, KS), Sallie House (Atchison, KS)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change. Verify access with the owner or operator before you go. Spook Atlas does not encourage trespassing. Entering private, closed or condemned property can be illegal and dangerous. Report a correction.
Reader experiences
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