The GrandView Camp Resort & History

Our campground resort was a very nice place located in a pretty remote area of Connecticut.  The Grandview is situated on a hillside overlooking a horse farm and valley.  They have several outdoor sports, a large swimming pool, and two large indoor gathering places.  The most interesting thing is about its haunted past…

Background

And what a past it had.  The Moodus Connecticut area became a resort destination with its heyday in the 1940’s and 1950’s.  It became known as the Catskills of Connecticut.

People from New York, New Jersey, Mass, and from Connecticut would come here in the summers to spend a week, a month or more at the more than 30 resorts.

The Grandview

This is from the Grandview website:  ” In 1946, the Pivnick family was inspired by the beautiful view from a hillside in Moodus, Connecticut. They envisioned a vacation place where families could get away from their everyday life in the city and enjoy the fresh air and relaxing atmosphere of the country. Their vision then became The Grand View Resort and Day Camp.

“The family built a hotel, a playhouse, cottages and a swimming pool. For the next 30 years, city folks flocked to the Moodus countryside. It was just like the movie “Dirty Dancing”. By 1975 air travel, cruising and RV camping became more affordable and the resorts in Moodus became a thing of the past.”

The hotel soon became run down and in disrepair.  A new owner came in and added a campground and fixed up a few things, but could not make a go of it.

The old boarded up and fenced off hotel was located right in the middle of the 22.5 acres.

Then the couple across the street with the horse farm bought it.  They built more RV sites.  But the old hotel that had been boarded up for years and was now an eyesore, so would need to be torn down.

The 75 room hotel was an elegant building with beautiful woodwork.  It had been a luxury hotel for many summers and had seen many families stay and some mysteries.

We saw many additional photos at the campground.  The dining room looked like a cruise ship with scores of wait staff ready at the call.

Once the decision was made to tear down the hotel, the new owners opened the doors for the first time in years.  Their plan was to remove some of the beautiful doors and mirrors for use in the cabins and bathrooms.

Then the noises started.  Whenever they would go in to remove something, one of the employees said they would hear someone walking upstairs.  They never did see anyone though.

As more items were removed, they heard even more sounds.  The owners even called the Ghost Hunters TV show.  They had an interest in filming.

The new owners had become so spooked by now that they contracted with someone to tear it down as soon as possible.  So, in October of 2014 it was demolished and all evidence removed.

The site is now a large field with a gazebo that is used for weddings.  The owners have a video recording made of a walkthrough of the hotel before demolition.  It was kind of spooky with many furnishings and items from the 40’s.  Like a time capsule.  We watched the 45 minute narrated video.

I’m not buying into the ghost story, but obviously can’t explain what this guy heard.  So, who knows.

Our stay was fine.  Our campsite was in the back on a hill overlooking the old hotel.  I love old buildings and their history, so this appealed to me and wanted to share it.

Here are some of the photos that I took.  Look close for any strange aberrations.  I did not see anything, but perhaps you may find something that looks a little blurry.  Could that be…

Until next time, keep the lights on, listen for the floors to creak, and look over your shoulder!

Take care and God Bless.