In this section, you'll find the most important news from Ohio's tourism attractions and visitors bureaus.
Northeast Ohio's Punderson Manor Resort Celebrates Ghostly Past!
9/30/2008
CONTACT:
Mona Mesereau
(720) 842-5271
mona_mesereau@msn.com
NEWBURY, Ohio (Sept. 30, 2008) – When asked what they remember most about their visit to
Punderson Manor State Park Resort in northeast Ohio, most guests will comment on the elegant resort’s friendly staff, stately rooms or lushly landscaped grounds.
A few years ago, however, one guest’s most vivid memory was the look of terror on his wife’s face. Shortly after sitting on the bed in one of the rooms in the older section of the hotel, she said she experienced a sensation much like an invisible person holding her down on the bed. “They wouldn’t let me get up,” she stammered to her husband.
Of course, that was a few years ago.
Mia Bell, general manager of the resort, doesn’t think the ghosts have left. They’ve just left guests alone recently and caused minor disruptions that are more annoying than terrifying.
"All the employees know we have ghosts, but these days they are gentle and only slightly mischievous," General Manager Mia Bell said. "Still, when televisions in the older section turn on by themselves in the middle of the night, I do tend to get a bit annoyed."
Located 30 miles from Cleveland, the 51-year-old, 31-room Punderson Manor State Park Resort is the smallest lodge within the award-winning Ohio State Park system. It was originally a private residence but was eventually expanded and turned into an inn by the State of Ohio. As the Tudor-style mansion evolved into a popular resort, particularly for vacationers from Cleveland, the ghostly sightings – mostly seen by employees – became more frequent.
In celebration of its haunted past, Punderson Manor State Park Resort is offering the "Halloween Weekend at the Haunted Manor" package. Available Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, the package includes two nights of lodging and an autographed copy of the "Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Haunted Ohio," a Friday-night costume contest and Sunday Brunch for two. The package is priced at $349 plus tax per couple in a double room and $395 plus tax per couple in an estate room. Upgrades to suites and cabins are available.
Punderson Manor is also celebrating the haunted season with "Ghosts of Burton Weekends." Available the weekends of Oct. 17-19 and Oct. 24-26, these packages include two nights of lodging, two breakfasts for two, an autographed copy of the "Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Haunted Ohio" and the "Ghosts of Burton Tour" in nearby
Burton Village. Highlights of the tour include a visit to an 1820s home, shuttle bus ride to a local cemetery to view Revolutionary War-era gravestones and a guided tour of other local buildings and sights in Burton’s nationally recognized Historic District. This package is priced at $335 per couple in a double room. Tour tickets are additional and priced at $17 for adults $10 for children ages 8 through 14 and $6 for children under 8. Upgrades are available.
The packages can be booked by calling (440) 564-9144 or (800) AT-A-PARK (800 282-7275) or online at by using the reservation form at
www.pundersonmanorresort.com and entering the promo code "GHOSTS." Punderson Manor State Park Resort is operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
Punderson Manor State Park Resort offers 31 rooms and 26 fully furnished, two-bedroom housekeeping cabins. The resort is a versatile year-round destination with a wide range of recreational amenities including an 18-hole championship golf course that is recognized as one of the finest public courses in northeast Ohio. Other activities include indoor and outdoor pools, playing tennis and basketball, boating, fishing, hiking and jogging.
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About Xanterra Parks & Resorts
Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Xanterra also operates the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.
Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit
www.xanterra.com.