Home to 13 rooms and the infamous shower stall where Marion Crane meets her untimely demise at the hands of Norman Bates, the Bates Motel, center stage for Alfred Hitchock’s classic “Psycho,” sits quietly at the side of the road, tattered and run-down, patiently waiting for the next guest to check in. But is it real or merely the figment of a horror writer’s imagination?
The screenplay for the movie “Psycho” was based on the 1959 novel of the same name, written by Robert Bloch and loosely inspired by Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein. Rumor has it that Bloch stayed at the real Bates Motel sometime during the 1950’s, prior to writing his book, and he used it as the model for the motel in his novel.
The motel was originally a barracks for officers at Farragut Naval Training Station during World War II. After the war, it was sold and moved 30 miles south to its current location in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Eventually it was purchased by a man named Randy Bates, hence the name – The Bates Motel.
While there’s no haunted mansion on a hill above the real Bates Motel and Norman and his mother certainly never ruled the roost, it does have a few ghosts of its own who seem to be permanent residents.
Guests frequently report cold spots and strange noises, especially in rooms 1 and 3. Lights flicker off and on, ashtrays fall of the tables, guests’ personal items are moved about the room and guests get the sensation that someone is watching them.
Check in at your own risk and beware the shower!
Image via Wikimedia Commons