The doomed Overlook Mountain House near Woodstock, NY has a storied and tragic history that includes everything from great triumphs, tragic fires, epic rebuilds, lost fortunes, and even ties to the Communist Party - all of this near the quiet town of Woodstock in the Catskill Mountains.

James Booth built the original hotel in the 1830s. Booth intended to expand the hotel if it was successful....it wasn't. The Catskill Mountain House which opened in 1844 near Palenville was way more popular with tourists - even President Grant stayed there. So, the original Overlook Mountain Hotel closed.

Then in 1871, some new owners decided that they were smarter than that James Booth guy and expanded the old hotel to hold 300 guests and opened for business. They called it the Overlook Mountain House...not to be confused with the Overlook Mountain Hotel because that place was a huge failure and not even a president would stay there

More tragedy for the Overlook Mountain House came in the form of a fire in 1875. The misfortune didn't stop there, check out the gallery of pictures to see what the Overlook Mountain House looks like now, its ties to the Communist Party, rattlesnakes, and the rest of the story on how it became the ruins you can visit today.

 

Hike To The Ruins Of The Doomed and Abandoned Catskills Overlook Mountain House

Here are a couple of really great videos exploring the Overlook Mountain House and the best part...no threat of Timber Rattlesnakes.

Abandoned Abercrombie Castle In The Hudson Valley

Nobody Knows Who Built This Mysterious Throne Room On The Side of a Mountain in The Catskills Woods

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