STOWE AREA ASSOCIATION
51 Main St., Box 1320
Stowe, VT 05672
(802) 253-7321
www.gostowe.com

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jo Sabel Courtney, (802) 253-7321 extension 219, josc@gostowe.com

Green Mountain Inn Offers Guests a Ghoulish Getaway

Contact:
Nicole L’Huillier Fenton
802-253-7141 ext. 221
nicolelh@hmcstowe.com

Historic Stowe inn brings ghosts stories to life with the help of
storyteller Joseph Citro and haunted lantern tours

Stowe, VT—Intrigued by ghosts, goblins or things that go bump in the night? One of Vermont’s oldest haunted hotels, the historic Green Mountain Inn in Stowe offers guests an opportunity to meet its resident ghost, Boots Berry, hear venerable Vermont ghost stories told by author and public radio commentator Joseph Citro and take a candlelight lantern tour through the streets of Stowe.

Novelist and native Vermonter Joseph A. Citro has written over a dozen books, including the best-selling Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls and Unsolved Mysteries. Citro will read from his comprehensive collection of offbeat Vermont lore and best-loved stories of ghosts, monsters, madmen and mysteries at the Green Mountain Inn on Halloween weekend, Friday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m.

Following Citro’s famous ghost stories, guests will carry old-fashioned barn lanterns through the streets of the historic village, hearing stories of Stowe’s ghosts including the tales of Emily’s bridge and the Green Mountain Inn’s own Boots Berry.

“It’s always a surprise what guests might get to experience on the lantern tour,” commented Shawn Woods, owner of Stowe At Night Lantern Tours. “We’ve had some unusual personal accounts, particularly regarding Emily’s bridge, and we love to share those stories in addition to the well-known tales.”

The Green Mountain Inn is offering guests a special room rate package that includes two nights lodging, full country breakfast each morning, a box of handmade chocolates and a chance to pick your own pumpkin at a local farm. Rates are based upon double occupancy. Package rates start at $165 per person. Call 1-800-253-7302 or visit www.GreenMountainInn.com for more information.
The Green Mountain Inn, originally built in 1833, began as a coaching inn for 19th-century travelers located in the heart of Stowe village. Stowe's original inn retains much of its antique charm offering 105 rooms, suites and townhouses. Guests enjoy two acclaimed restaurants, the Whip Bar & Grill and the Main Street Dining Room, specialty shops, a year-round heated outdoor pool, afternoon tea and cookies, health club facility, massage services and much more.

Green Mountain Inn’s Own Ghost Story
The Legend of Boots Berry

The Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont has all of the makings for a good ghost story. The Inn in its 173 history has welcomed a variety of guests from famous celebrities to rowdy horsemen and was home to a local legend, Boots Berry, whose life ended on the grounds of the historic Inn. Guests today still tell stories of hearing Boots Berry’s famous tap shoes dancing on the third floor of the hotel during winter storms.

Boots’ life began at The Green Mountain, the son of the Inn’s horseman and chambermaid, Boots was born in Room 302 in 1840. At that time the third floor of the hotel was the servants’ quarters, and the boy grew up in and around the building. When he was in his twenties, he succeeded his father’s job.

As a respected horseman and caretaker of the Inn’s herd, one of Boots’ duties was to provide fresh horses for the daily stagecoach. Boots was working on Stowe’s Main Street one morning, when the stagecoach team bolted. Boots bravely stopped the runaway stage, saved the lives of the passengers, and was awarded a hero’s medal. News of his exploit spread, and in the words of a local newspaper report, "Boots’ popularity was such that there wasn’t a place in the county where he could pay for his own drinks."

That was to be his downfall. Boots turned to a life of wine, women and song, neglecting his duties at the Inn. Eventually he was dismissed. He then wandered the country, picking up his nickname when he was jailed in New Orleans and learned to tap dance from a fellow prisoner.

Eventually, at the beginning of 1902, Boots drifted back to Stowe, shabby and poverty-stricken. At about the same time, a dreadful storm hit the town and a little girl was stranded in the snow on the roof of the Inn. But Boots, remembering his own childhood days, knew of a secret route to the spot where the child was stuck, climbed onto the roof and lowered her safely to the ground. Just as the girl reached safety, Boots slipped and fell to his death from the icy roof. His life had come full circle, for the roof he was standing on when he fell was directly above Room 302. If the sound of tap dancing on stormy days is anything to go by, Boots Berry is still around.
Excerpts taken from Haunted Hotels: A Guide to American and Canadian Inns and Their Ghosts copyright 1995 by Robin Mead. Portions reprinted by permission of Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, Tennessee.