Gas - Hotels - Motels

I had known about this place for quite some time, as I had been visiting nearby several times per year. It hadn't been accessible, however, and I assumed it still wasn't until I saw photos from another explorer, and instantly recognized the place.

I cannot count the number of years, let alone the number of individual times, that I've passed this location and thought to myself, "I really should stop there at some point and have a look around".  Finally, I took the opportunity to do so on the long weekend of September.

While camping at an Ontario Provincial Park, we decided, as we often do, to take a drive and explore the surroundings beyond the park.  On this particular day, the weather was being a little uncooperative, so we didn't mind spending the time in the truck.

This was my first exploration with one of my coworkers.

We had set out one day last week to check this place out, but there were others around and we didn't like the look of things. So, on this beautiful, sunny day, we set out to finally get a look inside. We weren't disappointed.

History: 

Interestingly, the story here begins as far back as 1798. Early settlers apparently heard loud, booming noises coming from the nearby hillside. With that, a new spring had burst forth through the rock and created a freshwater stream that would play a role in the town for a long time to come.

History: 

The Regal Constellation Hotel is a 15-floor, 710-room hotel originally constructed in 1962. It featured a Chinese restaurant, and 90,000 square feet of convention space. In addition, a north wing, and east wing still exist, expanding the site significantly from its original size. Most recently, it had been renovated in 2001. It closed in July, 2004.

I had heard about this place through a fellow explorer although he wasn't entirely sure where it was. He had found it by accident after making a series of wrong turns while on his way elsewhere.

I was able to find it easily enough and it was quite worth the extra distance. Almost all of the rooms were open for inspection, though they really didn't yield much of interest.

The southern building was a restaurant, while the northern building was the motel. Units lined the front and back with a connecting corridor down the centre.

I was surprised to find one door in the back open, allowing me to enter and look around. The mold is brutal as a result of very obvious water damage.