Forgotten Playground : Abandoned Honeymoon Resort Deep in the Poconos

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  • Опубликовано: 10 сен 2015
  • More abandoned Pocono resorts here... • Playlist
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    Photographed and Edited by Dan Bell
    Produced by Dan Bell & Will Krupinsky
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Комментарии • 906

  • @rogerhughessr5588
    @rogerhughessr5588 7 лет назад +801

    Honeymooned there September 9th, 1967.....it was great. And yes, still married and celebrating our 49th!

    • @AlidarJarok1
      @AlidarJarok1 7 лет назад +19

      Very nice. :)

    • @ameliawright6947
      @ameliawright6947 7 лет назад +13

      Roger Hughes, Sr Congrats!

    • @EllicottCity1
      @EllicottCity1 7 лет назад +25

      Roger Hughes, Sr ~ Aw, Congratulations! My parents were married in October of 1967 & are still together! Twas a great year♡

    • @DSFARGEG00
      @DSFARGEG00 7 лет назад +10

      Congratulations on a long and successful marriage.

    • @rogerhughessr5588
      @rogerhughessr5588 7 лет назад +36

      Thanks....getting ready for our 50th....been a great ride!

  • @judy-annesleep3284
    @judy-annesleep3284 7 лет назад +289

    We honeymooned there in October 1977 and it was such a beautiful well kept resort. I remember very well the shooting range, candle dipping, bowling lane, roller-skating and all the fun activities. I don't remember the indoor pool. The staff was amazing and the food was spectacular. I certain the video of the first cottage was the one we stayed at on the "lake", we had a canyon ride on an old plane flown by a very old man - the glider was not running that week. The Red Baron den was great. We did go back in the 90s for our anniversary and found it again to be absolute,y wonderful. I can hardly believe someone hasn't bought up this treasure and made a viable business.
    Thanks for the great video - we are Canadians and done recall any other Canadians there at the time.

    • @bombgrl30
      @bombgrl30 7 лет назад +14

      I have never had the pleasure of staying there but I like to listen to the stories I'm sure that it makes you sad to see it in this condition since you had such great memories there I wish I could have stayed there as well

    • @bimobop
      @bimobop 5 лет назад +5

      You're so lucky to have visited there 😍

    • @stevej3943
      @stevej3943 4 года назад +2

      It's just so great hearing people's Precious Memories. It does look like it would have been a really fun place.

    • @dlbdlb3919
      @dlbdlb3919 3 года назад +3

      Judy, I still have the candles my wife and I dipped. I remember dipping them everyday. We meet a Canadian couple from Montreal and wrote to each other for a few years. What a great place it once was.

    • @thebeasters
      @thebeasters 3 года назад

      It guess resorts are dying by all these great reviews

  • @tamarrajames8120
    @tamarrajames8120 8 лет назад +272

    Your sensitivity to, and appreciation of your subject as more than just an abandoned place lends a feeling to each of your videos that I find lacking in most others in the genre. Your camera sees the present, but your careful framing and editing evokes the past as a palpable part of the story. I very much enjoy the fact that you allow your subject to be the "star" of the piece instead of trying to be centre stage yourself. These motel pieces especially seem to convey a sense of empathy and sadness at the passing of an era. Thank you again for your sublime artistry.

    • @cindyreynolds4045
      @cindyreynolds4045 5 лет назад +5

      After that comment , I have no words. Beautiful

    • @lth7023
      @lth7023 5 лет назад +1

      Well Said!
      My husband & I are 70 & we remember these kind of places! It truly is a "Bye-Gone Era"!

    • @JadedBelle
      @JadedBelle 5 лет назад +1

      Wonderful summary

    • @brettvv7475
      @brettvv7475 4 года назад

      Damn I love RUclips!

    • @sponjireggae77
      @sponjireggae77 4 года назад +1

      Dan is the man!

  • @matthewjoniec9000
    @matthewjoniec9000 2 года назад +8

    My wife and I stayed there for our honeymoon in August of 1999. Place was awesome, we never had to leave resort, they had everything you could ever want or need to do. I remember doing kareoke at that night club. Well it's sad this place ended up like this. My wife and I been married 22 years now still going strong.

  • @lisahiegl6398
    @lisahiegl6398 4 года назад +4

    Stayed there for our honeymoon in 1991; visited the abandoned resort for our 29th anniversary! We loved that place.

  • @b-rad344
    @b-rad344 7 лет назад +76

    I was conceived here in June of 1978, my parents were here for a weekend get away. It wasn't a honeymoon as they were already married for three years by that time. Shortly after I was born my family moved to Vancouver Canada so I never saw this place... till now. Still sad to see it abandoned.

  • @edwardstarling1835
    @edwardstarling1835 8 лет назад +68

    love how this dude always puts that old music on.

    • @ls6-ss413
      @ls6-ss413 3 года назад +1

      Ambiance

    • @JoshSmith-xd5fl
      @JoshSmith-xd5fl 3 года назад +1

      I love it, it’s creepy af

    • @Emper0rH0rde
      @Emper0rH0rde 3 года назад

      @@JoshSmith-xd5fl Creepy, but also nostalgic. It was once a vibrant place of joyful bustle, now abandoned, and all that's left are echoes.

  • @nicpete492
    @nicpete492 6 лет назад +22

    this is sooo bizzare... It's like all the occupants of the building had to get up and leave at a moments notice. There are still drinks on the bar, Basketballs on the court floor, papers on the shelves and desks, perfectly good furniture, ETC. Nobody even cleaned anything it's like everyone just vanished in the blink of an eye

  • @darilynthackston9790
    @darilynthackston9790 8 лет назад +89

    While we were watching youtube for different resorts this popped up! It was amazing. We spent our honeymoon here in July 1982. Sorry to see what happened to it. I checked out some of our photos and we could see the resemblance. It was definitely weird!! I would be glad to send you some of the photos if you are interested. Thanks for checking the place out!! Thought about looking into going back for a special anniversary but looks like that won't happen!!

  • @Kuukkeli_280
    @Kuukkeli_280 8 лет назад +52

    what would be awesome is to see people's old photos from this resort.

  • @wendybarnhart6647
    @wendybarnhart6647 7 лет назад +5

    My parents honeymooned here in Aug 1974. I lost my mother in 2012 to cancer and thought that maybe taking a trip here with my husband would be a neat way to honor her memory. Until I google researched, I had no idea it was shuttered. I've since learned about and joined an urbex FB group dedicated to abandoned places in PA. It was there I found some pics of the place in it's current state. it amazes me how little changed from 74 to 2006 when it closed for good. I have compared current day pics (and now video thanks to you) with my parents honeymoon photo memories. Thank you so much for uploading this!

  • @peigimack
    @peigimack 8 лет назад +95

    Birchwood was amazing back in the day went a couple of times a year from 1978 - 1999. So sad to see it this way but thank you for bringing back great memories. The buildings and grounds were beautiful and always maintained. We use to go flying in and out of the Airpark when my Brother in law flew in to stay in the Chalet next to ours on the lake. The food was excellent as was the entertainment in the Red Baron Den... Such good times

    • @kevinkuhenbeaker2946
      @kevinkuhenbeaker2946 8 лет назад +26

      I might of waited on you in the dinning room! 77-81 off and on! We had a good time working there and the guest joined right in! I always say happy workers mean happy guest!

  • @tommyg4x4
    @tommyg4x4 8 лет назад +91

    Thanks for a great video. My wife and I stayed there for a honeymoon in February 1993. Now we live in the Poconos and she drove by during the search period. She stopped to look at it and said she felt like she was being watched so she left. Later she told me they should search there but like others thought it was too far to find Frein.

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +44

      +Tommy Gannon That is WAY creepy.

    • @777jones
      @777jones 6 лет назад

      Tommy Gannon and... where is she now? Lol

    • @ghostcityshelton9378
      @ghostcityshelton9378 5 лет назад +5

      Thank God that she followed her feelings & left when she did. I never go against those 'feelings'. It's like a 6th sence or a guardian angel is wrong you of danger. I'm glad she is alright.
      I can't believe they didn't have a bigger search grid ! Never underestimate your enemy!! I spent 14 yrs in the Army.

    • @ghostcityshelton9378
      @ghostcityshelton9378 5 лет назад +1

      @@ThisisDanBell Glad you are alright ! Love your videos. Couldn't get off the floor from laughing watching the crap motels esp the one in Maryland....FUNNY!!!

  • @PeteStean
    @PeteStean 8 лет назад +139

    OK so, picking up on the article and googling a little further, the owner of Birchwood was Wally Hoffman. He was a former US Airforce flyer (perhaps explaining the nightclub's theme) who went on to join PanAm as a pilot - while he was working the day job he built up the resort on the side with his wife. He also built the nearby airstrip...
    My guess would be that when he passed away, the resort went with him. Given the facilities and location it's amazing that it wasn't picked up by another company. Isn't it strange how many things die with their creators?

    • @kassandraenger3267
      @kassandraenger3267 5 лет назад +8

      Pete Stean my mother and father was good friends with him. My dad and mom lives in a house by the airstrip

    • @George-qn5zy
      @George-qn5zy 4 года назад +10

      Wally lost the resort to the bank. I worked there in the 90's just after the bank was running it. From what I remember he used a lot of the profits to finance Pocono Airlines.

    • @dlbdlb3919
      @dlbdlb3919 3 года назад +5

      Pete , I spoke to Wally in 2016 , he was living in Florida (next to a small airport) with his second wife Gail. His wife from the Birchwood days was Carol.

    • @carolinewaite7185
      @carolinewaite7185 Год назад

      Wow! How interesting to know the history of the old place, yes very sad when these places basically die with their makers, I bet it was stunning in its day and peaceful. As in my other comment it is like the Dirty Dancing camp by the lake where Baby went to visit Patrick Swayze in his stilted chalet and the Thunderbird outside! Thanks for posting this interesting piece.

    • @nicoleveltman2856
      @nicoleveltman2856 7 месяцев назад

      ​@carolinewaite7185 you could tell by the furniture etc that a lot of love care and attention went into that place. It is easy to see even from this footage that Mr. Wally didn't spare any expense. Even more impressive is that ice bucket junkies haven't ravaged the copper from this amazing property. I would bet the original proprietor keeps undesirables away in the after life. So sad the big business, maximized profits & of the like conglomerates have sucked the life out of heart and soul small business owners of yesterday.

  • @Larry
    @Larry 8 лет назад +184

    Even if the killer was there, i sincerely doubt you would have seen him. he was there to hide, the last thing he'd want is a confrontation.
    I do love these old resorts though, its a shame they don't open them up as time capsules, i think a 70s themed retro resort might be quite popular. But the beginning of cheap air flights from the 90s really choked these places.

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +27

      +Larry Bundy Jr If this place reopened, I would go whenever I could.

    • @kirstenphillips4609
      @kirstenphillips4609 8 лет назад +11

      I would go! If they kept it 70's themed! They need a disco ball and open that shit back up haha

    • @kirstenphillips4609
      @kirstenphillips4609 8 лет назад +2

      This is Dan Bell. Me too!!

    • @jamiey5779
      @jamiey5779 6 лет назад +3

      +Larry Bundy Jr I see your comments on a lot of channels I watch.

    • @Izzrules
      @Izzrules 6 лет назад +1

      If he did run into the killer though he most definitely would’ve been taken hostage or killed. His cover would’ve been blown

  • @jrdvl
    @jrdvl 8 лет назад +20

    great video Dan!!! my wife and I used to go to Birchwood for many years with our friends .we used to go in January ,for about 8 years in a row,starting in 1989.we always had a great time,especially if it snowed.we would go snowmobile riding,skiing,ice skating,and just hang out drink and have a good all time.we would go in the pool,shoot baskets,bowl,archery,shoot guns,and ofcourse head to the Red baron lounge.my buddy proposed to his girlfriend in that lounge...pretty cool...they had a entertainmet director,named Chip.what a funny guy he was,made everyone laugh and have a good time.the food there was very good,and plenty of it.the breakfeast was fit for a king,everything you can imagine.we have photos of us taken in the dining area in front of the fireplace,every year we went.back then it cost around $500 for the weekend,evrything included.it makes me sad to see the condition of Birchwood,i spotted many seats and area's that we sat and had fun in.i used to fish in both lakes there with plenty of bass and pickerel to be had..oh well,thanks for taking the time to take this video!!! don jrdvl@aol.com

  • @Hackneybird
    @Hackneybird 8 лет назад +22

    I love the security guards little note - it's almost like he's talking to himself / his paranoia, the overlook hotel style ;)

  • @ObsoleteOddity
    @ObsoleteOddity 8 лет назад +116

    I wonder where the security guard was while the killer was wandering around?? Maybe they were playing gin rummy together? lol

    • @clevoloki55
      @clevoloki55 6 лет назад +42

      I’m guessing they hired the security guard after the killer had been found on property - the news coverage would have raised interest in people going there to check it out. It had probably been fairly under the radar before then.

    • @ghostcityshelton9378
      @ghostcityshelton9378 5 лет назад +16

      You are so funny! I did security guard jobs for years & I cringe at the dangerous crap I did for barely any pay. The so called 'wonderful husband' (we met while togather at a security job) was in charge of putting guards at different places. He put me in a can making place I found out latter the cops refused to work there & if 'male' guards worked there they carried 357 mag hand guns, I had NO weapon.
      You had to call the cops when you went on a round, then had examount of time to do your rounds then had to call & say you were back & ok. This was before cell phones.
      Only once I didn't call & the cops came flying down the road. I'd kept a guy in a truck talking, he was trying to steel big rolls of aluminum, I pretended that I thought he worked there, I knew the cops would show up. The guy chilled & the cops took him away but it could have gone another way. After that I told hubby if I'm not armed you can get someone else.
      At 6 flags store outlets in Jackson, New Jersey the crap guard company would only have 1 guard on from 10 PM to 6 AM. You drive around in a patrol car & the girl on before me would keep her cell phone charged up & I'd have no raideo cause I'd have to put it on charge cause the girl who was sleeping with the boss got away with murder. I would have been fired if I hadn't charged the raideo. I didn't have the money for a cell phone, that went to rent & stuff.
      I'd bring my big dog with me, we'd ride & walk around & I knew alot of police who were really nice & protective. I stopped a store robbery from around the cornor where I'd get coffee, ha, ha. They don't rob an outlet store they try to rob a little store. I wasn't armed on that job eighter.
      I quit that job when they said I could no longer have my dog with me. Have to laugh cause not a week latter the place got robbed big time. I guess the 'chick' was guarding her boss & not the stores.
      When you look back, think of the stuff we did 'back when' that today there'd be no way. The 2 guys that tried to rob the coffee shop place had a gun but was close to me, Army training ect. came in handy, Jr. left by ambulance. I give the credit to God who sure has watched over me though alot of stupid low pay jobs.
      I got stopped by the cops once for having a rubber hand sticking out of the trunk. A rookie cop got all happy & started shooting orders, the seaoned officer knew me & knew it was a fake hand & he made the rookie cop opened the trunk, the guy did & almost fainted when the hand hit the ground. That was so funny. Well, sorry for ANOTHER long comment. Just thought I'd stop by & say "hi".😁

    • @ghostcityshelton9378
      @ghostcityshelton9378 5 лет назад +7

      Maybe there wasn't a guard there at the time Jr. was wondering around. Maybe the guard saw the guy & was smart enough to warn the police that he was there.
      Maybe that guy would have killed the guard if confronted, who knows. If I'd have seen him & known who it was I'd of stayed low & tried to keep an eye on him while calling the cops if I had a working cell phone. No need to play 'hero' no matter what the pay.
      Like I shouldn't have stopped that store robbery but I was really angry at once again not having a working raideo.

    • @ES-zt8sj
      @ES-zt8sj 3 года назад +1

      I was wondering the same. Or was he hired after.

  • @aMAXproduction
    @aMAXproduction 8 лет назад +116

    It's a shame they didn't bother trying to sell all this amazing looking furniture!

    • @aMAXproduction
      @aMAXproduction 8 лет назад +7

      beiderbecke1927 That's actually a really good point. I never thought of it that way!

    • @lesnyk255
      @lesnyk255 8 лет назад +1

      +Max Moser (aMAXproduction) Another reason for not selling is that oftentimes they can do better taking the losses as a tax write-off. I worked for an engineering firm that would routinely throw away expensive outdated equipment for just that reason.

    • @ashleightorres2265
      @ashleightorres2265 8 лет назад +8

      +Red Rider7 now if I was rich I'd def buy this place. It's amazing!

    • @coolgarrett02productions42
      @coolgarrett02productions42 8 лет назад +1

      +Max Moser (aMAXproduction) I bet the 70's and 80's were better then today

    • @LikaLaruku
      @LikaLaruku 8 лет назад +3

      That first couch didn't have one speck of dirt on it.

  • @anthonybenyola9095
    @anthonybenyola9095 6 лет назад +11

    My Wife and I spent a weekend here ,oh maybe 25 years ago (we are still married 31 years now ) It was great ! We went for an airplane ride they offered to view the Water Gap I took pictures with my 35mm , Loved the in room pool/sauna ,ate all meals ,good food from what I remembered, we used all the amenities ,pool ,tennis etc...great memory always wanted to go but never got the chance,its sad its gone ! Just more reminders that life goes on....

  • @targetedindividual7931
    @targetedindividual7931 4 года назад +3

    Bringing this up to modern codes would probably be impossible. That Red Baron Den looks like the coolest firetrap of all time.

  • @CupcakeCartel1
    @CupcakeCartel1 4 года назад +21

    Reminds me of Dirty Dancing! When the owner said “It seems to be all coming to an end! Kids want trips to Europe!” This is probably what his resort looked like after foxtrot lessons weren’t in vogue anymore.

  • @pamelab224
    @pamelab224 8 лет назад +12

    My fiancé and I looked at this place for our honeymoon in 1974. We ended up going to Penn Hills. This brought back good memories! Thank you Dan!

  • @agfan1
    @agfan1 Год назад +2

    Dan, what is fascinating to me is that each inanimate object, a telephone, chair, desk, bottle, etc a human being sat or stood there for one final moment and then walked away never to return. Life is all about what we leave behind once we are done

  • @ddm220
    @ddm220 8 лет назад +25

    I went there with my wife in the early 70,s. The price included food, cottage and all the property had to offer. The bar was extra. I wasn't on my honeymoon and I remember their wasn't many people around. I believe most stayed in the cottages. (you can figure out why ! ! 😏

  • @geekofallthings1
    @geekofallthings1 8 лет назад +23

    My Ex-wife and I stayed at Birchwood twice. The second two storied cabin you entered was the first cabin we stayed in. That was a great resort. I fished all three "lakes" on the property and had some amazing catches. I am sad to see Birchwood in that condition..... We have a lot of great memories from there. I hear that the new property owners are going to build a water park on the resort.

  • @dlbdlb3919
    @dlbdlb3919 3 года назад +4

    I was there for my honeymoon in 1967 , it was owned by a Pan Am 747 pilot and his wife. You could go to the onsite airport for a airplane ride over the area , the pilot was a former World War II German pilot. My wife and I stayed in one of the two story chalets over looking the lake. They had a bathtub so big that you started running the water while you were at dinner. All the guests were newlyweds so we would meet in the gym and the program director let us know what was going on that day. We also got to meet the other couples. It was a great place back then and a great beginning of a married life.

  • @ryanbails2424
    @ryanbails2424 5 лет назад +8

    that damaged, vintage organ created such an amazingly eerie effect for the video; always amazing use of timing and audio in your videos.

  • @thebenalvarez
    @thebenalvarez 6 лет назад +8

    I’m now hooked on Dead Motel Series.

  • @sarahblack1632
    @sarahblack1632 8 лет назад +100

    Please don't get yourself killed, I really love your videos! ;) Seriously, I always think about things like that and it is a very scary fact that someone could be hiding out in one of these properties. Be Careful Please!

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +16

      +Sarah Black I will try very hard not to get killed. Thank you, Sarah!

    • @LunarKnight101FTW
      @LunarKnight101FTW 8 лет назад +3

      +This is Dan Bell. Bring a taser it's legal and you won't be charged like if you would have a knife with you for defense, a buddy of mine got arrested with me urban exploring because he had a switchblade for defense and switchblades are illegal in Massachusetts, All the cops did was just give me a warning for trespassing and left me there...

    • @LunarKnight101FTW
      @LunarKnight101FTW 8 лет назад

      Yeah, We were tresspassing in an abandoned air tower at south weymouth nas, suprising i wasn't arrested.... BuyTheTicket TakeTheRide

    • @Trainy2
      @Trainy2 8 лет назад

      Wow, Sara. You just don't want him killed because you'll miss his videos? (;

    • @sarahblack1632
      @sarahblack1632 8 лет назад

      +sprdvx 😉😉😉😉

  • @Secondwindoregon
    @Secondwindoregon 5 лет назад +7

    Dan, I've been binging on your videos for a month or so now. I want you to know that I really appreciate the fact that when I watch them, I don't get sick to my stomach. I suffer from motion sickness and other people don't know how to hold the camera still so I can enjoy the tour. This one was one of my favorites!

  • @angelblue7779
    @angelblue7779 8 лет назад +27

    Never been there, but if I had I would never had wanted to leave! OMG! Watching this tour I had a terrible urge to want to straighten up all the tipped over furniture and begin dusting and cleaning up the place. Have no idea why it had that affect on me, weird! What a beautiful resort! Thanks for another great tour!

  • @valeriesantucci3186
    @valeriesantucci3186 3 года назад +3

    Honeymooned here from March 1-8, 1969. It was a beautiful cabin with canopy bed and fireplace on the lake. Remember candle dipping, bowling, horse back riding, airplane ride and the rustic dining room. So sad what happened to it!

  • @jerseytomato100
    @jerseytomato100 4 года назад +2

    I LOVE the knotty pine walls around the indoor pool. Abandoned pools always creep me out.

  • @twolittlepumpkins
    @twolittlepumpkins 8 лет назад +3

    Please do more of these Pocono resort videos, they are great!!!

  • @greenbean3118
    @greenbean3118 8 лет назад +9

    This is amazing. It's great to see a old abandoned place that vandals have not trashed. You can really imagine what it was like when it was lively and full of people.

    • @paulcarmi8130
      @paulcarmi8130 5 лет назад +1

      An old* grammar people. Grammar.

  • @GaruruTheWolf
    @GaruruTheWolf 8 лет назад +46

    I wonder where the security guard was. So they actually keep the electricity on in this old, falling apart building and pay someone to sit in the creepy, dirty, dusty, deteriorating building to keep vandals out? Why? The property owner is just letting what was once a beautiful resort waste away. Why bother wasting electricity and hiring someone to guard it?

    • @kevinkuhenbeaker2946
      @kevinkuhenbeaker2946 8 лет назад +8

      Bank owned so they don't care! I use to work there!

    • @miiimiii.sssonggg
      @miiimiii.sssonggg 7 лет назад +10

      He's at 7:22 up in the right side doorway with his flashlight. Maybe watching Dan Bell, or is that Will? I'm not sure, but I was thinking it was security looking for vandals/looters.

    • @sherrillwoligroski7305
      @sherrillwoligroski7305 7 лет назад

      why did it close down in the first place and if the bank owns it, is it for sale?? any idea how much?

    • @RobertZerby
      @RobertZerby 7 лет назад +5

      it has been bought $4,500,000 and the new people are talking about a new spa resort with water parks.....

    • @LawnBunny777
      @LawnBunny777 4 года назад +1

      @@miiimiii.sssonggg wow, good catch

  • @crystalscan2002
    @crystalscan2002 8 лет назад +49

    that hotel could be totally saved and reopened

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +8

      +Tony Thatcher The buildings were pretty solid.

    • @SmilinSweetpea
      @SmilinSweetpea 8 лет назад +5

      +Tony Thatcher So I looked this place up online. Apparently the property was bought in 2008 and they want to create a spa resort with a waterpark, a condo development, and "meeting rooms". They 1st proposed something in 2010 before the Frein incident, but the residents protested that it was too large. They just proposed the above plan in 6/2015, people still think it's too large. They like the small town feel of the area. But that explains the security on site.

    • @kirstenphillips4609
      @kirstenphillips4609 8 лет назад +1

      SmilinSweetpea seriously? People were paying to stay here up to 2008?! That place is a time warp! Nasty! No wonder they closed down...ewwww

    • @SmilinSweetpea
      @SmilinSweetpea 8 лет назад +7

      +Kirsten Phillips No, apparently the place closed in 2001--I always try to figure out how long these places have been derelict-I'm weird like that -(even then it looks like it was pretty dated), but the property was purchased in 2008. I'd post links to where I got my info, but I'm not sure if that's allowed here. Google Birchwoord resort Poconos (because apparently there's an open resort by the same name in MI), and you should find a video/news blurb on it pretty easily, but the dates I got from other sources courtesy of Google.

    • @577buttfan
      @577buttfan 6 лет назад +2

      Ahh let it decay,we love decay!

  • @tankeryankerjim
    @tankeryankerjim 7 лет назад +39

    Parents honeymooned there in 1977. Pictures of the exact room you went in. They talk of it all the time. they returned in the 90's when I was just a boy. since then I guess it closed.

    • @TurquoiseTokki
      @TurquoiseTokki 6 лет назад +3

      Is Julie-Anne Sleep your mom? That lady commented here and told a very similar story.

  • @shaneh2755
    @shaneh2755 5 лет назад +7

    My grandmother worked there In the late 70's/ early 80's .

  • @MilkAndCornbreadd
    @MilkAndCornbreadd 8 лет назад +39

    Hi, Dan. I will honestly say that you are hands down the best explorational channel on RUclips. I am subscribed to many others, but looking forward to your newest adventure videos is like winning the biggest lottery in the world. With the kind of entertainment you provide, there is no need for Vegas or the Power Ball! - Alex :-)

  • @franlooving4203
    @franlooving4203 4 года назад +2

    As a teen in the 80s I always heard about the Poconos, but never visited. At 2:34 you've just shown a lovely pool (if cleaned) and the cabins are STUNNING!!! I didn't get a honeymoon when I got married so I always dream of cute honeymoons. I would love to stay in little cabins like what you are showing at 2:34! So cute. I too have been obsessed with old motels and the husband hated how I always wanted to stay in one. LOL. So glad I just found your channel about an hour ago!!! So glad you appreciate the old motels and old cute places too! Maybe they'll get loved again and fixed up and stayed in and appreciated and enjoyed again! I can hope :)

  • @ash2xx1
    @ash2xx1 4 года назад +2

    This place is wonderful. I don’t know why people nowadays prefer to dump money into expensive vacations. It’s just about you and your partner. Definitely would of loved to stay somewhere like this in its hayday.

  • @ObsoleteOddity
    @ObsoleteOddity 8 лет назад +8

    you're right about the vintage bar - cool n' creepy!

  • @paulht3251
    @paulht3251 8 лет назад +19

    This place is just screaming 1970s 😁

    • @PopCultureFan_
      @PopCultureFan_ 7 лет назад

      yeah, our house was biult in 1972, we pretty much had all this funriture....it totaly brought me back to my childhood!! Btw and im not from the us..

  • @briarrose29
    @briarrose29 7 лет назад +2

    The design of this one is more like a hunting lodge, or den of the 70s. Our family room in our house built in the early 80s has the exact same brick. I really love this one!!

  • @jenniefrost3074
    @jenniefrost3074 8 лет назад +3

    As far as favorite videos this one and the dead hotel with the heart shaped tubs are my favorite ones. Keep them coming, I absolutely love these!

  • @theconradmcCormick
    @theconradmcCormick 8 лет назад +6

    Dan! I must must say! The music you implement into your videos really accentuates, what I like to say is nostalgia for a place and time I never knew. It really creates a very sad, and pitiful mood, that just is so perfect. Thank you for such great work!

  • @aimeeledbetter
    @aimeeledbetter Год назад +3

    not joking when i say i watch your poconos videos over and over again

  • @ExploringWithJosh
    @ExploringWithJosh 8 лет назад +35

    dan this is deff one of my favs! love this place!!!!!!!!!

  • @JuliaCosta-fo3ui
    @JuliaCosta-fo3ui 2 года назад +3

    you're videos are magical to watch. hey give off a feeling that i can't explain. I feel like this place was once beautiful and full of life, but seeing it this way is so interesting to. Thanks Dan. I cannot and will not stop watching these vids.

  • @Profanationxo
    @Profanationxo 8 лет назад +3

    My mom and aunt actually took me here a few years back. They told me about how they used to vacation here all the time before me and my brother were born. I've been back a few times just to drive past and snap a few photos. Does anyone know if the security guy is still there? I'll be going back soon and would love to get some pictures of the grounds. This video really shows the beauty of the land and the buildings.

  • @davidmeyers3603
    @davidmeyers3603 4 года назад +3

    When I watch these videos I always think that furniture would like nice in my apartment and they're just throwing it away. But, his videos are entertaining.

  • @moonwalker091000
    @moonwalker091000 3 года назад +2

    What a great place back in the day. I can just see myself in one of those little cabins, enjoying a cold one with a good book, out on the little balcony, listening to nature by the lake. And yes, Dan, I have to agree, the vintage pub downstairs was my favorite. Great video, thanks for sharing and stay safe.

  • @bobbeck6095
    @bobbeck6095 4 месяца назад +1

    Honeymooners there in May of 1982. Great times! The Red Barron Den was our favorite evening hangout. We'll be married 42 years this coming May.

  • @baron8107
    @baron8107 8 лет назад +14

    Guys like Frein would be pretty hesitant to kill if they were already being hounded. Another murder wouldn't help their odds of being paroled. If anything they'd just tie you to a chair and find another hiding spot.
    The only reason he killed those cops was because one of them supposedly beat his sister-in-law or something.

  • @TheRhNegative
    @TheRhNegative 8 лет назад +23

    Your intro's are exquisitely done.

  • @robleddy3144
    @robleddy3144 8 лет назад +2

    This is amazing! I stayed at Birchwood probably 10 times from 1988 to 1990 with my girlfriend. It was a beautiful place and couples only. The first cabin you went into was called the "Plymouth Chalet". The resort was pretty much all inclusive, so there really was no reason to leave. There was a nominal fee for bowling and the shooting range, lunch was not included and you had to pay for drinks. I even remember the managers name, Aldo. If memory serves the property is owned by the same group that owns Spa Castle in Whitestone, Queens, NY and had planned on opening a Spa Castle on the old Birchwood location, I guess that never got off the ground. Thanks for posting this, brings back a flood of memories, I have driven by the property over the years and was always curious, as to what the insides of the buildings look like today. Now I know.

  • @naltieri84
    @naltieri84 3 года назад +1

    I live in the Scranton area; my husband works in the Poconos. I was so incredibly freaked out when they were looking for Frein. The search was constantly on the news. When he was caught, I was soooooo curious about this resort. You're the best Dan 👌

  • @ThisisDanBell
    @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +54

    You must read this. A Chicago Tribune article about Birchwood from 1970! archives.chicagotribune.com/1970/10/11/page/166/article/cute-and-coy-2#text

    • @hideyourkidsnwife
      @hideyourkidsnwife 8 лет назад +4

      +This is Dan Bell. Please go to and film Dan River/Schoolfield Mills in Danville, VA. One building remaining, multiple floors and mezzanines. Creepy labyrinths, bathrooms and textile machinery. Signs of someone living on the 4th floor of the factory.

    • @char4him99
      @char4him99 8 лет назад

      +This is Dan Bell. WOW. and you included the paper from 1970 How cool is that.. I love that you try to show before and after pictures/video. But a newspaper?? you got any other old newspaper articles laying around???? Brilliant

    • @debralavoie9095
      @debralavoie9095 8 лет назад

      +Nathan S. Had a store there for six months. A music store.

    • @rusland.r.9044
      @rusland.r.9044 8 лет назад

      +Charlotte Dickson you may be interested to know this, but a lot of old buildings like, from the 50's and the like would sometimes have their walls insulated with newspapers. I went to some wrecked house, now demo'd, and it contained a 1940's article on "Tito" the Yugoslavian president in the walls.

    • @helloby791
      @helloby791 8 лет назад

      +Ruslan D.R. Some buildings used saw dust as insulation building was built in 1947

  • @JennyBMoon
    @JennyBMoon 8 лет назад +7

    That was amazing Dan! Some areas look nearly pristine. Would love to see the place restored. Such a shame that such a time capsule, as you called it, is just left to crumble.

  • @ToniChestnutKnows
    @ToniChestnutKnows 8 лет назад +2

    I'm loving this dead motel series. So creepy but so interesting.

  • @Alissa2022
    @Alissa2022 8 лет назад +2

    I really liked this video. I live very close! I like that you're not like many other urbex youtubers that keep saying "omg dude this is so creepy" repeatedly in their videos. So refreshing.

  • @cmonsterz
    @cmonsterz 8 лет назад +3

    What an amazing place! Sadly, this exemplifies one of the more bewildering and defining characteristics of our society...which is that we have a prevalent tendency to cast aside anything that isn't new. If you stop and think about it for a minute, what that says about us is NOT complimentary.

  • @foxrivers
    @foxrivers 8 лет назад +3

    Awesome video! Thank you for taking the time to make it.

  • @jacobsalas3866
    @jacobsalas3866 8 лет назад +2

    Another great video as always Dan. This place was sick ! Wish it was still open man!

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад

      +Jacob Salas One of the coolest places I’ve been to. Thanks!

  • @thomaspierce2521
    @thomaspierce2521 4 года назад +2

    Thanks for the great video's Dan. My wife and I honeymooned near there in a place right on Rt. 80. It became another hotel. It had heart shaped beds, but the sheets weren't heart shaped. There were ants in the room. The dinner's were served cruise style. You ate with a bunch of guests each night. It was a pretty good experience. Its a shame those places are gone. God Bless!

  • @algomaone121
    @algomaone121 8 лет назад +9

    Keep narrating over parts of the videos like you have been. I like the anecdotes and supplemental info!

  • @angela_67
    @angela_67 8 лет назад +6

    after watching ur videos..i always think now I'm done watching videos..but then the next one shows up and looks really interesting and I'm sitting there watching ur videos for hours and hours..lol

  • @risamistica11
    @risamistica11 7 лет назад +2

    I enjoy it more when you give a bit of time history, like when the place opened and closed....Thanks for sharing.

  • @v11cu96
    @v11cu96 6 лет назад +1

    This is my favorite Dan bell episode of all time...

  • @Celaineygirl
    @Celaineygirl 8 лет назад +3

    Another GREAT one Dan. Thank you so much for the thrills and chills walking through these places with you in cyber spirit. Please always be careful ok?

  • @jisidorfisk
    @jisidorfisk 8 лет назад +3

    Just beautiful Dan, you give me such joy with your excellent videos.

  • @thumbsup57
    @thumbsup57 8 лет назад +1

    Fantastic work Dan! It's nice to see a place that isn't completely tagged up and destroyed by vandals. what a beautiful place, the nightclub was incredible

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад

      +Amanda Allen I LOVE the nightclub! Thanks, Amanda!

  • @briarrose29
    @briarrose29 7 лет назад +1

    This is clearly one that was for the more "well off" guests. It's more elegant, timeless and less kitschy. If I were homeless or on the run, I'd go there too.

  • @kirstenphillips4609
    @kirstenphillips4609 8 лет назад +44

    Crap! There were drinks left on the bar...from like the early 80's!!!! Like the people just got up and ran! The bartender didn't even clean up! So bizarre!!! Thanks Dan...now I'm gonna have nightmares about this place!

    • @silverose1209
      @silverose1209 8 лет назад +4

      +Kirsten Phillips It is strange since everything else would have still been in operation. Did they really just say, "Eh, why clean up? No one will know!"

    • @ivyblack21
      @ivyblack21 8 лет назад +16

      +Kirsten Phillips Maybe in the days or weeks after it closed, the property owners used it as a personal bar to drown their sorrows after long days of clearing the abandoned resort of valuables. Then they just never bothered to cleaned up the empty bottles.

    • @ivyblack21
      @ivyblack21 8 лет назад +6

      Actually, after re-watching that part, I noticed that some of those bottles don't appear to be empty. It really is very bizarre

    • @kirstenphillips4609
      @kirstenphillips4609 8 лет назад

      Hank Lawson I hope so

    • @LordPoppy
      @LordPoppy 7 лет назад +4

      Hank Lawson I know this is from a year ago, but that stuff doesnt tend to go bad, And we know people broke in before so there's very well a chance young teens were coming in and drinking it

  • @MrCalbber
    @MrCalbber 8 лет назад +9

    i really like when you narrate in the videos

  • @dianewalden6127
    @dianewalden6127 7 лет назад +2

    I love love your videos, it is almost physically painful to see the vandalism and destruction in what where lovely structures. Glad to hear you are not alone when filming. Keep up the good work.

  • @NikateeN
    @NikateeN 8 лет назад +2

    Absolutely LOVE all of your videos!

  • @stevenk8209
    @stevenk8209 8 лет назад +8

    oh yay another late night video. I shouldn't watch it this late being that I will think about it all night, but lets live life- its a Friday! Thanks for the video Dan, you really put effort into making it an amazing experience for all to enjoy, and really feels like im there too making the experience very realistic. Thanks again, *I truly love your videos.*

  • @ladywhytewolf420
    @ladywhytewolf420 8 лет назад +3

    Within the last day or so I have stumbled across your channel. Interesting, so far. On this it would be interesting to take a time machine & go back in time to see what places like this was like in their hey days. On one or more of your other videos I have stated that I'm surprised that people haven't come to places like this & fixed them up & give them a new lease on life, whether it is as a home for someone or homeless people, etc. Thank you for these videos & be careful out there, Mr. Bell. Keep up the good work.

  • @brianblankenship5721
    @brianblankenship5721 4 года назад +1

    This is definitely restoration worthy. I really hope they don't let it rot away.

  • @markpeterson9792
    @markpeterson9792 8 лет назад +2

    this resort is still in pretty fair condition! it probably could be fully restored if action is taken very soon! It really looked like a nice place

  • @mraybabb69
    @mraybabb69 8 лет назад +3

    THANK YOU DAN BELL
    Your videos are AWESOME, I think that it's so cool to see these places, thanks to you. You make great videos, and your voice is soothing like Morgan Freeman. Please keep doing what you're doing!

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +1

      +The Viceroy Of Douchebagistan Thank you so much!

  • @carolehayden8566
    @carolehayden8566 8 лет назад +9

    You have the greatest voice. Anyway, why did this get abandoned? It's not beyond repair and there is ambience all over the place. Love your vids.

  • @suzieannie98
    @suzieannie98 8 лет назад +1

    I love to watch your videos at night when I can't sleep. I just pop in the ear buds, tune in to these and tune out my husbands snoring. Thank you Dan!

  • @rebbeccamontes1718
    @rebbeccamontes1718 4 года назад +2

    My parents honeymooned there in August 1977. They have tons of pictures from their trip. I always loved looking at them thinking this place was amazing with all of the things they could do.

  • @debrawolf8458
    @debrawolf8458 8 лет назад +3

    It's so sad this place ended up abandoned.

  • @LikaLaruku
    @LikaLaruku 8 лет назад +4

    Nice clear footage, nice editing, nice intro, perfect amount of commentary, nice audio inserts.
    The older the interior decoration is, the more exiting the video is. ^_^
    Man, that is an excellent breading ground for mosquitoes.
    Victim turned out to be a cop. Cops' bad reputation in the country reflected heavily in comment sections on news sites.

  • @wdfmidevil
    @wdfmidevil 8 лет назад +1

    Dan is such a master at his craft. These videos are becoming a weekly ritual for me

  • @NicErdman
    @NicErdman 8 лет назад +1

    That Red Baron bar is amazing. The place overall is in great shape.

  • @battybethc
    @battybethc 7 лет назад +11

    i love the music you play! thankyou for these awesome videos!

  • @Toppervision1
    @Toppervision1 8 лет назад +3

    These are always over too soon! Thanks for posting. These are great!

  • @andreamcmonagle1319
    @andreamcmonagle1319 4 года назад +2

    Thanks for the video.. it was a trip down memory lane for me . I’d love to pop in and explore if I was in the area. I worked at Birchwood in like 2001(2?) . I left Florida to work season in Alaska but we were stopping off in the Poconos for a couple of months . Well we ended up staying in dIfferent areas in PA for like 4 years . I was a server in the dining room . That area where the gross pan was ..was where Mrs Shirley cooked breakfast .. they had the yummiest Pecan Belgian waffles . Honestly the place was dated when i worked there but still maintained & operating well enough. I actually lived in a neighborhood next to it, I’d cut through the clay shooting range & the woods to get home. It is a beautiful piece of land . Sometimes I’d drive in with the dining manager Ingrid instead of walking and that long road in always had deer on it .

  • @kassandraenger3267
    @kassandraenger3267 5 лет назад +1

    I knew this was birch wood bases off of the thumb nail! I love that you went to all the old resorts in my town

  • @FiremanFrach
    @FiremanFrach 8 лет назад +6

    I bet that Wurlitzer is worth a pretty penny restored.

  • @rabscots910
    @rabscots910 8 лет назад +8

    The next Bilderberg conference suite perhaps?

  • @lostdutchman3495
    @lostdutchman3495 8 лет назад +1

    I love this old American Motels. This is absolutely one of your best. The intro with the music was great.

  • @drewtillman948
    @drewtillman948 4 года назад +1

    Not familiar with the abandoned hotels in the Poconos but refreshes my memories of the good times in all of the now closed hotels in the Catskills
    Had great times at the singles weekends in the 80's and 90's.

  • @ocpd23
    @ocpd23 8 лет назад +13

    This is my happening and it freaks me out!

    • @ThisisDanBell
      @ThisisDanBell  8 лет назад +6

      +ocpd23 FINALLY SOMEONE GOT IT. What is wrong with people??!! LOL

    • @nickwhite4782
      @nickwhite4782 8 лет назад

      AT 3:33 THAT'S MY DRAIN STOPPER