The Bally Hotel - Part Five: The Halls and Stairwells from 12am until 2am

Around midnight I headed back to the lobby of the Casino to walk the long hallway where the old restaurants were and the Ballrooms are. All of the hallways have an odd feeling, but this one particular hallway feels particularly heavy.

No matter how many photos I took I could not get these doors or the emergency phone bank closest to them to take a clear photo. Heavy energy here. The volunteer firefighter/EMT who's funeral photos I bought on ebay because it bothered me they were on there died in this area trying to save others. RIP William Gerbosi.

I recognized this booth from one of the vintage photos. Pretty wild its still there.

Another strange blurry shot down the same hall.

Headed back towards the casino floor

Elevator on the left is the one Dave was stuck in. It wouldn't come for me. 

I did an EVP session facing the elevator bank at around 1:30 am. I didn't feel alone.

I got up from the elevators and moved over to this seating area in the lobby, I felt like I still had someone with me. I continued my EVP session here and got up to take a photo back down the hall towards our room as I felt company.

These long vents in the hallway is part of what made the hotel such a death trap. The way the design was made cut corners (it has since been retrofitted correctly, one of the safest places to stay now!) and the toxic smoke pumped into rooms and hallways through these.

We carefully reviewed all the rest of the audio from my midnight to 2am sessions. The AC units were running near the staircases and the wooshing was way too loud to hear anything they might have been saying. The only EVP we got was the one upon first entering the room.

It is my sincere hope that our efforts to remember everyone who died in the terrible MGM Fire are not offensive or painful for any of the victims' family or friends (living or otherwise), or any of the other spirits of the old MGM Hotel. We truly feel connected to the grounds and plan on staying there again and again in the future.

I'll never forget the terror these people went through fighting for their lives. Some of them sadly still seem to be stuck fighting.

Light Anomaly near 24th Floor Stairwell, 2am EVP session

Photo of MGM fire victim location in locked stairwell

Post-Investigation Research - who died on the 16th & 24th floors, and in the elevators?

Many people died in the elevators and stairwells of the Bally Hotel. More interesting synchronicities when I looked up the fatalities - Davids didn't fare so well in elevators during the fire.

ASHER, David, 39, Indiana, Found Casino Elevator

BLAIR, David R., Jr., 22, Ohio, Found 20th Floor Elevator

SANDERS, David F., 39, Indiana, Found Casino Elevator (**See SANDERS, Barbara J.)

The fire department paperwork and report indicated that these people died in different elevators than the one my David had trouble in, however. 

And how about that 24th floor lobby where I knew I wasn't alone and did late night EVP sessions?

HOLSHUH, Steven Jack, Found 24th Floor Lobby **See SANDERS, Catherine Ann

SANDERS, Barbara J., Indiana, Found Casino Elevator (**See SANDERS, David F.)
SANDERS, Catherine Ann, 23, Found 24th Floor Lobby

PANGBURN, Diane, 23, Found 24th Floor Lobby

PEHA, Daniel, Found 24th Floor Lobby

SIERRA, Margarita, Found 24th Floor Lobby
SIERRA, Pablo, Found 24th Floor Lobby

SPAGNOLA, Tom, 40, Found 24th Floor Lobby

Elsewhere on the 24th Floor:

SIERRA, Manuel, Found Room 2403 

PALAZZOLO, Charles, 40, Found in doorway Room 2418

Map of 24th Floor Fatalities

The Light Anomaly Photo was taken outside the Westernmost Stairwell (known as W2 on the Fire Report maps) on the 24th floor at about 1am.

Only one death in this west stairwell, as the people in the center stairwells and center areas of the hotel fared much worse: 

PETERSEN, Roberta, 23, Found 1st Floor, West Stairwell

(Synchronicity: My mother's name is Roberta)

From the MGM Fire Book

The elevator that gave David so much trouble on Floor 16, as well as a view as to where Sara and Leon Galico were staying and Sara died:

Again, here's the link to the entire report if you want to dig further:

http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/fire/Documents/MGM_FIREInvestigationReport1980.pdf

Room 2427 Interior Shots - Balcony.

Window will only open 1 inch.

Imagine how maddening it must have been to see Fire Department across the street and be completely trapped.

Photos of the Bally from Outside

On Flamingo Road

Shots from the Garage shared with the Paris

Looking out over Flamingo

 

The area where the awning was by front doors, collapsed in fire

Fireball came out and torched cars and collapsed the awning

Vicinity where the Neptune Fountain was at the time of the fire

Our room light in 2427 is the fourth one back from the L in BALLYS, third from top floor. 2115 is much closer to the elevator bank in the middle and three floors lower.

More shots of where the fireball blew out

The neon tube on the way up has been remodeled since 2009. It's about 1/3 the length and the entrance from the strip is far different.