Tucked Between Stockton And The Bay Area Is California's Abandoned Hot Springs Hotel With A Wild History

You may not realize it, but while driving along I-580 in California just outside Tracy, there's a piece of history not too far away. Just a short trip to the north, along Byron Highway, would bring you to the gates of an abandoned hot springs hotel. Despite its age and disrepair, Old Byron Hot Springs Hotel has an interesting history, and its story might not be over just yet.

Old Byron Hot Springs Hotel lies about 40 minutes west of Stockton and about an hour east of Oakland and the Bay Area, but you won't necessarily be able to make a day trip from either. Though you can visit Stockton for its farmers markets or explore the historical streets of Byron, the hotel will not be on the itinerary. This is because, currently, Byron Hot Springs is closed to the public. Thanks to its storied past, however, the hotel often attracts visitors, and not always those looking for a snapshot for social media.

The hotel has not withstood the passage of time well, nor has it resisted vandalism and looting. Yet the current owner does plan to bring the hotel back to its previous luxury. Speaking of its previous luxury, the Byron Hot Springs Hotel's story starts with plenty of it. Here's what to know about the abandoned hotel, including the plans to bring it back to life.

Originally, Byron Hot Springs opened in 1889 and offered visitors access to a collection of dozens of hot springs. Though its reputation precedes it as a hotspot for celebrities, the place largely functioned as a wellness resort of sorts. Rumors of tragedies at the hotel—including multiple fires and on-site deaths—have given the resort a spooky reputation. 

Ultimately, the hotel passed through various owners' hands, and it fluctuated with the economy, too. The Contra Costa County Historical Society published an essay by Patricia Frumenti, whose grandfather (along with two business partners) attempted to re-open the Byron Hotel in 1910 but the business failed thanks to a stock market crash. The hotel would change hands many more times afterward. Celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, and Joe DiMaggio also visited at some point, but that era of the Byron didn't last long, either.

During WWII, the Byron became an interrogation camp (then named Camp Tracy) for German and Japanese prisoners of war. Still, the eerie reputation of the hotel today (some still insist that it's haunted) doesn't seem to have any basis in fact. That said, the hotel is closed to the public, so if anything mysterious happens there, it would probably happen under the cover of darkness—and only if would-be visitors trespass, which is, of course, not recommended. Currently, there seems to be one way to visit the Byron Hotel with permission: through Los Medanos College's Community Education workshops.

In 2023, a local publication reported that even the current owner of Byron Hot Springs struggled to keep the iconic property from falling into disrepair. Robert Cort, who purchased the hotel—and its accompanying 350 acres of land—in 2019, says he's had trouble getting permission to revitalize the building. Those in charge, the Contra Costa County Planning Department, had a long list of to-do items for Costa, he noted in 2023, many of which were not immediately feasible. One of many issues with the property is the fact that people keep breaking in, which is probably not surprising to locals.

Although it is private property and in severe disrepair, visitors to Byron Hot Springs seem to appreciate the location's aesthetic appeal. Many visitors take photos of the graffiti-covered walls or stage photo shoots at Byron Hot Springs, but that is ill-advised, as the property has many issues. For one thing, the owner pointed out that one corner of the building is sinking and is likely to collapse.

Unfortunately, that means it's not advisable to visit. No trespassing signs flank the Hotel's entrance road, and little can be seen from Byron Hot Springs Road. Still, there is plenty to visit nearby Byron, like Livermore Valley's secret wine region, which is roughly a 40-minute drive away, or the charming Oakdale, the Cowboy Capital of the World. And maybe, one day, Byron Hot Springs Hotel will again be a destination worthy of a weekend trip.