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10 Haunted Places in Nevada for the Aspiring Ghosthunter

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Nevada has many haunted locations. The first thought that probably comes to most is about Sin City a.k.a. Las Vegas, and how many dark secrets it must contain. However, Nevada has a richer history that doesn’t limit it to Las Vegas. Nevada is an Old West state where many horrifying incidents have occurred. Today I am going to share 10 of the most haunted places in Nevada to spot a ghost, or two, or three, or more! Especially for aspiring ghost hunters.

1) The Goldfield Hotel – Goldfield Nevada

The Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, Nevada is one of the most haunted places in Nevada. - Photo by Jasperdo
Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, Nevada – Photo by Jasperdo

The Goldfield Hotel has been featured on the television programs, Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. The hotel was a very active hotel in the now ghost town of Goldfield, Nevada. Construction of the hotel was finished in 1908 at a cost of somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000. It was built on the location of two previous hotels that had burned down. It was a popular hotel in the once largest city in Nevada (Goldfield) to accommodate the many people who traveled to the city during its gold rush, which began in 1902.

The Goldfield Hotel is perhaps one of, if not the most, haunted places in the state of Nevada. It only makes sense, to begin with, this infamously haunted location.

Haunted Happenings

There are several ghosts said to haunt the halls of the Goldfield Hotel. Most notably is the ghost known as Elizabeth. She allegedly was a prostitute who was favored by the past owner, mining tycoon George Wingfield. It is said that she became pregnant with Wingfield’s child and in order to keep his reputation clean, he lured Elizabeth into room 109 and chained her to the radiator. He kept her there in the room chained up until she gave birth to their child. It is believed that Elizabeth either died during childbirth or was murdered shortly after by Wingfield. The baby was then thrown into a mining shaft.

Guests have reported that Elizabeth’s ghost would often be spotted flowing in hallways of the Goldfield Hotel in search of her baby. Her ghost has also been spotted by guests of room 109. Also, there have been reports of hearing ghostly sounds of a baby crying.

Two other ghosts have been spotted on numerous occasions. One is said to have been a woman who hanged herself and another of a man who jumped to his death from the hotel’s roof.

The Stabber!

Another ghost is known as “the stabber,” haunts the main ballroom where he approached guests by lunging at them with a large knife, then would disappear before making physical contact.

Still More Ghosts!

Three small ghosts are said to haunt the stairs. Two are of small children and one is a little person. They play pranks on the living and giggle wildly.

Lastly, the ghost of George Wingfield is said to haunt the hotel as well. His ghost has been spotted all over the hotel smoking cigars. Also cigar smoke suddenly appears out of nowhere and its ashes have been found on the floor of many rooms.

The Haunted Goldfield Hotel Explored

Here’s a video that shows you the haunted spots and discusses the ghosts who haunt the hotel’s halls:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/xQXcB4HcqQI[/youtube]

2) The Silver Queen Hotel – Virginia City, Nevada

The Silver Queen Hotel in Virginia City, Nevada - Photo by Brent Cooper
The Silver Queen Hotel in Virginia City, Nevada – Photo by Brent Cooper

Old West hotels are hotspots for ghosts. Therefore, they’re the best-haunted places in Nevada to investigate paranormal activity. The Wild Western-themed Silver Queen Hotel was built in 1876 in Virginia City, Nevada. Still operating today, many guests love to come to Virginia City to step back in time to experience the Old West. It is located in the heart of the city and is quite popular among ghost hunters.

Haunted Happenings

A late 1800’s prostitute’s ghost is the most famous ghost at the hotel. Her name is Rosie and she died tragically in room 11. She was reported to have slashed her wrists in the bathtub and died there. Rosie’s ghost still haunts the halls to this day. She loves to knock on doors late at night, frightening the guests. Her preference is for men apparently, because most of the reports come from men who are staying in the hotel alone. This photo was taken by an anonymous guest:

Rosie's ghost? - Photographer unknown
Rosie’s ghost? – Photographer unknown

The most ghostly activity reportedly comes from rooms 11 and 13. On Yelp and TripAdvisor, there are many reports of guests hearing loud noises late at night, their doorknobs jiggling, scratching and tapping on the doors and walls, as well as the sound of footsteps.

Read What These Past Guests of the Haunted Hotel Had to Say

On Yahoo! a guest wrote that she was terrifyingly chased down the hallway by a ghost in the middle of the night.

We tiptoed down the long hall and descended a few steps toward Room 11. There was a heavy feeling at that end of the hall. At one point a growl was heard by the door. I decided to go midway down the hall from my room. As I stood there, suddenly I felt and heard a figure running quickly towards me. It made me take steps back and gasp…The incident happened in repetition.

Here Are a Few Other Accounts by Past Guests

My Mom did not believe in Ghosts but heard children running up and down the halls at 2 AM. She asked the owner what parent would let there children run a muck at 2:00 in the morning at which time the owner said there were no guests with children!

and

We stayed in room 18 on June 8, 2015. We do not believe in ghosts and supernatural experiences. Yet, when I woke up with the first sun rays, I remembered clearly having heard first laughing and then moaning sounds by a woman. No other other guests in hotel on this Monday night. M.Z.

still more

There was a group of us 5 in total we stayed in room 11 and 13 while win room 13 we had the room dark video using our cell phone to video. As we video taped the room I had an ORB come out of the sink area right towards me is was the size of a softball it was huge. One of the other girls got an orange ORB flying around. Seems like hundreds of smaller ORBS were flying everywhere it was so awesome.

and still even more

I stayed there for my sons 14th birthday last month and it was great we had room 13 which is known for paranormal activity and I was able to capture a large orb in our room and an apparition right in front of room 11 and lots of activity on EVP. Whoever says that the hotel is not haunted is not correct.

These are just a few reports by guests. Any real ghost hunter would find the Silver Queen Hotel to be a great place to spot a ghost!

3) The Mackay Mansion

Mackay Mansion in Virginia City, Nevada - Photo by Wayne Hsieh
Mackay Mansion in Virginia City, Nevada – Photo by Wayne Hsieh

The Mackay Mansion was built in 1859 for George Hearst who made his fortune in the silver mines. The second owner was John Mackay who was one of the city’s “Silver Kings.” He started from the ground up and eventually made a fortune. It is still owned to this day and was never abandoned. It was featured on The Travel Channel’s Dead Files and is considered to be one of the most haunted places in Nevada.

Haunted Happenings

A lot of diseases were spread through Virginia City during its mining heyday, which took many lives. And a lot of the past residents apparently find it difficult to move on from the mansion. Perhaps most famously is the ghost of a little girl. She is always wearing an all-white dress and appears to the guests in their rooms. While filming Dead Man, Johnny Depp stayed in the Mackay mansion and has claimed that he was visited by this little girl in his room.

Another ghost is of a woman who has been spotted by many a guest, floating around leisurely from time to time.

A colonel is also a popular ghost who haunts the halls of the mansion. He has been spotted sitting in the kitchen on several occasions.

Lastly, the ghost of a woman has been spotted several times. Her ghost appears to be actively doing chores as well as checking off items on a list. Guests believe that she may have been a servant and is also a residual haunter.

4) The Sugarloaf Mountain Motel – Virginia City, Nevada

Sugarloaf Mountain Motel. A quaint light blue colored inn that happens to be a haunted place in Nevada. - Photo by Brent Cooper
Sugarloaf Mountain Motel – Photo by Brent Cooper

The Sugarloaf Mountain Motel was built in 1878 and originally served as a boarding house for miners. It was another popular location during the mining era of Virginia City. It is still operating today as a quaint little inn that just happens to be one of the many haunted places in Nevada. Now onto the haunts!

Haunted Happenings

Each room possesses a ghost log for guests to write down any paranormal events they experience during their stay. The Doll Room is perhaps the best location to spot a ghost. Guests have reported hearing heavy breathing, footsteps, laughter, and doors opening and closing.

The oddest aspect of the Sugarloaf Mountain Motel is that digital alarm clocks don’t seem to work on the premises.

5) Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino – Primm, Nevada

Whiskey Pete's Hotel and Casino in Primm, Nevada - Photo by Runemaker
Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino in Primm, Nevada – Photo by Runemaker

This haunted place in Nevada was originally owned by a gas station owner named Pete MacIntyre who apparently had financial difficulties so he resorted to bootlegging. He was known as Whiskey Pete.

When Whiskey Pete died in 1933, legend has it that he wanted to be buried standing up with a bottle of bootleg in his hands so he could watch over the area. Whiskey Pete’s unmarked grave was accidentally exhumed while workers were building a connecting bridge from Whiskey Pete’s to Buffalo Bill’s Casino.  The body was moved and is now said to be buried in one of the caves where Pete cooked up his moonshine.

Haunted Happenings

It is said that Whiskey Pete’s ghost haunts the halls of this hotel and casino. Guests have claimed to feel as though a presence is watching them and even found upon returning to their cars that they were filled with gas.

Also, the ghost of Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame is said to haunt the casino and hotel. Bonnie and Clyde’s car that they were shot in is on display here along with Clyde’s shirt that he was wearing at the same time.

So for those ghost hunters out there interested in encountering an infamous person’s ghost, Whiskey Pete’s is a great spot.

6) Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino – Paradise, Nevada

Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip - Photo by James Marvin Phelps
Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip – Photo by James Marvin Phelps

On the site of the Aladdin Hotel and Casino, which had a rumored haunted suite itself, now sits Planet Hollywood. The hotel is still one of the many haunted places in Nevada, however, which many believe to be due to the haunted Aladdin Hotel. Some think the hauntings go back further when it was the site of the original hotel, Tally-Ho.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/cRaNwPGcQcM[/youtube]

Haunted Happenings

Many guests claim to wake up in their rooms because the door handles jiggling violently, knocking and whispering noises in the hallway. Also, items seem to disappear from one location and appear elsewhere in the rooms. Not much is known of a reason for the hotel to be haunted by ghosts. Perhaps some dark history will come up over time.

7) Redd Foxx’s Home – Las Vegas, Nevada

Redd Foxx's former house in Las Vegas. It is said to be a haunted place in Nevada. - Photo courtesy of Why-Not-Las-Vegas.com
Redd Foxx’s former house in Las Vegas, Nevada – Photo courtesy of Why-Not-Las-Vegas.com

Another famous ghost makes this list, this time it’s the famous comedian Red Foxx. Who would have thought that Red Foxx’s house would be on a list of haunted places in Nevada? Perhaps most famous for his hit television show Sanford and Son, Redd Foxx’s house in Las Vegas was taken by the IRS. Foxx was in debt to taxes among other things. He died in 1991 in Los Angeles of a heart attack.

Haunted Happenings

The owners of Redd Foxx’s house in Las Vegas, who lived there after his death, claim that the comedian returned to the house to play various pranks on them. Currently, the house is owned and operated by a real estate company as an office. The owners have their sign emblazoned with a red fox as a means to appease his ghost and honor him.

Shannon Day Realty (Redd Foxx's former house) - Photo courtesy of Shannon Day Realty
Shannon Day Realty (Redd Foxx’s former house) – Photo courtesy of Shannon Day Realty

8) The Riviera Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada

The haunted lights of the Riviera Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada - Photo by James Marvin Phelps
Riviera Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada – Photo by James Marvin Phelps

One of the oldest standing hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, the Riviera Hotel and Casino has seen its share of action. The television show Ghost Adventures also investigated this old hotel.

Haunted Happenings

The Riviera had its fair share of mobster guests back in the day. Many mob-related murders have taken place here as well. The 9th floor of the hotel is the most paranormally active. Guests and staff members have reported voices in the stairwells as well as felt the presences of unseen spirits.

9) Little Choo Choo Daycare – Las Vegas, Nevada

Little Choo Choo Daycare (abandoned) in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the most haunted places in Nevada. - Photo courtesy of HauntedNorthAmerica.com
Little Choo Choo Daycare (abandoned) in Las Vegas, Nevada – Photo courtesy of HauntedNorthAmerica.com

Now an auto mechanic’s shop, the location of the Little Choo Choo Daycare doesn’t look like it used to. It’s actually debated where the location really is. It has not become a legendary haunted place. Two deaths are said to have occurred at the daycare, one was of a woman that committed suicide and the other was a child that was dragged underneath the miniature train.

Haunted Happenings

Employees of Ryan Mechanical Inc. that now resides near or on the exact location of Little Choo Choo Daycare, have reported seeing both a woman who vanishes into the air and a child carrying a toy shovel. His ghost has been seen playing as if he’s digging up holes and has been spotted mostly at night.

Another ghost has also been identified as a woman dressed in black. On occasion, she has been said to disappear into thin air in front of employees.

10) The Hoover Dam – Boulder City, Nevada, and Arizona

The Hoover Dam near Boulder City, Nevada/Arizona - Photo by Dan Sorenson
The Hoover Dam near Boulder City, Nevada/Arizona – Photo by Dan Sorenson

The famous dam is a huge tourist attraction. It’s located on the border of Arizona and Nevada. Many workers died during the construction of the dam. These many deaths have contributed to making the Hoover Dam one of many haunted places in Nevada.

Haunted Happenings

A ghost of a man wearing an old-fashioned builder’s clothing has been spotted by employees in restricted areas of the dam. He disappears upon contact. Unexplainable footsteps have also been heard all over the dam by tourists and employees. Considering the many deaths at the dam throughout the years, especially during construction, it is no surprise that the Hoover Dam is a hot-bed of paranormal activity.


Nevada is an astonishing state, It has many gorgeous and treacherous mountain ranges, beautiful lakes, the deadly Mojave Desert, Wild West ghost towns, and of course gambling. And with its wild history and current wild modern-day status, there also happens to be many haunted places in Nevada left to explore. It is a great place for ghost hunters to investigate and have the time of their lives.

John Ghost is a professional writer and SEO director. He graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in English (Writing, Rhetorics, and Literacies). As he prepares for graduate school to become an English professor, he writes weird fiction, plays his guitars, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters. He lives in the Valley of the Sun.

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