You’ve seen it on TV shows, heard about it on podcasts, and now it’s time to have an otherworldly experience for yourself.
Whether you’re looking for spine-chillingly fun fall activities or are just chasing the thrill of the ghost hunt, these haunted places in Wyoming are sure to deliver. From the Old West to the 1960s, you’ll find spirits haunting historical sites, saloons, hotels and theaters throughout the state.
Exploring Wyoming’s Most Haunted Places
Made up of many wide open spaces, the Cowboy State is large, so it’s helpful to see where haunted places in Wyoming are, and this map provides the locations of each. Select the orange pins below to learn more about the hair-raising destinations and get directions so you can check it out.
1. Occidental Hotel – Buffalo
Address: 10 N. Main St., Buffalo, Wyoming
This one-of-a-kind hotel, built in 1880, has served its community for over 140 years. Although the Historic Occidental Hotel started as a saloon, it soon became a grand hotel that welcomed notable people like Butch Cassidy and President Teddy Roosevelt.
As an old building, it’s no wonder that the Occidental Hotel has become a popular destination for many guests, especially those on haunted tours through Wyoming. It is said that the daughter of an escort still haunts the halls, and guests often claim to see or hear her during their stay in this haunted hotel. Those who see her describe a young girl in white with long, flowing dark hair. She will tap you on the shoulder while sitting at the bar or move furniture around to get your attention.
The Occidental Hotel is a top-rated destination, so rooms are limited. Guests are recommended to book their rooms well in advance to enjoy its luxury and ambiance.
Eating & Drinking at the Occidental Hotel
At the Occidental Hotel, two restaurants and watering holes offer delectable dishes and fun entertainment. The Busy Bee Cafe has served breakfast, lunch and dinner since 1927, and The Virginian Restaurant serves succulent buffalo steaks, sensational seafood and more for dinner nightly. Belly up to the bar at The Saloon or The Beer Garden for libations.
2. Irma Hotel – Cody
Address: 1192 Sheridan Ave., Cody, Wyoming
The Irma Hotel was built by Buffalo Bill Cody in 1902 and named after his daughter. This is one of the haunted places in Wyoming that boasts multiple friendly ghosts roaming its rooms. Some even say they have seen Buffalo Bill himself. Others have just had pranks played on them, like the water turning on in their room or their belongings mysteriously moving around while they sleep.
Of these rooms, Room 35 and Room 37 are some of the most famous. The dresser in Room 35, the Paul Stock Room, is particularly noteworthy — one of the room’s drawers contains written messages of past guest interactions with the paranormal.
While you cannot book a specific historic room at the Irma Hotel, you should still book rooms well before your stay, as they are limited and fill up fast!
Irma Hotel: The Buffet is Open
You’ll find plenty to eat at The Irma Hotel, with breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. This gathering place for cowboys, artists, ranchers, outfitters, locals and visitors is famous for its Prime Rib. The porch is also the best place to sit and enjoy a snack while watching the Gunfighters perform.
3. The Historic Plains Hotel – Cheyenne
Address: 1600 Central Ave., Cheyenne, Wyoming
This grand hotel held its opening in March of 1911. The Historic Plains Hotel has a prominent spot in downtown Cheyenne and is still in use today. Legend has it that a woman named Rosie and her fiance spent their honeymoon here.
One night, she caught her husband taking another woman upstairs. She grabbed his gun and killed them both before going to her room and committing suicide. You can see flashes of the three of them on the second floor of this haunted place.
Making a Reservation
You won’t find a website to make your reservations for the Historic Plains Hotel. You can find more information on their Facebook page and book your rooms using online travel agencies, including booking.com, or by giving them a call.
4. Fort Bridger State Historic Site – Fort Bridger
Address: 37000 I-80BL, Fort Bridger, Wyoming
This state historic site located in Fort Bridger is renowned as one of the most haunted places in Wyoming. But it isn’t just the soldiers you may encounter wandering around Fort Bridger. A dog named Thornburgh reportedly earned a medal of honor after saving a child. When he died, he was buried at the fort. He now stands guard over the cemetery.
Remember to visit the museum!
The museum was an infantry barracks and milk barn before it was transformed with exhibits that interpret the five occupational eras of Fort Bridger.
The museum features a video viewing room, a gift shop and a kid’s corral. You can visit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from May to September from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, October to April.
5. Fort Laramie National Historic Site – Fort Laramie
Address: 965 Grey Rocks Road, Ft. Laramie, Wyoming
Fort Laramie National Historic Site is best known as a stop for travelers along the Oregon, Mormon and California trails before becoming a military post. The site is even featured in the 1970s computer game Oregon Trail. Another thing Fort Laramie is known for? Its ghost sightings.
Many visitors to this haunted place in Wyoming claimed to have seen a lady in green roaming around. The story says she was the daughter of an agent at the fort. She left one day to go riding but never returned. You can also spot a cavalry officer completing his daily rituals around the fort.
Explore the Confluence Trail
Follow the 1.6-mile lasso loop from the south parking lot of the Old Army Bridge to the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers and back to see the still-standing wrought iron bridge of 1875-6.
A mature gallery forest of cottonwood and willows along the banks of the rivers makes exploring this area one of the fun fall activities to witness the change of the seasons in Wyoming.
6. Old Faithful Inn – Yellowstone
Address: 3200 Old Faithful Inn Rd., Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn, built in 1903, is considered a national historic landmark. Of course, that means it comes with some haunting tales. The headless bride of the Old Faithful Inn is a story of tragedy. A wealthy woman from back east fell in love with a con artist. Told by her family that if she married this man, they would disown her; she took her inheritance and ran away with him.
On their honeymoon in Yellowstone, he chopped off her head and ran away with her money long before anyone found her body. Now, the headless bride has been spotted wandering the hotel searching for her lost love.
Yellowstone Tip: Booking Early
Yellowstone lodging accepts reservations up to 13 months in advance, beginning on the 5th of each month. For example, on October 5, 2023, guests can make reservations for applicable dates and properties from October 1 through October 30, 2024. On November 5, 2023, guests can make reservations for November 1 through November 31, 2024, and so on.
7. Wyoming Frontier Prison – Rawlins
Address: 500 W. Walnut St., Rawlins, Wyoming
The Wyoming Frontier Prison was used for almost 80 years, starting in 1901, and is considered one of the state’s most haunted places. While the prison is filled with eerie stories, one of the most infamous urban legends surrounding it is that of the pie lady.
A woman living in Rawlins used to bring the prisoners pies. Upon release, one prisoner tracked her down and killed her. He was then sentenced back to prison, where the prisoners took revenge into their own hands and hung him from the top floor. Visitors still claim to catch glimpses of ghosts in the prison, which offers special haunted tours every October.
Frontier Prison: What to Expect
The Wyoming Frontier Prison offers guided tours through the Prison, an exhibit on the current Wyoming State Penitentiary and a prison museum. The Old Pen Gift Shop is also on site along with the City of Rawlins walking path that will take you up to the old prison cemetery. Pets are welcome but must be leashed.
8. Sweetwater County Library – Green River
Address: 300 N. 1st E. St., Green River, Wyoming
Built on top of a graveyard in the 1980s, this haunted place in Wyoming has had numerous incidents of ghost activity. Books flying off the shelves, computers turning off and on, light switches being flipped and your name being whispered have occurred, and there is a log of staff and patron experiences. During October, they hold haunted tours at night.
Sweetwater County Library Visiting Hours
The Sweetwater County Library is a branch of the Sweetwater County Library System. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
9. The Virginian Hotel – Medicine Bow
Address: 404 Lincoln Hwy., Medicine Bow, Wyoming
More than a century old, the Virginian is no stranger to ghostly sightings. This hotel’s most notorious ghost is the woman in beige. Dressed from the early 1900s, she is said to have stayed at the hotel while waiting for her fiancé to come from back east. She flung herself out of her third-story room window when he never arrived. Patrons claim to still hear her crashing through the window.
Call to Make a Reservation
Planning your trip to The Historic Virginian Hotel will require a phone call — no online reservations are available. Room options include the 12-room bunk house motel.
10. The Sheridan Inn – Sheridan
Address: 856 Broadway St., Sheridan, Wyoming
For almost 130 years, the Sheridan Inn has been a community staple. One of its beloved employees and patrons, known as Miss Kate, moved to Sheridan in 1901. She began working at the inn and is said to have never left
In 1906, she moved into her room on the third floor, where she spent the rest of her life. After she died in 1968, the inn underwent renovations, and a friend put her ashes in the walls. She is now the guardian of the inn. You may feel her in a cold spot or have the lights turned on or off on you. The inn keeps a log of her movements.
Know before you go: Themed Rooms
You can choose from revitalized rooms at the Sheridan Inn that each focus on Buffalo Bill and other key characters in his life. Then, head out into the city of Sheridan for some fun fall activities during your stay.
11. Miners and Stockmen’s Steakhouse and Spirits – Hartville
Address: 608 Main St., Hartville, Wyoming
Miners and Stockmen’s was built in 1862 and is known as the oldest bar in Wyoming. This haunted place has witnessed shootouts, prohibition and renovations. While no one ghost lays claim to the building, there are many stories of mysterious mischief.
The piano may play of its own accord, or you could hear boots shuffle behind you while the lights flicker.
Hours of Operation
Wyoming’s oldest bar is open year-round, Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and offers the best steaks around, an extensive wine list and 35 different types of whiskey. Reservations are encouraged.
12. Acme Theatre – Riverton
Address: 312 E. Main St., Riverton, Wyoming
Built in the 1920s, the Acme Theatre is one of a few haunted places in Wyoming still in service today, changing with the world and transforming from the stage to the silver screen. Many patrons have claimed to see a man up on the balcony watching shows with them. He is thought to be a performer from when the theater showed vaudeville and penny shows.
13. Wort Hotel – Jackson Hole
Address: 50 Glenwood St., Jackson, Wyoming
The Wort family’s dream was built in 1941 and continues to serve Jackson as a prominent place of business. Its haunting came 20 years later in the 1960s when two small children were killed by a family member while staying in one of the hotel rooms.
The children still roam the halls of the Wort Hotel, playing games and causing mischief. Locals have also said you can see their faces peeking out of the windows while driving by.
Know before you go: The Art
The Wort Hotel contains over 175 pieces of original, contemporary and traditional Western Art valued at over $1.2 million. Book early to secure your stay and take a self-guided tour with photos and descriptions of key art pieces.
13. Wonder Bar – Casper
Due to its rich history, haunted places in Wyoming are plentiful, but Wonder Bar in Casper may be near the top of the list of most ghostly. Founded in 1914, what was once a horse-friendly cowboy pool hall went through a few iterations before clinching its signature name and location in the 1930s.
The Wild West era brought trouble and gunfire to the bar, as its frequent patrons were among the famous outlaws of the time. As years passed and civilization progressed, the Wonder Bar began experiencing another kind of trouble: apparitions that seemed to be haunting the building.
From cowboy sightings to flickering lights, visitors and employees have reported the largely benign ghost activity common to places with such a long heritage. However, increased neighborhood violence and even death led locals to believe the bar was cursed. Following many name changes, the bar was ultimately sold and renovated in 2017, reopening as the Wonder Bar once again.
Know before you go:
The Wonder Bar permanently closed its doors in 2019, so curious ghost hunters can no longer take a haunted tour of the historic place. That said, the building still stands, and there are plenty of other fun fall activities to be had in Casper (including the Rialto Soda Fountain, also reportedly haunted!)
15. South Pass City
Best known as a gold rush boom town, South Pass City was a mining haven in the late 1860s and built itself into a quintessential Western city around its prized Carissa mine. As people moved west, many were captivated by the potential for finding gold, turning the city into a pioneer-era tourist attraction.
Though historians may argue the factual accuracy, local lore states that this boom wasn’t great for every tourist that came through South Pass. The Bartlett family turned their ranch into an inn in the city’s heyday, and when men with gold or other valuables would stay the night, some never left. Several disappeared after taking shelter with the Bartlett’s, and it is rumored that Polly Bartlett poisoned their food with arsenic and then robbed them.
Once discovered, the Bartletts went on the run, but legend claims they didn’t make it far from the long arm of the law. Polly was arrested and later shot and killed while in jail, and Mr. Bartlett was killed in a duel before his arrest. Rumor has it that the bodies were found buried on their property after the fact, making this the first string of serial killings in the area.
Know before you go:
The famous Carissa mine is still in what is now the South Pass City State Historic Site, as are all of the buildings erected when the town was founded. These days, you can do a little panning for your gold, take a guided or independent tour and grab some refreshments at a real old-timey general store. The buildings are open for museum-style exploration but look for any lingering spirits while you take in the sights.
Find out more about South Pass City
Howdy Neighbor
Hunting for Treasure in a Ghost Town: Gold Rush Days in South Pass City
There’s gold in these hills! Travel back in time as we explore the ghost town of South Pass City during Gold Rush Days and search for gold in the river and mines. Get a look into this once bustling mining town that has all the original buildings in their original locations, plus the festival of Gold Rush Days to celebrate all things South Pass. Our hosts explore more of Wind River Country at Sinks Canyon and search for the disappearing river.
