Southwest Montana Ghosts

In addition to spectacular natural beauty, Montana is known for having a penchant for the peculiar. With the state’s history of Copper Kings, trying hardships and rowdy residents, it’s no surprise that many of Montana’s ghost towns and historical sites have tales of lingering souls and spooky spirits. Whether you are a thrill seeker, ghost hunter or history buff, a ghost tour provides a unique and exciting adventure.

Montana, specifically Southwest Montana, has a rich mining history. The ghost towns of the region stand as a reminder that our region was truly born on the boom and bust cycle.

Southwest Montana Ghosts

Southwest Montana’s Haunted Places

With the state’s history of Copper Kings, trying hardships and rowdy residents, it’s no surprise that many of Southwest Montana’s ghost towns and historic places tell tales of lingering souls. Whether you are a thrill seeker, ghost hunter or history buff, you’ll love this list of spooky sites and tours.
Explore Haunted Places

Southwest Montana Ghost Towns

Montana is rich in history. Places where you can reach out and touch the past, where history can be felt as you walk the floorboards of ghost town streets or step inside dance halls or school rooms. Experience the old west at its best in Southwest Montana. From the Meade Hotel in Bannack with its huge spiral staircase and original wallpaper to the picturesque Fraternity Hall in Elkhorn.

As you walk through the now empty buildings it is easy to imagine cowboys enjoying a game of cards, miners coming into town from their claims, families attending church services or children rushing for the school room bell. The past comes alive in Southwest Montana where evidence still exists of the rich heritage of the boom and bust.

Experience Spooky Southwest Montana Events

You can find haunted history across Southwest Montana in nearly every town through which you wander, but one of the best ways to truly immerse yourself in this history is to find a guided tour led by locals. No one knows the area, the stories, and the nuances better than the individuals who call this area home. Here are just a few of the haunted tours available as you explore Southwest Montana!
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Haunted Itineraries

Ghostly Road Trips

Southwest Montana is full of opportunities for ghostly encounters. Whether you are interested in the paranormal or prefer the historical significance found in ghost towns, we have something for you! As you travel through time, you will have the opportunity to get to know the infamous characters that once called Montana home. In the days of the Gold Rush, thousands flocked to the area hoping to strike it rich and pursue the American dream. As news spread of a recent strike​, ​men would quickly abandon their sites that were no longer producing and move on to bigger and better things. With an increase in population, came an increase in violence and unsettled souls.

These itineraries are a starting place, and will walk you through some of the haunted destinations across our region. There are of course other structures that are said to be haunted, and we encourage you to explore the history of the area, digging deeper into the Southwest Montana’s haunted past.

Southwest Montana has the Best Ghost Stories

Southwest Montana is home to many historic buildings, and with this rich history comes a darker, more eerie phenomena. Haunted homes, stories of spirits and legends of lives past linger in our storied towns. Take a ghost tour in historic Virginia City or explore on your own at one of the many historic locations where apparitions and sightings have been reported.

These stories are far better told in person, but we’ve put together a few snippets to pique your interest and get you thinking about what goes bump in the night! Plus, these stories give you the perfect platform to dig deeper into the history of Southwest Montana.

*The stories shared on this page are adapted and paraphrased from those written and compiled by Ellen Baumler, a Montana Historian, who has taken the time to check the facts, matching them with census reports, deed records, city directories, obituaries, historic maps, and more.