1. Bodie, California
Once a booming gold rush town, Bodie is now a frozen snapshot of the Wild West, preserved in a state of “arrested decay.” Tourists walk through the deserted streets, peeking into homes that still hold furniture and old wallpaper as if time simply stopped. But many visitors say the place isn’t as empty as it looks. They describe the sound of boots crunching behind them, whispers in the wind, and the eerie feeling that someone is watching from behind dusty windows.
Locals have long believed that Bodie’s spirits guard the town’s treasures. There’s even a famous “Bodie Curse,” said to punish anyone who steals so much as a nail. Rangers tell stories of people mailing back stolen trinkets, terrified after experiencing streaks of bad luck. Lights sometimes flicker in the buildings even though there’s no power source. Whether it’s wind, old wood, or ghosts, no one knows—but Bodie never feels completely dead.
2. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia was once a bustling coal town until an underground mine fire in 1962 drove nearly everyone away. The flames still burn today, releasing smoke and heat through cracks in the ground. Entire streets have vanished, homes have been demolished, and vegetation has grown wild over the ruins. It’s eerie enough in daylight, but the real stories come from those who visit after dark.
Some claim to hear voices echoing from the old Route 61, known as “Graffiti Highway,” or to see figures moving through the smoke. Locals say the spirits of miners still wander, forever trapped underground. Even those who don’t believe in ghosts describe an unsettling presence, as if the town itself resents being disturbed. The last few residents refuse to leave, saying they’ve made peace with whatever lingers there.
3. Jerome, Arizona
High above the desert floor, Jerome clings to the steep slopes of Cleopatra Hill. It was once a rowdy copper-mining town with saloons, brothels, and constant trouble. When the mines shut down, Jerome nearly became a ghost town. But the residents who left might not have taken all their energy with them.
Today, the town is known as one of the most haunted places in America. Guests at the Jerome Grand Hotel report hearing footsteps, voices, and even the squeak of gurneys rolling through empty halls. Locals say the ghost of a maintenance man who died there still makes his rounds. Even though artists and shop owners have breathed new life into the town, nighttime in Jerome still feels like a step back into the supernatural.
4. Bannack, Montana
Bannack was once the capital of Montana Territory, full of promise and pioneers chasing gold. When the mines dried up, the people moved on, leaving behind a perfectly preserved ghost town. Wooden buildings line dirt streets, and the old Hotel Meade stands like a relic of another era. But even in daylight, Bannack has a strange energy, as if it remembers every story ever told within its walls.
Visitors often speak of seeing a young girl in a blue dress looking out from the hotel’s windows. Locals say she’s the spirit of Dorothy Dunn, who tragically drowned nearby over a century ago. Piano music has been heard late at night, and laughter echoes from the empty saloon. Park rangers who stay after dark say the silence feels thick and alive. Bannack may have lost its residents, but not its soul.
5. Garnet, Montana
Deep in the mountains, Garnet sits frozen in time, its wooden shacks and storefronts surprisingly well preserved. Founded in the 1890s, it was once filled with miners, shopkeepers, and families who came seeking fortune. When the gold ran out, everyone moved on, leaving their belongings behind. Today, it’s one of the quietest places in Montana—at least, by day.
After sunset, visitors have reported hearing voices drifting from the saloon and footsteps echoing on empty floors. Some say they’ve seen women in old-fashioned dresses walking through the hotel, vanishing when approached. The air feels heavy there, as though the laughter and music of Garnet’s glory days never fully faded. Locals who’ve camped nearby swear they’ve heard doors slam in the windless dark.
6. Rhyolite, Nevada
Just outside Death Valley, Rhyolite sprang up overnight in the early 1900s during the gold rush. It had electricity, a stock exchange, and even an opera house. But like so many mining towns, it burned brightly and briefly before collapsing into ruin. Now, only crumbling stone buildings remain against the desert sky.
Despite its desolation, travelers say Rhyolite feels strangely alive. Shadows move where there should be none, and the sound of pickaxes sometimes echoes across the sand. Some swear they’ve seen ghostly figures near the old bank or the bottle house. The stillness of the desert makes every noise sharper, and visitors often leave convinced they weren’t truly alone.
7. Terlingua, Texas
Terlingua sits near the Mexican border, surrounded by rugged desert and strange silence. It was once a mercury-mining town bustling with workers and their families. When the mines closed, people fled, leaving behind broken homes and machinery rusting under the sun. But Terlingua isn’t entirely empty—at least, not to those who live nearby.
Locals talk about strange lights floating over the hills at night and figures moving through the ruins. Some say the ghosts of miners still wander the tunnels, lanterns glowing faintly underground. Visitors who stay at the old trading post sometimes hear footsteps on the porch or voices whispering outside. Whether it’s lingering energy or the desert playing tricks, Terlingua seems to hum with unseen life.
8. Goldfield, Nevada
Goldfield once rivaled Las Vegas as Nevada’s most prosperous city. It had grand hotels, busy streets, and a wild reputation. Then the gold dried up, and the crowds vanished almost overnight. But not everyone, it seems, left for good.
The Goldfield Hotel is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in the state. Guests have seen lights flicker, felt cold spots, and even spotted the ghost of a woman named Elizabeth who reportedly met a tragic end there. Paranormal investigators have filmed strange shadows and captured voices on tape. Even locals avoid the place after dark, claiming Goldfield’s glory days never really ended—they just moved into another realm.
9. Kennecott, Alaska
High in the Alaskan wilderness, Kennecott was a thriving copper mining town in the early 1900s. When the mine shut down in 1938, workers left everything behind—including furniture, machinery, and even dishes on tables. The isolation kept it eerily well preserved. But the emptiness has only amplified the stories that something still stirs there.
Visitors to the site report hearing metallic clanging echoing through the mountains, as if mining never stopped. Some see lights flickering in the upper floors of the mill building long after nightfall. Locals believe the spirits of workers still toil deep within the tunnels, unwilling to abandon their posts. In a landscape so vast and silent, even the faintest sound feels supernatural.
10. Cahawba, Alabama
Cahawba was Alabama’s first state capital, but frequent flooding forced residents to abandon it. What remains today are crumbling brick ruins wrapped in moss and mystery. The area has a haunted reputation that draws ghost hunters every year. Locals say the spirits of Civil War soldiers still linger among the old cemeteries and courthouse ruins.
One of the most famous tales is of a “floating orb” that glows near the riverbank. Visitors have also claimed to hear hoofbeats and laughter when no one else is around. Some believe the energy of the old town never faded, just shifted into another world. When fog rolls in, Cahawba looks less like history and more like a dream you shouldn’t wake up from.
11. Thurmond, West Virginia
Thurmond was once a booming coal town with banks, hotels, and a busy railroad depot. Now it’s nearly deserted, yet it feels strangely well-kept, as if waiting for its residents to return. The old buildings stand tall beside the New River Gorge, their windows reflecting the past. Train whistles still echo through the canyon, but no passengers arrive.
Locals claim to hear voices near the empty depot and to see shadowy figures walking along the tracks at night. Park rangers who oversee the area admit that strange things happen there they can’t explain. Lights turn on in buildings with no electricity, and doors creak open without wind. Thurmond might be empty on paper, but it feels anything but abandoned.
12. Garnerville, Nevada
Garnerville never grew as big as nearby mining towns, but its eerie quiet earned it a different kind of fame. It was built for miners seeking quick fortune, and when the veins ran dry, everyone scattered. Or so the records say. Locals, however, claim the town still hosts late-night visitors.
Campers nearby have reported laughter echoing through the ruins, along with the faint sounds of a piano playing. Shadows move inside roofless buildings, and campfires seem to appear and vanish overnight. Some say they’ve seen men in wide-brimmed hats staring silently from the hills. Whether ghosts or imagination, Garnerville has a way of convincing you that you’re being watched.
13. Calico, California
Calico is a restored silver-mining town turned tourist stop, but its ghosts never cared about rebranding. In its heyday, it was filled with miners, gunfights, and fortune seekers. When the silver dried up, so did the crowds. Now, under the desert sun, Calico looks peaceful—but locals will tell you it’s far from it.
Visitors say they’ve seen miners walking through the hills and a spectral woman known as “Lucy Lane” appearing near her former home. The saloon doors swing open on their own, and laughter drifts from nowhere. Ghost hunters visit year-round, hoping for a glimpse of Calico’s restless residents. Even during daylight, it feels like the Wild West never quite ended here.
14. St. Elmo, Colorado
Tucked deep in the Rockies, St. Elmo is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in America. Founded in 1880, it was once a lively community of miners and merchants. When the railroad shut down, everyone moved away—except, according to legend, the spirits of those who loved it too much to leave. Wooden storefronts and cabins still stand, as if waiting for the next train to arrive.
The town’s most famous ghost is Annabelle Stark, said to haunt the family’s old general store. Visitors have seen her peering from the windows or wandering near the post office in her old-fashioned dress. Locals say she never left her beloved town, keeping watch over it long after death. In St. Elmo, even silence seems to have a heartbeat.