Welcome To Casper Ghosts
The development of Wyoming’s second-most populated city brought death, tragedy, murder, and justice, all responsible for the haunts bound to historic buildings and a rather ominous walking trail. Casper’s spirits have many stories to tell, from the slaying of a local sheriff to a deadly accident that claimed the lives of 30 people.
A Museum of Spectral Relics
Veteran’s Park pays tribute to the brave men and women who served in the United States military. Its memorials recognize veterans of conflicts from the Spanish-American War to the ongoing fights in the Middle East. However, it’s not just the park that’s housing militarized relics of yesteryear.
Venture with Casper Ghosts to learn about the Battle of Platte Bridge where Lieutenant Caspar Collins once lay in a pool of blood. Named for the late lieutenant, the fort-turned-museum is a trove of relics chronicling the regional history, including its Native population and Casper’s growth into a thriving city. The memories within Fort Casper come in all forms, including haunts anchored to something within the collection.
Fort Casper Museum is haunted by multiple entities. Among them is a mysterious child spirit sporting suspenders and a plaid shirt. This is likely a different ghost than the accusatory phantom allegedly heard chastising the museum association’s president for cheating at checkers.
What Will I See?
Visit Casper’s Most Haunted Locations, Including:
- The Wonder Bar – Whether lingering by the bathroom or coming down the stairs, guests of the former Mint Bar are poised for a haunting encounter. Be especially mindful of the specter of Jow Lowndes, one of Butch Cassidy’s outlaws.
- Rialto Theater – The days of $.40 showings may be long gone, but those who enjoyed those low prices may not be. A mysterious projector clicks to life, the whir of its reel humming across the ether as its unseen operator caters to an invisible audience.
- Odd Fellows Building – A winter jailbreak in 1902 ended with two bodies: Sheriff W. C. Ricker and his killer, Charles Woodard. The two are now bound together in the afterlife at the Odd Fellows lodge, their ethereal figures lingering near the scene of the crime.
Ghostly Golden Age of Cinema
Places of entertainment are often haunted by former patrons or those who kept things running. The unseen spirit of the Rialto Theater is believed to be the latter, a residual memory of a projectionist from a much earlier age.
Step into the shoes of Rialto’s employees with Casper Ghosts and unravel the spooky activity seen and heard throughout the theater. Late at night, it’s not uncommon for employees to catch the sound of a projection reel. The faint click echoes from seemingly nowhere as if it’s merely a memory of the theater’s old days.
The spirit behind the invisible projector has never been caught, but there is an apparition that hangs around behind the counter. A puff of smoke rises into the air, a carry-over vice for the spirit said to be the former owner who died inside the Rialto. The question remains, is the owner responsible for moving objects, is it the hidden projectionist, or is there a third ghost yet undiscovered?
Why is Casper so Haunted?
Echoes of the Prohibition Era
Formerly the Mint Bar, the Wonder Bar changed names in 1934, 20 years after its grand opening. The bar has undergone many changes through the years, and its walls have been witness to much debauchery, especially during Prohibition. It’s no surprise that some old patrons still linger today.
Pull up a proverbial chair with Casper Ghosts and listen to tales of the notable figures who once visited the Wonder Bar. From President Eisenhower to members of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, high-profile people weren’t uncommon in the 20th-century joint.
Who remains behind today, though, is a question up for debate. Some believe it’s Joe Lowndes, a member of the Wild Bunch, who patrols the Wonder Bar with his mistress. Others believe there’s a nameless presence hanging by the bathrooms, a haunt that may also be responsible for the noticeable cold spots that manifest throughout the establishment.
Casper’s Most Haunted
Some specters simply inhabit a space, becoming a fixture with it as it evolves over time. That’s not the case for Mrs. White and Casper’s Ivy House Inn. Since converted into a bed and breakfast after Mrs. White passed away in 1995, the charming Cape Cod-style abode has played host to the cantankerous spirit.
Not only does she get involved when people smoke or drink on her property, but she was quite active when the current owners, Tom and Kathy Johnson, were renovating the space for the new bed and breakfast. When she’s not moving tools, Mrs. White’s presence is evident by the unmistakable aroma of menthol and baking chocolate.
Constructed in 1921, the Casper Elks Lodge adorned the corner of East 7th and Center Street as a spot for the local Elks fraternity. Entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, the lodge still caters to the local Elks and serves as a wedding and event venue.
There’s more to the historical building than meets the eye, though, and documented interactions with unseen presences suggest a few spirits inhabit the lodge. Ghostly whispers, unsettling feelings, phantom aromas, and several apparitions lend to the eerie feeling often felt within the Elks Lodge.
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
