Most Haunted Places In Billings, Montana

Robbed of eternal peace, the most haunted places in Billings serve as a reminder of times long since past. Memories of loss and tragedy are sprinkled throughout the ever-growing city as specters cling to the familiar. Spooky tales and scary stories relay memories of Montana’s past. In the most haunted places in Billings, you’ll find a range of spirits and entities, from dark shadows to residuals trapped in a loop.

Not far from the great plains of the Mountain West, where cowboys cling to an old-fashioned way of life, the city of Billings thrives on a blend of the contemporary and vintage. Though part of its modernization threatens to encroach on Montana’s picturesque vastness, another grounds it in its antiquity.

Peer behind the veil and explore the unknown of Montana’s Magic City on a journey into the darkness that lingers from Billings’ past. Book your Billings Ghost Tour experience today to hear true tales of horror and tragedy.

What Are The Most Haunted Places in Billings, Montana?

Many employees who enter the 8th floor of the Yellowstone County Courthouse will attest that the aura is off in the converted storage space. Once a temporary detention center, some inmates remain tied to the otherwise quiet floor.

At least eight ghosts remain active in the Billings Public Library. Did they follow the old collections from the original library? Or did the library’s grounds fuel the eerie spectral activity?

The remnants of the old county jail can be spotted amongst the artwork at the Yellowstone Art Museum. Each floor has its own haunt, from an old sheriff to an unsettling entity hiding in the basement.

Yellowstone County Courthouse

During the construction of a new facility to replace the old Yellowstone County Jail, the 8th floor of the county courthouse housed the city’s inmates. Added in the 60s, just three years after the courthouse opened, the jail kept the city’s most heinous criminals. 

After 20 years of operation, the county faced a lawsuit over prisoner conditions. It seems conditions led to the modern lore of the courthouse’s 8th floor. 

Though the jail has since moved, employees can still feel the heavy, negative energy of its remaining prisoners, some of whom took their own lives. Paranormal investigators have captured vocal evidence of something responding from the other side. 

Whatever strong presence remains bound to the former jail responds with expletives and a thick and uncomfortable air. When the specter is otherwise silent, employees have complained of unusual noises, like a tapping on a jail cell bar, as if lingering prisoners are trying to get a guard’s attention.

Billings Public Library

The new Billings Public Library may be a contemporary structure, but some objects span decades of the city’s history. Originally named for Frederick H. Billings’ first child, Parmly, the building is steeped in the city’s history. However, it’s difficult to say if the historical ties or literary relics are responsible for the eight lost souls. 

Trapped in a pattern of repetition, the spirits of Billings Public Library are mostly residual haunts. The apparition of a cowboy is most prominent, an ethereal figure with no care for the living. An imposing tall man resides on the second floor, his attention drawn to the warm-blooded bodies around him. 

Don’t look his way, lest you care for a terror-inducing encounter that may ruin the library forever for you. Other hauntings include poltergeist activity, a dark-haired woman in the library’s basement, and several male spirits joining the tall man on the 2nd floor.

Yellowstone Art Museum

More than one building retains traces of the old county jail. Along with the county courthouse, the Yellowstone Art Museum also housed the vilest of Billings’ characters. From around 1884 to 1964, the building incarcerated villainous criminals like William Brooks, who was known for brutally killing his wife.

He lived within the jail’s walls for a year before being executed. His final gift to Billings was the songs he would belt out, even as he faced death.

While many of the specters of the art museum tend to be on the law’s side, including a sheriff watching over the first floor, it’s impossible to ignore the imprint Brooks left on the building. 

Could it have been his influence that drove the warden’s son to commit atrocious acts on many of the jailed children? Known by the art museum’s staff as Patrick, the ominous entity in the basement is believed to be the monster’s soul trying to escape judgment.

Moss Mansion

For 81 years, the Moorish and French Rococo mansion on Division Street was home to members of the Moss family. In that time, laughs were shared, hearts were broken, memories were made, and tragedy was unavoidable. Only five years after moving into the 28-bedroom mansion, the Moss family suffered a tragic loss. 

Virginia, the youngest of six children, contracted diphtheria and died. Gone too soon, the young girl remained with her family as a ghostly presence. Some say she’s still in the mansion today. 

The mansion has since been converted into a museum. It’s a tribute to the regal family who once called it home. Rather, some still call it home. Virginia isn’t the only spirit to have remained attached to the beautiful estate. Melville, another of the Moss’ children, died in 1984 after spending her latter years trying to preserve her family’s legacy. She remains adamant about watching over the property, often seen as a silhouette in a window.

Western Heritage Center

In 1969, the Parmly Billings Memorial Library moved from this original foundation to its current location. In its place, the Western Heritage Center opened in 1971. The museum details the history of the Yellowstone Valley through more than 40,000 relics. 

The question remains: Is it any of those objects that caused this building to be very active with ghosts, or are the spirits merely deposits from the building’s days as the library? 

Among the most frequently cited ghosts is Priscilla. The small footprints left in the attic suggest she’s a child. Why she haunts the center is unknown, and she remains just as mysterious as the elderly man and woman who haunt the fireplace and the Will James Room, respectively. 

Many believe the elderly man is artist James Kenneth Ralston, who has many paintings hanging throughout the center.

Alberta Bair Theater

There’s a constant presence in many haunted theaters across the United States. They all tend to house a spirit with a direct emotional tie to the building. Maybe it’s an actor who once commanded the stage or a director who loved the space. 

In the case of the Alberta Bair Theater, it’s the one for whom it’s named. When the theater started to fall into disrepair, Alberta donated $600,000 to help with preservation efforts.

The Alberta Bair’s primary haunt is the theater’s namesake benefactor. However, the pleasant spirit of the old lady isn’t alone. Visitors and investigators have determined that there’s also a grumpy and gruff male spirit. 

He’s not malevolent, but the curmudgeon will let his presence be known by slamming doors. Then there’s the gorgeous specter dressed as if ready to take the stage. Some believe it’s simply Alberta reliving her love for the theater.

Dude Rancher Lodge

While parts of Billings cater to a contemporary aesthetic, like the glass-faced public library, some spots retain the city’s old Western charm. The lodge was built long after the Wild West was tamed, but its structure includes bricks from several older buildings, including the St. Vincent’s Hospital. Though the resident specters could have been anchored to the salvaged materials, Annabel Goan’s name is often thrown around.

Along with her husband, Percival, Annabel managed the Dude Rancher Lodge since the day it opened. Even after Percival’s death, she remained at the hotel, keeping it operational until she could no longer.

After she died in 1983, guests and staff alike started experiencing unexplainable events. Phantom knocking, erratic electricity, and the whisper of a female voice have all been witnessed. Some guests even claim to have heard the laughter of children moving down the hall. For the bravest guests, rooms 223, 224, and 226 tend to be the most active.

Visit Haunted Billings

Billings is a city oozing with spectral energies, many seemingly tied to its earliest years. Hear more about haunted houses in Billings and other spooky locations by booking your Billings Magic City Ghost Tours today. Read even more about Montana’s haunted past on our blog, and follow us on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for even more frights.

Sources:

• https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/history/billings-ghost-hunters/article_658495fc-96d8-11ef-9e3f-3315c236e59f.html
• https://hauntedhouses.com/montana/parmly-billings-library/
• https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/you-and-me-and-the-devil-makes-three-the-yellowstone-art-museum/article_23d5f39a-1bd4-5a1e-9aae-f0ea6d95a7e3.html
• https://hauntedhouses.com/montana/moss-mansion-historic/
• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/montana/western-heritage-center-haunted-museum-in-mt
• https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/haunted-billings-history/collection_b769ff51-9bcf-5cab-a729-04139b83efa9.html#1
• https://www.duderancherlodge.com/haunted-history