The Most Haunted Places in Deadwood

If the growth of the nation had progressed as planned in 1868, the Lakota Sioux nation may still occupy the Black Hills. The Fort Laramie Treaty bestowed the land to the Natives, establishing the Great Sioux Reservation. 

However, within two years, their claim was already at risk. In 1876, the first gold hopefuls arrived, setting into motion events that dismantled the reservation and established Deadwood. 

A town built by greed on grounds soaked in blood, Deadwood’s history is told by the spirits of the lost and the damned. Set on the edge of the Black Hills National Forest, there’s a darkness within Deadwood that’s fueled by natural energies. The trees played witness to it all, to the fevered rush for gold and the horrid actions of men driven by a lust for a shining mineral.

Connect with Deadwood’s tarnished history through a roadmap of its most haunted locations. From former brothels that catered to the unsavory to cemeteries that whisper the Wild West’s darkest secrets, Deadwood is a playground for the undead. 

Come for the Wild West novelty, stay for a chance at spotting spectral remnants of yesteryear in the most haunted places in Deadwood. Book your Deadwood Ghost Tour today.

What are the most haunted places in Deadwood?

Deadwood has the kind of history that makes it easy to believe most buildings are haunted. Among them, some are unquestionably so. The red-brick Fairmont Hotel has attracted many paranormal groups, notable and amateur alike. 

Its history as a brothel lends to many of its ghostly guests. Nearby, the charming Bullock Hotel has its own spectral visitor thought to be its original proprietor. On Deadwood’s southside, Franklin Hotel boasts a bounty of spirit activity. If guests aren’t asking about the disembodied voices, they’re weary of the woman’s apparition seen floating down the halls. 

Wild Bill Bar

August 2, 1876, was a night like any other when a fatal shot rang out in Nuttall and Mann’s. Lawman and frontiersman James “Wild Bill” Butler Hickok fell to the wooden floor, blood pooling from the fresh gunshot wound in his head. His assailant, Jack McCall, unknowingly changed the history of Deadwood and the otherwise unassuming saloon. 

The death of Wild Bill was a tragedy in its own right. That he died during a game of poker and not taming the West, as he had become known, was an unceremonious end to his exciting life.

One could assume it’s why he refuses to leave the site of his assassination, despite the loss of the original structure in the 1879 fire that devastated Deadwood. Though the building has housed casinos and alleged brothels since, Wild Bill Bar serves as a tribute to the famed lawman. 

Fairmont Hotel

Virtually every building left standing in Deadwood has an alternate life. The Fairmont Hotel may sit quietly today, but in its prime, it was a riotous space. 

Built to serve as a brothel and saloon, the red facade once invited prospectors from all over. They indulged in sin and drank their earnings away. Some, like bawd Margaret Broadwater, gave into their demons and put a tragic end to their stories.

The Fairmont Hotel is not wanting for spirits, its empty halls far less so if you consider the ethereal guests who still inhabit them. Broadwater is just one of several, her spirit still revisiting the day she jumped from the third floor. 

From a jealous boyfriend who accidentally killed himself after striking down another man to a mysterious young boy of no known origin, the ghosts of the Fairmont are as active as their stories are varied.

Adams House

Often, Deadwood’s ghost stories veer into horrifying territory, with apparitions and phantoms manifested by the pull of a trigger. The specter of William Emery Adams brings a different aura to the town, having served the community well during his years as shop owner and mayor. W.E. is maybe best known for the Adams Museum, which he built in 1930 as a way to preserve the local history.

It’s not there that ‘ole W.E. spends his eternity, though. Rather, it’s in his former Queen Anne-style home, which has an exterior begging to be in a horror movie. Here, he lived comfortably with his second wife, Mary. 

It’s also where he spent his final days before dying of a stroke. As if to ensure his spirit was comfortable, Mary left the home completely untouched. 

Visitors and paranormal investigators have witnessed moving rocking chairs and the faint scent of cigars. Some even believe W.E. isn’t alone in the home, and Mary returned after her death in 1993.

Bullock Hotel

Sleep amidst Deadwood’s history and the ghosts of its past at Bullock Hotel, Deadwood’s first hotel. Though the property has undergone renovations over the years, they haven’t driven out its spectral guests. Among them is believed to be the hotel’s proprietor, the first sheriff of Lawrence County, Seth Bullock. 

Though Bullock died off-site on his ranch about 26 miles away, the former sheriff is believed to be one of the hotel’s most active haunts. He seems to still run a tight ship. 

His activity picks up when employees are being inefficient. Dishes and glasses move, appliances start, and showers run when no one else is around. Disembodied voices, faint whistling, and a gentle tap on the shoulder have been known to startle guests. 

Mount Moriah Cemetery

After watching the reenactment of the murder of Wild Bill, head to Mount Moriah Cemetery to visit his grave. Many historical figures tied to Deadwood’s complicated past have markers in the 19th-century cemetery. 

Among them is Calamity Jane, who was buried next to the lawman allegedly as a joke as Bill wasn’t too keen on the frontierswoman. A stop at the Mount Moriah Visitor Center will uncover other stories of a bygone era, providing further insight into whose souls may be trapped on the grounds.

Walking the rows of headstones will surely catch the attention of the many spectral figures bound to the cemetery. It’s not uncommon to feel the gaze of someone nearby, even when alone. 

There’s an entire section dedicated to children who passed from smallpox and other outbreaks, as well as a mass gravesite of unidentified bodies. It’s hard to say if one specific ghost is haunting Mount Moriah, or if it’s many spirits responsible for the spooky laughs and unexplainable voices.  

Lucky Nugget Casino

Another shell of Deadwood’s past, the empty Lucky Nugget Casino was once a venue of entertainment and chance. Naturally, the casino and upstairs brothel attracted a cast of characters, from those who sought to find riches to those willing to take them by force.

It’s the latter that imbued the casino with a heavy, negative air, their sins absorbed within the porous wood. On a quiet day, it may still sound like the upstairs is an active brothel. 

Heavy footsteps rattle the ceiling as the ghosts of the lawless return to a spot that brought them comfort and pleasure. Shadowy figures have been spotted standing in doorways and dealers once claimed to see an ethereal form hanging around poker tables.

Franklin Hotel

The Franklin Hotel hasn’t suffered the same fate as many of Deadwood’s empty buildings. Today, it operates as a hotel and casino. It’s also a haunting ground for several manifestations, including the man who established the original accommodations over a century ago.

Harris Franklin celebrated the grand opening of his namesake hotel in 1903 and was present for all of its highs and lows. Even in death, Franklin keeps a watchful eye over the property. 

Still adorning his best attire, the hotel’s proprietor has been spotted throughout the renovated space. Staff in particular have felt his presence, as if ensuring his hotel is in good hands. He’s a fairly hands-off apparition, preferring to observe rather than interfere. That’s not to say he hasn’t run off the odd staff member here or there, like the housekeeper who quit after spotting him in one of the rooms.

Saloon #10

Though the current Saloon #10 is not where the original Saloon #10 stood, what it represents attracts the same energy. A venue catering to Deadwood’s contemporary visitors, Saloon #10 transports travelers back in time. 

Prospectors are again flocking to the Black Hills and Wild Bill Hickok is alive and well, fully engrossed in a friendly game of poker. Then, the shot rings out just as it did over 140 years ago. 

The reenactment of the death of Hickok likely evokes sorrow and rage from the lawman, who spends much of his time down the road at Wild Bill Bar. He and several other lingering souls watch on as patrons enjoy food and drink at this themed venue. There’s a lot to see and do within Saloon #10, from the theater to the gift shop, but the real draw is trying to glimpse one of Deadwood’s ghostly residents.

The Brothel Museum

Brothels were a frequented business in Deadwood, and are often the root cause behind tragic ghosts. The Brothel: Deadwood offers an interesting and educational look into prostitution and how it impacted Deadwood’s community. While there’s plenty of fascinating information to gain, it’s easy to get distracted by the signs of a spectral presence within the museum. 

Unexplainable sounds, shadowy figures, and voices from the beyond suggest there’s more to the museum than stories of the past. It houses the ghosts that lived it, chilling phantoms with ties to Deadwood’s unsavory history.

Haunted Deadwood

Gold isn’t the only thing worth searching for in the Black Hills. Ghosts of a more wicked time, when sin spilled onto the streets, tell their tales in haunted locations speckled throughout Deadwood. Entangle yourself in stories of woe and tragedy by booking your Deadwood Ghost Tour today.

Looking for more eerie stories and spectral encounters? Be sure to read about more South Dakota ghost stories on our blog. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and read our blog to keep up on ghastly horrors across the nation.

Sources:

• https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/historic-preservation/page/timeline-deadwood-south-dakota

• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/food/south-dakota/famous-bar-hangout-sd

• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/south-dakota/fairmont-hotel-sd

• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/south-dakota/haunted-mansion-sd

• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/sd-bullockhotel/

• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/south-dakota/most-haunted-cemetery-sd

• https://hauntedhouses.com/south-dakota/deadwood-franklin-hotel/

• https://www.deadwoodbrothel.com/