13 Haunted Places Where Checkout Is Apparently Optional

I love historic hotels. Give me creaky floors, old-fashioned saloons, brass beds, and enough Wild West history to make me wonder who walked those hallways hundreds of years ago.

Then somebody says: “Oh, by the way. It's haunted.” And I’m hooked.

So, in honor of October, I found 13 historic hotels across the American West where cowboys, gamblers, miners, lawmen, outlaws, and a few mysterious residents once crossed the threshold.

The hotels are real.

The history is real.

The ghosts? I'll let you decide.

Would I actually spend the night?

Maybe. Maybe not. But no way would I want the room said to be haunted. 

I'm incredibly brave ... while sitting at my computer in broad daylight.

Still, I'd love to visit these places because behind every ghost story is something even better.

Are you brave or a little bit scared? I’d love to hear what you would do and which hotels you have visited.

Niki J. Mitchell

 

 

1.    Bullock Hotel — Deadwood, South Dakota

The Bullock Hotel opened in 1896 by famous Deadwood lawman and businessman Seth Bullock and his partner, Sol Star. Visitors have reported seeing Bullock's ghost wandering the hotel, and the hotel even offers ghost tours. According to legend, Seth still checks on the place. Guests and employees have reported seeing his apparition.

Would I stay? Probably not. But it’s on my bucket list to visit.

 

2.    The Occidental Hotel — Buffalo, Wyoming

This one absolutely belongs near the top. Founded in 1880, the Occidental hosted figures including Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A resident ghost known as Emily, a young girl visitors claim to have heard laughing and seen wandering the building.

Would I stay? 

That’s the plan. But I'm sleeping with the light on.

 

3.    St. James Hotel — Cimarron, New Mexico

 Built in 1872, this is about as Wild West as we can get. Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, Billy the Kid and other famous Western figures stayed there. Room 18 is associated with the ghost legend of gambler T.J. Wright who supposedly won the hotel in a poker game before being shot. The room is kept locked. Room 17 is associated with Mary Lambert, wife of hotel founder Henri Lambert. Guests have reported rose perfume, tapping, and a female apparition. 

Would I go? 

Yes, but no way would I open that door.

 

4.    Silver Queen Hotel — Virginia City, Nevada

      Built in 1876, the Silver Queen has its own collection of paranormal tales, including the legend of a woman called Rosie who is said to appear around Room 11 and the staircase. Guests have heard footsteps, whispering, doors moving, and other unexplained activity.

Would I stay?  

Sure. Just don't give me the room everyone describes as the haunted one.

 

5.    Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon — Gold Hill, Nevada

     This is a fantastic addition because it dates to 1861 and is Nevada's oldest operating hotel. Rooms 4 and 5 are associated with spirits called Rosie and William. The hotel itself describes them as friendly. 

Would I stay? 

Most likely.

 

6.    Copper Queen Hotel — Bisbee, Arizona

      A classic Arizona mining-town hotel with several longstanding ghost stories. The Copper Queen has several reported ghosts, including a woman called Julia Lowell, a young boy named Billy, and even ghostly miners. Guests have reported strange noises, apparitions, and unexplained activity.

Would I stay? 

No, but I have visited the hotel. It’a well worth your while. Make sure to get a drink at the bar.

 

 1.    Jerome Grand Hotel — Jerome, Arizona

This is the one we talked about. It occupies Jerome's former hospital building, so it brings a very different type of history to the list. Which already sounds like the beginning of a ghost story. Guests have reported footsteps, voices, apparitions, and other unexplained happenings. Stories involving nurses and former patients have become part of the hotel's paranormal lore.

Would I spend the night?

Maybe. Would I investigate a strange noise in the hallway at 2:00 a.m.?

Absolutely not. That's what hotel management is for.

2.    Connor Hotel — Jerome, Arizona
The Connor gives us the older Jerome connection. It dates to the mining boom and originally combined lodging with the kind of drinking and gambling atmosphere we'd expect from a Western mining town.

Would I spend the night? Why not. Mining towns are fascinating.

3.    Hotel Monte Vista — Flagstaff, Arizona
Opened in 1927, so it's later than our classic Old West period, but its famous phantom bellboy story is too much fun to leave out. John Wayne is among the people associated with that tale.

Did I stayed there when I visited? No. But I did enjoy the hotel tour.

 

4.    The Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, Colorado
The Stanley opened in 1909 and later became famous after Stephen King stayed there. His visit helped inspire The Shining. Guests have reported mysterious music, laughter, footsteps, and apparitions.

 

Would I stay? 

Probably not because the hotel inspired a horror story.

 

5.    Hotel Colorado, Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Hotel Colorado opened in 1893 and has hosted everyone from wealthy travelers to Theodore Roosevelt. Visitors have reported unexplained noises and apparitions throughout the historic property.

 

Would I stay? Yes because there are hot springs nearby. I have priorities. But the lights will stay on all night.

6.    The Bird Cage Theatre, Tombstone, Arizona

The Bird Cage opened in 1881 as a theater, saloon, gambling hall, and brothel. Visitors have mentioned phantom music, laughter, footsteps, and even a handsome cowboy appearing out of nowhere?

Have I been there? 

Yes. This town is way smaller than I expected, but it well worth visiting. Make sure to take on the trolley tour.

 

Happy haunting seems fitting for the month of October.

Why do I like ghost stories? 

It’s plain fascinating and a little bit scary. In Goldi’s Grumpy Cowboy, she asks to stay in room 211 because it’s said to be haunted. And when the infamous ghost named Tom Devlin appears and spins a translucent gun, she stands up to him and tells him to put it away. 

Would I be that brave? 

No way. 

I have hints of ghost in my next two stories, but I plan to have Tom show up in other stories. He’s too interesting of a character.

Niki J. Mitchell

 

 

Fall for Children of the Nineteenth Century ~ Ruthie L Manier

Hello, I am Ruthie L. Manier welcoming you to Cowboy Kisses! Thanks for reading! My subject today is children of the past verses' children of today and how their lives differ in the Fall season. After researching the nineteenth century, I was not surprised to find out that the children’s Fall break from School was not a real vacation. The rumors are true that many ranchers and farmers had more children as to help them on the farm when they got old enough to do hard labor. In late September through October the Schools closed until after the harvest season. They called this The Potato Hole break. This event circulated from wide to far and the officials decided to add the dates to the calendar. Children worked anywhere from eight to twelve hours a day. The younger ones scared away crows, raccoons, and deer from the corn fields. The “Apple Brigade” these children governed over the apple orchards. They climbed up into the trees and picked all the juicy apples. They also gathered the fallen fruit from the ground to use for apple butter and other sweet recipes. The children followed the men as they cut the wheat and corn picking up seeds, ears and stalk left behind. Nothing wasted. The older girls had it rough too, they spent ten to twelve hours a day peeling apples and cooking apple butter over massive copper pots outdoors. They also snapped beans to dry known as “leather britches.” Of course, at the end of the break there was big harvest gatherings, dinners, parties, and dancing. 

 Fast forward time to “2026” Today’s children. Can you imagine waking your children or grandchildren up in the wee hours of the morning on their Fall break from school to tell them to go out into the apple orchards to work? Or any field of crops? What kind of feedback do you think you would hear? Mine would tell me they think I’ve lost my mind and to go back to bed as they pulled the blankets back over their heads. That is if they even heard me in the first place with so many of them wearing their ear buds to bed. Modern kids have it easy. They sleep in. Expect breakfast whenever they choose to come down the stairs. Then expect you to take them to wherever they decide they’d like to go. And we do. Why? Because we love them and want so much to make them happy. Especially us grandparents. They don’t need to work for anything in most cases. School is considered their work. I’m not complaining; it’s just the case with everyone I’ve talked to. Sure, many do chores consisting of taking out the garbage, loading and unloading the dishwasher, maybe even vacuuming. At my house and many others vaccuming would consist of hitting the start button with your toe and watching the robot do the job. Come to think of it, I reckon, we all have it easier in the twenty-first century.❤️

Buffalo Soldiers in California's National Parks by Zina Abbott

 

Two areas in California were designated as three national parks in 1890: General Grant, Sequoia, and Yosemite. (General Grant National Park has since been absorbed into Kings National Park as of 1940.) The management and protection of these federal lands originally fell under the War Department. The U.S. Army was tasked with overseeing and protecting all national park lands from illegal logging, mining, grazing, and poaching. In addition, they provided improvements to the parks such as cutting roads and trails.

 

For the early national parks located in California, Yosemite and Sequoia, both situated high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where snow and ice kept most people out for the majority of the year, this was a five-month assignment--from May through November. Deployment orders were issued annually to different Army units stationed in the Presidio in San Francisco or the Presidio in Monterey. These were considered elite assignments and sought after by the commanders of all units.

 

 

9th Cavalry assigned to the Presidio in San Francisco

Buffalo Soldiers came into being after the Civil War. Four all-Black regiments were formed: the 9th Cavalry and 10th Cavalry, and the 24th Infantry and 25th Infantry. Like their White counterparts, they saw a lot of action during the frontier wars era. However, there was still a lot going on in the late 1890s, too: The Spanish-American War in Cuba in 1898 and the Philippines Insurrection between 1899 through 1902. When the troops were deployed elsewhere, civilian rangers were hired to look out for the parks. Before and after, though, Army units were assigned. 

 

Route from a Presidio to either Yosemite (north) or Sequoia (south)

To reach these national parks required traveling on horseback followed by mules and wagons. The journey took them down historic El Camino Real and across the Diablo Range to the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada. Between Madera and Fresno, they followed the stagecoach routes to reach their assigned park. The soldiers traveled about 280 miles over thirteen days to reach Yosemite National Park and 320 miles over sixteen days to arrive at Sequoia National Park. 

 

24th Infantry patrolling Yosemite NP 1899

 

The first time Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to administer a national park was in the summer of 1899. A detachment of the 24th Infantry Regiment, under the leadership of Lieutenant W.H. McMasters served as the park's guardians.

 

The Philippines Insurrection kept the Army deployed elsewhere in 1900-1902. 

 

In 1903, a momentous event took place when then-President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite National Park. (For details about the president's visit, please read my post on a different blog HERE. 

 

9th Cavalry Troopers in Yosemite 1903

Although Troops I and M of the 9th Cavalry, stationed at the Presidio in Monterey, California, were assigned to Sequoia National Park for the 1903 season, other troops of the 9th Cavalry joined the President's party at the railroad terminus in Raymond to escort them into Yosemite. 

 

9th Cavalry enters Yosemite from the West

These Buffalo Soldiers stayed with the President throughout the three days of his visit before he continued his journey out of the park. From there, they continued their assignment to administer and protect Yosemite National Park for that year.

 

Capt. Charles Young

Another momentous event also took place in 1903 involving the 9th Cavalry. Usually, White officers were assigned to head Black military units. However, in 1903, Captain Charles Young, the third Black soldier to graduate from West Point and veteran of the Philippines Insurrection, lead troops I and M from the Presidio in Monterey on May 20, 1903 headed for Sequoia National Park. 

 

 

1903 9th Cavalry encampment, likely on way to Sequoia (Charles Young photograph)

As the senior military officer, Capt. (later Colonel) Young holds the distinction of being the first Black acting supervisor of a national park in the United States. Later, a Giant Sequoia was named the Colonel Charles Young Tree in his honor. During that year, Capt. Young and his men completed the first usable wagon road into the Giant Forest, extending roads toward Moro Rock. They also built trails on Mount Whitney in addition to protecting the park from illegal sheep grazing and poachers.

 

Troop D of the 9th Cavalry were called upon to administer Yosemite National Park in 1904. This popular picture shows the troop posed on the Fallen Monarch, a well-known feature in the park. 

 

Troops A and B of the 9th Cavalry under the command of Captain George F. Hamilton returned to Sequoia National Park in 1904.

 

Starting in 1905, other units of the U.S. Army were deployed to administer these two parks. This continued until 1914, when troops were withdrawn and the national parks, at that point under the administration of the Department of Interior, were assigned civilian acting park superintendents from that agency until the creation of the National Park Service in 1916.  

 

Ardith Yosemite Bride took place during the era of the Buffalo Soldiers being assigned to Yosemite National Park. This book is currently available for sale as well as at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE  

In Emily Yosemite Bride, Emily arrived in Yosemite National Park in the two years of civilian park administration under the Department of the Interior, after the end of the military administering the national parks, but before the creation of the National Park Service. This book is currently available for sale as well as at no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE   

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

 

https://www.army.mil/article/283724/buffalo_soldiers_the_national_parks_and_the_presidio_of_monterey

 https://www.nps.gov/subjects/buffalosoldiers/index.htm

https://www.yosemite.com/the-buffalo-soldiers-of-yosemite

Buffalo Soldiers Guardians of California National Parks, National Park Service