We’re all familiar with Nevada’s beautiful scenery and mining history. However, many of us aren’t aware of how haunted the state really is. As a matter of fact, Nevada is one of the most haunted U.S. states, and the Silver State has Virginia City, in particular, to thank for this. Here are eight ghost stories that prove haunted Virginia City truly is the most haunted city in Nevada:

1. Silver Queen Hotel
Silver Queen Hotel, 28 N C Street, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/Nick Ares
It's believed the Silver Queen Hotel is haunted by a prostitute named Rosie. In Room 11, she slashed her wrists in the bathtub. Supposedly, she can now be seen wandering the hotel. Many guests have reported hearing jingling doorknobs, voices in vacant rooms and mysterious tapping on their doors. Several have even reported hearing loud footsteps on a wooden floor, which is odd considering the hotel is completely carpeted.
2. Piper's Opera House
Piper's Opera House, 12 B St, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
In 1863, Piper’s Opera House started out as Maguire’s Opera House. It burned during the Great Fire and was later rebuilt, only to catch on fire again in 1883. In 1885, the building that houses Piper's Opera House was opened and sits on B and Union streets. Many ghostly sightings have occurred at this historic opera house, including the apparition of a man with a handlebar mustache, a lady wearing a blue dress, and several ghosts sitting in the balcony area.
3. St. Mary's Art Center
St Mary's Art Center, 55 R St, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
At St. Mary's Art Center, formerly St. Mary Louise Hospital, many guests have reported seeing the ghosts of hospital staff from its early days. Several apparitions have been seen throughout the building, in addition to the front lawn. Also, according to reports, heavy footsteps and rolling gurneys can be heard down the hallways.
4. Silver Terrace Cemetery
Silver Terrace Cemetery, 381 Cemetery Rd, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/Reno Tahoe Territory
During Nevada's early mining days, many deadly mining accidents occurred in Virginia City. Between the years 1853 and 1880, 295 deaths were reported. There are a few ghost stories associated with Silver Terrace Cemetery, including the ghost of a little girl roaming through the rows of headstones while surrounded by a glowing light. Also, the cemetery gates will sometimes open and close on their own.

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5. Mackay Mansion
Mackay Mansion Museum, 291 S D St, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/Tom Hilton
Mackay Mansion is best known for its former resident, a Comstock millionaire named John Mackay. Approximately seven apparitions are often seen inside and outside of this historic mansion, including a little girl named Elizabeth who's dressed in white. Johnny Depp reported seeing this little girl while he was in town filming a movie. Others have reported hearing Elizabeth playing upstairs, a colonel hanging out in the kitchen and a lady running up and down the staircase.
6. Old Washoe Club
Washoe Club Museum & Saloon, 112 S C St, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/teofilo
During the 1870s, the Old Washoe Club was built as a high-class club for the rich. Since then, many guests have reported seeing the ghost of a blonde woman named Lena, a prostitute, hanging out on the spiral staircase. She was murdered in a third-floor bedroom, and the apparition of her killer, who committed suicide on the second floor, has also been spotted many times. And if those ghostly sightings weren't enough, several guests have also reported seeing the spirit of a 13-year-old girl in a second-floor bedroom. Sadly, she was murdered in the basement.
7. Storey County Courthouse
26 S B St, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
Supposedly, a man who went by the name of Peter Larkin was hanged behind the Storey County Courthouse in 1877 after being accused of murder. Larkin's girlfriend, Nelly, gave a testimony that resulted in her boyfriend's death. His cries can still be heard throughout the courthouse.
8. Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon
Gold Hill Hotel and Crown Point Restaurant, 1540 S Main St, Virginia City, NV 89440, USA
flickr/Nick Ares
Serving people since 1861, the Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon is Nevada's oldest existing hotel. According to reports, it's haunted by several miners who died in a nearby accident. The spirits of a former owner who went by the name of William, and his housekeeper who went by the name of Rosie, have been spotted by many guests. Rosie stays in Room 4, and William stays in Room 5. Supposedly, Rosie enjoys turning the lights on and off, in addition to moving guests' personal belongings around to mess with them. William also enjoys joking around with the guests by doing things such as locking them out of their rooms.

Were you already familiar with these ghost stories? Do you believe they’re true? Let’s hear your thoughts!

For more haunted Nevada, be sure to check out this awesome haunted Nevada road trip!

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More to Explore

Haunted Virginia City

Tori Jane | August 24, 2022

Is Virginia City haunted?  

Plenty of folks will tell you yeah – Virginia City, Nevada, sure is haunted. It sure does seem like every establishment on the adorable main street of this small town has ghost stories behind it; in fact, we’re pretty sure it would be harder to find places in Virginia City that aren’t supposedly haunted, considering everywhere you turn there are spooks, spirits, and wayward souls.  

Where are some genuinely haunted places in Virginia City?  

Well, let us crack our knuckles and have a seat, because there’s a long, long list of haunted places in Virginia City. The most infamous haunt in Nevada is located in this little town – the Silver Queen Hotel. It’s been the subject of paranormal research for many years thanks to its amazing amount of recordable activity. Read some of the hotel’s reviews for more ghost stories from guests! Other haunted places in Virginia City include the old Mackay Mansion Museum, the Washoe Club Museum and Saloon, the Silver Terrace Cemetery (of course), and Piper’s Opera House. When we say Virginia City is the most haunted town in Nevada, we mean it.  

Are there many haunted hotels in Virginia City?  

We’re fairly certain that every hotel in Virginia City is a haunted hotel in Virginia City. You can always check out the Silver Queen Hotel, sure, but there are lots more. Check out the eerily fascinating Sugarloaf Mountain Motel, on C Street, which has one room in particular where spirits seem to be active, and then spend the night at the old Gold Hill Hotel and Crown Point Restaurant and see what you can spot. Want more spirits and spookiness in your life? Be sure to check out some of the haunted saloons, cemeteries, and even the oddly terrifying empty lot next to the Silver Queen Hotel (which has been the site of many mysterious fires – so many, in fact, that the lot will not be built upon again).  

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