New Mexico has a lengthy, turbulent history, which means that it’s full of abandoned buildings, ghost towns, and even ghosts. If you’re seeking some thrills, enjoy being scared, or just want a getaway that’s far from ordinary, check out this creepy road trip that’ll take you to some of the most haunted places in New Mexico.

The loop covers much of southern New Mexico and takes just 14 hours and 16 minutes to drive (not including stops). You can find great hotels, yummy restaurants, and places to gas up in many of the towns and cities on this trip, including Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Ruidoso, Truth or Consequences, Silver City, and Deming. We’ve included a link to the Google Map for this road trip right here.

1. Las Cruces Railroad Museum, 351 N. Mesilla Street, Las Cruces, 88001
Flickr/larrylorca
This museum is inside an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Depot that dates back to 1910. Highlights include a wooden caboose from 1909, a model train room, and possibly a restless spirit or three. Two men and a woman, clad in old-fashioned attire, have been glimpsed here.
2. Dona Ana County Courthouse, 251 W. Amador Ave, Las Cruces
Flickr/ Jimmy Emerson, DVM
The former courthouse was constructed in 1937 and it’s rumored to be haunted. Cold spots, voices, apparitions. This courthouse has them all.
3. The Lodge Resort and Spa, 601 Corona Place, Cloudcroft
Yelp/Rachel P.
Yelp/Daryl G.
The ghost of Rebecca, a chambermaid working at The Lodge, is said to roam the property. She remains here, presumably because her death was a violent one - she was murdered by a thwarted suitor. Her hobbies include messing with lights, interior design (moving furniture), and starting fires in the hotel’s fireplaces. The on-site restaurant is even named after Rebecca. Pause here to lunch with ghosts!
4. Fort Stanton, 104 Kit Carson Rd, Fort Stanton, NM 88323
Wikimedia Commons/Allen S.
Fort Stanton is supposedly haunted - not a shock given its history. The fort was used as a military base in campaigns against the Mescalero Apache Indians. Then, in 1862 Captain Paddy Graydon and John Whitlock (an army doctor) became in embroiled in a gunfight at the fort. The dispute was over claims that Graydon had slaughtered peaceful tribe members – neither man survived.

In 1899, Fort Stanton was converted into a tuberculosis hospital for the Merchant Marines. The nearby cemetery provided a final resting place for 1500 sailors.

Since then, Fort Stanton has served many roles, from internment camp, to a women’s prison, to a rehab facility.

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5. Sierra Vista Hospital, 800 E. 9th Avenue, Truth Or Consequences, NM 87901
Flickr/Tim Kuzdrowski
This hospital is rumored to be haunted. Many working the nightshift have observed paranormal activity that includes equipment moving on its own and sightings of ghostly nuns!

Next, head to the Gila National Forest. You're unlikely to encounter another soul on this remote yet scenic drive.
6. Chloride, New Mexico
Flickr/Tim Kuzdrowski
During the 1870s, a man named Harry Pye accidentally discovered silver in a creek bed. Although local Apaches later murdered Pye, news of his discovery leaked out. Miners arrived at Chloride in droves, forming a tent city.

By 1881, there were actual buildings, including eight saloons! Sadly, the Silver Crash put an end to the town’s prosperity.

As far as ghost towns go, this one is well-preserved. The old Pioneer Store is now a museum.
7. Mogollon, New Mexico
Flickr/Safariman
Flickr/Don Barrett
At the end of the 1800s, Mogollon was a wild mining town. However, since the 1970s, mining operations have ceased. Mogollon is typically referred to as a ghost town, although there are a few year-round residents and a couple of businesses.

Take a break from driving with a hike up Graveyard Gulch. That way you’re combining your exploration of a ghost town with the locale most likely to attract restless spirits!
8. Fort Bayard, 200 Camino De Paz, Fort Bayard, NM 88036
Flickr/army.arch *Adam*
This national historic landmark has been used as a fort, a tuberculosis hospital, and a POW camp during World War II. There isn't one particular ghostly apparition associated with this place. But people have reported strange happenings over the years and many believe it is haunted. (The listed address is for the Fort's Cemetery, but definitely take some time to explore the whole complex.)
9. Double Eagle Restaurant, 2355 Calle de Guadalupe, Las Cruces 88005
Yelp/Erma D.
End your trip with a meal at the Double Eagle Restaurant. The Maes family was the first to own this building. The family’s son, Armando, fell in love with a household servant named Inez. His mother was horrified and banned their relationship. When she returned home early one day, she discovered the lovers together. She used her sewing shears to stab Inez and also injured her son. Inez died quickly, while Armando never regained consciousness and died three days later. Armando’s bedroom, the scene of the murder, is now the Carlotta Salon. The spirits of the slain lovers haunt this room.

Have you been to any of these haunted places in New Mexico? Are you gutsy enough to take this creepy road trip? Here are some ghost towns in New Mexico for more chilling places and stories.

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More to Explore

Haunted Places In New Mexico

Leah | May 02, 2020

What are the creepiest cemeteries in New Mexico?

When it comes to creepy places in New Mexico, there are some cemeteries that definitely deserve a spot on the list. The Dawson Cemetery in the abandoned town of Dawson, located near Cimarron, is supposedly one of the most haunted places in the state. The old cemetery - which is supposedly a hot spot for the paranormal - is the resting place for hundreds of miners that were killed in mine explosions in the early 1900s. Fort Stanton is another place with a supposedly haunted cemetery. The old fort's graveyard has a lot of graves occupied by sailors that died of tuberculosis when it operated as a tuberculosis hospital for the Merchant Marines.

What is the most haunted place in New Mexico?

If you're taking a haunted road trip through New Mexico and want to hit a spot with the most ghost activity, try this one. According to some, the most haunted place in New Mexico is the St. James Hotel in Cimarron. It still operates as a hotel today, and if you dare stay in it, you might experience some paranormal activity. The hotel has been around for well over a century and has had guests as notorious as Billy the Kid and Jesse James. A lot of violence and murder were seen within the walls of the old building, including at least 26 deaths, and there are even bullet holes in some of the walls still. One of the rooms has been padlocked shut and closed permanently because there is an allegedly ghostly guest who never leaves. Spooky!

What are the most popular ghost stories in New Mexico?

Up to hearing some New Mexico ghost stories? We have a few that might make you keep the lights on at night. The KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque is a spot with a grisly tale. In the year 1951, a young boy named Bobby was tragically killed when a boiler exploded. According to legend, Bobby's ghost still haunts the theatre, especially the lobby. The declining town of Madrid, New Mexico is also supposedly home to lingering spirits. The town has a long history of mining, and many people claim to spot ghosts hanging around the forest around the town, in the cemetery, or even walking down the main streets.

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Explore New Mexico

Featured Addresses
351 N. Mesilla Street, Las Cruces, 88001
104 Kit Carson Rd, Fort Stanton, NM 88323
800 E. 9th Avenue, Truth Or Consequences, NM 87901
200 Camino De Paz, Fort Bayard, NM 88036
2355 Calle de Guadalupe, Las Cruces 88005
251 W Amador Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005, USA
601 Corona Pl, Cloudcroft, NM 88317, USA
Chloride, NM 87943, USA
Mogollon, NM 88039, USA