The History Behind This Remote Hotel In Wyoming Is Both Eerie And Fascinating
By Kim Magaraci|Published April 19, 2018
×
Kim Magaraci
Author
Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com
As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.
There are plenty of places to stay if you’re planning a trip to Wyoming – thousands of people visit each year and camp in the Tetons or at Yellowstone. However, if you want a true Big Wyoming experience, you’ve got to explore our small frontier towns. One of these towns, Buffalo, is home to the most fascinating hotel in the entire West – the Occidental Hotel.
Spending time in Buffalo, Wyoming is like stepping back to the days of the Frontier.
Originally opened as a bordello, the Occidental opened as a Saloon & Hotel in 1880, back when Wyoming was truly part of the wild, wild west. Now, there's certainly something wild about the Occidental Hotel, but you'll have to be brave enough to visit to find out what it is!
Advertisement
The Occidental Hotel hasn't changed much in nearly 140 years, and when you step inside, you'll feel like a true Pioneer.
The Hotel quickly earned a reputation for hospitality and fine food, and its location at the base of the Bighorn Mountains near the Bozeman Trail meant it was a popular spot for famous figures of the West.
It was around the early 1900s that the Occidental Hotel's paranormal activity was noted. When the Occidental was a bordello, one young woman died on the upper floor. For decades, her ghost has been seen with long dark hear, wearing a white dress. Guests have felt her tapping on their shoulder, they've seen her moving luggage around, and flickering the lights off and on. Sometimes, guests have even heard strange laughter! The paranormal history has led many to name the Occidental Hotel as the most haunted spot in all of Wyoming.
Even though many know about the hotel's haunted history, few are dissuaded from visiting the best hotel in the West.
You'll often find rowdy crowds enjoying the life music in the Saloon, ordering delicious food and making friends. Thankfully, the rowdy, gambling-related gunfights aren't all too common here anymore.
The charming western town of Buffalo has recently gained popularity thanks to the TV series, Longmire, and you'll find people strolling the streets to track down locations that they'll recognize from the screen.
The history of the Occidental Hotel is truly fascinating, and these walls have seen more cowboy action than nearly any other building still standing in America.