Adams House Museum – Haunted Victorian Mansion in Deadwood, South Dakota

The Adams House Museum stands as one of Deadwood’s most elegant Victorian homes. This pristine mansion also harbors some of the town’s most persistent ghostly residents.

Built during the height of the Black Hills gold rush, the house witnessed decades of family drama. Visitors and staff report unexplained footsteps, phantom voices, and objects moving on their own.

The home’s original furnishings remain exactly where the Adams family left them in 1936. This eerie preservation seems to have trapped more than just memories within its ornate walls.

Paranormal investigators consistently rank Adams House among South Dakota’s most actively haunted locations. The spirits here don’t seem interested in leaving their earthly home anytime soon.

Historical Background

W.E. Adams and his wife Mary built this stunning Queen Anne-style mansion in 1892. The successful businessman made his fortune operating hardware stores throughout the booming mining town.

The Adams family spared no expense on their dream home’s construction. They imported Italian marble, installed gas lighting, and added indoor plumbing rarely seen in frontier towns.

Harris and Anna Franklin purchased the property from the Adams family in 1920. The Franklins maintained the home meticulously until Anna’s death in 1936 at age seventy-three.

After Anna Franklin passed away, her family locked the doors and walked away forever. Everything remained untouched for over forty years, creating a perfect time capsule.

The Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission discovered the abandoned mansion in the 1980s. They found family photographs still on mantels, clothing hanging in closets, and dishes in cupboards.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Visitors frequently report the overwhelming sensation of being watched throughout the mansion’s rooms. This feeling intensifies near the second-floor bedrooms where the family members once slept.

Unexplained footsteps echo through empty hallways, especially during early morning and late evening hours. Staff members have heard distinct sounds of someone climbing the main staircase when alone.

The scent of lavender perfume appears without warning in Anna Franklin’s former bedroom. No source for this fragrance exists anywhere in the carefully preserved space.

Museum docents regularly find objects moved from their designated positions despite locked doors overnight. Small items like hairbrushes, books, and picture frames seem particularly prone to relocation.

Cold spots manifest suddenly in specific locations, most notably near the grand piano downstairs. Temperature drops of fifteen to twenty degrees occur even during summer months.

Shadow figures drift past windows and across doorways when seen from peripheral vision. Multiple witnesses have described a tall male figure near the dining room entrance.

Ghost Stories & Reports

Anna Franklin’s spirit is believed to be the mansion’s primary ghostly resident. Staff members describe her as a protective presence who dislikes changes to her home.

One museum director reported hearing piano music late one evening while locking up. She discovered the piano lid raised, though she distinctly remembered closing it earlier.

Anna apparently favored purple clothing and lavender-scented toiletries during her lifetime. The mysterious fragrance that appears throughout the house matches historical descriptions of her signature perfume.

Visitors have photographed unexplained orbs and light anomalies in Anna’s bedroom and sitting area. Some images show distinct shapes that resemble a woman in Victorian-era clothing.

Harris Franklin may also remain in the house he loved for sixteen years. Heavy footsteps matching a man’s gait cross the second floor when no one is present.

A docent named Margaret experienced a startling encounter in 2008 during an evening tour. She felt someone tap her shoulder while explaining the parlor’s history to visitors.

Margaret turned around expecting to see a guest but found empty space instead. The temperature in that exact spot had dropped noticeably compared to surrounding areas.

Children who visit the museum sometimes ask their parents about “the nice lady upstairs.” These youngsters describe a woman in old-fashioned dress watching from the second-floor landing.

The lady they describe matches historical photographs of Anna Franklin perfectly. She appears most frequently to children under the age of ten years old.

Museum staff have nicknamed one particular spirit “The Critic” for his apparent displeasure with changes. Whenever new exhibit labels are installed, they’re often found face-down the next morning.

This entity seems especially protective of Harris Franklin’s personal study on the second floor. Tour guides report an oppressive atmosphere when discussing plans to alter this room’s layout.

Most Haunted Spot

Anna Franklin’s second-floor bedroom generates the most consistent paranormal activity reports. The room remains exactly as she left it on her final day alive.

Her clothing still hangs in the wardrobe, and personal items rest on the dresser. Visitors frequently report feeling an invisible presence standing near the antique brass bed.

The bedroom’s temperature often reads ten degrees colder than adjacent rooms without explanation. Electronic devices malfunction or drain their batteries completely within minutes of entering this space.

A rocking chair near the bedroom window moves on its own during tours. Multiple witnesses have watched it rock gently despite no air currents or vibrations.

Photographers experience unusual difficulty capturing clear images in this particular room. Pictures often emerge blurry or contain strange light streaks despite perfect conditions.

Can You Visit?

The Adams House Museum welcomes visitors for guided tours throughout the year. The facility operates as a historic house museum under the Deadwood History preservation organization.

General admission costs eight dollars for adults and five dollars for children. Seniors receive a discounted rate of seven dollars with valid identification.

Standard guided tours run Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Tours depart every thirty minutes and last approximately forty-five minutes to one hour.

Photography is permitted throughout the mansion for personal, non-commercial use only. Flash photography is discouraged to protect the historic furnishings and delicate textiles.

The museum occasionally offers special evening paranormal investigation tours during October. These extended tours run from 8:00 PM until midnight and require advance reservations.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity increases dramatically during autumn months, particularly October and early November. Staff members report the highest frequency of unexplained phenomena during this seasonal period.

Early morning hours between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM produce frequent ghostly encounters. Late afternoon tours around 4:00 PM also generate numerous reports from sensitive visitors.

Evening paranormal tours scheduled during the October season offer optimal conditions for supernatural experiences. Darkness seems to amplify the spirits’ willingness to make their presence known.

Winter months bring a different quality to the haunting activity reported here. The spirits seem more melancholic during December and January, matching the house’s isolated atmosphere.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Tour guide Jennifer Williams documented a chilling experience in her 2015 journal. She heard distinct conversation between two people while conducting inventory alone one evening.

The voices came from the second-floor master bedroom where Anna Franklin died. Jennifer climbed the stairs and found the room completely empty and undisturbed.

A visiting historian from Pierre, South Dakota, recorded EVP evidence during a 2012 visit. His digital recorder captured a woman’s voice saying “my house” in the parlor.

Local paranormal investigator Tom Richardson has studied Adams House extensively since 2009. He documented over thirty separate incidents of unexplained electromagnetic field fluctuations throughout the property.

Richardson’s team captured thermal imaging showing a human-shaped cold spot descending the staircase. The figure measured approximately five feet four inches tall, matching Anna Franklin’s known height.

Museum volunteer Sarah Chen reported a particularly unnerving encounter during a 2018 event. She watched a crystal perfume bottle lift three inches off Anna’s dresser before settling back.

Multiple witnesses present during that same event corroborated Sarah’s account independently. Security footage from that evening shows unexplained light anomalies in the bedroom simultaneously.

Visitor Rebecca Morrison submitted a detailed account of her 2020 experience to the museum. She felt invisible hands gently guiding her away from a loose floorboard near the stairs.

Rebecca later learned that Anna Franklin had repeatedly warned family members about that exact board. The protective gesture seemed entirely consistent with Anna’s caring personality during her lifetime.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Dakota Territory Paranormal Research team conducted their first investigation in June 2010. They recorded over forty minutes of unexplained audio phenomena throughout the mansion.

Their most compelling evidence came from Anna’s bedroom where investigators asked direct questions. A clear female voice responded “yes” when asked if she was Anna Franklin.

Black Hills Paranormal Society investigated the property during three separate occasions between 2013 and 2016. They documented consistent EMF spikes near the grand piano and main staircase landing.

Their investigation revealed that Anna’s bedroom maintains temperatures five to twelve degrees lower than normal. No structural or mechanical explanation accounts for this persistent temperature differential.

A team from the University of South Dakota’s folklore department studied the location in 2017. They collected over one hundred eyewitness accounts from staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Their published findings noted remarkable consistency in reported phenomena across different witnesses. The study concluded that the mansion exhibits genuine unexplained activity worthy of further research.

Regional ghost hunting group Haunted Heartland featured Adams House in their 2019 documentary series. They captured video footage of a rocking chair moving rhythmically with no one nearby.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The mansion is a protected historic structure with strict preservation guidelines in place. Visitors must stay with their tour groups and avoid touching furnishings or personal items.

The second floor contains original wooden flooring that creaks and shifts underfoot naturally. Guests with mobility concerns should notify tour guides before ascending the historic staircase.

After-hours access is strictly prohibited without official museum authorization and supervision. Trespassing carries legal penalties and endangers the property’s historic preservation status.

Some visitors report feeling dizzy, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed during tours. The museum recommends stepping outside immediately if you experience sudden discomfort or distress.

Local Legends & Myths

Local folklore claims Anna Franklin promised never to abandon her beloved home. She allegedly told neighbors that death itself wouldn’t separate her from the mansion.

Some Deadwood residents believe Anna’s spirit guards treasures supposedly hidden within the walls. No evidence supports these treasure stories, but the legend persists among longtime locals.

An urban legend suggests that anyone who sits in Anna’s favorite parlor chair experiences vivid dreams. These dreams supposedly reveal glimpses of the mansion’s golden age during the 1920s.

Another local tale warns against removing anything from the property, even fallen leaves. Those who take items allegedly experience terrible luck until they return what they took.