5 Most Haunted Hotels in Wyoming: Old West Rooms You Can Still Book
One Wyoming hotel keeps a room as a permanent tribute to a housekeeper who died in 1968, and guests request it on purpose.
That is the tone of haunted Wyoming. The ghosts here are mostly staff and residents who liked the building, not the vengeful kind.
We pulled this list from our directory of haunted places across Wyoming. All five are working hotels with reports that go back generations.
Here are the 5 most haunted hotels in Wyoming, the spirits said to keep the rooms, and how to book a night in each.
Why Wyoming Hotels Are So Haunted
Wyoming is the least populated state in the country, and its historic hotels were built for people passing through rather than people staying.
Railroad crews, cattle outfits, Wild West performers and early park tourists all funnelled through a handful of buildings. In towns this small, one hotel held everything that happened.
Those buildings are also still standing, largely unaltered, because nothing came along with the money to tear them down. The stories stayed attached to the original rooms.
1. Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park
Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904 beside the geyser and is one of the largest log structures in the world.
Its seven story lobby, hand hewn beams and the balcony known as the Crow’s Nest make it the most recognisable building in the national park system.
The story attached to it is a bride said to have died at the inn shortly after her wedding, when her groom vanished on a hike and was never found. Staff describe a woman in a white dress on the upper balcony, footsteps in empty corridors, and cold spots near the top floors.
2. Sheridan Inn, Sheridan
The Sheridan Inn was built in 1893 for railroad travellers, and Buffalo Bill Cody once auditioned Wild West show performers on its porch.
Its best known figure is not a legend but a documented employee. Kate Arnold worked at the inn for around sixty years and died in 1968. Her ashes were interred in a wall of the building.
Room 306 was her quarters and is now a tribute suite that guests request by name. Reports there are gentle: soft humming, items moved, lights flickering, doors that open on their own.
3. The Historic Virginian Hotel, Medicine Bow
The Historic Virginian Hotel opened in 1911 in Medicine Bow, a railroad town named for the Owen Wister novel set in the area.
It is preserved close to its original state, with period furnishings and rooms that have barely changed in a century.
Room 12 draws almost all of the reports. Guests describe a woman in white at the foot of the bed, whispers, cold drafts near the staircase, and a reflection in the mirror with nobody there. More than a few have asked to move rooms after one night.
4. The Occidental Hotel, Buffalo
The Occidental Hotel dates to 1880 and sits on the main street of Buffalo, at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains.
It hosted the traffic of the Johnson County War era, and its saloon still has the original back bar and bullet holes in the ceiling.
Room 13 carries the reputation, tied to a woman guests call Emily. Reports include crying heard at night, a shadowed figure at the end of the bed, and footsteps and cold spots concentrated on the second floor.
5. The Irma Hotel, Cody
The Irma Hotel was built in 1902 by Buffalo Bill Cody himself, who named it for his youngest daughter.
The cherrywood bar in the dining room was reportedly a gift from Queen Victoria. Cody kept private suites in the building.
Room 16 gets the most attention. Guests report lights switching themselves on and off, the sense of being watched, and a pale woman standing at the foot of the bed. Staff also describe a housekeeper who still tidies, and a child heard giggling in halls with no children booked in.
How to Visit Wyoming Haunted Hotels Safely
All five take normal bookings, and none of them are coy about the stories. Asking at the front desk is the fastest way to get the real version.
Old Faithful Inn is the one to plan hardest around. It sits inside Yellowstone, it is seasonal, and rooms are commonly booked out many months ahead.
Wyoming distances are long and winter is serious. Check road conditions before driving between towns from late autumn onward, and do not rely on phone signal between them.
If you want to record anything while you are there, our ghost hunting equipment guide covers the EMF meters, recorders, and cameras that actually capture evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most haunted hotel in Wyoming?
The Sheridan Inn has the best documented case, because Kate Arnold was a real long serving employee whose ashes are interred in the building. The Historic Virginian in Medicine Bow generates the most alarming guest reports.
Can you stay overnight in these hotels?
Yes, all five are operating hotels. Old Faithful Inn is seasonal and books far in advance because it is inside Yellowstone, so treat it differently from the other four.
Which room should I request?
Room 306 at the Sheridan Inn, Room 12 at the Historic Virginian, Room 13 at the Occidental, and Room 16 at the Irma. All four are requested often enough that staff expect the question.
Plan Your Wyoming Haunted Hotel Trip
Wyoming rewards a loop rather than a single stop, and four of these five sit on a workable northern circuit.
Cody, Sheridan and Buffalo can be strung together across a few days, with Yellowstone and Old Faithful Inn on the western end of that run. Medicine Bow sits further south and pairs better with a trip through the southern half of the state.
For everything beyond the hotels, browse our full directory of haunted places in Wyoming or read our roundup of the most haunted places in Wyoming.
