Discover the Most Haunted Places in Idaho: Your Complete Paranormal Guide

Idaho — the Gem State — is known for its pristine wilderness, rugged mountain ranges, and breathtaking rivers. But lurking beneath all that natural beauty is a frontier history steeped in violence, isolation, and tragedy that has left an indelible paranormal imprint across the state. From the blood-soaked cells of a century-old penitentiary to abandoned tuberculosis hospitals, from cursed mountain ranges haunted by cannibal dwarves to a theater where a dead projectionist still runs the show, Idaho offers some of the most intense and varied paranormal experiences in the American West.

Idaho’s haunted history is uniquely shaped by its frontier origins. The rush for gold in the 1860s brought a flood of settlers into lawless territory, creating boomtowns that burned bright and died fast. Mining camps, stagecoach stations, frontier prisons, and institutions for the sick and insane all left spiritual residue that refuses to fade. Native American legends add another layer of supernatural depth, with stories of shape-shifting creatures and cursed landscapes that predate European settlement by centuries.

Whether you’re a dedicated ghost hunter, a paranormal enthusiast, or a traveler who loves a spine-tingling backstory, this comprehensive guide covers every major haunted destination in Idaho — complete with the dark histories behind them, documented paranormal activity, and everything you need to plan your visit.

1. Old Idaho State Penitentiary — Boise, ID

Type: Haunted Prison / Historic Museum Paranormal Rating: ★★★★★ (Extreme) Status: Open to the public (guided tours, paranormal investigations, and overnight events available)

The Dark History

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary is universally recognized as the most haunted location in Idaho and one of the most haunted prisons in the entire United States. Built in 1870, the prison began as a single cell house in what was still frontier territory. In order to achieve statehood, Idaho needed a functioning prison — and the convicts themselves were forced to mine the sandstone quarries nearby to build the very walls that would keep them captive.

Over its 101 years of operation, more than 13,000 convicts — including 215 women — passed through these walls. At least 129 people died within the prison from old age, illness, murder, and execution. Ten state executions were carried out here, and the conditions throughout the prison’s history were notoriously harsh. Outdated water systems caused sickness, heating and cooling were virtually nonexistent, and Boise’s extreme temperature swings made life inside the sandstone walls miserable.

The prison’s most infamous resident was Raymond Allen Snowden, dubbed “Idaho’s Jack the Ripper.” On September 23, 1956, Snowden met Cora Lucille Dean at the Hi-Ho Club, a bar just outside Boise. When Dean rejected his sexual advances, Snowden snapped. He stabbed her 29 times with a 2.25-inch pocket knife, slashed her throat so deeply it severed her spinal cord, and inflicted additional wounds that the autopsy revealed were sexualized in nature. After the murder, Snowden discarded his knife in the gutter outside Hannifin’s Cigar Store in downtown Boise and washed Cora’s blood from his hands in the store’s bathroom.

Snowden was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. On October 18, 1957, at 12:05 AM, he was brought to the gallows in the prison’s 5 House. He never got the chance to speak his last words. At 12:06 AM, the trap door was pulled — but the execution went horribly wrong. The noose failed to break Snowden’s neck. The trap door opened so violently that the observation window shattered, showering Cora Dean’s family with glass. Below, Snowden struggled at the end of the rope, slowly strangling to death. It took fifteen agonizing minutes.

Before his execution, Snowden had confessed to murdering two other women. His family refused to claim his body, and he was buried in an unmarked grave on the prison grounds.

Another notorious inmate, Douglas Van Vlack, was convicted of kidnapping and murdering his ex-wife after killing two police officers. On the day of his scheduled execution in 1937, Van Vlack escaped his guards in Building 4, climbed three tiers of cells, and threw himself 30 feet onto the concrete floor below, choosing his own death over the hangman’s noose.

The prison suffered violent riots in 1971 and 1973. The 1973 uprising resulted in the destruction of several buildings by fire. Shortly afterward, inmates were transferred to a new facility south of Boise, and the Old Idaho State Penitentiary was officially closed on December 3, 1973. The buildings were left exactly as they were at the end of the riots — smoke-blackened walls, calendars still hanging in cells, destruction frozen in time.

Paranormal Activity Reported

The paranormal activity at the Old Idaho State Penitentiary is extensive, well-documented, and has been investigated by numerous television shows including Ghost Adventures, The Lowe Files (with Rob Lowe), Haunted Towns, and Destination Fear.

5 House (Maximum Security / Death Row): This is considered the most haunted building on the property. It contains maximum security cells, death row, and the indoor gallows where Snowden was executed. Visitors near the gallows report hearing an unseen presence gasping for air, as if Snowden is still reliving his fifteen minutes of strangulation. A dark mist has been photographed hovering behind investigators. One docent standing on the trap door heard the door to the stairway slam violently, followed by every light on the second floor going out simultaneously.

Siberia (Solitary Confinement): The solitary confinement cells, nicknamed “Siberia” by inmates, generate some of the most intense paranormal experiences. Visitors report overwhelming feelings of dread, oppression, and claustrophobia that go beyond what the small spaces alone would explain. EVP recordings have captured voices and sounds that cannot be attributed to any living source.

Cell Block 4: The building where Van Vlack chose to leap to his death rather than face the gallows. Visitors report sudden temperature drops, the feeling of being watched, and hearing Van Vlack’s voice calling out. His spirit has been seen manifesting on the roof of Cell Block 4.

The Shower Room: During the August 1971 riot, a prisoner was brutally assaulted and killed in the shower room. His spirit is said to make its presence known in benign but unmistakable ways.

General Activity Throughout the Complex:

• Phantom footsteps echoing through empty cell blocks
• Disembodied voices, whispers, and laughter
• Visitors being physically touched, pushed, and scratched by unseen hands
• Full-bodied apparitions of former inmates still pacing their cells
• The sound of cell doors slamming shut
• Overwhelming feelings of negative energy, particularly in maximum security areas
• Unexplained images and anomalies captured on cameras by multiple paranormal groups
• Investigators reporting severe headaches, as if unseen hands were squeezing their skulls

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary offers regular guided tours, behind-the-scenes experiences, paranormal investigation nights, and even overnight stays for those brave enough. The annual “Squawky & Spirits” Halloween event transforms Cell Block 4 into an immersive haunted experience.

2. Egyptian Theatre — Boise, ID

Type: Haunted Theater / Historic Landmark Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Open to the public (active performance venue)

The Dark History

Standing at the corner of Capitol and Main in downtown Boise, the Egyptian Theatre is one of Idaho’s most beloved cultural landmarks — and one of its most haunted buildings. The theater opened its doors in 1927, inspired by the worldwide “Egypt Frenzy” that followed the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Designer Frederick “Fritz” Hummel drew from Egyptian hieroglyphs and the Book of the Dead to create an interior of stunning, if somewhat eerie, beauty. The proscenium features a winged scarab, a sun, and star motifs — all pulled directly from ancient funerary art.

The theater’s resident ghost is a man known as Joe. For approximately 35 years, Joe served as the Egyptian’s projectionist, working from the late 1920s through the 1950s. One evening, while climbing the stairs to the projection booth, Joe suffered a massive heart attack and died inside the theater he had devoted his life to. According to theater staff, the death was kept quiet out of concern that it would scare customers away — a decision that, ironically, may have contributed to Joe’s spirit remaining.

Paranormal Activity Reported

Joe has been an active and consistent presence at the Egyptian Theatre for decades:

• Lights turning on and off throughout the theater with no one operating the switches
• Doors opening and closing by themselves, particularly near the projection booth
• Unexplained aromas — odd, unidentifiable smells that drift through the theater
• Disembodied laughter echoing through the auditorium when the building is empty
• Physical touches — visitors report feeling someone tap their shoulder, brush their arm, or play with their hair when no one is nearby
• Ghostly voices heard in various rooms
• A figure of a man seen near the projection booth — a casually dressed male figure from the 1950s era

The activity is concentrated around the projection booth, the last row of the upper balcony, and near the stage. A visitor in October 2025 reported hearing banging throughout the entire movie, feeling something play with their hair, and hearing heavy running behind them when no one was there.

Beyond Joe, a second ghost is believed to haunt the theater: a woman dressed in late 1920s attire who walks cheerfully through the aisles, leaving a unique scent in her path. She’s believed to have been part of the early managerial staff.

On November 27, 2016, during a Brothers Osborne concert, large chunks of the ornate ceiling came crashing down onto the stage, narrowly missing the band. It happened twice. While structural issues were the official explanation, many couldn’t help but wonder if something — or someone — was sending a message.

The Egyptian Theatre was featured on the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Stories,” which helped cement Boise’s reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Pacific Northwest.

3. Idaho State Tuberculosis Hospital (Gooding University Inn) — Gooding, ID

Type: Haunted Former Hospital / Inn Paranormal Rating: ★★★★★ (Extreme) Status: Open to guests — paranormal enthusiasts can book rooms and overnight ghost hunts

The Dark History

The building now known as the Gooding University Inn and Resort has one of the most layered histories of any haunted location in Idaho. Designed by the renowned architectural firm Tourtellotte and Hummel, this beautiful 19,000-square-foot structure was built on land donated by Frank Gooding for a college, which operated from 1917 to 1941. But it’s the building’s transformation into a tuberculosis hospital in 1947 that thickened the stories around its hauntings.

During its years as a TB hospital, many patients died within its walls. When the hospital eventually closed, locals suspected the building may have also functioned as a mental institution. The combination of terminal illness, death, possible psychiatric treatment, and decades of suffering left an enormous spiritual imprint on the building.

Paranormal Activity Reported

The Gooding University Inn is one of Idaho’s most reliably haunted locations, with consistent activity reported by guests, staff, and paranormal investigators:

• A creepy old man in a white coat — likely a former doctor or orderly — has been seen by multiple witnesses
• A woman accompanied by a young girl appears in various parts of the building
• Full-bodied apparitions have been witnessed in hallways and guest rooms
• Shadowy figures moving through corridors, particularly at night
• Disembodied footsteps accompanied by whispers are heard regularly
• Doors banging and random knocking sounds with no identifiable source
• Voices in rooms where no one is present

The inn is affordably priced and openly embraces its haunted reputation. Paranormal enthusiasts can book rooms and arrange overnight ghost hunts, making this one of the few haunted locations in Idaho where you can actively seek out the spirits while sleeping under the same roof.

4. Albion Campus (Haunted Mansions of Albion) — Albion, ID

Type: Haunted Former College Campus Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Open to the public (haunted attraction and paranormal events)

The Dark History

The state of Idaho founded Albion Normal School in 1893 as a teacher training college. Before closing its doors in 1951, hundreds of students passed through its halls — and it appears that some of them never left. Ghostly rumors have surrounded the campus since the 1940s, a decade before the school even closed.

The campus sat abandoned for years before being purchased by Trey and Heather Mortensen. They told the Twin Falls Times-News about one of their earliest experiences: before they had even turned on the electricity in the buildings, they could see lights emanating from the windows. Whatever was inside didn’t need the power company.

The campus has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, further cementing its reputation as one of Idaho’s most paranormally active locations. Today, the Haunted Mansions of Albion operates as the largest indoor/outdoor haunted production in the Pacific Northwest, but the real ghosts that inhabit the campus make the experience far more unsettling than any staged scare.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Lights appearing in buildings with no electricity — witnessed before any restoration work began
• Full-bodied apparitions of former students and staff
• Unexplained sounds including footsteps, voices, and doors slamming
• Cold spots and sudden temperature drops throughout the campus
• Objects moving on their own
• Paranormal investigators have captured extensive evidence including EVPs, anomalous photographs, and electromagnetic readings

5. Shoshone Indian Ice Caves — Shoshone, ID

Type: Haunted Natural Cave Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Open to the public (tourist attraction)

The Dark History

When most people think of haunted locations, they picture old houses, hospitals, or prisons. But one of the most haunted places in Idaho is actually a cave. The Shoshone Indian Ice Caves are a popular tourist attraction located near Shoshone, featuring a lava tube that maintains freezing temperatures year-round. But the caves carry a dark history that goes far beyond geology.

According to local legend, the caves were used by the Shoshone people and later became associated with violent episodes during Idaho’s frontier era. The combination of Native American spiritual significance, the natural eeriness of a subterranean ice cave, and the isolation of the surrounding landscape has made this location a magnet for paranormal activity.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Disembodied voices and whispers echoing through the cave system
• The feeling of being watched by something unseen in the darkness
• Sudden temperature anomalies beyond what the cave’s natural cold would explain
• Shadow figures glimpsed in peripheral vision
• An oppressive, heavy energy reported by visitors in deeper sections of the cave
• Electronic equipment malfunctions are common, with cameras and recording devices failing in specific areas

6. Canyon Hill Cemetery — Caldwell, ID

Type: Haunted Cemetery Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Public cemetery

The Haunting

Canyon Hill Cemetery in Caldwell is home to one of Idaho’s most unique and unsettling ghost stories: the Legless Jogger. The legend states that if you drive up to the cemetery gates around midnight and park your car, the apparition of a jogger with no legs will float up to your driver-side window and tap on the glass.

The identity of the Legless Jogger and the story behind their attachment to the cemetery are unclear, which makes the haunting all the more unnerving. Unlike ghosts with known histories and motivations, this entity seems to exist solely to terrify those who dare approach after dark.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• The Legless Jogger — an apparition of a person with no legs who floats toward parked cars and taps on the window at midnight
• Unexplained lights and orbs seen moving between headstones
• Cold spots in specific areas of the cemetery
• Disembodied voices and the sound of running footsteps
• An overwhelming sense of unease that pervades the cemetery after nightfall

7. The Brig at Farragut State Park — Athol, ID

Type: Haunted Military Building / State Park Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Located within Farragut State Park (open to the public)

The Dark History

Farragut State Park in northern Idaho sits on the former site of Farragut Naval Training Station, which operated during World War II. The station trained nearly 300,000 sailors between 1942 and 1946, making it the second largest naval training center in the world at the time. The Brig — the facility’s military jail — is the focal point of paranormal activity.

During its operational years, the Brig housed military prisoners who had committed offenses ranging from minor infractions to serious crimes. The combination of wartime stress, confinement, punishment, and the emotions of young men far from home created an intense spiritual atmosphere that apparently never dissipated.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Apparitions of military personnel in period uniforms
• Phantom footsteps marching through empty hallways
• Disembodied commands and voices as if guards are still barking orders
• Cold spots and sudden temperature drops
• The feeling of being confined or trapped reported by visitors who enter the former cells
• Electronic equipment malfunctions are frequent, with batteries draining rapidly

8. State Hospital South Cemetery — Blackfoot, ID

Type: Haunted Mental Institution Cemetery Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Accessible to the public (use caution and respect)

The Dark History

State Hospital South in Blackfoot is Idaho’s oldest mental institution, formerly known as the Idaho Insane Asylum. When it first opened over 100 years ago, the institution was the site of many horror stories typical of early psychiatric care — inadequate treatment, overcrowding, and conditions that would be considered barbaric by modern standards.

The cemetery on the grounds contains numerous unmarked graves of patients who died at the institution and were never claimed by family members. Many were buried with nothing more than a number to mark their existence.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Apparitions of children are the most commonly reported spirits — small figures seen moving between headstones
• A woman’s ghost has been spotted at a nearby school, believed to be a former patient
• Unmarked graves seem to generate particularly strong paranormal energy
• Disembodied voices and the sound of weeping
• Cold spots and an oppressive atmosphere pervade the cemetery, especially at dusk

9. Luna House Museum — Lewiston, ID

Type: Haunted Museum / Former Bordello Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Open to the public

The Dark History

The Luna House Museum in Lewiston has a colorful past — it once operated as a thriving bordello during the frontier era. The building has since been converted into a museum, but one of its former residents never left.

The ghost that haunts the Luna House is known as the Lady in Blue. Paranormal investigators who have explored the property determined that, contrary to initial assumptions, the Lady was not a prostitute. Her true identity and the reason for her attachment to the building remain mysteries.

Paranormal Activity Reported

The Lady in Blue manifests in three distinct forms:

• A blue ball of light that drifts through rooms and hallways
• Blue smoke or mist that appears and dissipates without explanation
• A fully formed female apparition dressed in blue

She appears on a regular basis and has been witnessed by staff, visitors, and paranormal investigators. Additional activity includes cold spots, unexplained sounds, and the feeling of being watched.

10. Morris Hill Cemetery — Boise, ID

Type: Haunted Cemetery Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Open to the public

The Dark History

Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise dates back to 1882 and serves as the final resting place for many of Idaho’s most brutally murdered and violently deceased residents. The cemetery contains the remains of victims of consumption, poisoning, rock slides, mining accidents, and frontier violence. With over 140 years of burials, the cemetery has accumulated an enormous concentration of restless spiritual energy.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• A ghostly woman in a red dress has been seen walking among the headstones
• An older man doing maintenance work appears regularly — believed to be the spirit of a former caretaker who committed suicide at the cemetery after being fired from his job
• Unexplained mist and orbs captured in photographs
• Disembodied voices and footsteps heard by visitors
• An uneasy, heavy atmosphere that intensifies after dark

11. Rock Creek Station (Stricker Ranch) — Hansen, ID

Type: Haunted Historic Stagecoach Station Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Open to the public (8 AM to 8 PM)

The Dark History

Rock Creek Station in Hansen is one of Idaho’s oldest and most historically significant sites. It served as a bustling stagecoach stop along the Oregon Trail for over 35 years before the current house was built in 1901 by Herman Stricker and his partner John Botset. A small cemetery on the property contains the remains of unlucky travelers who never made it to their destination.

Paranormal Activity Reported

Unlike many haunted locations where the spirits are hostile or frightening, Rock Creek Station is said to be haunted by friendly ghosts:

• The bustling presence of Mrs. Stricker — Herman Stricker’s wife seems to still be going about her daily routines, and visitors sense her busy, welcoming energy
• Shadowy figures in and around the small cemetery
• Apparitions of travelers — the ghosts of those who died en route and were buried here
• The spirits are most active around dusk, making early morning and late afternoon the best times to visit for paranormal encounters

12. Howell Opera House — Oakley, ID

Type: Haunted Opera House / Performance Venue Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Still used for performances and productions

The Dark History

Located in the town of Oakley, which boasts some of the most outstanding Victorian architecture in Idaho, the Howell Opera House was built by B.P. Howells, the first prosecutor for Cassia County. The building has hosted performances for well over a century, and it seems that at least one audience member decided to become a permanent part of the cast.

Paranormal Activity Reported

In his book “Ghosts of Idaho’s Magic Valley,” author Andy Weeks documents one of the most striking incidents at the opera house: during a play where actors were dressed in cowboy attire, cast members noticed an additional woman on stage who no one recognized. When they inquired about her identity, no one knew who she was — and she couldn’t be found anywhere afterward.

Additional reports include:

• Unexplained cold spots during performances
• The sound of applause and laughter when the auditorium is empty
• Doors opening and closing on their own
• A feeling of being watched from the balcony area

13. The Owyhee Mountains — Near Murphy, ID

Type: Haunted Mountain Range / Native American Legend Paranormal Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very High) Status: Public land — remote and isolated

The Legend

The Owyhee Mountains near Murphy represent some of the most remote and isolated terrain in Idaho — and according to both Native American legend and modern accounts, they are deeply paranormal. The volcanic terrain and extreme isolation create an atmosphere that feels fundamentally different from the surrounding landscape.

According to Shoshone and Bannock legend, the Owyhee Mountains were home to cannibalistic dwarves that stood approximately two feet tall. These creatures had long tails that wrapped around their bodies to disguise their appearance. They were said to be vicious and strong despite their small size, and they had a particular appetite for children. During Idaho’s mining boom in the 1800s, many settlers ignored the Native peoples’ warnings to avoid certain areas within the mountains, and children reportedly went missing when the dwarves lured them into the woods.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Strange sounds and unexplained noises in the volcanic terrain, particularly at night
• The feeling of being followed or watched by something unseen
• Apparitions and shadowy figures moving through the landscape
• Electronic equipment malfunctions in specific areas
• An overwhelming sense of unease that pervades certain sections of the mountains

14. Lower Mesa Falls — Ashton, ID

Type: Haunted Natural Attraction / Native American Ghost Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Open to the public

The Legend

Lower Mesa Falls near Ashton is one of Idaho’s most stunning natural attractions — a waterfall as tall as a ten-story building pouring over remnants of an ancient volcanic super-eruption. But the falls carry a haunting legend rooted in Native American tradition.

According to local Shoshone legend, the spirit of an Indigenous girl haunts the falls. She accidentally drowned while trying to save someone from the river, and her selfless sacrifice seems to have bound her spirit to the location.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Beating drums heard near the falls when no source can be identified
• The spirit of a girl dressed in white has been seen near the water’s edge
• An eerie atmosphere that intensifies after sunset
• Unexplained mist rising from the falls in unusual patterns

15. Hannifin’s Cigar Store (Now Belmont Barbershop) — Boise, ID

Type: Haunted Commercial Building / Crime Scene Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Open to the public (operating barbershop)

The Dark History

This unassuming building at the corner of 11th and Main in downtown Boise is haunted by its connection to Idaho’s most notorious murder. On the night Raymond Allen Snowden brutally killed Cora Dean in 1956, he discarded his bloody knife in the gutter outside Hannifin’s Cigar Store and walked inside to wash her blood from his hands in the restroom. The knife — key evidence in his trial — was later recovered from the gutter.

The building has been a fixture on that corner for well over a century and has housed many different businesses. It currently operates as the Belmont Barbershop.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Footsteps are heard walking the plank flooring late at night, heading toward the bathroom — retracing Snowden’s path on the night of the murder
• Shadow figures shaped like a man have been seen pacing the floor
• Rolling objects — pomade cans and other items move on their own
• A sense of presence that staff and visitors describe as subtle but unmistakable

Some paranormal researchers question whether the ghost is actually Snowden or possibly Cora Dean herself, tracing the path of her blood to the place where her killer’s guilt was confirmed.

16. Sidewinders Bar — Twin Falls Area, ID

Type: Haunted Bar Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Open to the public

The Haunting

In Rich Newman’s “The Ghost Hunter’s Field Guide,” Sidewinders Bar is described as haunted by a poltergeist-like entity. The building has been around for nearly 110 years and has housed many different businesses, accumulating layers of spiritual energy.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Lights turning on and off by themselves
• The jukebox activating and changing songs with no one near it
• A ghostly piano heard playing when no piano is being operated
• Objects moving or falling from shelves
• Unexplained cold spots throughout the bar

17. Lyda Southard’s Grave — Twin Falls, ID

Type: Haunted Gravesite / Serial Killer Legend Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Public cemetery (Sunset Memorial Park)

The Dark History

Lyda Southard was one of the most notorious female serial killers in Idaho history. She married seven times, and four of those marriages conveniently made her a widow. In 1915, her husband, brother-in-law, and young daughter all died on a Twin Falls ranch — all from arsenic poisoning, as investigators would eventually determine.

By the time authorities tracked her down, she was on her fifth living husband and had been widowed a fourth time in 1920. She was brought from Honolulu to stand trial in Idaho, convicted, and sentenced to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. She escaped in 1931, was eventually recaptured, released on probation in 1941, pardoned in 1942, and died in 1958. She claimed innocence her entire life, though she notably lost all her hair due to arsenic exposure.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• A dark, uneasy feeling is reported by visitors who approach her final resting place at Sunset Memorial Park
• Cold spots near her grave
• An oppressive atmosphere concentrated around her headstone
• Some visitors report nausea or dizziness while standing near the grave

18. Brava’s Restaurant — Lewiston, ID

Type: Haunted Restaurant Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Open to the public

The Haunting

Located in a historic building in downtown Lewiston, Brava’s is known for pub food and creative Moscow Mules — but also for its uninvited permanent guests. Both staff and visitors have reported consistent paranormal activity.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Cold spots throughout the restaurant
• Disembodied voices heard in dining areas and the kitchen
• Glasses shattering spontaneously with no physical cause
• Someone yelling “Get out!” heard by staff and customers, despite no one being there
• An unsettling presence that concentrates in certain areas of the building

19. The Bates Motel — Coeur d’Alene, ID

Type: Haunted Hotel Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Open to guests

The Haunting

Yes, there is a real Bates Motel, and it’s in Idaho. While not directly connected to the Hitchcock film, this motel in Coeur d’Alene has earned its own haunted reputation through decades of consistent paranormal reports from both guests and employees.

The majority of unexplained activity centers on Rooms 1 and 3, which seem to be permanent residences for entities that don’t appreciate sharing their space with the living.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• The unsettling feeling of being watched is reported by nearly every guest who stays in Rooms 1 and 3
• Cold spots that move through rooms
• Strange noises at all hours of the night
• Lights turning on and off by themselves
• Ashtrays being knocked off tables or moved to different locations when no one has been in the room
• Near-constant paranormal activity reported by long-term employees

20. BoCo Sluice Box Antique Shop — Idaho City, ID

Type: Haunted Antique Shop Paranormal Rating: ★★★☆☆ (High) Status: Open to the public

The Dark History

Idaho City was once one of the largest cities in the Pacific Northwest during the Gold Rush, and the BoCo Sluice Box carries that frontier energy within its walls. The antique shop was originally opened in the 1970s by Larry and Ruthie Carter, who added maze-like rooms and a rooftop tower. Larry had a unique philosophy: he hoped the tower would attract lost and weary souls — both living and dead.

It appears his plan worked. The Carters have since passed away, but Larry himself may not have passed on. The building was sold in 2014 and has reopened to customers and paranormal enthusiasts alike.

Paranormal Activity Reported

• Floating lights spotted on the top floor of the shop
• Ghostly figures seen in the windows from outside
• The feeling of being watched while browsing the antiques
• Objects moving on their own — given that the shop is full of antiques with their own histories, any number of items could carry spiritual attachments

Bonus: Idaho’s Paranormal Legends and Cryptids

The Cannibalistic Dwarves of the Owyhees

As detailed in the Owyhee Mountains section above, Shoshone and Bannock legends describe small, powerful cannibalistic creatures with long tails that inhabited the mountains and preyed on children. While dismissed by many as folklore, the legends persist among Native communities and align with reports of strange activity in the area.

Idaho’s Ghost Towns

Idaho’s mining boom created dozens of boomtowns that were abandoned when the mines ran dry. Towns like Custer (founded 1879, abandoned 1910), Bonanza, and Bayhorse still stand as eerie remnants of the past. The Yankee Fork Ranger District near Challis is known for paranormal sightings among the ruins. Visitors to these ghost towns frequently report apparitions, unexplained sounds, and the overwhelming sense of stepping into a place where time stopped but the people didn’t all leave.

The Faceless Woman of the Wetlands

In a marshy wetland area popular with fishermen, multiple witnesses have reported seeing a woman’s faceless apparition dressed in white. She appears near the water and seems to drift rather than walk. The sounds of crying babies have also been reported in the same area, suggesting a connection between the faceless woman and a lost child.

The Water Babies of Idaho Springs

Native American legends across Idaho speak of “water babies” — small, mermaid-like creatures that inhabit certain springs and waterways. They are said to sound like crying infants, luring the curious toward the water. Some versions of the legend describe them as the spirits of drowned or abandoned children.

Planning Your Paranormal Visit to Idaho

Best Time to Visit

Idaho’s haunted locations are most atmospheric during autumn (September through November), when shorter days and cooler temperatures create ideal conditions for ghost hunting. October is especially active, with many locations hosting special paranormal events around Halloween. However, Idaho’s most famous haunted site — the Old Idaho Penitentiary — offers paranormal experiences year-round.

Safety Guidelines

1. Respect all property rules. The Old Idaho State Penitentiary is managed by the Idaho State Historical Society and has specific rules for visits, photography, and paranormal investigations. Always follow posted guidelines.
2. Idaho’s terrain can be dangerous. Many haunted locations, particularly the Owyhee Mountains and ghost towns, are in extremely remote and rugged areas. Cell service is limited or nonexistent. Travel prepared with water, supplies, and a full tank of gas.
3. Never explore alone after dark. Whether you’re at Canyon Hill Cemetery or hiking the Owyhees, bring companions and inform someone of your plans.
4. Bring proper equipment. Flashlights, extra batteries (which tend to drain rapidly in haunted locations), recording devices, and a fully charged phone are essential.
5. Respect the dead. Many of these locations are connected to real human suffering — prisoners executed in botched hangings, patients who died of tuberculosis, and victims of brutal murders. Approach with respect and empathy.

Suggested Paranormal Road Trip Route

Day 1: Boise — Start at the Old Idaho State Penitentiary for a daytime guided tour, then visit the Egyptian Theatre for an evening show. Walk by Hannifin’s (now Belmont Barbershop) and Morris Hill Cemetery. If available, book a paranormal investigation night at the Old Pen.

Day 2: Southern Idaho — Drive to Gooding to stay at the Gooding University Inn (the former TB hospital). Book an overnight ghost hunt. On the way, stop at the Shoshone Indian Ice Caves near Shoshone.

Day 3: Twin Falls & Magic Valley — Visit Lyda Southard’s grave at Sunset Memorial Park in Twin Falls. Head to Rock Creek Station in Hansen for a dusk visit when the spirits are most active. Stop at the Howell Opera House in Oakley.

Day 4: Albion & Eastern Idaho — Explore the Albion Campus and its haunted buildings. Continue east to Blackfoot to visit State Hospital South Cemetery.

Day 5: Northern Idaho — Drive north to Farragut State Park to explore the Brig. End in Coeur d’Alene with a night at the Bates Motel (request Room 1 or Room 3 if you dare).

Final Thoughts

Idaho may not be the first state that comes to mind when you think of paranormal activity, but that’s precisely what makes it so compelling. The Gem State’s hauntings feel raw and authentic — less commercialized than the ghost tours of New Orleans or Salem, and more deeply connected to the genuine frontier violence, institutional suffering, and Native American spiritual traditions that shaped the land.

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary alone would rank Idaho among the most haunted states in America. When you add the phantom projectionist of the Egyptian Theatre, the tuberculosis ghosts of the Gooding University Inn, the cannibal dwarves of the Owyhee Mountains, and the dozens of spirits that populate the state’s cemeteries, opera houses, and antique shops, you have a paranormal landscape as vast and wild as Idaho itself.

The spirits of Idaho have been waiting since the Gold Rush days. They’re patient, they’re persistent, and they’re not going anywhere. Are you brave enough to visit?