Occidental Life Building – Haunted Office Building in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Occidental Life Building towers over downtown Albuquerque as a forgotten monument to mid-century ambition. This thirteen-story structure has stood since 1917, watching the city transform around it while keeping its own dark secrets locked away. What was once the pride of New Mexico’s bustling insurance industry now stands partially vacant, its empty corridors echoing with more than just the wind. Employees and security guards have reported unexplained phenomena for decades, turning this landmark into one of Albuquerque’s most haunted locations.

The building’s reputation for paranormal activity extends back to at least the 1950s when workers first began whispering about strange occurrences. These weren’t just typical creaky building sounds or settling foundations that older structures make naturally. People reported seeing full-bodied apparitions in business attire walking through walls where doors once stood. The experiences became so common that some insurance companies moved their offices to other buildings entirely.

Today, the Occidental Life Building remains a functioning office space, though much of it sits empty and forgotten. The few remaining tenants have learned to coexist with whatever spirits still walk these halls. Security personnel consider overnight shifts in this building a rite of passage that tests one’s nerves. The building’s reputation has made it a focal point for paranormal researchers and ghost hunters throughout the Southwest.

Historical Background

Construction on the Occidental Life Building began in 1916 and finished the following year in 1917. The building was originally called the Occidental Building and served as the headquarters for Occidental Life Insurance Company. At thirteen stories tall, it became Albuquerque’s first skyscraper and dominated the city’s modest skyline. The structure represented the optimism and growth of the American Southwest during the early twentieth century.

Occidental Life Insurance was founded in 1906 and quickly became one of New Mexico’s most successful businesses. The company commissioned this impressive building to showcase its prosperity and permanence in the region. Architect Henry Trost designed the structure in the Chicago School style with terra cotta ornamentation. The building featured state-of-the-art amenities including electric elevators and modern plumbing systems that amazed early visitors.

The building witnessed tremendous changes throughout the twentieth century as Albuquerque evolved from frontier town to sprawling metropolis. During World War II, the structure housed various government offices and military administrative functions. Thousands of soldiers passed through its halls receiving assignments and processing paperwork before shipping overseas. Some never returned from the war, and locals believe their spirits may have left imprints within these walls.

In 1968, tragedy struck when a maintenance worker named Robert Martinez fell down an elevator shaft on the tenth floor. He had been performing routine repairs when the elevator unexpectedly engaged, catching him off guard. Martinez plummeted nine stories before hitting the basement level, dying instantly from his injuries. This incident marked the beginning of intensified paranormal reports within the building.

The building changed hands multiple times throughout the 1970s and 1980s as various companies moved in and out. Economic downturns hit the insurance industry hard, and Occidental Life eventually merged with another company in 1985. The building lost its primary tenant and began the slow decline into partial vacancy. Each decade brought fewer occupants and more reports of supernatural encounters in the increasingly empty corridors.

Paranormal Activity Summary

The most commonly reported paranormal phenomenon involves the building’s temperamental elevator system that seems to have a mind of its own. Elevators frequently stop on floors where nobody called them, particularly on the tenth floor where Martinez died. The doors open to reveal empty hallways, then close and continue to apparently random destinations. Security guards have documented these occurrences hundreds of times over the years, ruling out mechanical malfunction.

Cold spots plague several floors despite the building’s functional heating system that maintains consistent temperatures throughout. The eighth floor is particularly notorious for sudden temperature drops that can reach twenty degrees below surrounding areas. These cold zones move through hallways and offices, sometimes following people as they walk. Witnesses describe feeling as though they’ve stepped into a refrigerator despite warm air just feet away.

Shadow figures represent another frequently observed paranormal manifestation that has terrified countless employees and visitors over decades. These dark silhouettes appear in peripheral vision, seeming to dart around corners or slip through doorways. When witnesses turn to look directly at them, the shadows vanish completely. Multiple people have described seeing the same shadow figure: a tall man in what appears to be a suit and fedora typical of the 1940s era.

Disembodied footsteps echo through empty corridors, particularly during late evening hours when few people remain in the building. The footsteps sound purposeful, as if someone is walking with determination toward a specific destination. Security guards conducting rounds have followed these phantom footfalls only to find completely empty rooms and locked doors. The sound quality suggests hard-soled dress shoes on the building’s original marble floors.

Office equipment behaves erratically in ways that defy logical explanation or technical troubleshooting by professional repair services. Computers turn on by themselves during closed hours, with security cameras capturing monitors illuminating empty offices at three o’clock in the morning. Typewriters in storage closets have been heard clacking away, producing pages of gibberish or repeated letters. Photocopiers activate spontaneously, churning out blank pages or occasionally producing copies of decades-old documents no longer in the building.

Ghost Stories & Reports

Robert Martinez, the maintenance worker who died in the 1968 elevator shaft accident, is believed to be the primary spirit haunting the building. Witnesses have reported seeing a man in maintenance coveralls on the tenth floor near the elevator banks. He appears solid and real until observers approach him, at which point he vanishes into thin air. Several security guards have radioed for backup after encountering this figure, believing an intruder had entered the building.

One particularly detailed account comes from security guard Thomas Cordova who worked the overnight shift from 2003 to 2007. Cordova reported that on multiple occasions, he saw Martinez’s apparition near the tenth-floor elevator shaft. The ghost appeared aware of Cordova’s presence and seemed to be warning him away from the elevator doors. Cordova learned to acknowledge the spirit with a respectful nod, after which the apparition would fade away peacefully.

The second floor reportedly houses the spirit of a woman named Dorothy Chen who worked as a secretary during the 1950s. Chen died of a heart attack at her desk in 1959, slumping over her typewriter during a busy afternoon. Coworkers initially thought she had fallen asleep and didn’t realize she had passed away for nearly twenty minutes. Her presence manifests as the strong scent of Chanel No. 5 perfume and the sound of typing emanating from empty offices.

Employees who worked on the second floor during the 1990s reported frequent encounters with what they believed was Chen’s ghost. Papers would reorganize themselves overnight into neat stacks that no living person had touched. Coffee cups would appear on desks that had been cleared the previous evening. One administrative assistant named Maria Gutierrez claimed she once saw a translucent woman sitting at a vintage desk, typing furiously on a machine that wasn’t physically present.

The basement level harbors something far more sinister than the relatively benign spirits occupying the upper floors. Multiple witnesses describe an overwhelming sense of dread and hostility when entering the storage areas and mechanical rooms. Some have reported seeing red eyes watching them from dark corners and feeling invisible hands pushing them toward the stairwells. Two security guards resigned after basement encounters they refused to discuss in detail.

Local paranormal investigator Sandra Ramirez documented an incident in 2011 where her team captured electronic voice phenomena in the basement. The recording clearly contains a male voice saying “Get out now” followed by what sounds like growling. Her team also photographed mysterious scratch marks appearing on walls that weren’t present when they entered the space. Ramirez believes the basement may be affected by something darker than typical residual hauntings.

The sixth floor conference room has its own unique paranormal reputation involving phantom business meetings from decades past. Cleaning staff have reported hearing muffled conversations and laughter coming from the locked conference room late at night. When security investigates, they find the room empty but still warm, as if a group had just departed. Some witnesses claim to have briefly seen translucent figures sitting around the conference table before the vision fades.

Most Haunted Spot

The tenth-floor elevator lobby is universally considered the most haunted location within the Occidental Life Building. This is where Robert Martinez died, and his presence remains strongest in this specific area. Security footage has captured the elevator doors opening and closing repeatedly on this floor with no passengers present. Temperature readings consistently show this area running fifteen to twenty degrees colder than surrounding spaces without any mechanical explanation.

Visitors to the tenth floor report immediate feelings of unease and the sensation of being watched by unseen eyes. Some have experienced physical touches, including taps on the shoulder and tugs on clothing when standing near the elevator shaft. The floor’s lights frequently flicker despite having new bulbs and tested electrical systems. During overnight hours, the elevator doors sometimes open to reveal Martinez’s apparition standing inside the car, staring blankly ahead before vanishing.

Can You Visit?

The Occidental Life Building is not officially open to the public for paranormal tourism purposes. The building functions as a privately owned office space with active tenants leasing various floors. Trespassing laws apply, and unauthorized entry could result in legal consequences including fines or arrest. Security personnel monitor the building twenty-four hours daily and will remove unauthorized visitors immediately.

No official paranormal tours operate within the Occidental Life Building at this time. Occasionally, paranormal investigation groups receive special permission from building management to conduct overnight investigations. These opportunities are rare and typically reserved for established research organizations with proper insurance and liability coverage. Individual ghost hunters cannot simply show up and request access to the property.

Photography from public sidewalks surrounding the building is permitted under standard photography laws. However, entering the building or its grounds without authorization is prohibited. The building’s exterior can be admired and photographed from Third Street and adjacent public areas. Visitors should respect posted signage and remain on public property at all times.

Best Time to Visit

According to documented reports, paranormal activity intensifies dramatically during late evening and overnight hours between eleven PM and four AM. These hours align with typical patterns observed at haunted locations worldwide when activity peaks. Security guards working graveyard shifts report the highest frequency of unexplained phenomena during these hours. The building feels different after dark, according to those who have experienced both daytime and nighttime atmospheres.

October and November appear to produce increased paranormal activity based on historical reports spanning several decades. Some researchers theorize this connects to the thinning veil between worlds associated with ancient harvest traditions. Maintenance workers have noted that the weeks surrounding Halloween bring particularly intense encounters. Several security guards have requested vacation time during late October specifically to avoid working in the building.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Former office manager Patricia Montoya worked in the Occidental Life Building from 1987 to 1994. She documented her experiences in a 2008 interview with Albuquerque Ghost Tours. Montoya described returning to her seventh-floor office one evening to retrieve forgotten files around eight PM. As she exited the elevator, she heard distinct footsteps behind her despite seeing no one in the corridor.

Montoya continued toward her office, and the footsteps matched her pace exactly, stopping when she stopped. She finally gathered courage to turn around and confronted the empty hallway directly. The footsteps ceased immediately, but she felt a cold breeze pass directly through her body. Montoya ran to her office, grabbed her files, and left the building without looking back.

Security supervisor Daniel Torres shared his experiences during a 2015 paranormal podcast interview. Torres worked overnight shifts from 2010 to 2014 and witnessed numerous unexplained events. His most frightening encounter occurred on the tenth floor during a routine three AM patrol. The elevator doors opened automatically as he approached, despite him not pressing the call button.

Torres stepped cautiously into the empty elevator car and noticed the temperature had dropped significantly. His breath became visible in the frigid air despite the building’s heating system running normally. As the doors began closing, he heard a male voice whisper “watch yourself” directly into his ear. Torres jumped out of the elevator just before the doors closed, and watched it descend without him.

Administrative assistant Rebecca Chávez worked on the second floor from 2000 to 2003. She reported to local news station KOB 4 about strange occurrences at her desk. Chávez would arrive each morning to find her computer already turned on and logged into programs she hadn’t accessed the previous day. Her desk drawers would be opened despite her locking them nightly before leaving.

The most disturbing incident involved finding typed pages in her printer containing nonsensical sentences and fragments of old insurance documents. These pages appeared overnight when the office was locked and alarmed. Chávez eventually requested a transfer to a different floor after discovering a vintage photograph on her desk showing a woman who resembled descriptions of Dorothy Chen.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Rio Grande Paranormal Research Society conducted a formal investigation of the Occidental Life Building in October 2009. The team spent three nights documenting phenomena across multiple floors using EMF meters, digital recorders, and thermal imaging cameras. They captured significant evidence including unexplained electromagnetic field fluctuations near the tenth-floor elevator and dozens of electronic voice phenomena recordings. One particularly clear EVP captured in the second-floor office area contains a woman’s voice saying “still working here.”

Lead investigator Sandra Ramirez presented their findings at a 2010 paranormal conference in Las Cruces. Her team documented temperature anomalies dropping as much as thirty degrees within seconds in specific locations. They photographed numerous orbs and light anomalies that appeared on digital images but weren’t visible to naked eyes. The team concluded that the building houses multiple intelligent hauntings rather than simple residual energy patterns.

Southwest Ghost Hunters Alliance visited the building in 2016 with permission from building management. This investigation focused specifically on the basement level after reports of aggressive encounters. The team experienced equipment malfunctions including camera batteries draining completely within minutes despite being fully charged. Two investigators reported feeling physically ill and needed to leave the basement area immediately.

The group captured video footage showing what appears to be a shadow figure moving against the flow of their flashlight beams. Audio recordings from the basement contain growling sounds and unintelligible whispers that professional audio analysts couldn’t identify. The team classified the basement as potentially housing something non-human based on the aggressive, hostile energy they encountered.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Trespassing in the Occidental Life Building is illegal and prosecuted under New Mexico state law. Building management takes security seriously and works closely with Albuquerque Police Department to prevent unauthorized access. Violators face potential fines up to one thousand dollars and possible jail time for criminal trespassing. Security cameras monitor all entrances and interior corridors, making unauthorized entry virtually impossible without detection.

The building contains structural hazards including asbestos in older areas and unstable flooring in unoccupied sections. Unauthorized visitors risk serious injury from deteriorating conditions in sections closed to public access. The elevator system, while functional, should only be operated by authorized personnel familiar with its quirks. Urban explorers and paranormal enthusiasts must resist the temptation to enter this property illegally.

Nearby Haunted Places

KiMo Theatre – Haunted Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico

📍 0.1 miles

Church Street Cafe – Haunted Cafe in Albuquerque, New Mexico

📍 1.3 miles

Luna Mansion – Haunted Estate in Los Lunas, New Mexico

📍 19.7 miles

Shaffer Hotel – Haunted Hotel in Mountainair, New Mexico

📍 45.4 miles

La Fonda on the Plaza – Haunted Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

📍 58 miles

La Posada de Santa Fe – Haunted Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

📍 58.1 miles