10 Most Haunted Places in Alaska

Alaska is called the Last Frontier, and its history runs cold in more ways than one. Beneath the northern lights sits a land shaped by ambition, isolation, and loss.

The Klondike Gold Rush pulled thousands of prospectors north in the 1890s. Many chased fortune into the mountains and never made it home.

Boomtowns rose almost overnight, then emptied just as fast. What those crowds left behind still seems to linger in the empty hallways and abandoned bunkhouses.

Add brutal winters, deadly mining accidents, and a violent colonial past, and you have fertile ground for ghost stories. Alaska has plenty of both history and hauntings.

This list ranks ten of the most haunted places in Alaska. It runs from famous gold rush hotels to mines frozen high in the mountains, and you can browse the full directory of all haunted places in Alaska for even more.

If you plan to investigate any of these sites yourself, our ghost hunting equipment guide covers the gear worth packing. We start with the most notorious and work our way down.

1. Golden North Hotel, Skagway

The Golden North Hotel opened its doors in 1898 at the height of gold rush fever. It is often called Alaska’s oldest operating hotel, and many locals believe it is the most haunted landmark in the state.

The building started as a private residence before it was converted to house the flood of prospectors pouring into Skagway. Its distinctive golden dome was added in 1908 to make the structure easier to spot. During its early years, the hotel served as a social hub for miners and businessmen chasing their fortunes.

The most famous story here belongs to a young woman named Mary, whose spirit is said to haunt the third floor corridors. Room 23 remains the epicenter of the activity tied to this heartbroken presence.

For more than a century, guests and staff have reported cold spots that appear without warning and footsteps echoing through empty hallways at midnight. Read the full history of the Golden North Hotel in Skagway for the complete account.

2. Red Onion Saloon, Skagway

The Red Onion Saloon opened in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush. Built to serve the thousands of prospectors flooding into Skagway, it worked as both a saloon and a brothel.

The ground floor poured whiskey and beer. Upstairs, ten small cribs housed the working girls who serviced lonely miners, and Lydia De Puy became one of its most famous madams. The bright red exterior still masks the darker stories contained within the walls.

Visitors today report unexplained footsteps echoing through empty hallways at night. Cold spots materialize without warning in the rooms where working girls once entertained prospectors.

Skagway locals treat the activity as accepted fact rather than legend. The full story of the Red Onion Saloon brothel museum explains why the former madams and working girls seem so reluctant to leave.

3. Alaskan Hotel, Juneau

Construction of the Alaskan Hotel began in 1913 during Juneau’s gold mining boom, and it opened to guests in 1914. Its Victorian facade has welcomed travelers ever since.

Gold miners, fishermen, and adventurous travelers sheltered here through Alaska’s harsh winters. The basement once held a notorious bar that catered to rough prospectors fresh from the mines, and violence erupted often in those early days. The hotel quickly became a place where fortunes were won and lost nightly.

Staff and guests across the four floors describe encounters that range from subtle cold spots to full-bodied apparitions wandering the dimly lit hallways. You can read more about the Alaskan Hotel in Juneau, which still operates as a working hotel today.

4. Kennecott Ghost Town, McCarthy

Deep in the Wrangell Mountains sits an abandoned copper mining town frozen in time. The Kennecott Copper Corporation established the town in 1911 after discovering extraordinarily rich copper ore.

The vast red buildings perched on the mountainside create an eerie silhouette against the wilderness. The site is remote, reachable only by footbridge or small plane, so it feels trapped between worlds. The skeletal remains of massive mining structures loom over empty bunkhouses and administrative buildings.

The National Park Service now maintains the structures as part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Many who explore the weathered bunkhouses and equipment sheds claim they are not exploring alone.

Treat the old buildings with care, since some remain fragile and off limits to protect visitors. The full record of Kennecott Ghost Town near McCarthy covers its rise and abandonment.

5. Baranof Castle Hill, Sitka

Baranof Castle Hill rises about 60 feet above downtown Sitka like a sentinel over the harbor. This volcanic outcrop has witnessed more bloodshed and political upheaval than perhaps any other place in Alaska.

Russian Governor Alexander Baranov established his colonial headquarters here in 1804 after brutal warfare with the Tlingit people. He built a wooden castle that dominated Sitka’s skyline for over seven decades. Its strategic importance made it a focal point for conflict between the Tlingit people and Russian colonizers.

The hill became notorious in October 1867, when Russia formally transferred Alaska to the United States on this spot. The spirits said to linger here predate that ceremony by decades.

Visitors climbing the wooden staircase often report feeling watched, along with phantom footsteps and apparitions in period clothing. The history of Baranof Castle Hill in Sitka explains the violent legacy behind those sightings.

6. Russian Bishop’s House, Sitka

The Russian Bishop’s House is one of the finest examples of Russian colonial architecture in North America. Built in 1842 during Alaska’s Russian era, the two-story log structure has seen centuries of prayer, death, and devotion.

Bishop Innocent Veniaminov commissioned the house as both a residence and a seminary for the Russian Orthodox Church. He lived here while ministering to Alaska’s indigenous populations and Russian settlers.

Now maintained by the National Park Service, the building draws visitors who report phantom footsteps and the scent of incense when none is burning. Former caretakers have resigned after too many unexplained events.

The spirits of Orthodox clergymen seem unwilling to leave their remote posting. Explore the Russian Bishop’s House museum in Sitka for the full account.

7. Independence Mine, Palmer

High in the Talkeetna Mountains north of Palmer sits Independence Mine State Historical Park. This abandoned gold mining camp operated from 1938 to 1951 at an elevation of 3,000 feet.

The Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Company employed over 200 workers at the site’s peak. They worked twelve-hour shifts in darkness and freezing temperatures, and the harsh conditions claimed several lives.

Today the complex sprawls across 271 acres, with more than a dozen weathered buildings still standing. Visitors and park rangers report unexplained voices echoing through the empty structures and shadowy figures wandering the old bunkhouses.

Cold spots appear suddenly inside heated buildings even during summer. The record of Independence Mine near Palmer details the dangers the miners faced.

8. Wickersham House, Juneau

Perched on a hillside overlooking downtown Juneau sits a white clapboard house built in 1898 during the gold rush era. The Wickersham House has watched over Alaska’s capital ever since.

The home belonged to Judge James Wickersham, one of Alaska’s most influential figures, who purchased it in 1928. He had served as Alaska’s delegate to Congress and as a federal district judge before he died in the house.

The Alaska State Museum now manages the property as a tribute to his legacy. Caretakers report unexplained footsteps, shadow figures moving across windows, objects that shift on their own, and doors that slam without any wind.

Local historians whisper that the judge’s restless energy still fills every room. Learn more about the Wickersham House in Juneau and its long history.

9. Inlet Tower Hotel, Anchorage

Construction on the Inlet Tower Hotel began in 1952 during Anchorage’s post-war expansion, and the building was completed in 1953. The distinctive tower rose fifteen floors with roughly 180 original guest rooms.

It quickly became a hub for oil executives and politicians conducting Alaska business. Its history also holds tragedy, including a fire that broke out on the seventh floor in March 1964, just weeks before the Good Friday earthquake.

Three guests perished in that blaze, among them a young mother. Guests and staff now report cold spots in empty hallways and disembodied voices echoing through vacant rooms near midnight.

Paranormal investigators have documented unusual electromagnetic readings across the property. See the full profile of the Inlet Tower Hotel in Anchorage for more.

10. Portage Glacier, Girdwood

Portage Glacier sits roughly 50 miles southeast of Anchorage in the Chugach National Forest. This massive river of ice has drawn visitors since the early 1900s with its breathtaking beauty. Beneath the azure ice and pristine wilderness lies a darker history few tourists ever hear about.

The local Dena’ina people avoided this valley for centuries before European settlement, telling of restless spirits trapped within the ice itself. When the Alaska Railroad pushed through in 1914, workers reported strange occurrences near the glacier’s face.

The 1964 Good Friday earthquake reshaped the valley forever. The 9.2 magnitude quake caused massive subsidence that submerged the entire townsite of Portage beneath Turnagain Arm, and the bodies of those who did not escape still rest under cold saltwater.

Modern visitors often report feeling watched from the surrounding mountains and ice caves. The full history of Portage Glacier near Girdwood explains why many believe the tragedy intensified the activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most haunted place in Alaska?

The Golden North Hotel in Skagway is widely considered the most haunted place in Alaska. It is the state’s oldest operating hotel, and the spirit of a young woman named Mary is said to haunt the third floor and Room 23.

Are Alaska’s haunted hotels still open to guests?

Yes. The Golden North Hotel, the Alaskan Hotel in Juneau, and the Inlet Tower Hotel in Anchorage all still operate. Several other stops on this list are now museums or state parks, and you can find them all in the directory of haunted places in Alaska.

Can you visit Kennecott Ghost Town?

You can. Kennecott is part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and is reachable by footbridge or small plane. Because it is remote and some structures remain fragile, stay on marked routes and respect any posted no-entry signs.

Why is Alaska considered so haunted?

Much of it traces back to the Klondike Gold Rush, when boomtowns filled with desperate prospectors. Deadly mining accidents, violent colonial conflict, and the catastrophic 1964 Good Friday earthquake all left their mark on the land.

Who is the ghost of the Red Onion Saloon?

The Red Onion in Skagway was a saloon and brothel where ten small upstairs cribs housed the working girls. Visitors most often connect the footsteps and cold spots to the former madams and working girls, including the famous madam Lydia De Puy.