Amateur Ghost Adventurers
Fall/Winter 2025
Two spirited sightseers visit Virginia City’s haunted hot spots.
BY ALEXANDRIA HAWTHORNE AND RACHEL WRIGHT
Virginia City is nestled high in the Virginia Range, just 30 minutes south of Reno. Once the heart of the legendary Comstock mining district, today this town is among the best-preserved communities born in the Old West. It’s also regarded as one of the country’s most haunted places—understandable given its long history of mining accidents, devastating fires, and plenty of saloon disputes turned deadly.
While Virginia City highlights its haunted history every October—with a whole month of Hauntober special events—spooky sightseeing is an option year-round. And there’s never a bad time to go ghost hunting. Hoping for firsthand experiences, Travel Nevada staff members Rachel Wright (RW) and Alexandria Hawthorne (AH) headed to Virginia City to visit some of the community’s most reportedly paranormal locations.
Day 1: Washoe Club & Silver Queen Hotel
AH: On a cold February morning, we began our trip with a visit to Silver Terrace Cemetery amid a healthy amount of snow we hadn’t anticipated. I realized I forgot my camera memory card, but we continued in search of cool vantage points for future shots—which were abundant. About halfway through, however, the snow started to get seriously deep.
RW: Our shoes got soaked, and we kept nearly falling over from laughing at the situation we found ourselves in. Back at the car, we found the memory card, so no trip to the Carson City office was needed.
We couldn’t check into the Silver Queen Hotel & Saloon until 3 p.m., which gave us the perfect opportunity to stroll the main street boardwalk. At both Houston Boot Company and Virginia City Hatmaker, we watched artisans bring their exquisite crafts to life (and dreamed about getting our own custom-made boots and hats). Afterward, we popped inside Wood & Coal Studio and perused the coolest collection of antiques and curios.
AH: Along the way, we passed Garter & Bloomers, one of Virginia City’s old-time photo studios. Having always wanted to do this, I convinced Rachel to pose with me. We dressed up like rowdy outlaws and had a blast living out our newfound identities in front of the camera.
RW: Neither of us had stayed at the Silver Queen before, and every inch of the building exuded charm and history. We peeked inside the chapel and marveled at wall-sized portrait of the Silver Queen herself (complete with a dress made from silver dollars) before heading upstairs to drop off our luggage. Then it was a short walk to the Washoe Club for our ghost tour. Opened in 1862, and replete with tragic events, this place ranks among the state’s most haunted locations.
AH: Flashback to summer break 2007. I’m flipping through TV channels trying to find something to watch when I stumble upon the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Ghost Adventures: The Original Documentary” where they investigated Virginia City and other Nevada towns. I was instantly hooked, and for the next 90 minutes, I sat mesmerized. Fast forward 18 years, and here I was standing where the whole show started.
RW: I rented an EMF meter to bring along on our hour-long tour, and while it only lit up once—when our guide was telling us about a ghost named Scotty—it was enough to thrill us. Other highlights included the stunning arsenic-infused wallpaper and a haunted doll that lights up cat toys to communicate. She didn’t wish to speak with us.
AH: The ambiance in the Washoe Club was unquestionably eerie. It was easy for my own shadow to startle me, but that’s what all the fun is about. After following a long, dark hallway into a ballroom, our guide pointed out an X taped to the floor. That was where “Ghost Adventures” captured one of their most famed pieces of evidence: an apparition walking across the room. This was the moment where things came full circle, and the inner child in me got giddy.
RW: To cover our spiritual bases, I left a dollar bill on a poker table where others had also placed offerings to the ghosts.
AH: I missed the shot, so I asked Rachel to redo placing her dollar—right after the guide told us it angers the spirits when people take things from the table. At the end of the tour, daylight was quickly fading, and we imagined how much more frightening the experience would’ve been under the veil of night. We agreed to return soon and take the tour after dark.
RW: Up next was the Ponderosa Mine Tour. This isn’t billed as a haunted experience, but traveling 50 feet below the surface definitely gives off spooky vibes. At one point, the guide cut the minimal lights, plunging us in total darkness for a few minutes. You truly couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I would never have made it as a miner.
AH: Above ground again, we returned to the Silver Queen to bring some warmth back into our bones.
RW: If there were ghosts in our hotel rooms, we were too tired to notice. As soon as our heads hit our pillows, we slept like the dead until morning.
Day 2: Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon
RW: Before departing the Silver Queen, we perused their extensive proof-of-ghosts photo album. There’s also a guestbook full of notes from people who had supernatural experiences. We didn’t have any ghost stories to share, but hopefully next time!
AH: We spent much of the day wandering Virginia City’s shops and talking with locals before checking into our hotel, the historic Gold Hill Hotel & Saloon, built in 1861. We had an encounter as soon as we arrived—but it wasn’t with a spirit. A sweet orange cat named Cloudy walked us all the way to hotel registration.
RW: The entire property felt so storied and welcoming. After having delicious drinks inside the hotel’s historic saloon, we sat down for dinner at the on-site Crown Point Restaurant. Everything, including the brownie sundae, was fantastic. And now we were fueled up for our Gold Hill ghost tour with Northern Nevada Ghost Hunters (NNGH).
AH: NNGH began the night by introducing us to the various tools they use to detect spirits. This was a unique behind the scenes look at paranormal investigations, and the guides made it feel approachable no matter your experience level. We watched and listened for signs of ghosts in a hotel room before moving to the site of the Yellow Jacket Mine, where an infamous fire in 1869 killed dozens of miners.
RW: After the ghost tour, things really got spooky. Our time with NNGH ended with Mama J performing energy readings for us. One at a time, she had us bring our hands briefly toward an EMF reader. Mama J instantly picked up on personal things she’d have no way of knowing about me. It was mind boggling.
AH: My reading was next. At first, I didn’t connect with mine. She mentioned the color blue, waves, and international travel, among other things. I chuckled to myself because I thought, “There’s no way I can afford any international travel.” But halfway through the reading, it suddenly came to me: I had forgotten I would be traveling. Internationally. On a boat. Could she have guessed any of this stuff based on my appearance or how I held myself? Or was there something mystical happening? I’m still unsure what to make of all of this.
RW: Unable to go straight to sleep after that, Alexandria and I regrouped to discuss what we had experienced. We never did come up with any logical explanations, but we eventually parted ways and remained ghost-free for the night.
Day 3: Mackay Mansion
RW: The final haunted hot spot on our Virginia City list was Mackay Mansion, built in 1859. The stately building seemed infinitely larger once we stepped inside and began our tour.
AH: We could’ve spent hours listening to our guide tell fascinating stories while taking in all the authentic Victorian splendor. The mansion was full of well-preserved furniture, photos, and artifacts—plus so many dolls. People “donate” haunted dolls to the mansion, and the room where they reside is equally unsettling and captivating.
RW: Mackay Mansion has plenty of ghost stories to share (just ask Johnny Depp), but the “regular” history was just as riveting. I don’t want to give away all the surprises, but Thomas Edison himself installed the electrical lighting!
AH: The mansion also hosts a plethora of paranormal events, including candlelight tours, aura photography, and guided nighttime investigations. Once again, Rachel and I agreed to come back and immerse ourselves in the otherworldly.
RW: Ultimately, Alexandria and I didn’t return home with our own ghost stories—but the potential is absolutely there. Too many travelers have had experiences to believe Virginia City isn’t haunted. So, we’ll keep up our amateur sleuthing and wait for the spirits to reveal themselves to us next time.