With plenty of macabre museums, haunted hotels, sinister saloons and rough-and-tumble boomtown relics across the state, Nevada is a hotbed of paranormal happenings and unsettling stories. From reported wraiths in guest rooms, ghostly gunslingers in graveyards and phantom miners in bars, you're bound to meet some spectral characters while exploring the spookiest spots in the Silver State. Don’t believe in the supernatural? You might by the end of this…

If you suffer from bad bouts of coulrophobia (the fear of clowns), then kiss goodbye to sweet dreams at the Clown Motel. It's adorned with over 2,000 clown figurines from all around the world, so you can see why it’s previously been named the scariest motel in America. But despite appearances, the unconventional motel actually has a tender backstory; it was founded by Leroy and Leona David to commemorate their father and his burgeoning collection of clown memorabilia. All 31 rooms come with their own custom clown artworks, in addition to the thousands of unblinking eyes watching from the lobby...

If that doesn't phase you, the Old Tonopah Cemetery next door just might. Many of the men laid to rest here were some of the town's earliest silver miners, including those killed in a terrible fire at Belmont Mine in 1911. But it sounds like their spirits could have checked into the Clown Motel, as there have allegedly been numerous reports from guests of supernatural presences at the property. Visit in summer for the Tonopah Ghost Walk, which covers more of the Clown Motel and its neighbouring graveyard's history.

Located off US Route 50, otherwise known as ‘America’s loneliest road’, the ghost town of Belmont Mill is one of several abandoned relics from Nevada’s once-booming silver mining industry. In the early 20th century, Belmont Mill was used as the processing plant for Belmont Mine, which lies further up the canyon in a sorry state. Despite heavy investment to develop a more sophisticated mining operation in the area, the mine (along with the rest of its kind) soon went bust.

There are still plenty of intact structures on the Belmont Mill site, giving a chilling air that those long departed may have some unfinished business to attend to. Visitors can see the historic aerial tramline that would have been used to transport ore here, as well as the mill office, the superintendent’s home, a boarding house and the original four-storey mill building.

Said to be the most haunted town in Nevada, Virginia City is full of spooky stories. One of them centres around Gold Hill Hotel and Saloon, the state’s oldest hotel, which counts paranormal investigators and enthusiasts among its regular clientele. Opened in 1861 (and still operational today), Gold Hill was a favourite among local Silver Rush-era miners, who were known to lodge at and unwind in its bar after a taxing day – but it would seem that some of them have never left...

The hotel backs onto the site of Yellow Jacket Mine, which collapsed in 1869 in what is recognised as one of Nevada’s worst mining disasters. The bodies of at least 35 miners were never recovered from the wreckage, but their souls apparently still occupy the rooms of their favourite haunt. Though the bar they once propped up has since relocated to a different part of the venue, the Great Room (the former bar) still throngs with the miners’ unearthly presence. If you think you’ve got nerves of steel (or should we say silver?), stay the night in the original miner’s cabin.

Eldorado Canyon, named by Spanish settlers in 1775 for its abundance of natural riches, is home to the abandoned township of Nelson that once thrived off Techatticup Mine. The oldest and richest gold mine in southern Nevada, Techatticup uncovered millions of dollars in gold, silver, copper and lead over the years, being taken over by American miners and prospectors in the late 19th century. It was an active mine until 1974, when tragedy struck...

Flash flooding claimed the lives of nine people, decimating Nelson beyond repair and spelling the end of Techatticup Mine's original purpose. But the dramatic potential of the atmospheric ruins have been recognised by many, with the site appearing in video games and movies such as Fallout: New Las Vegas and 3,000 Miles to Graceland. There are guided tours of Techatticup Mine (reservation required) up to three times a day depending on demand, taking you below ground into a network of dark and creepy tunnels.

Another town now reclaimed by the arid desert landscape of Nevada, Tybo came to prominence with the gold strikes of the latter half of the 19th century. Before the treasure hunters descended and made it a boomtown, the area had been inhabited by the Shoshone peoples, who called the settlement Tybo (meaning "white man's district"). By 1875, the town was home to three dominant groups of immigrants – the Cornish, the Irish and the Central Europeans – who were known to clash.

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Then, following the exodus of 100 settlers after the fall of the mining industry, 32 buildings were destroyed by a fire in 1884. There were short-lived attempts to revive mining operations at Tybo in the 1920s and 30s, but otherwise it has stood mostly forgotten ever since – save for a few seasonal stewards and passing road-trippers. Despite the fire, what remains is remarkably well-preserved, adding to the unsettling feeling that you might not be alone here. Heed the "no trespassing" signs for your own safety.

This disquieting abode is so old it predates the state of Nevada, built in 1859 – the same year of the richest silver strike (the Comstock Lode) in history. Its owner, John Mackay, was one of four so-called ‘Silver Kings’ and the wealthiest man to profit from the strike. His full pockets were no secret and, before long, Mackay Mansion was set upon by a couple of thieves. But they were shot at point-blank range by armed guards in the attempt and now they’re just two of the many lost souls believed to haunt these halls...

The thwarted bandits are said to dwell on the lower floor of Mackay Mansion (just outside the wardrobe-sized safe they tried to rob), while a servant, two mischievous little girls, an army colonel and a woman in Victorian dress have also been glimpsed throughout the house, along with a shadowy man in similarly fine attire. Paranormal pros have concluded that the latter couple are Mr and Mrs Mackay themselves. The mansion is open for tours year-round, so why not come and see for yourself? The evening tour is particularly perturbing.

You don’t become the oldest bar in southern Nevada without having a story or two to tell – and the Pioneer Saloon has plenty. One of several ‘Sagebrush Saloons’ scattered across the historic Wild West, it opened in 1913 and is still going strong over a century later, despite its off-the-beaten-track location in the ghost town of Goodsprings. Clearly the three bullet holes hacked into the stamped tin walls aren’t enough to put off prospective patrons, but an inventory of the saloon’s unnerving past can’t fail to prickle the skin of even the bravest customers…

The three bullets shaved into the wall were fired by a vengeful gambler after his opponent tried to cheat at cards. The bar is also said to be haunted by the spirit of a bartender who tragically took his own life, while the Clark Gable Memorial Room tells the sad story of how the Hollywood icon lost his wife Carole Lombard to a plane crash nearby in 1942. Sign up for the Haunted Lockdown ghost-hunting experience to discover who else might be left behind at the Pioneer Saloon.

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Built in 1876, the Silver Queen Hotel is the oldest hotel in Virginia City, which is the largest National Historic District in Nevada. Though this makes Virginia City no stranger to the supernatural, this hotel is said to be particularly potent with otherworldly energy. And it’s not just the ‘Silver Queen’ herself – a 15-foot-tall (5m) portrait of a woman whose dress is fashioned from 3,261 individual silver dollars – who lingers in the property.

Rosie, a lady of the night said to have died by suicide in Room 11 during the late 1800s, is the Silver Queen’s most notorious spook. Several strange goings-on have been attributed to her, including rattling door knobs, disembodied voices and sightings of a female phantom. But it’s the sound of prominent footsteps on wood that have left guests most fear-stricken – how can they be possible when the hotel floors are clad in carpet? While that might put most people off coming here, the Silver Queen satisfies a niche market – you can even get married in the onsite wedding chapel (pictured).

This boom-to-bust bonanza town is one of the largest and most photographed ghost towns in the state. Rhyolite was founded in 1905 in the wake of an especially abundant gold strike, which led to its population soaring to 5,000 within just six months. Homes, hotels, schools, shops, power plants, banks, a jail, a train station and a miner’s hospital all sprang up in quick succession, with electricity and indoor plumbing making the town an enviable place to live. But this American dream soon became more of a nightmare...

The quality of gold ore in the Bullfrog Hills began to diminish and, in 1906, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in San Francisco slammed the brakes on Rhyolite’s rail service. By 1910, the already ailing town saw its mines close and the settlement’s once-thriving population shrunk to just 14 by 1920. Empty buildings were relocated, both partially and completely, to busier towns – even one of Rhyolite’s original countertops can still be found at the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings. Frozen in time in the middle of Death Valley, this ghost town is as beautiful as it is eerie.

This Sagebrush Saloon was once a changing station for the Pony Express, where horseback riders relaying mail from St Louis to Sacramento between 1860 and 1861 could refuel and swap out their steeds. Old Middlegate Station is one of a few remaining such landmarks, lying time-worn and sandblasted on "America’s loneliest road". It still provides a pitstop to weary travellers looking for a change of scenery from the deserted highway, offering a triple-decker ‘Monster Burger’ in its legendary dining room to anyone with the stomach for it.

The middle-of-nowhere bar and no-frills motel has been in the same family for five generations, restored with wood from abandoned local mines over the years. Overnight guests have claimed to hear creepy footsteps and sinister knocking sounds on the boardwalk outside their rooms. Could they belong to the lost soul of a cowboy?

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You'd expect to find spirits of the drinkable kind at a traditional Wild West saloon bar – but there are also spirits of the supernatural persuasion at Virginia City's Washoe Club. Established by a team of mining magnates during the 1870s, it became coined the 'Millionaires Club' and attracted an elite clientele of skilled miners, renowned escorts, gunslingers and businessmen looking to profit from the Comstock Lode. After the Rush slowed to a halt, the Washoe Club's saloon stayed open, but its upper floors stood empty for decades – until the paranormal experts and enthusiasts were invited in.

Having appeared on ghost-hunting shows like Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and Syfy’s Ghost Hunters on multiple occasions, the Washoe Club's resident wraiths are well-documented. You can potentially experience them for yourself on an Overnight Investigation, where amateur ghostbusters are locked in until morning and given free reign of the onsite crypt and all three floors. If that’s a bit beyond your comfort zone, there are hourly ghost tours during the day too. Watch out for Lena, an apparition said to stalk the spiral staircase.

Located in the heart of downtown Tonopah, the Mizpah Hotel was once referred to as “the finest stone hotel in the desert.” Built in 1907 over five storeys, it was the tallest building in the Silver State for 25 years until the Hotel Nevada came along to steal its crown. With over a century of human history, this grand venue has hosted prospectors, politicians, playboys and all manner of VIPs throughout the years. But there is one guest who has stayed longer than most...

Known as the Lady in Red, the Mizpah’s resident wraith was murdered by her ex-lover, apparently jealous of her purported liaisons with other men in Room 502 on the hotel’s fifth floor. The room has since been themed in her honour, with guests supposedly receiving gifts of pearls from the Lady in Red’s broken necklace on their pillows. She has also been known to whisper in men’s ears as they ride the elevator. If you run into her (or any other spook), the Mizpah has a supernatural sightings log at reception.

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Seventy storeys tall and 660 feet (201m) thick, the Hoover Dam started life as the Boulder Dam, with construction beginning in 1930 and completed in 1936, two years ahead of schedule. It impounds Lake Mead, one of the largest reservoirs in the world, and is considered a modern engineering marvel. But of the seven million tourists that visit this famous dam each year, we wonder how many are aware of its darker – and deadlier – history?

The official number of lives lost in the building of Hoover Dam stands at 96 "industrial fatalities", which include drownings, explosions, rock slides, falls from canyon walls, encounters with heavy equipment or dangerous machinery, and more. Though none of the deceased workers are physically entombed in the concrete used to forge the dam, it's hard to shake the spine-tingling feeling that souls could still be meandering restlessly here. Visitors and workers claim to have heard disembodied footsteps echoing in the corridors of the power plant over the years.

In its heyday, Pioche was a lawless rough-and-tumble town notorious for two things: mining and murder. During the 1870s, nearly 60% of all homicides reported in Nevada occurred here, filling up the Boot Hill local cemetery with 72 slain people before any resident had a chance to die from natural causes. Though the original Overland Hotel and Saloon from this era burned down in 1947, its newer iteration (opened in 1948) still bristles with the paranormal activity that permeates the town.

The Overland Hotel appeared on Ghost Adventures in 2014, when ghost hunters spent an evening communing with the property’s unearthly guests. Though the hotel’s owners haven’t commented much on the ghostly goings-on here, staff members and customers alike have their own spooky stories, ranging from shadowy entities slamming doors shut to visitors being shaken from their slumber. The proprietors assure there are rooms “free of activity” available on request, but Room 10 is meant to be the most haunted of all.

Goldfield Historic Cemetery was initially located in the town centre, but as the population and infrastructure of Goldfield grew with the discovery of precious gold ore, the graveyard became one of the first things passengers arriving by rail would see. So, a taskforce calling themselves the “Official Ghouls” assembled to exhume the bodies and relocate them to the site you can visit today. However, according to local folklore, that team – whether by error or by choice – didn’t bring the original headstones with them.

Among some of the more unusual epitaphs you can see at Goldfield Cemetery are simply “Gunshot” and “Unknown Man Died Eating Library Paste”. It’s still a functioning burial ground so, if you do work up the mettle to visit, please be respectful of both the living and the dead. Paranormal investigators have reportedly captured images of apparitions here and seen them with their own eyes, as well as experiencing feelings of being watched, mood swings and batteries quickly draining from cameras. Maybe some of the spirits object to being moved all those years ago...

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