15 Eerie Ghost Towns You Must Visit in America

Do you ever wonder who (or what) lives all around us? If you’re a fan of paranormal activity, plenty of ghost towns in America are eager to usher you back to another place in time. 

Below, you’ll find plenty of paranormal potential in (mainly) former mining towns where the boom was big and the collapse was catastrophic. As the winds of fate blow you through some old schoolhouses and saloons, you can pause to wonder what life was really like in the wild, wild west. 

Bannack, Montana

Towns that were once part of the Gold Rush are some of the most notable ghost towns in existence today. Where there once was a big boom, now there only remains whispers of the past. 

Bannack is a great example of this. Founded in 1862, it was named after a local Native American settlement. When a huge deposit of gold was extracted, the town blossomed to a population of about 10,000. 

As the town declined, a few people held on as long as the 1970s. Now, it’s nothing more than rusty train cars and vacant buildings. 

Garnet, Montana

Aptly named for its semi-precious gems in the land, as well as gold, Garnet must’ve been beautiful in its heyday. It was home to four hotels, two barbershops, a doctor’s office, a school, and a whopping 13 saloons. 

One has to wonder if it would’ve survived, even when the mines started running out of gold. In fact, a fire in 1912 took out half the town. Most of the residents abandoned the ship after the fire, and it never came back to life. 

Today, you can still wander around 30 of the old buildings and even peek inside untouched interiors, complete with personal belongings of the ghosts that now roam the streets. 

Bodie, California

Here, we have another gold mining town that was everything we’d imagine it to be in its heyday. It’s where the outlaws frequented the saloons and the beautiful women festooned the brothels. 

Between the bust of the Gold Rush and the violence that comes with a lawless town, Bodie eventually died out. Then, a raging fire destroyed about 90% of the wooden structures. 

If you go there today, chills will race up and down your spine because, when you look in the windows, you’ll see the tables are still laden with plateware and old books are still lying on the desks. 

Cerro Gordo, California

In 1865, a man named Pablo Flores discovered silver in the area and started a small mining operation. However, word spread quickly about the area’s resources, and other people moved in on his turf to mine not only silver but also the lead and ore that were later discovered. 

As you can imagine, litigation ensued about who actually owned the town. Then, the price of lead and ore started to drop, diminishing some of the town’s allure. Things didn’t even last that long because it was completely abandoned by the late 1870s. 

Now, two people officially own the town and allow the public to roam its haunted streets. Like Bodie, it’ll feel particularly eerie because many of the interiors are well-preserved, down to the old glass bottles and tools still lying on the tables.