As local travel experts, we know what travelers are looking for when it comes to finding the perfect accommodations for their next trip. To compile our lists, we scour the internet to find properties with excellent ratings and reviews, desirable amenities, nearby attractions, and that something special that makes a destination worthy of traveling for.

Montana is an old state with a lot of history. Naturally, we’ve got all kinds of historic buildings that some say are haunted. There’s something especially eerie about a haunted hotel, perhaps because the idea of someone (or something) sneaking up on you when you’re sleeping is so terrifying. The ghosts that are said to roam these eight haunted hotels in Montana are harmless, so don’t hesitate to book a room at any of them. Just don’t be surprised if you end up with uninvited guests.

1. Sacajawea Hotel, Three Forks
Sacajawea Hotel
Sacajawea Hotel, 5 N Main St, Three Forks, MT 59752, USA
Sacajawea Hotel/Facebook
The Sacajawea Hotel is one beautiful building. Constructed in 1910, it used to be a stopover for railroad passengers and crew members. John Q. Adams, the former builder, and the spirit of a female housekeeper seem to have overstayed their welcome. Guests have reported seeing both of them. The housekeeper will appear out of nowhere only to disappear into a closet that is no longer there. The police department has even been called to the hotel to investigate "disturbances" only to find nothing out of the ordinary.
2. The Grand Union Hotel, Fort Benton
Grand Union Hotel, 1 Grand Union Square, Fort Benton, MT 59442, USA
Don Barrett / Flickr
Fort Benton’s Grand Union Hotel was built in 1882, and it’s allegedly home to several ghosts. According to local legend, a cowhand drunkenly rode his horse into the hotel and up the main staircase before the bar manager shot and killed him. To this day, phantom hoofbeats can be heard on the staircase, and a male ghost in a long coat has been spotted across the hotel. If you stay in Room 202, you may see mysterious blue lights dance across the room.
3. Bonanza Inn, Virginia City
The Bonanza Inn, 308 W Idaho St, Virginia City, MT 59755, USA
planetjanetcreations/YouTube
You’d never guess that the fun, touristy town of Virginia City had a dark past, but it was once the sight of murders, hangings and other debauchery. The Bonanza Inn is an old hotel, and before that, it was an infirmary run by nuns. Guests have reported being pinched and poked during their visits, and anyone who slept in the notorious Room 1 had a good chance of seeing a ghost. Some people even saw nuns and heard the voices of children in the middle of the night.
4. Chico Hot Springs, Pray
Flickred! / Flickr

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Chico Hot Springs, Pray, MT 59065, USA
Flickred! / Flickr
Chico Hot Springs offers a relaxing getaway to Montanans… and it also happens to be haunted by the Lady in White. She’s been making appearances and scaring guests and staff for many years, with one of the most famous sightings happening in 1986 when two security guards stumbled upon her ghostly form near the piano in the third floor lounge. She’s also been spotted quite a few times in Room 349.
5. Stanton Creek Lodge, Pinnacle
Stanton Creek Lodge
Stanton Creek Cabins, 13951 US-2, Essex, MT 59916, USA
Stanton Creek Lodge
Stanton Creek Lodge was established in 1932 as a tourist stop selling huckleberries and other provisions. Today you’ll find modern cabins, an RV park… and possible ghosts. Many guests have witnessed the turning of the doorknob and the opening of the door to the upstairs living quarters in the main lodge. And on some quiet summer nights, some swear they hear an argument followed by gunshots. This could very well be the ghost of Stanton Creek John, the previous owner who was notorious for firing gunshots to scare non-customers who tried to use the bathroom.
6. Boulder Hot Springs Inn and Spa, Boulder
Boulder Hot Springs, 31 Hot Springs Rd, Boulder, MT 59632, USA
Boulder Hot Springs Inn and Spa/Facebook
This hotel is a historic landmark that still retains plenty of original charm despite its many renovations. The ghost who lives here is a prostitute named Simone who was killed by a mining executive. She’s been spotted by many guests and employees, and strange male voices have also been heard on the property. This is yet another haunted hotel in Montana you can't miss.
7. Pollard Hotel, Red Lodge
The Pollard Hotel, 2 Broadway Ave N, Red Lodge, MT 59068, USA
Pollard Hotel
The Pollard Hotel has quite a past, attracting many well known historical figures like Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. In 1897, hotel guests witnessed the Sundance Kid rob a bank on the corner of the building. There have been numerous ghost sightings here, the most common being a woman in a yellow dress often seen on the third floor. Some hotel guests also smell French perfume on the second floor, and the light in Room 310 seems to turn itself on quite often. There have also been reports of strange unexplained noises in the basement.

Have you stayed at any of these haunted hotels? Tell us about your experiences, if you’ve had any! For more of our spooky stories, this list includes a few more haunted places in Montana.

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Haunted Hotels in Montana

Tori Jane | August 29, 2022

What is the most haunted hotel in Montana?  

There is no shortage at all of haunted places in Montana, many of which are hotels or inns and/or beds and breakfast. Perhaps the most notoriously haunted hotel in Montana is the old Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks. This hotel is still in operation, and it is SPOOKY. It’s not a huge place, having only 29 rooms, but still – the ghost stories swirl. For decades, there have been reports of all kinds of unsettling goings-on at the hotel; the most prominent ghost at the Sacajawea is that of a housekeeper who passed a long time ago. She likes to startle guests by emerging from walls and then vanishing into thin air after. On more than one occasion, police have been called thanks to creepy activity, though, of course, the perps are never found. 

What are some creepy Montana ghost stories?  

Montana is one of those places that goes way, way back, and as a result it tends to be rumored and spoken of as a place with many ghosts. Some of the most notorious Montana ghost stories include stories surrounding places like the ones that swirl around The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls. Employees have literally QUIT because the spooks scared them so much. The lore includes the story of a little boy who died in the basement once upon a time, and they say you can still hear kids playing in the halls, but you won’t see them. Another infamous Montana ghost story is that of the ghosts of Little Bighorn, which is thought to be haunted by the spirits of Native Americans as well as General Custer himself.  

Where are some legitimately haunted places in Montana?  

There is no shortage of haunted places in Montana to go around. Some of our favorite notoriously haunted places in Montana (other than ones already mentioned) include the entire city of Virginia City, where sightings of various spirits are regularly spotted. The Daly Mansion in Hamilton is also infamously known for its ghosts, and so is the ghost town known as Garnet. There’s also the Many Glacier Hotel, within Glacier National Park, which is said to be THE most haunted place in Montana.  

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