Sip Wine And Mingle With Ghosts In One Of Montana’s Oldest, Most Haunted Bars

The Metlen Hotel in Dillon dates all the way back to 1897. Although it has been kept up-to-date, it still has many of its original furnishings and original woodwork, which is pretty impressive. It also might be a home to quite a few ghosts, which is also impressive, if you think about it. Stop by for a bite and a drink at the Metlen Hotel Bar & Cafe and you might see more than you bargained for.

The Metlen Hotel is a 3-story, 42-room structure that has become a historical and social landmark in Southwest Montana.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It's also currently for sale, in case you're on the hunt for some seriously impressive property.

The Metlen Hotel Bar & Cafe is also a historic gem -- it's home to a back bar from the ghost town of Bannack, and it just might be the most ornate (and most valuable) bar in the state.

The bar is where most of the hotel guests and patrons prefer to hang out... and we don't just mean those that are living.

The rumors of paranormal activity at The Metlen Hotel go back decades.

The hotel has a rich, sometimes violent history. While this doesn't seem likely, some people swear someone has died (or been murdered) in every single room.

The hotel's third floor and the tower have been the source of so much paranormal activity, they've been closed to the public for over 20 years.

Rumor has it that a ghost with a serious attitude problem lives in the tower, so it's best left alone.

But don't think you're out of the woods in you avoid the tower... most of the spirits prefer the bar.

Both guests and hotel staff have seen a female figure in a white dress floating around the bar area and on the dance floor. She has also been spotted in Room 19, which is directly above the dance floor.

Other reported apparitions have included a man in a cowboy hat and a woman in a black bonnet, both hanging out behind the bar.

In addition to the full-on apparitions, many a hotel employee has experienced strange happenings, like the juke box turning itself on and off and voices that seem to belong to no one. One former housekeeper claimed one of the spirits was so friendly, it would help her clean.

It's really no wonder the dead don't want to leave this place, which has often been quite lively over the years.

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the history of the Metlen Hotel is fascinating, and the structure is impressive.

Address: 5 South Railroad Avenue, Dillon, MT 59725

The Metlen Hotel has been featured on Ghost Hunters and The Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures. Have you ever had a paranormal encounter in Montana?