15 Eerie Ghost Towns in the USA You Can Still Visit
Ghost towns are remnants of America’s past, offering a haunting yet fascinating glimpse into abandoned settlements that once thrived with life. Many of these towns boomed during the Gold Rush, railroad expansions, or industrial surges, only to be left to decay when resources dried up or industries collapsed. Today, they stand as silent witnesses to history, with crumbling buildings, empty streets, and eerie legends waiting to be explored.
Whether you’re a history enthusiast, urban explorer, or paranormal seeker, these 15 ghost towns across the U.S. will transport you to another era—if you dare.
1. Bodie, California – The Quintessential Ghost Town
Location: Eastern Sierra, California
Why visit: Bodie is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the United States, offering an authentic look at a once-thriving gold rush town. At its peak in the late 1800s, Bodie had 10,000 residents, saloons, hotels, a bank, and even its own red-light district. Today, it remains in a state of “arrested decay”, where buildings, furniture, and artifacts are left untouched as they were abandoned.
Eerie fact: Locals believe in the Bodie Curse, which states that anyone who takes an artifact from the town will experience bad luck until it is returned.
2. St. Elmo, Colorado – A Rocky Mountain Relic
Location: Chaffee County, Colorado
Why visit: Founded in 1880 as a mining hub for gold and silver, St. Elmo once had over 2,000 residents, a railroad station, and bustling saloons. The town was quickly deserted after the mines shut down in the 1920s. Today, the general store and several structures remain intact, offering visitors a chance to step back into the Wild West.
Eerie fact: Many believe the ghost of Annabelle Stark, one of the last residents, still lingers in the hotel and general store.
3. Rhyolite, Nevada – A Deserted Gold Rush Boomtown
Location: Near Death Valley, Nevada
Why visit: Rhyolite is one of Nevada’s most famous ghost towns, once a flourishing gold mining town in the early 1900s. It had three railroads, a stock exchange, a school for 250 children, and an opera house. When the mines dried up, the town collapsed almost overnight.
Eerie fact: The crumbling remains of the bottle house and bank building give Rhyolite an eerie, post-apocalyptic feel.
4. Bannack, Montana – A Frozen-in-Time Territory Capital
Location: Bannack State Park, Montana
Why visit: Bannack was Montana’s first territorial capital, established in 1862 during a gold rush boom. At its peak, it had thousands of residents, hotels, saloons, and even a jail. Today, Bannack is a protected state park, with over 60 preserved buildings open for exploration.
Eerie fact: The old Bannack Hotel and schoolhouse are said to be haunted by former residents, and paranormal activity has been reported during night tours.
5. Thurmond, West Virginia – A Ghost Town with a Railroad Past
Location: New River Gorge, West Virginia
Why visit: Once a bustling railroad town in the early 1900s, Thurmond was a key coal-shipping hub. It had a thriving economy with banks, hotels, and homes, but when coal demand declined, so did the town. The entire town is now managed by the National Park Service, and the remaining structures, including the train station, still stand.
Eerie fact: Thurmond still has an active railroad, but hardly anyone lives there. The empty streets and buildings make it feel completely frozen in time.
6. Jerome, Arizona – The Wickedest Town in the West
Location: Verde Valley, Arizona
Why visit: Jerome was once one of the largest copper mining towns in Arizona, notorious for its crime, brothels, and Wild West reputation. After the mines closed in the 1950s, Jerome became nearly abandoned. Today, it is a partially revived ghost town, home to artists, ghost tours, and eerie abandoned buildings.
Eerie fact: The Jerome Grand Hotel was once a hospital and is now one of the most haunted hotels in the country.
7. Centralia, Pennsylvania – The Town That’s Been Burning for Decades
Location: Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Why visit: Centralia is unlike any other ghost town on this list. In 1962, an underground coal mine fire ignited, causing toxic gases, sinkholes, and road collapses. The once-thriving town was slowly abandoned, and today, only a handful of residents remain. Smoke still rises from underground fissures, and the Graffiti Highway, a spray-painted stretch of abandoned road, has become an eerie tourist attraction.
Eerie fact: Centralia is the inspiration behind the horror movie Silent Hill.
8. Kennecott, Alaska – A Copper Empire Turned Ghost Town
Location: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Why visit: Kennecott was a booming copper mining town in the early 1900s. By 1938, the copper supply ran out, and residents left, leaving behind massive red mill buildings, abandoned homes, and even a deserted hospital. The National Park Service now preserves this frozen-in-time ghost town.
Eerie fact: The abandoned hospital and bunkhouses still contain old medical equipment and furniture.
9. Cahawba, Alabama – The Original Capital of Alabama
Location: Dallas County, Alabama
Why visit: Once Alabama’s first capital, Cahawba was a thriving river town before being abandoned due to flooding. Today, it is a historic site with ruins of churches, homes, and cemeteries, giving it a mysterious atmosphere.
Eerie fact: The Cahawba Cemetery is rumored to be haunted, with sightings of ghostly figures.
10. Garnet, Montana – A Well-Preserved Wild West Town
Location: Garnet Range, Montana
Why visit: Unlike most ghost towns, Garnet is remarkably well-preserved, offering a true glimpse into Gold Rush-era Montana. The town still has intact cabins, a saloon, and a general store.
Eerie fact: Visitors often report hearing whispers and phantom footsteps in the abandoned buildings.
11. Goldfield, Nevada – The Boomtown That Faded Away
Location: Esmeralda County, Nevada
Goldfield was once Nevada’s largest city during the early 1900s, thanks to a gold mining boom that attracted thousands of prospectors. At its peak, the town boasted five banks, a high school, and the opulent Goldfield Hotel. By 1910, the gold mines started to run dry, and a massive flood in 1913 wiped out much of the remaining infrastructure.
Today, Goldfield is partially inhabited, but many of its grand buildings, including the Goldfield Hotel, stand empty. The town still draws visitors, especially those interested in paranormal investigations, as the hotel is rumored to be haunted. The eerie silence of the crumbling structures and abandoned railway cars makes for a fascinating ghost town experience.
Eerie fact: The Goldfield Hotel is one of Nevada’s most haunted locations, with reports of ghostly apparitions and unexplained noises.
12. Terlingua, Texas – A Deserted Mining Town with Stunning Views
Location: Brewster County, Texas
Nestled in the remote Chihuahuan Desert near Big Bend National Park, Terlingua was once a thriving quicksilver mining town. In the early 1900s, miners extracted mercury from cinnabar ore, and the town flourished. However, the Great Depression and a decline in demand for mercury caused Terlingua’s population to dwindle by the 1940s.
Today, Terlingua is a semi-abandoned town with a mix of preserved ruins and modern establishments, including a famous ghost town restaurant and bar. Visitors come not only to explore its deserted buildings and eerie cemeteries but also to enjoy breathtaking views of the rugged landscape.
Eerie fact: The Terlingua Cemetery is still in use today, and on Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), locals and visitors gather to honor the dead in traditional Mexican fashion.
13. Shaniko, Oregon – A Deserted Wool Empire
Location: Wasco County, Oregon
Shaniko was once known as the “Wool Capital of the World”, a prosperous sheep ranching and wool shipping town in the early 1900s. At its peak, millions of pounds of wool were transported from Shaniko to the rest of the country. However, when the railroad was rerouted, the town’s economy collapsed, and by the 1950s, it was almost entirely abandoned.
Today, visitors can walk through well-preserved buildings, including the Shaniko Hotel, jailhouse, and a historic general store. While a handful of residents remain, the town’s empty streets and abandoned storefronts create an eerie, Wild West atmosphere.
Eerie fact: The Shaniko Hotel, once the heart of the town, is now abandoned, with visitors claiming to have heard ghostly footsteps and whispers inside.
14. Grafton, Utah – A Hollywood-Famous Ghost Town
Location: Near Zion National Park, Utah
Grafton was a Mormon settlement founded in the 1850s, known for its lush farmland and breathtaking scenery. However, frequent floods and conflicts with local Native American tribes forced the town’s residents to leave by the early 1900s.
Unlike most ghost towns, Grafton is beautifully maintained, making it a popular destination for photographers and history enthusiasts. It is most famous for appearing in the classic 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, adding to its legend.
Visitors can explore well-preserved homes, a church, and a cemetery with headstones dating back to the 1800s. Despite its peaceful appearance, the abandoned town retains an unsettling silence that adds to its ghostly charm.
Eerie fact: The Grafton Cemetery contains graves of early settlers who died from accidents, disease, and violent conflicts, adding to the town’s somber history.
15. Independence, California – A Forgotten Gold Rush Relic
Location: Inyo County, California
Independence was once a prosperous mining and trading post during the California Gold Rush, but as mining operations declined, so did the town’s population. Although it never saw the large-scale abandonment of some ghost towns, many of its historic buildings have been left to decay, giving it an eerie, forgotten feel.
Visitors can explore the ruins of old cabins, mining structures, and remnants of a once-thriving frontier town. The surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains create a dramatic backdrop, making Independence a scenic but ghostly place to visit.
Eerie fact: Many of the abandoned mining tunnels in the area are said to be haunted, with reports of phantom voices and mysterious lights deep within the shafts.
