7 Of The Most Haunted Places In New Mexico

As we approach Halloween, things start to get a little creepier. Whether you’re embracing the spooky spirit or you’re interested in the supernatural all year round, New Mexico is a hotbed of paranormal activity. Even if you don’t believe in the paranormal, the state’s Wild West past and brutal history have led to many sites adopting an eeriness. Here are seven of the most haunted places in New Mexico.

Most Haunted Places in New Mexico

1. Foster’s Hotel, Chama

This saloon-come-hotel in Chama is the vision of the Wild West. It looks like it came straight out of a movie, where guests can enjoy a beer and allow themselves to feel transported to another time. But the story behind this place is much more sinister than your typical Western movie. The story goes that several local men were jealous of a woman’s position as a frontier judge, intimidated by her power. They poisoned her, leaving her choking and gasping for breath. Guests say you can sometimes hear her still, constantly trying to take a breath. There have been several other mysterious sightings at Foster’s Hotel. In true Wild West fashion, the apparition of a cowboy is said to walk the hotel’s halls.

2. Herzstein Museum, Clayton

The Herzstein Museum is a fascinating place to visit, even for those that aren’t into the supernatural. There are long-running exhibits that focus on the Dust Bowl and the Santa Fe Trail, as well as rooms resorted to look like how they would way back when. But what we’re mainly interested in is the reported supernatural activity. In March 2018, a group of expert paranormal investigators visited Clayton, the most haunted town in New Mexico. They picked up inexplicable noises, rattling stairs, and objects knocking over. The museum staff are well aware of the ghostly occurrences and even offer personalised tours… if you dare.
Most Haunted Places in New Mexico

3. Union County Courthouse, Clayton

Clayton’s haunted reputation isn’t without just cause. The Union County Courthouse is one of the most haunted places in New Mexico, let alone Clayton, having been the site of Tom Ketchum’s execution. Ketchum, or ‘Black Jack’, was executed by hanging right outside the original courthouse, but the hanging malfunctioned and he was brutally decapitated. His unresting soul is said to still roam the halls, even after the courthouse was reconstructed in 1909. Employees report seeing ghostly figures in the hallways and have even felt the spirit of Black Jack follow them. And to just add to the spookiness, the jail cell that he was kept in is said to be ice cold, even to this day.

4. KiMo Theatre, Albuquerque

KiMo Theatre is thought to be one of the most haunted places in New Mexico, with the brutal story being particularly famous amongst the state’s inhabitants. Buckle in, because this one’s straight out of a horror movie. In 1951, a water heater exploded in the theatre. It killed several people, including Bobby, who was just six years old. His unresting spirit became a poltergeist, which is a ghost that likes to scare people and cause mischief. And that’s just what Bobby does. He opens and closes doors, drops cables, dislodges equipment from the ceiling, distracts the performers, messes with the electricity, and more. It got so bad that the performers now actually leave Bobby a treat, typically doughnuts, to keep him sweet so he doesn’t mess with their performance.

Most Haunted Places in New Mexico

5. Dawson Cemetary, Dawson

The story of Dawson is more sad than it is creepy. In the 20th century, Dawson was a thriving coal mining town, but it came to a tragic end. An explosion in 1913 killed over 250 men, and it went down as one of the most disastrous coal mining tragedies in American history. Unfortunately, disaster struck again in 1923, when a mining accident claimed the lives of 123 more men. It wasn’t until 1950 when the mine eventually closed down, that the people of Dawson up and left. Now, all that remains is the eerie cemetery. With so many unresting souls, it might not come as a surprise that visitors have heard and seen all kinds of supernatural activity here. There have been reports of cries in the dark, ghostly apparitions, and lights bobbing around the lonely cemetery.

Most Haunted Places in New Mexico

6. St. James Hotel, Cimarron

The St. James Hotel is a Wild West institution. It was a very popular spot back in its heyday, but the hotel was typically frequented by outlaws and ‘bad guys’. That includes some infamous Western figures, like Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, and Black Jack Ketchum. Many shootouts happened here – 22 bullets still remain lodged in the dining room to this day. So, you can imagine that there was a lot of killing happening here. Reports say the death toll to be around 26, although we suspect it to be a lot higher. Guests and visitors say they can feel, see, or hear the unresting souls here. Many speculate that Thomas James Wright is one of the spirits that lurk in the shadows. Thomas won a high-stakes poker game and when walking back to his room, he was shot in the back. He died alone in room number 18, which is kept padlocked. Guests can’t stay in the room and staff won’t go inside, especially after a previous owner said she was pushed to the floor by a ghost. Creepy. 

7. Hotel Parq Central, Albuquerque

Hotel Parq Central is one of the most high-end hotels in the city, with a rooftop cocktail bar for those Instagram snaps. But the hotel has a brutal history, resulting in it being considered one of the most haunted places in New Mexico. Parq Central might be a luxury hotel now, but it started out as a psychiatric facility and a hospital. Former paritents reported hearing strange voices, seeing objectives being inexplicably moved, and constantly feeling like someone was watching them. Recent visitors to the hotel have experienced similar peculiar occurrences. Some say they’ve seen faint ghostly apparitions, some say they feel like they’re being watched, and some say they’ve communicated with a ghost using a torch.

Aleyna Yilmaz

Aleyna loves learning about a culture through its food, whether that's closer to home or being out there in the world. She’s always happiest when experiencing somewhere new, but her base in Manchester is a close second. A blend of her love of writing, food, travel, and culture has naturally led her to travel writing full time.

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