Skip to Content

5 Most Haunted Places in Utah

| Updated Dec 5, 2023

From ghost towns to cold spots, Utah is rife with paranormal activity. This is the stuff ghost stories are made of…

Do you seek out shadowy figures and haunted attractions when you go on vacation? If so, you don't want to miss my list of the top five haunted places in Utah.

These locations have inspired ghost hunters and horror movies alike!

5 of the Most Haunted Places in Utah

When traveling through Utah, you never know when you might be greeted by a ghostly visitor! From train depots to the scariest haunted houses in Utah, the following is my list of places to get your spook on.

And if you want to read about more legends, ancient curses, aliens, unsolved mysteries in America’s National Parks – we got you covered there, too!

1. McCune Mansion

Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Alfred McCune Home is a victorian mansion that sits atop a small hill. It was built in 1901 to the tune of $1 million! Today it plays host to modern-day weddings, business events, and other social gatherings.

Despite being considered one of the most haunted places in Utah, it's a beautiful place to visit.

There are two well-known apparitions that make their appearance at McCune Mansion. The first is a little girl. She is about 10 years old and loves it when weddings take place at the mansion.

There is a photo of a little girl hanging on a wall in the mansion, so it is assumed that she is a former resident. She can often be spotted at weddings, dancing and giggling.

The other apparition supposedly haunting the grounds is a man in a black cape. Not much is known about him, except that his ghost is spotted around Christmastime.

2. Rio Grande Depot

Our next ghostly legend takes place at one of our country's railroads, the Old Rio Grande Railroad Depot. It is said that this historic site is the place that the purple lady casts her eerie presence.

In 1910, the Rio Grande Train Depot was built for $750,000. That was big money in those days! The huge price tag was responsible for a gorgeous architectural building, including large arched windows that make the building stand out.

The Rio Grande Depot was constructed only one year after a different historical building, the Union Pacific Railroad Depot. That building only cost a fraction of the Rio Grande Depot amount, at $300,000. It was still a great design of the time, but not nearly as elaborate as the Rio Grande building.

In the early days, the train station was the pride of the city, with the bustling life of busy passengers passing through. Then tragedy struck.

The story goes that a woman and her fiance were standing on the platform. They began to argue, and in the heat of the moment, one of them threw her engagement ring. It landed on the tracks below.

Sad and distraught, the woman went down onto the tracks to retrieve her ring and was hit by a train. The impact killed her instantly.

Since that time, there have been many sightings of a woman now known as the “purple lady.” The first sighting, in 1947, was by a woman that stopped in to use the bathroom. She claims she saw a lady wearing a purple dress and a large purple hat. She stood out since she was wearing clothing from the early 1900s time period.

Since then, other passengers have claimed to see her in the cafe.

Security guards have seen her roaming the mezzanine at night, and have heard footsteps when the building is empty.

Although the Purple Lady is the most talked-about apparition at the train station, the place is also home to other reports of hauntings. A male figure has also been spotted on the mezzanine. He is thought to be an old stationmaster, or possibly the fiance of the Purple Lady herself.

3. Devereaux Mansion

5 Most Haunted Places in Utah 2
By Mangoman88 – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20810858

The Devereaux Mansion, also known as the Staines-Jennings Mansion, is situated in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Constructed in 1857 for a man named William Staines, it is a great place to spot the well-known ghost of a young girl.

The young girl looks outfitted in clothing from the 1850s time period. Her figure is often spotted in an upper floor window of the historic home.

Some people claim to hear her humming, singing, and talking to herself. She has also been caught on photographs.

The little girl apparently has a bit of temper, throwing objects on the ground when she gets upset.

There are also reports of cold spots in the building, and doors that close by themselves.

4. Asylum 49

Originally built as a family home in 1873 by Samuel F. Lee, the Old Tooele Hospital is now known as Asylum 49.

Over the years, the site built a rich history. Once the family moved out, the site became a nursing home for the elderly. Then it became a hospital, including a ward for mentally ill patients.

Staff and more than one former patient claim that strange things would happen in the hospital. They would claim that nurses dressed in white would tend to patients, although the nursing staff never more white.

Others claim they have felt a ghostly presence when walking down the hall, especially at night.

Another staff member claims to have thought one of her employees was behind her in the hallway. When she turned to look, she saw a black figure climb up the wall onto the ceiling.

Hollywood has also used this historic spot to record films, such as “The Stand” and “The Fastest Indian.”

5. Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery

ghost playing the piano haunted places in utah
Is it her?

Located on the Southern Utah University (SUU) campus, the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery is home to a ghostly pianist.

This ghostly apparition is supposedly a young girl that was due to play the song “Deep Purple” for her junior prom. She died before she got her chance, and regularly plays the song for guests at the gallery.

Have You Been Spooked at These Haunted Places in Utah?

I'm a sucker for ghost stories (whether or not I believe them!). Please share your experiences in the comments. And let us know if you know of any other haunted places in Utah.

Want to Get the Most Out of Your Visit to Utah?

In this RV travel guide of Southern Utah, we provide a suggested route and itinerary as well as links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, local tips, and interesting things to do at each location.

You can hit everything in seven days, do a whirlwind weekend tour, or you can take your time and explore the area over a 2+ week period.

Planning an RV trip can be very time-consuming so that’s why we’ve done the research for you! Just take our guides and use them, we’re sure you’ll have an RV trip for the ages! Instant download. CLICK HERE for information on our RV Travel Guides

Mike Wendland

Published on 2021-07-13

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

One Response to “5 Most Haunted Places in Utah”

February 01, 2022at3:04 pm, 22 Best Hikes in the Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, UT) said:

[…] you were hoping this was a “haunting” place based on the name, you should add the 5 Most Haunted Places in Utah to your […]

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top
2 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin2
Email