The Gold Hill Hotel

A part of the history from the famous Comstock Lode, this hotel is one of the few remaining and working buildings left from that era. Many abandoned mines dot the area but the one that seems to affect the current life at the Gold Hill Hotel is from the Yellow Jacket mine located directly behind the building. In 1869 a fire broke out in the mine killing 37 men who were left where they died, buried in the bottom of the mine. Many believe that it is the souls of those spirits that have moved up to inhabit the Hotel and keep visitors on their toes with ghostly goings-on.

The hotel itself is what many would consider a "standard" mining town hotel. The owners have a collection of antiques mixed with modern day amenities leaving many guests with the comforts of today and glimpses of bygone years. Though paranormal activity has been reported throughout most areas of the hotel two rooms stick out above the rest. Room numbers 4 and 5 are thought to be the "ghost" rooms. Of all the spirits that are thought to either visit or stay at the hotel two have been named and are known to cause repeated activity to make their presence known. The ghost's names are
William and Rosie and each has a distinctive way of letting you know when they are around.

William was a former owner of the hotel and he passed away in the 1800's in a fire. The proprietor of the hotel told me that William is seen and smelled about as much as Rosie, but when he is near he is reported to bring with him the strong smell of cigar smoke that wafts around visitors and then suddenly disappears. William has also been seen on a few occasions and is described as having dark hair and a full mustache. He is thought to stop by just to check on things and has often been smelled in room 5.

Rosie, as she has come to be called, is thought to be the spirit of a housekeeper from the hotels history. Her personal information is a bit unclear, but her presence is also made known by a smell, specifically rose-water perfume. Much like William the smell seems to waft in and then suddenly be gone. Visitors and employees alike in room number 4 have this happen so much that they often find themselves searching the room for the source of the smell and never find it. The soaps and shampoos are not of the flower scent and neither is the laundry soap used on the linens.

Besides William and Rosie's antics there has also been reports of odd sounds, the smell of alcohol in places where there is none, alarm clocks going off in all rooms at all times during the day/week even after they have been unplugged, items have been known to move on their own in the restaurant, doors open and close on their own, voices have been heard talking in mumbles (loudly and quiet), footsteps have been heard walking the halls when no one is there, sounds of furniture being moved, numerous anomaly pictures have been taken showing "orbs" and stationary blurs as well as many reports of feeling followed and watched.

So how many spirits are at the Gold Hill Hotel? Nobody really knows. One thing is for sure though; if you happen to be over that way you should stay for a spell and see if you will leave with a ghost story of your own. It doesn't even have to be the hotel itself that you spend the night in as many of the cottages and lodges that are separate from the main hotel have also had reports of paranormal phenomenon. Could it be that the spirits of those men who perished in the mine fire so many years ago are reaching out and trying to contact the living? Maybe. Perhaps you should try talking to them and see.

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Located 1 mile south of Virginia City on Hwy 342 in Nevada