Imagine walking down the quiet, dusty streets of a town where time seems to have stopped.
The buildings stand like old ghosts, telling stories of long-gone residents and forgotten dreams.
Once, these towns were full of life with busy shops, homes and people chasing new opportunities.
But over time, the bustle faded, leaving behind abandoned houses, empty mines and eerie silence.
There are actually almost 4,000 ghost towns across the U.S. but only some of them are worth visiting.
In this guide, we’re revealing the most intriguing U.S. ghost towns that are totally worth your time.
You might be surprised by what you find.
1. Calico, California
Calico is a fascinating ghost town situated in the Mojave Desert of California, about halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Once a bustling silver mining town in the 1880s, Calico had over 500 mines and produced a fortune in silver before being abandoned in the mid-1890s when silver lost its value.
Today, Calico has been restored as a tourist attraction and offers a glimpse into the Wild West with its old saloons, general stores and even a replica schoolhouse.
One of the town’s highlights is Maggie’s Mine, where you can explore the tunnels and see how miners worked back in the day.
The town also features a scenic view from a hill that provides a stunning panorama of the desert landscape.
Calico also hosts fun events like ghost town haunts in October and offers activities like gold panning and train rides.
2. St. Elmo, Colorado
St. Elmo is a well-preserved ghost town located in the Sawatch Range, about 20 miles southwest of Buena Vista.
Founded in 1880 during the gold rush, it was once a thriving mining hub with nearly 2,000 residents.
Today, St. Elmo is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Colorado, featuring 43 historic buildings, including a saloon, general store and private homes.
You can explore the town’s rich history, enjoy scenic views and even feed the friendly chipmunks that call St. Elmo home.
The town is accessible pretty much year-round but heavy snowfall can occasionally limit access in the winter months.
Legend has it that the ghost of Annabelle Stark, known as “Dirty Annie,” still watches over the town so keep your eyes peeled.
3. Bannack, Montana
Bannack is an interesting ghost town located in Beaverhead County, about 11 miles from Dillon.
Founded in 1862 following a gold discovery at Grasshopper Creek, Bannack quickly grew into a bustling mining town and even served as Montana’s first territorial capital.
At its peak, Bannack had around 10,000 residents and featured many lively businesses, including hotels, saloons and blacksmith shops.
Today, Bannack is preserved as a state park with more than 60 historic buildings, allowing visitors to explore its interesting past.
The town is famous for its wild history, including tales of vigilantes and the notorious Sheriff Henry Plummer, who was hanged for his alleged crimes.
Each July, the town is brought back to life during ‘Bannack Days’ with historical reenactments and activities.
4. Kennecott, Alaska
Kennecott is a fascinating ghost town located in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the United States.
This once-thriving copper mining town was founded in the early 1900s after the discovery of rich copper deposits in the area.
At its peak, Kennecott was home to hundreds of workers and featured amenities like a hospital, school and even recreational facilities.
The town was abandoned in 1938 when the copper deposits were depleted, leaving behind a hauntingly beautiful set of historic buildings.
Today, you can explore the preserved structures, including the iconic 14-story mill building and learn about the town’s fascinating history through guided tours.
Adventurers can also hike the nearby Root Glacier and take in the stunning Alaskan wilderness.
5. Elkmont, Tennessee
Elkmont is an interesting ghost town located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Originally a bustling logging town in the early 1900s, Elkmont later transformed into a popular vacation retreat for wealthy people from nearby cities like Knoxville.
This historic site is known for its preserved ghost town structures including the Appalachian Clubhouse and several rustic cottages.
You can explore the scenic beauty of the area through hiking trails like the Little River and Jakes Creek Trails.
Elkmont is also famous for the annual synchronous firefly event, where thousands of fireflies light up the forest all at once, creating a magical display.
6. Spokane, South Dakota
Spokane is a ghost town located in the Black Hills, about 16 miles east of Custer.
Founded in 1890, it was a bustling mining town known for its production of gold, silver, lead and other metals.
At its peak, Spokane had a school, homes and many businesses, but as the mines dried up, the town was abandoned by 1940.
Today, you can still explore the remnants of this once-thriving community, including the old schoolhouse, a watchman’s house and rusting cars.
One intriguing spot is the grave of James Shepard, a resident whose life was taken over a mining claim.
7. Frisco, Utah
Frisco is an intriguing ghost town located in the desert landscape of Beaver County, about 15 miles west of Milford.
Founded in 1875 after the discovery of silver, Frisco quickly became known as one of the wildest mining towns in the West, with a reputation for lawlessness and daily violence.
At its peak, the town was home to around 6,000 people and featured 23 saloons, many ‘houses of ill repute’ and recreational halls.
The town’s fortunes changed dramatically in 1885 when the Horn Silver Mine collapsed, leading to a rapid decline.
Today, you can still explore the remnants of this once-bustling town, including the famous charcoal kilns, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
8. Cahawba, Alabama
Cahawba is a fascinating ghost town located at the confluence of the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers, about 13 miles southwest of Selma.
Once the state’s first capital from 1820 to 1825, it was a bustling river town before being abandoned shortly after the Civil War.
Today, Cahawba is preserved as an archaeological park and offers a glimpse into its interesting past with picturesque ruins.
Known as one of the spookiest ghost towns, it features eerie sites like the slave burial ground and the “New Cemetery,” where visitors have reported hearing ghostly children’s laughter.
The town’s history is rich with tales of flooding, political intrigue and even a prison for Union soldiers during the Civil War.
9. Bodie, California
Bodie is an interesting ghost town situated in the Bodie Hills, east of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Once a bustling gold mining town founded in 1876, Bodie grew rapidly to a population of about 10,000 people and was known for its rowdy Wild West atmosphere.
At its peak, the town had 65 saloons, a bustling Main Street and amenities like a bank and a railroad.
Today, Bodie is preserved in a state of “arrested decay” as a State Historic Park with around 110 structures still standing, including a schoolhouse and a church.
You can explore the town’s fascinating history through self-guided tours and special events like ghost walks and star gazing nights.
Legend has it that Bodie is haunted, with tales of a curse that brings bad luck to those who take any artifacts from the site.
10. Batsto Village, New Jersey
Batsto Village is a fascinating ghost town located in the heart of the Pine Barrens, within Wharton State Forest.
Founded in 1766, this historic site was once a bustling iron-making center, producing goods for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Today, Batsto is beautifully preserved with around 33 historic structures including a mansion, gristmill, sawmill and a general store.
You can explore the village’s interesting history through guided tours and enjoy activities like hiking and wildlife observation in the surrounding state park.
The village also features a unique post office where mail is hand-canceled without a zip code.
11. Burke, Idaho
Burke is a unique ghost town located in a narrow canyon in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains, about seven miles from Wallace.
Established in 1887, Burke thrived as a bustling mining town and was known for its rich silver, lead and zinc deposits.
The town’s unique architecture was a marvel, with the famous Tiger Hotel straddling the main street, railroad and a creek, allowing trains to pass right through its lobby.
Burke’s history is marked by many dramatic events, including violent labor disputes and natural disasters like avalanches and fires.
Mining operations ceased in 1991, leaving behind eerie remnants of the town’s past including decaying buildings and mining equipment.
Today, Burke offers a fascinating glimpse into the challenges and ingenuity of mining life in a canyon so narrow that even the main street was shared with the railroad.
12. Custer, Idaho
Custer is a fascinating ghost town located in the rugged mountains of central Idaho, within the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Founded in 1877 during the gold rush, Custer quickly became a bustling mining town, reaching a peak population of 600 people by 1896.
The town was economically supported by the Lucky Boy and Black mines, and it featured a schoolhouse, saloons and even a small “Chinatown”.
As the gold ran out, Custer was abandoned by 1910, leaving behind lots of history and well-preserved buildings.
Today, Custer is part of the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, where you can explore the restored buildings like the Empire Saloon and the schoolhouse, now a museum.
13. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia is an unusual ghost town located in Columbia County, known for its infamous underground coal mine fire that has been burning since 1962.
Once a bustling mining community with around 2,800 residents in the 1890s, Centralia is now mostly deserted due to the hazardous conditions caused by the fire.
The fire began when a landfill fire accidentally ignited a coal seam, and despite numerous attempts, it has never been extinguished, leaving the ground unstable and emitting dangerous gasses.
Today, only a few residents remain, and the town is eerily quiet, with empty streets and the occasional plume of smoke rising from the ground.
One of the most famous features was the “Graffiti Highway,” an abandoned stretch of road covered in colorful graffiti, however it was buried in 2020 to discourage visitors.
14. Castle Dome, Arizona
Castle Dome is a ghost town located in the scenic Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles north of Yuma.
Established in the 1860s, it was once a bustling mining hub known for its rich deposits of silver, lead and other minerals.
Today, Castle Dome is preserved as a museum with over 50 restored and recreated buildings, including a hotel, church and saloons, offering a glimpse into the Wild West.
The town’s interesting history includes tales of Spanish and French miners, and it even boasts the largest silver-galena bar in the world.
You can also explore the fascinating underground Hull Mine which is famous for its stunning fluorescent mineral walls.
15. Terlingua, Texas
Terlingua is a unique ghost town located in the Chihuahuan Desert, near Big Bend National Park.
Once a booming mining town in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was known for its rich mercury deposits, drawing thousands of miners to the area.
In fact, during World War I, the town’s Chisos Mining Company produced nearly 40% of the nation’s mercury.
Today, you can explore the town’s fascinating history through its ruins, such as the old Chisos Mining Company buildings, and enjoy stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
The town has also become a haven for artists, adventurers and those seeking a laid-back lifestyle, with attractions like the Starlight Theater offering live music and local cuisine.
16. Rhyolite, Nevada
Rhyolite is a fascinating ghost town located near Death Valley National Park, about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Founded in 1905 during a gold rush, Rhyolite quickly grew into a bustling town with up to 5,000 residents, complete with hotels, an opera house and even a stock exchange.
It was famous for its impressive buildings, like the three-story Cook Bank and the unique Tom Kelly Bottle House, made entirely of glass bottles.
However, by 1911, the mines were depleted and the town was abandoned shortly after.
Today, you can explore the remnants of Rhyolite’s glory days and enjoy the Goldwell Open Air Museum, which features intriguing outdoor sculptures.
17. Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is a haunting ghost town located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, making it the southernmost city in the state.
Once a thriving hub during the mid-19th century, Cairo was a bustling center for river trade and steamboat traffic.
However, the town faced a steep decline due to recurring floods, economic shifts and racial tensions, leading to its near abandonment.
Today, Cairo is known for its eerie, deserted streets and crumbling historic buildings, such as the Magnolia Manor and the Cairo Custom House.
Despite its decline, a small number of residents remain, and the town’s interesting history makes it a fascinating destination for those interested in the past.
18. Nevada City, Montana
Nevada City is an interesting ghost town situated in the scenic Madison County, just a short drive from its sister city, Virginia City.
Founded during the gold rush of 1863, it was once a bustling hub for miners seeking fortune following the discovery of gold in Alder Gulch.
Today, Nevada City is a living history museum, featuring over 100 historic buildings that have been meticulously restored to recreate the atmosphere of the 19th century.
You can explore the Nevada City Music Hall, which is home to North America’s largest collection of automated music machines, and enjoy live historical reenactments on weekends.
The town is also connected to Virginia City by a short train ride so it’s really easy to explore Montana’s gold rush past.
19. Monte Cristo, Washington
Monte Cristo is a ghost town located in the rugged Cascade Mountains of Snohomish County.
Founded in 1889 after the discovery of gold and silver, it quickly became a bustling mining hub, attracting thousands of miners and settlers.
The town thrived until 1907, and later transformed into a resort town before being abandoned in 1983.
Today, Monte Cristo is a popular destination for hikers as it features a scenic 8-mile round-trip trail that winds through lush forests and remnants of the town’s mining past.
You can explore the ruins of old buildings and mining equipment, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Cascade peaks.
20. Goldfield, Arizona
Goldfield is a lively ghost town located near the Superstition Mountains, just outside of Apache Junction.
Established in 1892 during a gold rush, it quickly became a bustling mining town with a population of about 5,000 people.
Goldfield boasted a variety of businesses, including saloons, a general store and a schoolhouse, but was abandoned when the gold veins ran out.
Today, it has been revived as a tourist attraction and offers an authentic Wild West experience with activities like gold panning, mine tours and fight reenactments.
You can stroll down Main Street to explore its historic buildings, enjoy a ride on Arizona’s only narrow gauge train and even try out the thrilling Superstition Zipline.
21. White Oaks, New Mexico
White Oaks is a fantastic ghost town situated just northeast of Carrizozo, known for its rich gold mining history.
Founded in 1879 after a gold discovery in the Jicarilla Mountains, it quickly became one of the liveliest towns in the New Mexico Territory.
At its peak, White Oaks was briefly the second largest city in New Mexico, filled with saloons, hotels and even an opera house.
Today, you can explore historic buildings like the Hoyle House and the No Scum Allowed Saloon, a popular spot named one of the “Best Cowboy Bars in the West.”
The town’s decline began when local businessmen refused to accommodate a railroad, leading to its eventual abandonment.
22. Thurmond, West Virginia
Thurmond is a fascinating ghost town located in the heart of the New River Gorge National Park.
Once a bustling railroad hub in the early 1900s, Thurmond was known for its coal industry and lively community, with more coal passing through than even Cincinnati.
The town’s decline began with the switch from steam to diesel locomotives and the Great Depression, leading to a dramatic decrease in population.
Today, only a handful of residents remain, and the town is preserved as a historic district with well-preserved buildings like the train depot, which now serves as a visitor center.
You can also explore the town’s history and enjoy the scenic beauty of the gorge.
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