Silver Queen Hotel
A phantom prostitute is just one of the spirits said to reside at the Silver Queen Hotel
Ghost Stories of
Silver Queen Hotel
- The apparition of a former prostitute is seen around the hotel floors
- Unexplained EMF anomalies have been encountered around Room 11
- Room doors are said to be knocked on by unseen entities
- Loud footsteps are heard around the hotel
- Growls and deep voices have been heard around Room 11
- Door knobs reportedly rattle without known cause
History Lives on at Silver Queen Hotel
Picture this: In a tourist-packed town stuffed with hotels, there’s one lodge that offers no elevators, no air conditioning, no TVs, no Wi-Fi…and yet it’s the most popular hotel in town.
Welcome to the Silver Queen Hotel in Virginia City, Nevada.
It’s a wonder how a hotel with so few modern amenities stays open, until you realize the folks who come to Virginia City come to escape modernity and embrace history. And no lodge in town embraces that history quite as snugly as the Silver Queen, which puts the hotel in high demand not just for lodging, but also for weddings, bar events, and even ghost hunts.
The hauntings said to linger around the Silver Queen are no secret, and while ghost stories are common in Virginia City, the Silver Queen Hotel might be the only place in town where you’re allowed to room with spirits for the night.
Timeline of Silver Queen Hotel's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Silver Queen Hotel through the years
1875
In the early boomtown days of Virginia City, plenty of hotels and inns dotted the town to accommodate the influx of new miners and wealthy investors looking to capitalize on the successful mines in the region. Unfortunately, a fire in 1875 destroyed all of that. But the mines remained booming and so the town was rebuilt. From that reconstruction came the Silver Queen Hotel, a handsome and more fire-proof brick building that well-suited the small but growing community.
1876
Opened a year after the fire in 1876, the Silver Queen Hotel appeared on what was then one of Virginia City’s busiest streets. The hotel proved a quick success in the boomtown. Along with hotel rooms, the Silver Queen boasted a large barroom on the ground floor, and was known to employ its fair share of ‘comfort girls’ to attract further business. The Silver Queen was poised to stay successful for as long as Virginia City was. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be much longer.
1900
While the town recovered from the 1875 fire, the mining boom was already waning by then. Virginia City’s population continued to dwindle through the rest of the 1800s, hovering just over 2,500 by 1900. Mines in the area continued to see reduced output, while industrial disasters compounded problems for both workers and investors. It seemed only a matter of time before Virginia City would fade away, and likely take the Silver Queen down with it.
2009
While the glory days were gone, both Virginia City and the Silver Queen Hotel managed to avoid the fate of ‘ghost town.’ The population steadied in the early 1900s, while Silver Queen’s saloon helped supplement lost hotel business. But as Wild West media grew in popularity, Virginia City became a tourist destination. Historic restorations, including work on the Silver Queen, supported the town’s new life. Work culminated in 2009, when Virginia City received the Distinctive Destinations Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
2025
Today, the Silver Queen Hotel is, in many ways, a historic extension of Virginia City’s preservation. Many rooms are restored to 1870s looks and appearances. And while many spaces lack modern amenities, that has become a central part of the Silver Queen’s historic charm. But more than just a historic look, modern visitors say spirits of history still check into the Silver Queen Hotel’s guest rooms. Visits from ghost hunters and TV programs in recent years have made the Silver Queen a Virginia City paranormal hotspot.
Is Silver Queen Hotel Haunted?
Much like the rest of Virginia City, the Silver Queen Hotel is flourishing today thanks to the popularity of old westerns giving way to a broad societal interest in ghost towns and that unmistakable Wild West aesthetic.
And, once more like the rest of Virginia City, the Silver Queen Hotel benefits from the draw of ghost stories. Souls from Virginia City’s colorful past are known to cling to every artifact they can and, for some, that artifact is the Silver Queen Hotel.
Wraiths in Room 11
While several guest rooms at the Silver Queen are known to be haunted, the most famous is Room 11. In that room in the late 1800s, a sex worker named Rosie killed herself in the bathtub, or so legend says.
Now, Rosie’s spirit is one of the most often encountered specters of the Silver Queen. Rosie’s apparition is regularly seen at the top of the long, steep stairwell, as well as lingering around the room where she died.
Mysterious Meter Readings in Room 11
Guests utilizing EMF detectors have also encountered high readings around Room 11. Readings that seem to shift in location and intensity without explanation.
Rosie’s spirit is also said to wander the halls at night and knock on room doors, startling guests.
Outside Room 11, guests have said that growls and deep, disembodied voices can sometimes be heard, as if some specter is guarding the room.
Other times, guests walking that hall report hearing someone run up behind them. But, they will turn around to find no other living soul in sight.
Phantom Footsteps & Shaking Doors
Beyond the hauntings of Room 11, strange happenings have been reported all throughout the Silver Queen Hotel.
One frequent report is that door handles will shake and rattle, though no one is ever on the other side of the doors when they’re opened.
Loud footsteps are also regularly reported around the hotel. Curiously, many who hear the footsteps claim they sound like they’re landing on hardwood, despite most of the hotel being carpeted.
Sudden loud bangs also startle unsuspecting visitors, with some saying it sounds like doors being slammed, though this has even been reported at times when there are no other guests in the hotel.
Hunt Ghosts at Silver Queen Hotel
The Silver Queen Hotel seems to be just as haunted as it is historical. With so many paranormal reports and well-defined ghostly identities, it’s no wonder why the Silver Queen attracts a long line of ghost hunting guests today.
Room 11, understandably, remains the Silver Queen’s most popular booking.
Interest in ghostly lore has increased in recent years after both the hotel and the surrounding town have been featured numerous times on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and other popular paranormal TV programs.
While there’s no shortage of ghost stories around Virginia City, the Silver Queen Hotel deftly balances the creepiness of hauntings with the comfort of hospitality.
