Pioneer Saloon
Plane crash phantoms and poker game ghosts reportedly haunt the old Pioneer Saloon
Ghost Stories at
Pioneer Saloon
- Disembodied weeping has been heard around the bathrooms
- Shadow figures are seen throughout the building
- Gusts of cold air are said to appear at odd times
- Phantom footsteps are sometimes heard
- Doors reportedly open and close on their own
History of Pioneer Saloon & Goodsprings
What would a small Nevada town be without saloons & ghosts?
At the edge of the desert-hugged hamlet of Goodsprings, Nevada, sits a watering hole that is about as ‘classic Nevada’ as the rest of town.
The Pioneer Saloon, with its old wooden porch and signage well-worn by sun and sand, is that special blend of tantalizing and tumbledown that makes many ghost towns so appealing.
While Pioneer Saloon still carries many physical marks from its past, some people believe it also carries metaphysical ones, ghosts from Wild West Nevada still warming the barstools of the historic saloon.
Timeline of Pioneer Saloon's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Pioneer Saloon through the years
1900
In the late 1800s, silver reigned supreme in Nevada and little else mattered. So, when prospectors near modern day Las Vegas set up camp and only found lead, they packed up and left. But one miner, Joe Good, saw opportunity in the region. When smelting furnaces opened nearby, the lead suddenly became profitable. He founded the town of Goodsprings in 1900 to support budding lead mines in the area. Soon, a rail line arrived, and families started moving in. And where people went, pubs followed.
1913
The Pioneer Saloon opened in Goodsprings in 1913. The little pub quickly became a popular fixture of Goodsprings life and culture. Nights of drinking sometimes turned rowdy, games of poker sometimes devolved into gunfights, and ladies in town sometimes turned decent profits entertaining prospectors and visitors. In just a short time, Pioneer Saloon had developed into a perfect example of rough-and-tumble mine town life. And while prosperity in town fluctuated with the price of lead, Pioneer Saloon maintained a steady stream of regular business.
1942
As World War II turbocharged the lead market and brought a boom to Goodsprings, the Pioneer Saloon was about to go down in Hollywood history. Early in the US’s war effort, actress Carole Lombard toured the nation selling war bonds. But while returning to California in January, 1942, Lombard’s plane struck a mountain outside Las Vegas. Lombard’s husband, Clark Gable, came to the area as a search was mounted. Legend says Gable waited for word at the Pioneer Saloon. Unfortunately, Lombard and everyone else on the flight perished in the crash.
2025
After the war, Goodsprings was nearly forgotten as Las Vegas became the main attraction. Despite this, the Pioneer Saloon remained open, doing well to attract Las Vegas tourists. In more recent years, the Pioneer Saloon has become an attraction in its own right, with many Las Vegas visitors trekking out to see the well-preserved historic saloon. But, some who visit say there’s more than just heirlooms and antiques making the saloon’s atmosphere so unique. Some say its spirits, and not the alcoholic kind, that make Pioneer Saloon so special.
Is Pioneer Saloon Haunted?
One of Pioneer Saloon’s most famous ghost stories stems from the Carole Lombard incident. Though she never visited the bar before her death, many now think her spirit lingers where her husband reportedly sat in wait for her after the accident.
Today, phantom crying is often heard coming from the women’s bathroom in the saloon, with many saying it’s Lombard’s spirit, despondent after so many years of waiting for her husband to find her. Shadow figures are also spotted around the bathroom hallway, sometimes accompanied by gusts of unexplainably cold air.
Pioneer’s Paranormal Poker Player
Another spirit said to remain at the Pioneer Saloon stems from a card game gone wrong. Supposedly, a player in a poker game was caught cheating and, after trying to run off with his ill-gotten gains, was gunned down by another player. In the saloon today, bullet holes from that shooting can still be found in the walls, near a framed letter describing the event from the local justice of the peace at the time.
Now, that murdered poker player is often spotted hanging around the bar and drinking with other patrons. And after closing time, his spirit is sometimes heard slamming doors and loudly walking throughout the barroom.
The Saloon’s Miner Mysteries
Two other spirits are said to meander around the old saloon, though their identities are less certain. One is said to be the figure of an old miner with a wrinkled hat.
He isn’t known for much other than appearing and disappearing around the bar, simply milling about, much like any other bar patron.
Another spirit reported around the Pioneer Saloon is that of Ruby, a woman who was supposedly once a prostitute around town. She is said to be featured in numerous illustrations and images now adorning the saloon’s walls.
Ruby is also said to linger around the bathrooms, bringing into question just which spirit is to blame for the crying and cold spots reported in that area – Ruby or Carole?
Find Ghosts in Goodsprings
Ghost legends around the Pioneer Saloon have become part of the business’ larger allure and mystique in recent years.
While the pub attracts crowds for its food, drinks, and unique atmosphere, they’ve also entertained more than their fair share of paranormal enthusiasts and ghost hunters.
The saloon regularly hosts ‘Haunted Lockdown’ events where interested members of the public can tour and investigate the space, and employees are often known to share their personal experiences around the saloon with any patron who asks. The saloon’s menu even offers a special ‘Ghost Burger.’
Pioneer Saloon today is both a popular pub and a cultural center for its little town, the perfect place for any outsider to stop in and meet all the good spirits of Goodsprings, Nevada.
