Plains Hotel
This cornerstone of frontier luxury is haunted by a strange and uncertain story from its past
Ghost Stories of
the Plains Hotel
- The apparition of a jilted bride is seen at times
- Guests report unexplainable feelings of dread and unease
- Laughter and crying are regularly reported in a particular room
- A woman in a red dress is spotted in certain halls
- The apparition of a man in a tuxedo is sometimes seen
The Welcoming Frontier:
History of the Plains Hotel
There are few places in the western United States that hold onto the spirit of the untamed frontier better than Wyoming.
In the early 1900s, thousands of settlers headed west to find success in the Wyoming frontier. Many of them stepped off their trains in Cheyenne, and the first place they went was the Plains Hotel.
Steps from the old Cheyenne rail depot, the Plains Hotel was the unofficial Wyoming welcome wagon. Many people called the Plains Hotel a temporary home as they forged new paths through the frontier state.
For some, the home proved more than temporary. Still today, the specters of early 1900s travelers may remain in the Plains Hotel, haunting all the modern guests.
Timeline of Plains Hotel's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Plains Hotel through the years
1911
Less than twenty years into being a state, Wyoming’s population was exploding. Cheyenne itself was at the center of rapid development, but lacked a large, luxurious hotel. Fundraising for a hotel started quickly, and by the summer of 1910, work had begun on Cheyenne’s new lodge. Opened to the public in 1911, the Plains Hotel instantly became the largest and most modern hotel the city had ever seen. Right away, travelers as well as locals started booking rooms.
1930
With over a hundred guest rooms over five floors, the Plains Hotel stayed busy in the early 1900s as Wyoming’s population grew. Into the 1930s, an aesthetic update was needed to keep the hotel competitive. Ownership brought in Thomas Molesworth, a revered interior designer in the region, to help the Plains stand out. Molesworth’s updates proved to be just the boost the hotel needed, and the Plains saw continued success with its updated design.
2026
The Plains Hotel’s steady success continues to this day. Wyoming is no longer booming with new settlers, but the hotel’s operation remains as busy as ever. The hotel today is a treasured historic gemstone in Cheyenne, and is often the first choice lodge of visiting history buffs. Along with historians, the modern Plains Hotel also attracts ghost hunters. For years, tales of strange happenings in guest rooms and hauntings in the halls have lingered around the hotel.
Is The Plains Hotel Haunted?
The most popular ghost story at the Plains Hotel tells of a woman named Rosie. Reportedly, Rosie was on her honeymoon at the Plains when she saw her husband leave the bar with another woman.
She followed from a distance until she saw the pair disappear into a guest room.
In a rage, Rosie apparently burst into the room and shot her new husband and his lover dead. She then returned to their suite and turned the gun on herself.
To date, no one has uncovered any record of this event happening, but Rosie’s story is still told to explain the unexplainable at the Plains Hotel.
Room 444: The Most Haunted Room at the Plains Hotel
Separated from her dubious backstory, Rosie’s activity often stirs its own commotion. Her specter is said to wander the hotel sometimes, but she mostly sticks around Room 444.
Guests in that room regularly report disembodied voices, as well as ghostly cries and unnerving laughter coming from the room at all hours of the day. Out in the fourth-floor halls, guests and staff sometimes see Rosie’s apparition, always in the same blue dress.
The Plains Hotel Ghost in the Red Dress: Who Is She?
Down on the second floor, another woman’s figure is sometimes seen. Some think this woman’s spirit is another manifestation of Rosie, but others aren’t so sure.
While Rosie frequently appears wearing blue, the second floor specter more often wears a red dress. This has led some to wonder if the second floor spirit isn’t Rosie, but instead, the woman she killed. Not far from there, other guests claim to see the ghost of a man in a tuxedo. Perhaps Rosie’s husband, enjoying a haunt of his own?
The Most Unexplained Cheyenne Ghost Story
Though most of the Plains Hotel’s ghost stories surround Rosie, one more tale suggests another ghost is somewhere in the mix. This tale tells of an unknown woman, once again lodging on the fourth floor with her lover. In this story, the mystery woman’s lover threw her from the hotel to her death.
This is another Plains Hotel tale with little historic backing. But regardless, this mystery woman is sometimes blamed for feelings of dread felt by hotel guests. The eerie feelings apparently come on suddenly, and can occur just about anywhere in the hotel.
Why the Plains Hotel Remains Wyoming’s Most Haunted Hotel
Many hotels change and develop as time goes on. The Plains Hotel has the special distinction of doing very little major development. Aside from the necessary modernizations and comforts, the Plains keeps the spirit of old frontier hospitality alive.
The hotel has been an unshaken monument in Cheyenne for well over a hundred years, and it seems certain to stand another hundred more.
Ghost tours aren’t the Plains Hotel’s main attraction. But the ghostly stories are an undeniable draw for many modern guests.
The Plains Hotel is no longer Cheyenne’s sole luxury hotel. Though, thanks to the ghosts in its walls, it’ll always be the local lodge with the most soul.
