12 Most Haunted Places in New Mexico: Demons of the Desert
You’ve just discovered the 13 most haunted places in New Mexico.
Known as the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico isn’t just about adobe architecture and desert vistas. From hauntings in historic pueblos to shadowy figures wandering ancient trails, New Mexico offers a whole different kind of enchantment.
Learn the lore of the 12 most haunted places in New Mexico:
La Posada de Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Spread throughout 6 historic acres in downtown Santa Fe, La Posada de Santa Fe is renowned as one of the most haunted places in New Mexico. At its heart lies the Staab House, a Victorian mansion built in 1882 by merchant Abraham Staab for his wife, Julia.
Julia Staab, originally from Germany, moved to Santa Fe with Abraham in 1865. The couple had 7 surviving children, but Julia had many difficult pregnancies, leaving her with physical and emotional challenges. Despite treatments, including trips to European health resorts, Julia’s health declined, and she died in 1896 at 52.
Reports of Julia began in 1979 when a janitor saw a woman in Victorian attire near a fireplace. Since then, staff and guests have seen things like: gas fireplaces turning on and off, swaying chandeliers, and personal items disappearing from rooms.
Julia’s apparition is often seen in her former bedroom, now Suite 100, and the hallways of the Staab House. La Posada de Santa Fe even offers a Julia Staab Ghost Package, inviting visitors to spend 2 nights at this historic, haunted resort and enjoy welcome drinks at the famous Staab House bar, where Julia’s friendly spirit has been known to linger.
As part of the package, you’ll also receive a copy of American Ghost by Julia’s great-great-granddaughter, Hannah Nordhaus.
The Lodge at Cloudcroft
Cloudcroft
Perched at 9,000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains, The Lodge at Cloudcroft is a Victorian-style masterpiece surrounded by massive pine trees. This charming inn, adorned in cherry burgundy and gray hues, features lovely stained glass windows and a lookout tower.
Rebecca’s Restaurant has amazing food, plus an outdoor patio that overlooks the pool and gardens. Named after the lodge’s resident ghost, Rebecca, the restaurant is decorated with her portraits and displays a quilt featuring her image in the lobby.
Legend has it that in the early 1900s, Rebecca, a beautiful maid with striking blue eyes and red hair, vanished after her lumberjack lover discovered her with another man. Many believe Rebecca still roams the halls, moving ashtrays, opening and closing doors, rearranging furniture, flickering lights on and off, and even igniting fires in the fireplace.
The Governor’s Suite, Room 101, is Rebecca’s hangout. Guests have reported receiving mysterious phone calls, and operators note the line to Room 101 frequently lights up, even when unoccupied. In the Red Dog Saloon, patrons have seen ashtrays moving on their own and flames appearing in the fireplace without any source.
Foster’s Hotel
Chama
Foster’s Hotel stands as a reminder that the Wild West era was really that wild. Today, its reputation as one of the most haunted places in New Mexico brings visitors from all over.
Established in 1881 to accommodate travelers of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, this 2 story structure has witnessed over a century of history.
The hotel’s second floor, now closed to the public, is super haunted. There are reports of 3 distinct manifestations:
- The Poisoned Judge: In the late 1800s, a woman appointed as a local judge was poisoned by men displeased with her position. They reportedly added poison to a pitcher of water in her hotel room, leading to her death. Guests have reported hearing her agonizing gasps and choking sounds coming from the southwest corner room.
- The Young Girl: Staff have heard the cries of a young girl, believed to have died from an illness over a century ago, in a room across the hall from the judge’s.
- The Cowboy: A ghostly cowboy, possibly from the town’s railroad days, wanders the hotel’s halls, with his heavy boots echoing through the night.
Fact
Foster’s Hotel is one of the few commercial buildings in Chama to have withstood multiple town fires.
La Fonda on the Plaza
Santa Fe
Perched at 100 E. San Francisco Street in Santa Fe’s historic district, La Fonda on the Plaza is a a slice of New Mexico history and is definitely haunted. While the current hotel was constructed in 1922, its roots trace back to 1607, when the city’s first inn was established on the site.
The original adobe inn was also a makeshift courthouse, where justice was swift and public hangings were conducted in the lobby.
Over the centuries, guests have reported hearing heavy footsteps pacing the hallways late into the night. One account describes a hotel employee witnessing a man in a long black coat disappearing into a stairwell, only to find no one there.
The hotel’s restaurant is said to be haunted by the spirit of a businessman who, after losing his fortune to gambling and drinking, committed suicide by diving into the well that once occupied the courtyard. Diners and staff have reported seeing a figure walk to the center of the restaurant and vanish where the well once stood.
Room 510, known as the wedding suite, is allegedly haunted by a young bride murdered on her wedding night by an ex-lover. Her presence has also been felt in the lobby, basement, and elevator.
La Fonda’s paranormal portfolio also includes sightings of a long-dead cowboy whose origin is unknown, impressions of unseen guests lying in beds, unexplained footsteps, and orbs popping up in photos.
KiMo Theatre
Albuquerque
The KiMo Theatre, a Pueblo Deco picture palace, opened its doors on September 19, 1927, and has since become one of the most haunted places in New Mexico. This architectural gem blends Native American motifs with Art Deco design.
Tragedy struck in 1951 when a water heater explosion in the lobby killed 6-year-old Bobby Darnall. Visitors have seen a young boy in a striped shirt and blue jeans playing on the lobby staircase.
Bobby is said to disrupt performances, tripping actors or messing with props. To appease him, performers often hang doughnuts on a water pipe behind the stage. Amazingly, these treats sometimes disappear overnight, with small bite marks left behind!
Another presence at KiMo is that of a woman in a bonnet, seen strolling the hallways as if attending to her daily tasks. Unlike Bobby, she doesn’t interact with the living, seemingly set on one goal as she moves through the hallways.
Old Main Prison
Santa Fe
The Old Main Prison was the site of one of the most violent prison riots in U.S. history. Located within the New Mexico State Penitentiary complex, Old Main was established in 1956 to replace the original 1885 penitentiary and operated until its closure in 1998.
On February 2, 1980, the infamous 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary Riot erupted, lasting 36 hours and resulting in the deaths of approximately 33 inmates and the torture of 12 guards who were taken hostage.
Inmates seized the entire facility, including the control center, administrative offices, and the pharmacy. They set fires and destroyed records throughout the prison.
Cell Block 4, housing inmates in protective custody, became the epicenter of violence as many of the residents were called “snitches” or informants for police. Using blowtorches from a construction project, inmates breached cells and formed execution squads that tortured and murdered fellow prisoners.
Victims were tortured before being killed, with methods including beatings, stabbing, and dismemberment intended to send a message of dominance and revenge. This brutality made the identification of some victims nearly impossible.
Staff quickly fled the building as chaos ensued, and the riot burned on for a full 36 hours. The inmates only surrendered after law enforcement made negotiations with the prisoners and promised to quick fixes to their problems.
The aftermath left parts of Old Main flooded due to broken pipes and fires. After intense negotiations and the intervention of state and city police, control was regained. While all 12 of the hostages survived, many suffered severe injuries. The official death toll is 33, though the true number remains unknown because many bodies were dismembered.
Fact
Today, Old Main is closed but offers tours and is also a film set. Visitors and film crews have reported paranormal encounters, including sightings of dark-dressed figures that vanish upon approach. One account details a crew member witnessing such a figure enter a bathroom only to find it empty when he went inside.
Casa Vieja
Corrales
The charming Casa Vieja is a historic adobe building dating back to the 1700s.
Over the centuries, it has been a French nunnery, jail, country store, private residence, and, these days, a brewery. During renovations, workers discovered a hidden portrait of the Duke of Épernon within the thick adobe walls, inspiring the name for The Duke’s Red Ale, one of 9 signature beers brewed on-site.
The building’s storied past lives as a courthouse, insane asylum, brothel, and convent. Visitors and staff at Casa Vieja have seen a woman in a black dress wandering the halls; the sound of music and kids’ laughter is heard in empty rooms. Orbs have been seen at night on the infrared cameras.
Brewery staff say the spirits of the Casa are benevolent and welcoming.
El Rancho Hotel
Gallup
Perched along the iconic Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico, the El Rancho Hotel has been a beacon for travelers and Hollywood stars since its opening in 1937. Built by R.E. Griffith, brother of famed director D.W. Griffith, the hotel became a central hub for film productions, hosting legends like John Wayne, Lucille Ball, and Doris Day.
Beyond its cinematic side, El Rancho is one of the most haunted places in New Mexico:
- Auditory hauntings: Guests hear late-night laughter, heavy footsteps, and mysterious tapping echoing through its halls.
- The Bridal Suite: Housekeepers have witnessed clothes on the bed taking on human form as if someone were trying them on, sudden cold spots, and doors opening and closing on their own.
- The John Wayne Room: This room has been the site of numerous strange occurrences, with some visitors claiming to see the Duke himself crossing the parking lot in full Western attire.
The hotel’s prized collection of memorabilia, including photos of its famous guests, maybe the reason it’s haunted.
Dawson Cemetery
Dawson
We often think of cities as everlasting, something that will be around before and after us, but isn’t always true.
The only remaining proof of a once-thriving mining town Dawson Cemetery, stands as one of the most haunted places in New Mexico. Established in 1901 alongside the opening of the Dawson coal mine, the city of Dawson quickly developed, even containing a theater, hotel, hospital, and golf course.
On October 22, 1913, a catastrophic explosion killed 263 miners and 2 rescuers. Less than a decade later, another explosion resulted in 120 deaths. After the mine’s closure in 1950 due to declining local demand for coal, Dawnson was dismantled, leaving the cemetery as the only sign that a town ever existed there.
Today, visitors report seeing long-dead miners standing silently among the graves, their faces illuminated by the glow of phantom lanterns. Others describe hearing faint but painful cries carried on the wind, possibly related to the mining disasters.
The cemetery contains over 350 white iron crosses that mark the graves of dead miners. Some have names, and others are unmarked; these are all that remains of a once-busy mining town.
Double Eagle Restaurant
Mesilla
In the heart of historic Mesilla, the Double Eagle Restaurant occupies the town’s oldest building, an adobe home constructed during Mesilla’s boom in the 1840s. Following the Mexican-American War, many Mexican citizens, discontent with the new U.S. governance, relocated to Mesilla, causing the town to grow fast.
Eventually, the building transitioned from a private residence to a cotton warehouse and various shops until 1972. The new owner hired designer John Miegs to curate museum-quality antiques, paintings, and sculptures, creating the fancy Double Eagle we know and love today.
Armando and Inez
Beyond its rich history and food, the Double Eagle is famed as one of the most haunted places in New Mexico, mostly due to the romantic story of Armando and Inez, often called a Southwestern Romeo and Juliet.
Armando, the heir of the affluent Maes family, fell deeply in love with Inez, a beautiful maid employed in their household. Their romance was discovered by Armando’s mother, Señora Carlotta Maes, who, in a fit of rage, fired Inez and forbade any further contact.
Of course, that didn’t keep the two lovers apart.
One day, Señora Maes returned home unexpectedly to find them in bed. Overcome with fury, stabbed and killed Inez with a pair of sewing shears. In the ensuing struggle, Armando was also wounded and died from his injuries 3 days later.
Manifestations of Armando and Inez:
- Unexplained cold spots, flickering lights, and the sensation of unseen presences.
- Full-blown manifestation of the young lovers in the hallway.
- Señora Carlotta Maes has been seen, said to be seeking reconciliation with her son. Her presence is more subdued but has been associated with feelings of deep sadness.
Fort Union National Monument
Watrous
Fort Union National Monument is a striking reminder of the Old West. Established in 1851, this fort once commanded the intersection of the Mountain and Cimarron branches of the Santa Fe Trail, serving as a military stronghold.
With its crumbling adobe walls, lonely chimneys, and roofless rooms, it feels like stepping into an old Western movie.
The most famous haunting here is another tale of forbidden love: The sister-in-law of a captain fell hopelessly in love with a lieutenant. Before leading a mission against an Apache uprising, he proposed to her, and she vowed to wait for him. Tragically, he never returned..and she soon became engaged to another man.
On the night of her wedding, the door burst open. The ghostly figure of the lieutenant, dressed in his bloodied uniform, entered. He swept the bride into a haunting waltz, spinning her until she collapsed, lifeless, in his arms, and he laid her on the ground before disappearing.
To this day, the lieutenant has been seen in bloody uniform and all near the Fort Union entrance.
Deaths on the Battlefield
Fort Union played a key role in several notable battles, including its involvement in the Battle of Glorieta Pass during the Civil War in 1862. Known as the “Gettysburg of the West,” this battle saw bloody fights as Union forces repelled the Confederate Army. The conflict resulted in the death of 33 people.
Today, people have heard faint whispers and desperate cries carried on the winds through the crumbling adobe walls. Shadows are seen moving across the empty fort, and an unsettling chill lingers over the former officer’s quarters.
Hotel Parq Central
Albuquerque
Hotel Parq Central is more than just a luxurious getaway. Its reputation is one of the most haunted places in New Mexico. The building began its life in 1924 as the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Hospital, later becoming Memorial Hospital, a psychiatric facility in the 1980s. By the time it transformed into a boutique hotel in 2010, it was already haunted AF.
During its time as a hospital, patients and staff reported unsettling experiences. Many saw apparitions, particularly that of a woman on the third-floor wing, watching silently from the halls. Patients described feeling unseen hands tugging at their bedsheets in the dead of night, and hospital staff also experienced whispers in their ears, objects moving unassisted, and an oppressive heaviness in certain areas of the building.
Guests today have continued to report unexplained sounds, shuffling in stairwells, and feelings of being watched.
Union County Courthouse
Albuquerque
The Union County Courthouse stands as a symbol of history and mystery. Built in 1909, it has witnessed over a century of legal battles and local events. Its neoclassical architecture, with towering columns and intricate details, reflects the ambitions of a growing Albuquerque.
The courthouse was reconstructed in 1909 after a tornado destroyed the original building. Today, it’s believed to host the spirits of many who have passed on, including that of Tom “Black Jack” Ketchum. Ketchum, a notorious outlaw, was executed in front of the original courthouse. His hanging was botched, resulting in his decapitation.
Employees have seen Ketchum’s apparition and orbs following them through the halls, and the jail cell where he was held is said to be oppressively cold.
Haunt Us
Don’t let your ghost stories go untold. Have you been to any of the most haunted places in New Mexico? Share your ghost-hunting experiences in the comments below, visit the forums, and become part of our haunted community.
