Montana Ghost Town Tour

Bannack is Montana’s best-preserved ghost town and today is a state park of the same name. As the site of Montana’s first major gold discovery in 1862, this town once boomed with more than 3,000 residents. Now, the more than 50 buildings that line the main street help to tell the story of the region’s heyday and are accessible year-round. The abandoned structures aren’t the only thing surviving from the town’s prime: There are supposedly several spirits who still call Bannack home. Visitors have seen apparitions in the windows of buildings, heard the cries of a baby in the vicinity of a particular home and witnessed shadowy figures near the general store. 

Established in the early 20th century, Coolidge was the site of Montana’s largest and final silver development. Today, visitors can see the remains of buildings, a mill and a railway at the ghost town, located near the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway. It’s a 15-minute hike from the Coolidge Ghost Town trailhead and is easily accessible during the warmer months. 

South of Helena, this 19th-century town tucked away in the mountains was once a silver mining community. Its wooden buildings have been well preserved and have been recorded in the Historic American Buildings Society. Elkhorn is surrounded by scenic hiking trails, making for a great day trip to explore the abandoned town. 

Just outside of Missoula, this town was established in 1897 and was once home to more than 1,000 gold miners and their families. You can visit the ghost town and its nearly 130-year-old buildings year-round, but the site is accessible only by foot (on cross-country skis or snowshoes) and snowmobile during the winter months. There’s been plenty of paranormal activity around Garnet, particularly near Kelly’s Saloon. Late at night, passersby have heard the sounds of a piano and men’s voices coming from the abandoned building. 

This silver boomtown near present-day Philipsburg had a population of nearly 3,000 miners at its peak, but after the Silver Panic of 1893, the town’s residents left in droves. Now, Granite Ghost Town State Park features the superintendent’s house and the remains of the Union Hall. The drive up to the town is rugged but scenic, with vistas overlooking the sweeping valley, and there’s plenty of hiking and exploring to be done once you make it to the top. 

In the heart of the North Moccasin Mountains lies Kendall. In its prime, the town had an underground mine and mill and a population of about 1,500. Eventually, the town’s inhabitants migrated to nearby communities that were better connected by the railroad, leaving behind the remains of a few structures that have been maintained by nearby Boy Scout troops. 

These historic towns lie within a mile of each other in the heart of Southwest Montana. Founded in the 1860s, Virginia City was at one time the state’s territorial capital, and the two towns were home to nearly 10,000 people at the height of the gold rush. Visitors can explore Virginia City year-round and nearby Nevada City from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The history here goes much deeper than mining, with the Elling House experiencing hauntings from its original residents. Mary Elling supposedly prevented new owners from renovating her house by shattering glass windows, peeling up wallpaper and preventing nails from being hammered in.