Most of us are secretly fascinated by the dark. We love scary tales and folklore and find ourselves watching television shows and movies featuring ghosts and the paranormal. We use our search engines to find ghoulish tales, especially around Halloween when anything seems possible. Children love their trick or treating, but adults enjoy the more spookalicious, day-of-the-dead creepiness, any time of year.
We’ve already visited a few predominant areas in previous articles such as The Haunting of Southern Nevada and Virginia City, Nevada - the Historic Town with a Haunting Past, but West and Southwestern Nevada also feature many reportedly haunted sites. A few of these may surprise you, while a few may feel eerily familiar. Urban legends and ghostly folklore predominate this richly historic region. Come visit a few spots along with me?
West and Southwestern Nevada
For whatever reason, the western part of Nevada is especially awe-inspiring. Miners cry out for revenge, those murdered demand recourse. Haunting spirits wander the hallways and canyons of Reno and Carson City. Whether it’s the age of the towns, actual ghost towns or their rough history and sudden brutal deaths, it’s bound to make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
Reno – Unearthly Screams, Phantom Lights and Strange Apparations
Park Lane Mall: This modern shopping mall is home to Gottschalks, Century Theatres and 70 stores and restaurants. It is haunted by the ghost of a former shopper who was murdered there. In 1976, a young woman was found dead in the old downstairs bathroom. Her murder was never solved, and she is said to still haunt the bottom floor of the mall. Her apparition appears most often around 9:00 pm on the third Saturday of the month. Park Lane Mall is at 310 East Plumb Lane in south Reno.
Robb Canyon: The canyon is host to the spirits of murdered miners looking for revenge and resolution. In the early 1970s, the mutilated bodies of a woman and 3 men were unearthed in what was then a remote high desert canyon in west Reno. To this day, the murders have not been solved, and several visiting psychics feel that the dead may be attempting to engage the living to solve their gruesome murders. Currently the canyon sits below a city park, and the mesa-top high above is speckled with houses. Over the years, residents have reported strange lights and disturbing sounds echoing up the canyon, including a blood-curdling scream that “you will never forget for the rest of your life.” Although long-time residents are reluctant to speak of their experiences, it’s difficult not to find someone without a personal account of paranormal activity. While many other west Reno parks are crowded in summer evenings, you will not find anyone here after sunset. Robb Canyon blogspot and Unearthly Realms has further information.
South Virginia Street: Busy Virginia Street, south of the Truckee River, is haunted by the sounds of children crying. Sometimes ghostly children are reported to be walking in the streets. Eerie sights and sounds are believed to originate decades past, from Native American children who died from chicken pox and are buried somewhere in the area. This is common folklore and experiences shared by area residents.
Carson City – Home to a Benign Spirit
Curry House: Abe Curry left his wife behind in New York, when he came west to search for gold in 1850. It took several years for him to make enough money to bring her west, and in 1871, he built her a beautiful limestone home. But when Abe died, his total wealth consisted of a single silver dollar he had in his pocket. That may be why Curry remains in his home, patiently searching for his wife Mary, whom he left alone and destitute. The privately owned house is on the corner of North Nevada and West Telegraph streets at 406 North Nevada Street, Carson City, NV 89703. The house is featured on the Kit Carson Trail Ghost Tour. For information, please call 800-638-2321.
Nevada State Museum: Abe Curry was the head of the Carson Mint in the late 1800s. He built this rugged, fortress-like structure to house the U.S. Mint in 1869, and used the same type of stone to build his home 2 years later. Eventually, the building became the headquarters for the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society. Curry’s friendly spirit is felt by many here. The museum is at 600 North Carson Street, Carson City, NV. Phone: 702-687-4810. Tours of Carson City’s haunted sites are organized from this site in October. For information, please call 800-638-2321.
Sources:
- ghostvillage.com
- Orderling, Janice Haunted Nevada
- Unearthly Realms
Sharon Damon - Writing is my passion. I have published poetry and write for Examiner and other publications. I love my fascinating home, Las Vegas!
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