Haunted Places in Las Vegas
After Las Vegas’s founding in 1905, a railroad opened linking Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Fresh water was irrigated to the new town after farmers were drawn there. In 1931, work started on the Hoover Dam (originally called the Boulder Dam), which attracted young male workers. The Mafia built most of the theatres and casinos for these men. The Mafia ran Vegas for many years, so it’s not surprising that a town built with blood money saw many deaths. While the Mafia are no longer there, they left behind their casinos, and their ghosts. Here are some of the haunted places in Las Vegas:
Excalibur
Walking along the corridor of the 10th floor, people report feeling someone hovering at their back, or hear someone whisper in their ear. We experienced nothing while staying in this hotel.
There’s also the megabucks curse. A cocktail waitress at the Desert Inn won the first ever jackpot at the Excalibur, worth $34.9 million. She was then in a nasty car accident which left her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Rumours linked to other jackpot winners are untrue.
Luxor
It’s unsurprising a hotel modelled after ancient Egyptian pyramids is plagued by accidents and ghosts. It has an unusually high number of murders, suicides and unexplained deaths, which explains why it’s one of the most haunted places in Las Vegas. However, people killing themselves reflects badly on the hotel, so most go unreported.
The Luxor is reportedly haunted by several construction workers who died during construction. Another website says there are 5 ghosts – 3 construction workers and 2 guests, who died after jumping from the open hallways into the casino below. A female ghost has been seen wandering the 12th and 14th floor hallways. Guests report feeling cold spots and someone breathing on their necks. A metallic clang haunts Room 30018 every morning at 8:30 a.m.
Deadly Blonde
A blonde woman haunts several rooms, where visitors have reported waking with the feeling of someone’s hands around their throats after dreaming of a blonde woman. Other guests don’t mention a blonde woman, but they wake with their hearts pounding, covered in sweat and finding it difficult to breathe. There are also reports of furious banging on the doors, yet security claim the corridors are empty.
One woman jumped from the 26th floor, dying instantly from severe head wounds. She landed by the buffet entrance, which is now a food court. Her lack of ID and her severe injuries prevented identification. She haunts the 26th floor. A man fell from the 10th floor, but this was ruled an accident.
In 2012, an airman who worked at the Nellis Air Force Base got into an altercation with a colleague in west tower’s first-floor lobby. The colleague pushed the airman into the lift door, which opened, despite the fact there was no lift there. He fell 25 feet into the empty shaft. There are no reports on his survival.
Ancient Curse
There could be a couple of reasons for the curse: there is only one sphinx guarding the entrance instead of two. Could the weakened defences have let something in? Rumours claim it’s built on the Mob’s popular burial site.
Visitors who stay in the pyramid section of the hotel report more paranormal activity than those staying in the tower. The Luxor used to have the Nile River Ride – a boat ride through the hotel, like the Venetian, but it closed three years after opening when many guests complained about seeing ghosts in the dark tunnel.
MGM Grand
People working the night shift report seeing someone lying on a bed. Cleaners hold rosary beads when walking through the corridors. For us, the scariest thing about the MGM Grand was the cost of accommodation.
Circus Circus
People hear loud cries for help in the poker room. In rooms 123, 230, 576, 203, people hear screaming and “help me.” The words “help me” appear on bathroom mirrors. A 76-year-old man employed there for 20 years claims 3 people were murdered in the kitchen on the same night. A lady in room 123 apparently shot herself and her son. Staff seeing the child wandering the halls, begging for help to search for something. Sometimes guests see him holding his mum’s hand in the hallway while she asks about a man named Robert. Dark-haired men called Robert are apparently hanged from the ceiling. In room 230, “help me” is whispered, followed by screams. In the midway area, people hear screams and disembodied voices after dark.
Bally’s (now Horseshoe)
The ballroom is built on the site of the old MGM Grand which nearly burned down in 21st November 1980. 650 people were injured. 85 died from smoke inhalation after being trapped in stairwells. Others died in their sleep. Those who died now haunt the corridors and the employee’s rest rooms. Employees claim to see a group of ghosts walking together. The tower where people died is still part of the hotel. A woman reportedly rang the front desk because she saw a pair of disembodied feet in her room. Guests have seen shadowy figures lying in their beds. Some workers refuse to use the service lifts where previous employees died during the fire.
Flamingo
The Flamingo is haunted by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegal who was killed in 1946 in Beverley Hills. Guests near the pool have seen a woman. People have seen Bugsy in several places: on the 5th floor; wearing a smoking jacket in the Presidential Suite which contains his hand-chosen green toilet and sink; and the wedding chapel, which may have been the site of his old apartment. Some guests report hearing the sounds of playing on pool tables. We wandered the 5th floor calling Bugsy’s name, and explored the chapel but he didn’t appear to us. Luckily, neither did security.
Caesar’s Palace
The sensor taps turn on and off by themselves. Apparently, if you put your hands under them when they’re running, they stop. We have issues with sensor taps, but we doubt those on the M4 are haunted. After loitering in the toilets (bizarrely there’s a seating area), we experienced nothing except mild discomfort that we may be mistaken for perverts. A lady near the sinks chatted to us for a while, intrigued by our twinness. Hopefully she distracted other users from our creepy presence. People have reported seeing apparitions in period clothing, hearing disembodied voices in casino pits, and feeling cold spots.
Bellagio
Formerly the Dunes Hotel and Casino. In 1993, before Dunes closed, people would experience cold spots through the main tower and casino. After hours in the top floor lounge, there would be a blue glow and voices when no-one was there. The hotel imploded 23rd October 1993.
Tropicana (closed in 2024)
People report suffering a purple rash after touching a large Tiki mask at the entrance. A purple haze appears in photos taken near the mask. People report paranormal things continuing after the mask’s removal. Perhaps removing it did not banish the spirits. People saw shadowy figures, heard strange noises and experienced unsettling feelings in the hallway near the mask. The Tropicana closed in 2024 to clear space for a new baseball stadium. It was one of the oldest hotels on the strip.
Mirage (closed in 2024)
The bathrooms by the Danny Ganz theatre are haunted – the sensor taps turns on. The cleaner holds rosary beads when she passes. A wall apparently collapsed on a worker when the casino was being built.
The Mirage closed its doors on 17th July 2024 and will be replaced by Hard Rock Las Vegas, which is due to open in 2027. It will feature a 700 foot guitar-shaped tower.
The Venetian
The Venetian Hotel opened on 4th May 1999. It was built on the site of the Sands Hotel and Casino, which was demolished in 1996. The Sands was frequented by The Rat Pack – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.
Three people died during its construction: a worker fell to his death in January 1998; another worker was killed by an 8,000lb facade, which fell 32 storeys as it was being lifted by a crane; in March 1999, an electrician fell 39 feet through an open hole. Some people have reported seeing apparitions which resemble the Rat Pack. Guests have claimed to have felt the presence of the Sands owner, Howard Hughes.
The Mob Museum
The Mob Museum’s official name is the Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. The building it occupies was once the federal courthouse and post office. One of its infamous cases was the Kefauver Committee in 1950 which exposed the Mob’s influence over Las Vegas. Visitors, staff, and attendees of ghost tours report seeing shadowy figures wearing 1950s clothing, near where the Kefauver hearings took place, or wandering the corridors where Mob bosses waited to testify. One security guard saw a man in a dark suit and hat in the hearing room, after the museum had closed. When he asked him to leave, the figure vanished. Some visitors report hearing angry voices coming from the courtroom, yet when they venture inside, it’s empty.
The most common ghostly occurrence is the sound of heavy footsteps striding across the marble floors. Staff report hearing groups of people walking on the upper floor, and hearing their voices. Some artifacts appear to be haunted. People report feeling ill and anxious near displays of personal items belonging to murdered mobsters, or weapons used in a hit. The St Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall arouses the sensation of being cold, and feelings of fear and violence.
Read about the Mob Museum’s dark history.
Haunted Places in Las Vegas we didn’t visit
Horseshoe hotel and Casino
Texan gambler Lester Benny Binion founded it in 1951 in downtown Fremont Street. It was originally the Eldorado Club and Apache Hotel. Binion was a bootlegger and numbers runner who fled to Vegas to escape a murder charge. In 1930 he shot and killed a rum runner, Frank Bolding, and five years later he allegedly shot and killed racketeer Ben Frieden. Once in Vegas, he founded the World Series of Poker and revolutionized gambling by removing the betting limit.
The attempted murder of Herbert “the Cat” Noble, and the murder of Noble’s wife in a car bombing incident was linked to Binion. He planned to bomb Noble’s home via an aeroplane, but the police intervened. Noble was eventually killed by a mailbox bomb at his home in Texas. It’s highly likely Binion was responsible. He was suspected of murdering Ted Shumate, a cab driver who plotted to kidnap Binion’s youngest son, Ted; and the murder of former FBI head and attorney Bill Coulthard, who was killed with a car bomb.
The Horseshoe, unlike other hotels, acknowledges its paranormal reputation. There were numerous suicides at the hotel, as well as murders connected to gambling debts, and mob rivalries.
Gambling Addiction
People have reported seeing a stocky man wearing western-style clothing and a cowboy hat, which matches Benny Binion’s description. He walks the casino late at night, mostly near the poker room and the area which once held the famous horseshoe display containing $1 million in cash. Security guards report feeling a presence watching over the casino floor, and employees who are working late have claimed to feel a pat on their shoulder.
One of the most commonly reported sightings are of phantom gamblers in old-fashioned clothing sitting at the tables in the early hours, who disappear when approached. Dealers on late shifts feel chips being placed on the table when there are no chips, and hear dice rolling across empty craps tables.
Guests in the hotel rooms report seeing shadowy figures standing at the foot of their bed, hearing sobbing from empty bathrooms, and the crushing feeling of despair. Housekeeping staff have reported finding locked and an unoccupied rooms messed up when they’ve just cleaned them, with personal belongings scattered, and furniture moved. Some won’t venture on to the upper floors alone, where the suicides occurred.
A child’s laugh echoes around room 246. Room 263 has an unwelcoming spirit, and room 33 has a mischievous presence which plays with guests.
In the poker room, cards have been pulled from players’ hands. Players hear chips being moved, even when there aren’t any chips. Some have seen a suited man watching the game from a rail. A guest from the Ghost City Tours claimed to have seen the table surrounded by people wearing 1970s clothing, playing poker. When they looked again, the players had vanished, leaving their cards and chips behind. Of all the haunted places in Las Vegas, this one definitely has the best ghosts.
The Cortez Hotel and Casino
It is the oldest continuously operating casino and hotel in Las Vegas, having opened in 1941. In 1945, a group of men, including Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, bought the Cortez. Bugsy later opened the Flamingo.
Employees have seen disembodied white hands reaching out in the darkness of empty rooms. Guests who have stayed in the Cabana Suits have reported hearing knocking on the door to the room, even when there was nobody else staying on their floor. Shadowy figures stand in the corner of the room yet disappear when they’re acknowledged.
Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino (formally The Aladdin)
A showgirl from the hotel’s Aladdin days haunts here. People have seen her in full showgirl costume backstage and near the lifts. There are also cold spots and the smell of old perfume.
Las Vegas Academy of Arts
The Academy occupies the Las Vegas High School building, which was completed in 1930. Staff and students who attend the Academy, the ghost of Mr Petre, a popular and caring teacher from the high school, still walks the hallways and watches over the students from his former classroom on the second floor. Students who stayed late usually see him in the late afternoon or early evening. He used to stay late to help struggling students, or to lesson plan. Some students stressed about an exam or performance, have felt a comforting hand on their shoulder. Teachers have arrived in the morning to find their classroom unlocked, even though they locked it the night before.
There are also reports of child ghosts from the Industrial Revolution era. Paranormal researchers believe children denied education while alive, are drawn to schools after their death. Some students have reported seeing the children sat in the auditorium, watching performances, but they vanish when approached. Drama teachers have heard children’s laughter from the empty theatre.
The most common occurrence is the sound of phantom footsteps in the empty hallways. Night shift custodians have heard lots of students walking between classrooms, talking and closing lockers, only to find the hallways empty. In older sections of the building, classroom doors open and close by themselves. Teachers have reported watching a door close behind them, only to return and find it open. Security cameras have captured the doors opening and closing.
La Palazza Mansion
Casino boss Tony Cornero built the mansion in 1954. The last owner of the mansion woke one night, struggling to breathe. Someone’s hands were around his throat, but there was nobody there. He decided to sell the mansion. When he was preparing to sell, he discovered a secret room decorated with 1970s mustard wallpaper and linoleum floor. And lots of blood. The blood covered the walls. The room smelled of iron and decay. He left.
Legend says the mansion was used for mob murders. So whilst it might be one of the least haunted places in Las Vegas, its history is one of the darkest.
Westgate Las Vegas Resort and casino
Formerly known as the International Hotel, and later, the Las Vegas Hilton, the Westgate was Elvis Presley’s former home, and the place where he performed many shows. People have seen his apparition in the Elvis Suite (Suite 3000), the backstage theatre and the service lifts, which he apparently used frequently. There are also cold spots and faint sounds of his music.
The Oasis Motel
This hotel is located at the north end of the Strip and gained notoriety due to the number of deaths. In 1998, a famous poker player named Stu Unger, died in Room 20 from a heart condition apparently linked to drug abuse. The following year, an actor, David Strickland, took his own life in Room 20, though some sources say it was Room 51 or a neighbouring room. Guests staying at the hotel have heard unexplained noises and the feeling of not being alone in those rooms.
Sources:
https://ghostcitytours.com/las-vegas/haunted-las-vegas
coffeeteatravels.com/haunted-places-in-las-vegas