Sleep in a Hotel Older Than Nevada
Across the street from the Nevada State Capitol stands one of Carson City’s great survivors—the St. Charles Hotel.
Built in 1862, two years before Nevada became a state, the St. Charles was one of Carson City’s earliest upscale hotels and became an important stagecoach stop. Its original advertisements promoted it as a first-class place to eat, drink and stay.
Today, renovated accommodations are still available inside the historic building.
And according to Carson City’s own historical material, the St. Charles has another distinction:
It is reputed to be one of Carson City’s most haunted buildings.
BestHauntedHotels.com Verdict: Authentic Old West history, more than 160 years of lodging, an established local haunted reputation and the ability to actually sleep upstairs make the St. Charles one of Nevada’s more intriguing lesser-known haunted stays.
Is the St. Charles Hotel Haunted?
This is where the property becomes particularly interesting.
Carson City’s historical Kit Carson Trail material doesn’t shy away from the subject. It describes the St. Charles as reputedly the most haunted building in the city and recounts that people staying upstairs during a renovation regarded the hotel as extremely haunted.
Paranormal traditions surrounding the property include reports of:
- Unexplained footsteps
- Strange nighttime noises
- Feelings of another presence
- Apparition and shadow-figure stories
- Activity associated with the upper floors
- Unexplained experiences reported by people who have spent time inside
BestHauntedHotels.com Accuracy Note
The hotel’s 1862 history is exceptionally well documented.
Its supernatural activity remains paranormal testimony and folklore.
I would therefore avoid assigning a specific historical identity to any apparition unless stronger evidence emerges.
Second Floor — Where Ghost Enthusiasts Should Stay
This is the strongest booking hook for your listing.
Current lodging is available in renovated accommodations on the second floor of the historic hotel.
And the upper portion of the building is also where some of the property’s most intriguing paranormal accounts originate.
👻 #1 — Room 205
This would be my BestHauntedHotels.com haunted-history pick.
Room 205 is a renovated one-bedroom accommodation inside the historic hotel, with a private bathroom, kitchenette, living area and access to the front balcony overlooking the Capitol area.
Important: I am recommending Room 205 because of its historic setting and location—not claiming that Room 205 itself has been independently verified as the hotel’s most haunted room.
👻 #2 — Room 217
Another currently bookable second-floor historic room, with a private bathroom and kitchenette.
👻 #3 — Room 218
A renovated studio inside the historic building. Current lodging information specifically notes the hotel’s thick historic brick walls and National Register status.
BestHauntedHotels.com Booking Tip
Choose a second-floor room inside the historic hotel rather than focusing on finding a supposedly haunted room number.
Two Hotels Became One
The building has an unusual history.
What we now call the St. Charles was originally two neighboring hotels constructed in 1862.
The three-story northern building was the St. Charles Hotel, while the two-story southern building was Muller’s Hotel. Both survive and together form the historic St. Charles-Muller Hotel complex.
The St. Charles catered to legislators, travelers and businessmen, while Muller’s had a somewhat more working-class clientele.
The St. Charles advertised a:
Restaurant • Saloon • Reading Room • First-Class Accommodations
Historical research estimates it offered roughly 30–50 sleeping rooms by 1863.
Imagine the conversations those walls have heard.
Stagecoaches, Politicians & the Old West
The St. Charles quickly became an important stage stop in Carson City.
Its location was ideal.
Nevada’s territorial government was developing nearby, politicians and businessmen moved through town, and Carson City was growing into the governmental center of what would become Nevada.
The hotel opened before Nevada achieved statehood in 1864.
That gives your listing an excellent hook:
You can spend the night in a hotel that was serving travelers before Nevada was officially a state.
From St. Charles to Pony Express Hotel
Like many Old West hotels, the property changed over time.
By the 1950s it was known as the Pony Express Hotel, with Jim’s Jungle Bar occupying part of the ground floor.
Eventually, the aging structure deteriorated.
Local preservationist Rob McFadden began rehabilitating it in 1993, helping rescue one of downtown Carson City’s most important historic buildings. The grand reopening even included singer Tony Bennett.
Today, McFadden Plaza beside the hotel bears his name.
National Register Landmark
The St. Charles-Muller Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Its significance includes its role in nineteenth-century commerce and its vernacular Italianate architecture.
It’s also one of the oldest surviving commercial buildings along Carson City’s historic main street.
This isn’t a modern hotel decorated to look Western.
You’re staying inside an actual 1862 Nevada hotel.
👻 Start a Carson City Ghost Walk Outside Your Hotel
Here’s another excellent selling point.
The Carson City Ghost Walk departs from McFadden Plaza immediately adjacent to the St. Charles Hotel.
The walking tour explores Carson City’s historic and haunted West Side and features stories about lingering spirits, paranormal activity and Victorian-era Carson City.
That creates an unusually convenient haunted getaway:
Stay in an 1862 haunted hotel → walk downstairs → take a Carson City Ghost Walk → return to your historic room after dark.
Perfect Base for a Nevada Haunted Road Trip
The St. Charles is also exceptionally well positioned.
Nearby:
👻 Virginia City — about 30 minutes
🏛️ Nevada State Capitol — directly across the street
🏛️ Nevada State Museum
🚂 Nevada State Railroad Museum
🏔️ Lake Tahoe — about 20–30 minutes
👻 Carson City Ghost Walk — next door
Current lodging listings specifically promote the hotel as approximately 20 minutes from Lake Tahoe and 30 minutes from historic Virginia City.
For BestHauntedHotels.com, this could be an excellent stop on a Carson City → Virginia City haunted Nevada itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the St. Charles Hotel haunted?
It has a longstanding local paranormal reputation. Carson City historical material specifically describes it as reputedly one of the city’s most haunted buildings.
When was the hotel built?
1862, before Nevada became a state.
Can you still spend the night there?
Yes. Renovated second-floor rooms and suites are currently offered for short stays.
What is the most haunted room?
I couldn’t substantiate a particular room number strongly enough to call it the definitive haunted room.
For paranormal travelers, I recommend Room 205 or another second-floor historic accommodation.
Does the hotel have an elevator?
No. Current lodging information says the second-floor rooms are accessed by stairs.
Is it on the National Register?
Yes. The St. Charles-Muller Hotel was listed in 1982.
👻 BestHauntedHotels.com Ghost Rating
9 / 10 — Highly Haunted Old West Hotel
Why We Awarded the St. Charles 9/10
The St. Charles checks many of the boxes that matter for BestHauntedHotels.com:
✓ Genuine 1862 hotel
✓ Predates Nevada statehood
✓ More than 160 years of lodging history
✓ Major stagecoach stop
✓ National Register landmark
✓ Strong local haunted reputation
✓ Paranormal accounts connected to the upper hotel
✓ Guests can still sleep upstairs
✓ Carson City Ghost Walk departs beside the hotel
What keeps it below properties such as the Silver Queen is the absence of a strongly documented signature spirit or specific haunted room with decades of recurring reports.
That makes 9/10 a strong, defensible Ghost Rating.
Why Ghost Enthusiasts Should Stay Here
The St. Charles isn’t a reproduction of an Old West hotel.
It’s the real thing.
When you climb the stairs to your room, you’re entering a building that welcomed stagecoach passengers, politicians and travelers when Nevada was still a territory.
Book a second-floor room.
Take the Carson City Ghost Walk after sunset.
Then come back to one of Nevada’s oldest surviving hotels.
Once downtown becomes quiet, listen to the corridor outside your door.
After more than 160 years of guests checking in, it’s worth wondering whether everyone who stayed at the St. Charles ever really checked out.
