Mizpah Hotel - Tonopah, NV

Step back in time—and maybe meet a ghost—at the Mizpah Hotel, Nevada’s most famously haunted landmark. Built in 1907 during Tonopah’s silver boom, this grand five-story hotel exudes vintage charm and eerie allure. Guests come for its historic elegance but stay for its spirits—especially the Lady in Red, said to wander the fifth floor leaving whispers and pearls behind. From mysterious elevator rides to ghostly laughter echoing through the halls, every stay promises a touch of the supernatural.

 Hotel History

• The Mizpah Hotel is located in Tonopah, Nevada, a mining boomtown founded around 1900.

• Construction of the hotel’s current substantial structure began around 1907 (some sources say 1905–1908) and it opened shortly thereafter.

• At five floors, it was for a time the tallest building in Nevada.

• It was built with luxurious features for its era: granite walls, leaded-glass windows, steam heat, hot & cold running water, and the first electric elevator west of the Mississippi.

• Over decades the hotel served miners, business visitors, and travelers while the Tonopah mining district prospered. Then, in later years, business declined; the hotel closed in the late 1990s.

• In 2011 the hotel was purchased, restored, and reopened, preserving much of its historic décor and ambience.

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Haunted Hot Spots & Paranormal Activity

The Mizpah Hotel has developed a strong reputation among ghost-enthusiasts and paranormal tourists. Here are the key reported haunts:

The “Lady in Red”

• Probably the best-known ghost at the Mizpah. The legend says a woman (sometimes named “Rose”) worked as a prostitute on the fifth floor of the hotel, and was murdered there—either by a jealous lover, a spouse, or caught in an affair.

• Her apparition is often described as a woman in a scarlet/red gown, sometimes seen wandering the fifth‐floor hallway or appearing in rooms. Guests report hearing whispering in men’s ears, feeling a soft touch on their shoulder, and sometimes finding a single pearl underneath their pillow (legend says her necklace broke).

• Specific rooms flagged: Rooms 502, 503, and 504 (on the fifth floor) have the most stories. Room 504 is sometimes officially called the “Lady in Red Room,” though many report more frequent activity in 502.

The Third Floor – Children’s Spirits

• On the third floor, several guests report hearing the sound of children’s laughter, footsteps, or balls bouncing, yet find no children present. The hallways may show doors opening/closing by themselves.

Basement / Miners’ Ghosts / Vault Area

• The hotel’s basement and lower levels (including old vaults or adjacent tunnels) are often cited as haunted by ghostly miners or men who died either in mining accidents or in violent events. Witnesses describe shadowy figures, cold spots, lights flickering, or feelings of unease.

• The classic elevator: The original elevator is reported in some investigations to move on its own (doors opening/closing without call), especially near the fifth floor where the Lady in Red is said to operate.

👻 Ghost Rating: 10 / 10

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