This post was published in partnership with US Ghost Tours, after the Adventures of Nicole was invited on a ghost town tour; all opinions are her own.
The Most Haunted Little City in the World: Why You Need to Take a Reno Ghost Tour
The Most Haunted Little City in the World: Why You Need to Take a Reno Ghost Tour was originally published in 2026
Reno is a city that lives two lives. By day, it leans into a more polished identity, the Truckee River sparkling, brunch spots doing their thing, vibrant art installations. But once the sun dips behind the Sierra Nevada, something older starts to creep in.
I knew the American West was chock-full of ghost towns, abandoned mining cities, and haunted locations, which is what drew me into going on a US Ghost Adventures Reno Ghost Tour. I thought I was signing up for a few spooky stories. What I got instead was a layered and historical walk through Reno’s past, one filled with real people, real tragedies, and a lingering sense that some stories here never fully ended.
Need Travel Insurance and Evacuation Services?
Start shopping for travel insurance plans over at IATI Insurance. Readers of the Adventures of Nicole get a 5% discount off your plan.
The Adventures of Nicole partners with Global Rescue to offer the world’s leading medical evacuation and security advisory services. To travel with peace of mind, explore their evacuation coverage.
The US Ghost Tour of Reno
Lake Mansion
With an EMF (electromagnetic frequency) meter in hand, we kicked things off at this 1877 Victorian home built by William W. Lake. At first glance, it’s the kind of place you’d expect lace curtains and polite tea conversations. But the reality? A lot messier.
The Lake family’s time here was marked by financial struggles and personal tension, and after the home changed hands multiple times, the stories only got darker. Reports of apparitions, particularly a woman in white, have persisted for decades. Standing outside as dusk settled, I kept catching myself staring at the windows a little too long, half expecting something to stare back. It’s now preserved as a museum.
Levy Mansion
Built in the early 1900s, this home belonged to William Levy, a prominent figure in Reno’s early commercial scene. The house reflects that wealth, elegant, solid, almost imposing.
But like a lot of historic homes, it carries the weight of the lives lived inside it. There’s less documented tragedy here compared to other stops. Visitors and locals have long reported an unexplained heaviness, like the building itself is holding onto something it doesn’t want to share.
The Brewer’s Cabinet
Today, the Brewer’s Cabinet is a popular brewery along the riverwalk, but the building’s history runs deeper than craft beer flights.
Before becoming a brewery, the site cycled through different uses, and staff today regularly report unexplained activity. Footsteps when no one’s there, objects shifting, and an overwhelming reluctance to go into the basement alone. Some believe the hauntings are tied to Reno’s rougher early years, when violence and vice weren’t exactly rare.
Mapes Hotel
Opened in 1947 by Thomas E. Mapes, this was once the definition of Reno glamour. Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Clark passed through its doors, and for a while, it put Reno on the national map. In fact, the famous duo stayed at the Mapes Hotel during the filming of the 1961 film The Misfits, the last film either thespian would ever star in again.
But the land it was built on is widely believed to have been a Native burial site, and many locals tie the hotel’s misfortunes and eerie reputation to that fact. Stories of ghostly figures, unexplained sounds, and an uneasy atmosphere were reported even during its peak years. The building was demolished in 2000, and the location is now a skate park next to the Space Whale.
Washoe County Courthouse
If walls could talk, this place would probably need therapy. Built in 1911, the courthouse became infamous during Reno’s divorce boom of the 1930s, when Nevada’s relaxed residency laws turned the city into the “Divorce Capital of the World.”
Thousands of couples came here to end their marriages, including high-profile figures. But beyond the headlines, there were countless quieter heartbreaks. People report hearing footsteps in empty hallways and seeing shadowy figures of a man and woman walking out the door, kissing the pillars, and then continuing on down the street toward the Virginia Street Bridge.
Virginia Street Bridge
Originally built in 1905, this bridge has seen everything from floods to the rise of modern city life. It connects more than just two sides of Reno; it connects eras, despite it not being the original bridge, as it was completely replaced in 2015.
There are a few haunted legends around the Virginia Street Bridge, one of which is the continuation of the freshly divorced couples leaving from the Washoe County Courthouse to the bridge to toss their wedding bands into the Truckee River, and then going their separate ways, earning it the nickname the ‘Wedding Ring Bridge’.
Another local legend is that of the ghost of Luis Ortiz, who was hanged on the bridge in 1891. Some tie these sightings to tragedies along the river, others to the city’s rough early days. Either way, crossing it after dark definitely is a bit eerie.
Riverside Hotel
Built in 1927 by George Wingfield, the Riverside Hotel was once one of Reno’s most prestigious properties. Overlooking the Truckee River, it became a hub during the city’s boom years. The building still stands but now hosts apartments and the Wild River Grille.
But with that success came stories of tragedy, sudden deaths, and lingering spirits. Guests and staff reported strange occurrences, and even today, people claim the building feels different after dark.
Reno Main Post Office
Completed in 1933, this building reflects Reno’s growth during a time when the city was rapidly evolving. But like many places along the river, it sits on land layered with earlier history.
There aren’t as many dramatic ghost stories tied directly to the building, but there’s a scheme that ties the post office to many of the ghosts that frequent Reno’s streets. The Graham–McKay mail fraud scheme that landed the duo in prison in 1933. William Graham and James McKay took advantage of the booming promise of the American West by mailing out convincing investment opportunities tied to mining and land deals, luring people from across the country to send money for ventures that didn’t actually exist.
Graham and McKay were notorious prohibition-era bootleggers who had a lot of pull around Reno and were infamous criminals who could make just about anyone disappear. The two were largely believed to have had a number of the famous ghosts haunting Reno, killed.
Roy Frisch House
In 1934, Roy Frisch, a well-known and respected Reno figure, disappeared without a trace. No confirmed sightings, no clear explanation, just gone. The only possible reason anyone can attribute to his disappearance is that Frisch vanished just as he was about to testify against the busted mail fraud scheme of William Graham and James McKay, the men long considered the overlords of Reno’s 1930s underworld.
His home became tied to the mystery, and over time, stories of strange occurrences began to surface.
Why This Reno Ghost Tour is Actually Worth It
What makes this tour stand out is how our guide, Paul, was able to weave the haunted side of Reno in with the local history of the city. So, these aren’t just random ghost stories thrown together for entertainment. They’re rooted in Reno’s actual history, the boomtown chaos, the divorce era, the rise and fall of iconic buildings.
It’s about a mile long, takes around an hour, and runs nightly, which makes it easy to fit into any Reno itinerary. But more importantly, it changes how you see the city. You start noticing details you’d normally walk right past.
And honestly, there’s something about hearing these stories while standing exactly where they happened that makes them stick with you.
A Haunted Conclusion
By the time the tour ended, I realized the ghosts aren’t really the main point. It’s the stories, the unresolved juncture of Reno, the lives that left an imprint on the city.
Reno surprised me. Not because it’s haunted, but because it feels layered in a way I didn’t expect.
If you’re the kind of traveler who wants more than just surface-level highlights, this is one of those experiences that is worth the evening out for. It’s equal parts history lesson and late-night adventure.
Have Any Questions About the Reno Ghost Town Tour?
Ask in the comments section below.
