The Goldfield Hotel

Posted: 03.21.2025 | Updated: 03.21.2025

There’s a curious hotel near the even more curious town of Las Vegas. Right off of 95 is the former gold town of Goldfield, and the Goldfield Hotel is known for its old age, luxurious trappings, and ghostly residents.

The history of the Goldfield Hotel is very much the history of the Wild West as it sprang from one of the many gold booms of the area. The Goldfield Hotel has been around since the boomtown of Goldfield first started and has survived everything from the Great Depression to World War II. 

Eerie ghosts that are rumored to haunt this hotel include a few tiny puckish pranksters, a vengeful businessman, his former lover, and more. 

Keep reading to learn who these ghosts are and where they might come from. After you’re done, we’re sure you’ll want to learn even more about haunted Nevada. The best way to do that is by booking an in-person ghost tour with us at Las Vegas Ghosts.

We’re sure in doing so, you’ll understand why it’s known as “one of the scariest places on Earth.”

 Is the Goldfield Hotel Haunted?

That depends on who you ask. However, if you start asking around Vegas itself and stumble across any hotel employees or professional ghosthunters, they’re no doubt going to point you in the direction of the Goldfield Hotel if you’re inquiring about ghosts. 

History of the Hotel

In 1902, someone discovered gold in the aptly-named town of Goldfield. What had previously just been a bunch of hovels cobbled together quickly became a gold rush town. The Goldfield Hotel was constructed soon after to accommodate the growing number of guests flocking to town looking to strike it rich. The Goldfield was built on the site where two former wooden hotels had stood previously.

Despite only serving prospectors and rough trailblazers, the Goldfield Hotel stood out from the other hotels in early Nevada with its luxurious trappings. Its suites made the hotel a destination in itself, and legend has it that Teddy Roosevelt himself attended the grand opening of the place. 

That same hotel opening contained a grand spectacle of a champagne waterfall flowing over the grand staircase, cementing it as a legendary home for the uber-wealthy. Such luxuries might seem commonplace today, but they were extravagant at the time: a telephone in each room, electric lights, and even a heating system!

This excessive display was undoubtedly influenced by George Wingfield, the cigar-chomping mine owner in town and the hotel’s main investor. Despite his investment, he rarely saw fit to actually stay there, but under his eye, the Goldfield Hotel enjoyed a period of growth and stability. However, after he sold off the hotel, the place changed hands a number of times and suffered from instability. 

Barely able to withstand the financial hardship caused by the Great Depression, the hotel was no match for when the gold boom of Goldfield busted and the place was abandoned. 

Hauntings at the Goldfield Hotel

However, George Wingfield didn’t just provide financial backing and stability for the hotel – he also provided the origin for a couple of the ghost stories that have haunted the Goldfield Hotel for years. 

One of which is the sad tale of Elizabeth. Said to be a lady of the night, Elizabeth entered into a torrid affair with George Wingfield. The story goes that Wingfield couldn’t bear the shame of this and locked Elizabeth into a room in the hotel to hide his secret love child from the world. When the baby was born, Wingfield abandoned it in the mineshaft that ran underneath the hotel and killed Elizabeth right after. 

The ghost of Elizabeth is often seen by new guests at the hotel. She wears the same long, flowing white dress that she died in and she often wanders the hallways aimlessly, calling out for her lost child. 

People have reported trying to engage her, but she hasn’t responded to anyone so far. She is still fixated on finding her baby. The only sign that she’s come through is a dramatic drop in temperature wherever she walks. 

But this ghost story didn’t let the villain get away with it. Wingfield’s ghost is also said to haunt this hotel, forced to eternally bear witness to the ghost of the woman whose life he ruined. 

He isn’t seen physically as often as Elizabeth is – perhaps he’s ashamed of his actions – but sightings of him are usually accompanied by the smell of the cigars he used to smoke in life. 

Other Ghost Activity 

But Elizabeth and George aren’t the only ghosts rumored to haunt this hotel. A few different prankster spirits are said to infest the hallways. These pranksters normally take the form of two ghostly-looking children who are known to tap visitors on the back. When the visitors turn around, the pranksters seemingly vanish into thin air, cackling madly. 

More disturbing than simple jokesters is the presence of another ghost, The Stabber. The Stabber takes the form of a large man who lurks around the Gold Room (the former dining hall). He might have been an old employee who worked in the dining hall because he always has a large knife in his hand. 

If someone lingers in the Gold Room for too long, he’ll spring into action and try to stab them. However, at the very last second, he too will disappear, always right before the knife is about to make contact. 

There’s also a pair of ghosts, a man and a woman, that are unrelated, except by the manner and location of their deaths. The woman hanged herself at this very hotel and is seen by hotel guests wandering the halls of the hotel, a rope burn on her neck. 

The man also took his life here at the Goldfield Hotel over a century ago by leaping from the roof. Both spirits will aggressively scream at any guests that start to get too familiar. 

Rooms are also said to be haunted, like Room 109, which is intensely cold no matter what temperature you set. Cameras also malfunction inside and return blurry photographs. 

Haunted Vegas 

So, if you do happen to visit the Goldfield Hotel, you might want to keep a sketchpad handy because you might not be able to have photographs to post on social media. 

If you liked this story and want to learn similar tales, check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They spotlight other offbeat ghost stories all over the United States. Checking our blog is another good way to stay up-to-date with all the latest ghost stories and haunted spots in Nevada.

If you want to explore Las Vegas ghosts up close, a ghost tour with Las Vegas Ghosts is the best way to do that. Our guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and can provide even more information on the area. 

Sources:

• https://web.archive.org/web/20110609010742/http://onlinenevada.org/Goldfield_Hotel
• https://travelnevada.com/hotels/historic-goldfield-hotel/
• https://www.routemagazine.us/stories/the-ghosts-of-the-goldfield-hotel
• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/nv-goldfieldhotel/