There are hundreds of ghost sightings across Wyoming, but the Sheridan Inn is at the top of the list of most haunted places in the Cowboy State.
Opened in Sheridan in 1893, the inn is on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the years, it became a favorite of travelers and locals alike, and was beloved by many of the employees, as well. Apparently, one employee grew so attached to the place that she couldn't bear to leave it, even in death. The numerous reports of eerie activity going on at the Sheridan Inn at all hours of the day and night confirm it as a paranormal hot-spot and make it difficult for guests to get a good night's sleep.
The historic Sheridan Inn is located at 856 Broadway Street in Sheridan, Wyoming.
From the start, Buffalo Bill Cody was very involved in the concept, design, and building of the inn. He purchased the business a year after the doors were opened and for many years, whenever he was in town, he lived at the inn.
In its heyday, the Sheridan Inn was a social center for the area and was often called the finest inn between San Francisco and Chicago. It also had its share of famous guests including President Hoover, Bob Hope, and Earnest Hemmingway.
The inn hasn't always hosted guests. It's been closed off and on since the mid-1960s, though it did reopen in 2013 and currently rents out the rooms.
For most of the time it was open in the early days, between 1901 and 1965, Miss Kate Arnold worked a variety of jobs at the Sheridan Inn.
"Miss Kate," as she is affectionately called, started working at the inn when she was just 22, right after arriving in Sheridan from Virginia.
Miss Kate lived and worked at the Sheridan Inn for 64 years, until 1965 when it was sold to a developer who closed the business. She had been a favorite of staff and regular guests during her time working as a housekeeper, desk clerk, and hostess, among other jobs. After leaving, her heart remained at the inn, and it was her dying wish to return there.
To accommodate her last wish, when Miss Kate passed away in 1968, her body was cremated, and her ashes were placed inside a wall of the room on the third floor - the same room she'd lived in all those years.
The Sheridan Inn has opened and closed a few times in the past 50 years, most recently reopening in 2013. Guests can book a stay in any of the over 20 rooms, including Miss Kate's room.
Employees and guests say that Miss Kate continues to roam the inn today. The staff says they feel her presence in every room of the hotel.
They believe she is responsible for the disembodied footsteps many people have reported hearing everywhere in the hotel. Also, doors open and close on their own and lights turn off and on, seemingly by themselves.
In one account, a person driving by the inn around 2:00 a.m. saw that the windows on the third floor were dark and the drapes were closed. Just a half an hour later, however, the same person drove by again and was surprised to see the drapes open and the lights on. The staff confirmed that the inn was closed that late at night and also said no one would have been on the third floor at that time of the morning, anyway.
Cold spots are another sign many connect with Miss Kate's spirit. The air in different spots around the inn randomly grow cold, and the most frequent place they're felt is in her room, where her presence always feels the strongest.
Have you visited the Sheridan Inn? Do you know of other Wyoming places just as haunted?
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