Haunted Places in Phoenix You Can Actually Visit
What to Do in Phoenix that's Unusual?
Phoenix might be famed for its year-round sunshine and cinematic desert surroundings, but it’s also a hotbed of haunted places full of ghosts, ghouls, and specters. The best haunted places in Phoenix include theaters, ranches, and Victorian mansions where strange apparitions supposedly linger.
Step into a world where the singing of children still lingers in a forgotten schoolhouse, and venture into shadowed mountains rumored to hold a lost treasure cursed by time. When night falls, dare to join a ghostly journey beneath flickering lamplight, where the darkest tales come alive in whispers and shadows.
1. Pioneer Living History Museum
The spooky side of frontier life
Good for: History, Families, Couples
Tucked away in Phoenix’s Black Rock Foothills, the Pioneer Living History Museum is a cultural center that showcases original structures dating from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. This immersive setting vividly evokes the spirit of America’s Wild West. Visitors and staff have reported hearing voices and seeing phantom-like figures in the grounds, making it a magnet for paranormalists.
Pan for gold, visit the blacksmith’s shop, and stroll through the cemetery before taking in a shootout reenactment show near the striking old opera house. You can even stop by many of the purported haunted buildings across the site including the white wooden church with its arched gothic windows and the village saloon with its collection of vintage telephones.
Location: 3901 W Pioneer Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA
Open: Wednesday–Sunday from 7 am to 11 am (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Phone: +1 623-465-1052
Pioneer Living History Museum
2. Orpheum Theatre
The phantoms of Phoenix’s past
Good for: Families, Couples
A 1,364-seat theater in downtown Phoenix, the Orpheum Theatre dates to the Roaring 20’s and originally hosted vaudeville acts including Harry Houdini and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Boasting Spanish Revival style Baroque architecture, the building is adored for its ornate motifs and sculptural details including figures from Greek mythology like Orpheus and the Muses.
Rumor has it that the theater is haunted by at least 4 ghosts, including Maddie, a young girl who hovers around the balconies, and Harry Nace, the theater’s former impresario who paces the hallowed halls after a questionable death. Attend a show here to encounter spine-chilling apparitions and to admire the spectacular embellishments including expansive landscape murals and a grand red velvet curtain.
Location: 203 W Adams St, Phoenix, AZ 85003, USA
Phone: +1 602-262-6225
Orpheum Theatre
3. Superstition Mountains
A rugged beauty spot with an unsettling reputation
Good for: Budget, Photo
Long purported to be one of America’s most haunted ranges, the Superstition Mountains loom over Phoenix’s Sonoran Desert in picture-postcard fashion. The region is home to plenty of scenic hikes including Peralta Canyon and the Hieroglyphic Trail where you can see the petroglyphs of the Hohokam Indians. One of its major drawcards is the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, a reported bounty of gold with a legendary history; the only problem is, no one can find it.
Many explorers have mysteriously perished trying to locate the fabled riches, including treasure hunter Adolph Ruth, prospector James A. Cravey, and author Barry Storm. Spend a weekend here searching for the loot, listening for demonic screams, and scanning the skies for UFOs.
Location: Lost Dutchman State Park, 6109 N Apache Trail, Apache Junction, AZ 85119, USA
Open: Daily from 6 am to 4 pm
Phone: +1 480-982-4485
Superstition Mountains
4. Rosson House
A haunted mansion
Good for: History, Photo
Rosson House, circa 1895, is a fully restored Queen Anne Victorian manor and museum that offers a riveting glimpse into Phoenix family life during the late 19th century. Enjoy a 60-minute tour of the dwelling, which showcases a vast collection of prized antiques, including photographs, furniture, and elaborate sculptures.
The home was formerly owned by Roland Lee Rosson, a military surgeon who was suspected to have died of poisoning after being court martialed for visiting a notorious local “dance house.” What’s more, one of the museum’s caretakers was murdered in cold blood, only adding to its notoriety. Today, the house draws ghost hunters from across the nation who’ve reported seeing shadowy figures and feeling hellish heat from the inoperable fireplace.
Location: 113 N 6th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Open: Friday–Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday from noon to 4 pm (closed on Monday–Thursday)
Phone: +1 602-258-0048
Rosson House
5. St. Mary’s Basilica
A religious relic that’s steeped in the supernatural
Good for: Budget, History
St. Mary’s Basilica, also known as The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the oldest Catholic parish church in Phoenix. It’s a magnet for architecture lovers thanks to its striking exterior, which combines both Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles. Boasting Arizona’s biggest stained-glass window collection and a monumental organ, this revered religious building is supposedly haunted by ghosts.
Dating to 1902, St. Mary’s is the place to come to hear the patter of footsteps down the aisles, glimpse apparitions by the altar, and spot headless specters floating in doorways. Several paranormal operators offer tours of the basilica complete with professional equipment including modified radios, known as spirit boxes, and EMF detectors.
Location: 231 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Open: Monday–Friday from 9 am to 3 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 8 am to 1 pm
Phone: +1 602-354-2100
St. Mary's Basilica
6. Sahuaro Ranch Park
A ghostly couple haunts the grounds
Good for: Budget, Photo
Located in Glendale, just 15 minutes from Phoenix, Sahuaro Ranch Park is renowned for its fragrant rose garden, collection of heritage buildings, and flamboyant pride of peacocks. Spend a day at this picturesque public garden picnicking on the lawns, wandering through the fruit orchards, or enjoying a game of soccer on the impeccably manicured fields.
Across this park, visitors have claimed to have seen the apparition of a man wearing a somber black suit and a woman swathed in a long white dress, possibly the former residents of Sahuaro’s historic homestead. Free tours of the ranch can be arranged by appointment, but a monetary donation is more than welcome.
Location: 9802 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302, USA
Open: Daily from 6 am to 10 pm
Phone: +1 623-930-2820
Sahuaro Ranch Park
7. Goldfield Ghost Town
An old mining enclave with an eerie atmosphere
Good for: Unusual, Families
Located in Apache Junction, 45 minutes west of central Phoenix, Goldfield Ghost Town has gained a notorious reputation among paranormal enthusiasts. Established in 1892, this iconic Wild West community was home to 4,000 people and amassed a collection of 28 buildings during its heyday, including a schoolhouse, a blacksmith, and a butcher’s shop.
Fire tore through the site in the late 1940s, but the town was restored by treasure hunter Bob Schoose, who brought it back to its former glory nearly 40 years ago. Ever since, visitors have reported hearing mournful voices, seeing ethereal figures floating behind the saloon bar, and running into a long-dead cowboy in the old bordello.
Location: 4650 N Mammoth Mine Rd, Apache Junction, AZ 85119, USA
Open: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm
Phone: +1 480-983-0333
Goldfield Ghost Town
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