THE HAUNTED HISTORIAN LOCAL HAUNTS Montana State University
Ellen Theatre
Strand Union Building and Theater • Bozeman Montana State University boasts the paranormal presence of two apparitions. In the early 1970s, the theater director sustained a head injury after falling down a backstage staircase and is said to have suffered severe mood swings thereafter, which eventuated in his suicide via a prop pistol loaded with real bullets. Reported experiences of his presence range from uneasy feelings in his office to black phantom sightings throughout the theater. The popular Strand Union building is also said to house a ghostly presence in the form of a woman who reportedly hanged herself in the ballroom in the 1930s. She has been seen in the theater as well.
17 West Main Street • Bozeman Built by the Story family and named after its matriarch, the Ellen Theatre first opened in 1919. The apparition of a past patron has purportedly been seen throughout this locally favored theatre.
Montana Ale Works
Livingston Depot
611 East Main Street • Bozeman In addition to being the popular home to fantastic food, spirits and billiards, the former industrial warehouse Montana Ale Works also allegedly houses a railroad employee who was killed in a machinery accident therein. Staff and diner sightings of a floating male apparition in a checked shirt in the bar area, jazz music and the sounds of people talking after closing hours have all been reported since his death.
John Bozeman's Bistro 125 West Main Street • Bozeman The building that houses this notable bistro was constructed in around 1905, and staff working here admit that the building is haunted by an unseen entity. The presence has been known to turn lights on and off, walk across freshly mopped floors and move objects such as cutlery around the restaurant.
Gallatin Gateway Inn (below) 74605 Gallatin Road • Gallatin Gateway Like the Sacajawea Hotel, the Spanish stucco-style Gallatin Gateway Inn was initially built as a railroad hotel. Opened on June 18, 1927, the inn was constructed and operated by The Milwaukee Road and connected to the railroad company’s main line at Three Forks, MT. The Inn has played host to range of businesses, visitors and events over the last century, not the least of which being the three reported apparitions wandering its grounds, each with its own distinct presence: a murdered female housekeeper has been seen standing behind guests; a male presence has been known to turn lights on and off, move objects and play the piano; and an unseen icy presence has apparently physically pushed staff and guests around. Image courtesy of the Gallatin History Museum
Bear Canyon Campground 4000 Bozeman Trail Rd • Bozeman Reports from this popular local campground claim the presence of a white-clad little girl who is said to try to convince female visitors to follow her. 200 West Park Street • Livingston In addition to seeing various ghostly “regulars” within and without this railway stop, Depot staff have reported hearing a train pulling into the station and seeing ghostly figures running towards the platform before abruptly vanishing.
Sacajawea Hotel 5 North Main Street • Three Forks For over a century, the historic Sacajawea Hotel has been entertaining guests and providing welcome respite to travelers, ranging from the railroad passengers and crews of over a century ago to current world travelers who are drawn to its elegantly appointed historic charm to those visitors seeking a more ethereal experience. Purportedly haunted by two apparitions, the hotel is a well-known local hotspot for spectral activity. Milwaukee Railroad purchasing agent John Q. Adams, who built the Sacajawea Hotel in 1910 as a rest stop for the railroad that then ran from Wisconsin to the Pacific, allegedly makes appearances in the hallways and guest rooms while a maid has been said to appear from a wall on the third floor. In fact, the Three Forks police department has actually been called to the hotel on occasion to investigate disturbances that have eventually been accounted for by the paranormal pranksters.
Headwaters Heritage Museum 202 Main Street • Three Forks Visitors to this former bank have reported being pushed by a distinctly sinister presence, feeling cold spots and hearing footsteps.
Little Bighorn Battlefield 756 Battlefield Tour Road • Crow Agency This monument to Custer’s infamous Last Stand is home to spirits of both soldiers and Native Americans. Witnesses have allegedly seen ghostly forms, felt taps on the shoulder, and heard moans, screams and war cries.
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Montana Historian