The Goldfield Hotel — The Ghost of the Pregnant Woman — Paranormal History

Is the Goldfield Hotel Haunted?

The Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, Nevada, was built in 1908 as a luxury hotel during the town’s brief but spectacular mining boom. It is haunted by the ghost of a pregnant woman who was locked in a room by the hotel’s owner — and her baby — who both died there. The Goldfield Hotel is widely considered one of the most haunted locations in the American West, drawing paranormal investigators and curious visitors from around the world.

The hotel sits at the edge of the Nevada desert, a grand but decaying monument to a town that once boasted a population of over 20,000 and called itself the richest city in the world. Today, Goldfield has fewer than 300 residents, and the hotel stands as the largest and most imposing structure in town — a four-story brick edifice with a grand staircase, a ballroom, and a reputation for the unexplained.

History

The Mining Boom (1902-1910)

Goldfield’s story began in 1902, when gold was discovered in the desert hills of Esmeralda County. The discovery triggered one of the largest gold rushes in American history. By 1906, Goldfield had grown from nothing to a city of over 20,000 people. It was the largest city in Nevada, and for a brief moment, one of the most important cities in the West.

The wealth that flowed from the Goldfield mines was staggering. In 1909 alone, the mines produced over $8 million in gold — equivalent to over $250 million today. The town attracted miners, merchants, politicians, and speculators from across the country. Saloons, hotels, and gambling houses lined the streets. The city had electric lights, telephones, and a modern water system — amenities that were rare in the West at the time.

Construction of the Goldfield Hotel (1907-1908)

In 1907, George Graham, a wealthy mine owner and one of Goldfield’s most prominent citizens, began construction of the Goldfield Hotel. The hotel was designed to be the finest in Nevada — a four-story brick building with 150 rooms, a grand lobby with marble floors, a ballroom, a restaurant, and a bar. The construction cost over $350,000 — a fortune at the time.

The hotel opened in 1908 and immediately became the social center of Goldfield. Politicians held meetings in its conference rooms. Mine owners celebrated their fortunes in its bar. Travelers from across the country passed through its doors. The Goldfield Hotel was a symbol of the town’s ambition and wealth — a statement that Goldfield was not just another mining camp, but a city of consequence.

The Legend of Room 109

The most enduring legend associated with the Goldfield Hotel involves a woman known only as Elizabeth. According to the most widely told version of the story, Elizabeth was the mistress of George Graham, the hotel’s owner. She became pregnant, and Graham — who was married and could not afford a scandal — locked her in Room 109 of the hotel.

Elizabeth was held in the room for weeks. No one was allowed to see her. Graham reportedly had food delivered to the door, but Elizabeth was never permitted to leave. She gave birth alone in the room. Both she and the baby died — either from complications of childbirth or from neglect. Graham buried the bodies somewhere on the hotel grounds, and the room was sealed.

The story has been told and retold for over a century, and details vary from version to version. Some accounts say Elizabeth was a prostitute, not a mistress. Others say she died from a self-inflicted wound. Still others say the baby survived and was taken away, only to die later. Despite the variations, the core of the story remains consistent: a woman and her baby died in Room 109, and their ghosts remain.

Decline and Restoration

Goldfield’s boom was short-lived. By 1910, the mines were producing less gold, and the population began to decline. A devastating fire in 1923 destroyed much of the town’s commercial district, and the Goldfield Hotel was damaged. The hotel changed hands multiple times over the following decades, operating intermittently as a hotel, boarding house, and private residence.

In 1985, the hotel was purchased by a group of investors who began a long process of restoration. The hotel was partially restored to its original grandeur and opened for tours and overnight stays. Today, the Goldfield Hotel operates as a small hotel and event venue, drawing visitors who come for both the history and the ghosts.

The Mystery / Paranormal Activity

The Woman in Room 109

The most frequently reported apparition at the Goldfield Hotel is the ghost of Elizabeth — the pregnant woman who died in Room 109. Guests and staff report seeing a woman in a long dress standing at the window of Room 109, looking out at the desert. She is described as pale, with dark hair and a sorrowful expression.

The apparition is typically reported between midnight and 3:00 AM. Witnesses describe the woman as translucent — they can see through her form — but her features and clothing are distinct. Some witnesses have reported hearing her cry or call out for help.

The Baby’s Cry

In addition to the apparition of Elizabeth, guests and staff report hearing the sound of a baby crying in and around Room 109. The crying is described as faint but persistent — a high-pitched wail that seems to come from inside the walls. The sound is most commonly reported late at night, when the hotel is quiet.

Some witnesses have reported feeling a sudden, overwhelming sadness when hearing the baby’s cry — a sense of loss and despair that they describe as not their own. Others have reported smelling the scent of a newborn baby in the hallway outside Room 109, even when no infants are present in the hotel.

The Cold Room

Room 109 is consistently described as the coldest room in the hotel. Even in the middle of a Nevada summer, when temperatures outside exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the room remains cold enough to require a blanket. Guests who have stayed in the room report that the cold is not uniform — it comes in waves, with sudden drops in temperature that can be felt moving across the body.

The cold is not limited to Room 109. The hallway outside the room is also unusually cold, and the temperature drops further as one approaches the door. Some guests have reported seeing their breath in the hallway, even when the rest of the hotel is warm.

Blood on the Walls

One of the more disturbing phenomena reported at the Goldfield Hotel is the appearance of blood-like stains on the walls of Room 109. Multiple guests have reported seeing reddish-brown stains on the walls, ceiling, and floor — stains that appear even after the room has been repainted and deep-cleaned. The stains are described as resembling dried blood, and they appear in the same locations each time.

Hotel staff have attempted to remove the stains using various cleaning methods, including bleach, paint, and even new wallpaper. The stains always return. Some witnesses have reported the stains appearing while they were present in the room — materializing on the wall before their eyes.

“I checked into Room 109. At 3 AM, I woke up. A woman was standing at the foot of my bed. She was crying. She was holding a baby. She looked at me and vanished.” — Guest, Goldfield Hotel, 2019

Other Phenomena

Beyond Room 109, the Goldfield Hotel reports a range of paranormal activity:

Footsteps heard on the upper floors when no one is present
Doors opening and closing on their own, particularly on the third floor
Whispered voices captured on audio recordings in the ballroom and restaurant
Objects moving — glasses, chairs, and decorative items have been observed shifting positions
Shadow figures reported in the hallways and stairwell

Evidence and Investigations

The Goldfield Hotel has been the subject of numerous paranormal investigations. Its combination of documented history, consistent witness reports, and physical anomalies make it a compelling location for researchers.

The Nevada Ghost Hunters conducted a comprehensive investigation of the hotel in 2017. Their team spent two nights in the hotel, concentrating their equipment in and around Room 109. They captured several pieces of evidence, including:

EVP recordings of what sounded like a woman crying and a baby whimpering in Room 109
Thermal imaging showing a cold spot in the shape of a seated figure in the room
EMF readings that spiked in specific locations within the room, corresponding to where witnesses have reported seeing the apparition

“The evidence we collected in Room 109 was compelling. The EVPs were clear — a woman’s voice, crying. And the thermal anomalies were exactly where previous witnesses reported seeing the apparition. Something is in that room.” — Lead investigator, Nevada Ghost Hunters

Professional skeptics have offered alternative explanations, including the hotel’s age, the desert’s extreme temperature fluctuations, and the power of suggestion. But the consistency of the reports — spanning decades and coming from visitors with no knowledge of the hotel’s history — has made the Goldfield Hotel one of the more difficult haunted locations to dismiss.

What Do You Think?

The Goldfield Hotel is a grand building with a dark secret. A woman and her baby died in Room 109 — whether from murder, neglect, or the complications of childbirth. Their ghosts remain, trapped in the room where they suffered and died.

Is the hotel haunted by the spirits of Elizabeth and her child? Or is the story itself the ghost — a legend that has taken on a life of its own, feeding on the fear and imagination of each new visitor? The desert holds its secrets tightly, and the Goldfield Hotel holds some of the darkest.

The Goldfield Hotel is open for tours and overnight stays. Room 109 is the most requested room — and the most active. And the woman waits.

Summary

The Goldfield Hotel was built in 1908 in Goldfield, Nevada — the finest hotel in the state
According to legend, a pregnant woman was locked in Room 109 by the hotel’s owner — she and her baby both died there
The ghosts of the woman and baby have been seen and heard in Room 109 — apparitions, crying, and cold spots
Blood-like stains appear on the walls of Room 109, even after repainting
Bottom line: The Goldfield Hotel is one of Nevada’s most haunted and tragic locations