Alaska has its share of ghosts. Between the native peoples who inhabit the land and the history of the Gold Rush with its boom towns, notorious lawlessness and violence, it is no wonder that there are more than a few haunted places in the Great White North.
"The Last Frontier" is home to 626,932 people the wandering spirits of the Eklutna, the spirit of many who died during the Yukon Gold Rush and some of the most sacred sites in North America. So, the next time you're in Alaska, here are some haunted places to visit while you're there.
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| Eklutna Cemetery |
When Russian settlers first arrived in Alaska in 1741, they brought with them the Russian Orthodox religion. These teachings soon began to blend with the native Eskimo beliefs until the Eklutna religion was born. The Eklutna believe that when a person passes on, their spirit wanders the earth for forty days and nights in a search for their possessions. It is in the Native American Cemetery in Anchorage that many of these ghostly searchers have been seen looking for their belongings. In an effort to keep the wandering spirits confined within the walls of the cemetery, colorful, house-like structures were built above the graves and topped with the cross of the Russian Orthodox Church. These "houses" contain the deceased personal effects. Cups, plates, spoons, combs, pipes and even a rifle or camera have been place in these structures.
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| Denali National Park |
Denali Park: Denali National Park
Denali National Park is home to the tallest point in North America: 20,320 foot tall, Mount McKinley. The mountain is also known as Denali, which means "High One" and is one of the most sacred sites in North America. Tales of the supernatural on the mountain go back centuries and the Athabacans believe that the sun shaman and master of life, Sa, lives on the mountain.
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| Gakon Lodge and Trading Post |
Gakona: Gakona Lodge and Trading Post
Originally built in 1900, with additions made in the 1920's and 1940's, the Gakona Lodge and Trail Post's older buildings are home to a poltergeist with a sense of humor. The mischievous spirit likes to open and close doors, lock doors from the inside, jump on the bed, play with the stereos and any number of other such pranks. Sometimes, tobacco smoke from an invisible pipe, disembodied voices and footsteps fill the hallways. Most of these phenomena happen during the evening hours in the lobby and in the nine upstairs rooms of the lodge.
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| Skagway City Municipal Building |
Skagway: City Municipal Building
Built in 1899, at one time, this building was the first territorial court in Alaska but those floors are now a museum and the building now functions as Skagway's city hall and department of tourism. However, that has not stopped reports of strange noises coming from this floor....noises who's source has never been discovered.
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| Skagway Eagles Hall |
Skagway: Eagles Hall
The Fraternal Order of Eagles in Skagway has several extra members in their Hall. These friendly ghosts inhabit the second floor of Eagles Hall and are responsible for many strange events, which have run the Eagles officers out of the building and are blamed for a coldness that people have felt in the halls.
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| Skagway Golden North Hotel |
Skagway: Golden North Hotel
A young woman, who died of pneumonia while awaiting her fiance's return from a gold prospecting expedition, still haunts Room 23 in this hotel. Guests have reported the spectral image of a woman and some have complained of choking sensations while staying in the room. An eerie "light form" which manifests and moves around the room at night is reported in Room 14, though no one knows who it is or what it means.
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| Skagway Mulvihill House |
Skagway: Mulvihill House
White Pass and Yukon Railroad dispatcher Mul Mulvihill still haunts his old home, tapping out messages on a phantom telegraph and walking through the home in his heavy work boots. Today, the Mulvihill House is a private residence, and permission from the current owners must be obtained before entering the premises.
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| Skagway Red Onion Saloon |
Skagway: Red Onion Saloon
This whorehouse-cum-saloon is now home to a female spirit who waters the plants in the Madam's Room that no longer exist. Many have reported smelling very strong perfume in the second floor, phantom footsteps can be heard in the same area and many locals believe that the Saloon, built in 1897, and moved to its current site in 1914, is haunted by its former owner.
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| Skagway White House |
Skagway: White House
This abandoned building, which used to be a hospital, hotel and day-care center, is now haunted by the woman who once ran the day-care. She is described as a "woman in white" and has been seen in the deserted halls of the White House several times. In 1988 a fire caused extensive damage to the building and it now lies deserted on the edge of Skagway.
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| Tonsina Mangy Moose Saloon |
Tonsina: Mangy Moose Saloon
Beginning in 1980, employees and guests have reported seeing the spirit of a tall, thin, mustachioed man who is described as being "polite". Many believe that it is the ghost of Bill Ogden who ran the Saloon, painted it pink and opened a bordello and casino in the Mangy Moose, though others suspect that it is the ghost of a man who committed suicide there.
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