In this article, the haunted spots throughout Hill City and Rapid City, South Dakota will be explored, including the Hill City High School and Mount Rushmore Brewing Company. In Rapid City, the Ellsworth Air Force Base, as well as the Sioux San Hospital offers eerie tales and scary legends.
First, we will begin with the destination of Hill City. Here, you will find a popular tourist attraction, which is called the 1880 Train. Authentic engines and cars date back this time period as well. At this site, you will encounter numerous abandoned train cars, which call the train yard their home. Within these cars, many different odd events have been reported to occur on them. A dining car called the Highliner Eatery can be found on the train yard. In the back of the car, a strange presence was spotted by one of the workers. She claims that he disappeared before her very eyes.
At the Hill City High School, a variety of apparitions have made themselves known. The janitor on the premises claims to have heard unexplainable voices. The ghost of a teenager has been sighted on the rooftop of the school. It is thought to be the ghost of a student who committed suicide on the premises. At O’Brian’s Pub, tales of a poltergeist circulate. This entity has been know to hurl silverware about the room.
The Mount Rushmore Brewing Company once served as the first funeral home located within the city. In the basement, you can still find the crematory on the premises. When visiting the area, you can stop by and enjoy a meal at this restaurant today. Employees here have strong feelings about going into the third floor area to clean up. This area of the restaurant produces a variety of strange noises. Once, a waitress went upstairs to clean and was alone for the night. She claims that the pool balls on top of the pool table were making noises on their own when no one was in the room. She saw the balls moving about and could not figure why this occurred. She concluded that the room must be haunted.
Now, we will venture to Rapid City, where the Alex Johnson Hotel can be located. Dating back to the 1920s, this hotel is believed to be inhabited by several different ghosts. One of these spirits may be the former owner of the place. Workers at this hotel claim to have encountered many noises and have experienced the viewing of objects moving before in front of them on their own. The ghost of a woman is said to haunt the 8th floor. The 8th floor is the site for many odd events. Pianos have a mind of their own and play at will without anyone at the keys. Sobbing can be heard in a room that is believed to have once been occupied by a woman who leapt to her death on the night of her wedding.
At the Ellsworth Air Force Base, objects move on their own and shadows of people can be seen when no one is supposed to be around the area. When you encounter the oldest building in the city, you will find yourself at Hooky Jacks/Phatty McGees Restaurant and Bar, which has a history that can be traced back to the late 1800s. Odd noises and voices, unexplainable footsteps, as well as chairs that move on their own can be encountered at this joint. Ghosts have also been known to walk about the premises.
Additional haunted spots in Rapid City, includes: Dakota Junior High (formally the Old Rapid City High School) and the eerie Sioux San Hospital.