When visiting Montana, there are many different places you will pass. You never know when the next rest stop, restaurant, theater, or main attraction will hold a scary tale to explore. For instance, several people seek out the Little Bighorn National Monument when passing through the state. Little do many know that the area surrounding the monument was once a battlefield and is said to be haunted by the spirit of Native Americans who appear to be searching for the loved ones they lost to war.
Wherever you may land, there is a hidden tale or legend waiting to be uncovered. For example, in Helena, word has it that the former resident of the Brantly House (who happened to be a judge) still haunts the premises. In Lyons, the Old Mine Shafts are believed haunted where strange voices are said to escape the openings about the shaft.
Military buffs may happen upon the Air Force Base in Malmstrom, where the Base Chapel is positioned. It is here that the tale of a ghost with a long beard originated. It is said that the ghost is rather young and appears in the same clothes that fur traders used to wear. The sanctuary of the chapel is where his spirit seems to dwell, where he often takes up residence in the seventh pew. It is said that he holds a Bible in his hand and then allows it to loudly fall to the floor. Also, on the premises an old piano plays without the help of anyone. Some claim the tune emitted from this eerie instrument is “All the Ends of the Earth.”
At the Town Pump Truck Stop, Miles City has a ghost of its own. It is said that an old man by the name of Dave is said to haunt the premises, where he is blamed for turning some of the equipment on and off, as well as opening and closing cooler doors. Many believe it is the former owner of the small station that refuses to leave, as he died on the grounds of an apparent heart attack.
In Missoula, a children’s theatre can be found where a poltergeist named George is said to roam. When a production takes place that George is in favor of, he will encourage the actors. If it is a show he does not particularly enjoy, he is known to cause storyboards to fly.
In the Pryor Mountains area, you will encounter Crow Medicine Rock, which is thought a scared place to the Crow tribe. They believe that it serves as the home to the “Little People,” who have been described as meat-eating drawfs that possess some of the sharpest of teeth. Legends has it that the
Little People have been known to tear the heart out of a horse, but has been viewed as protectors of the Crows. At Medicine Rock, some tribe members still leave offerings to the Little People. To further the tale, a mummified dwarf was found in 1931, sitting in the cross-leg position within a cave.