Little A’Le’Inn

Paranormal Nevada: Where to Experience Otherworldly Oddities

We don’t bill Nevada as “The Weirdest, Wildest West” for nothing. Between a little ol’ government facility by the name of Area 51, mannequin cities built just for atomic bombing, multiple haunted hotels, and a handful of offbeat museums, the Silver State is a hotbed of otherworldly experiences.

Ready to go supernatural sightseeing? Prepare to get your paranormal on and discover some of Nevada’s most unique and unusual attractions.

Explore the spookier sights of the Silver State

Alien Adventures
Curious Curio Collections
Only-in-Nevada Oddities
Haunted Hot Spots

P.S. All of the places mentioned in this story are featured in our Paranormal Passport! Digitally check in at these destinations (and dozens more) to earn points toward ghostly Travel Nevada goodies. Get your free download before you hit the road!

two people in costume outside the alien research center near area 51 — Alien Research Center

Alien Adventures

Don’t be a space invader! Area 51 is guarded by some of the heaviest military security on Earth (or anywhere else). Be sure to obey all posted signs and don’t even think about trespassing – you will be caught and you will be prosecuted. And let’s be real, no selfie or story is worth that kind of headache.

Aliens have been part of Silver State lore for as long as we can remember thanks to Area 51 sitting smack dab in central Nevada. Pilot your vessel down the Extraterrestrial Highway for as-close-as-you-should-get exposure to this most mysterious desert secret.

For evidence of extraterrestrials, let the locals fill you in on what they’ve seen and heard at the Little A’Le’Inn (get the Alien Burger and a slice of alienfruit pie) and the Alien Research Center (loaded gift shop fronted by a larger-than-life metal being). E.T. Fresh Jerky has the road trip fuel you need and a cowboy alien mural just begging to be a selfie stop.

Nevada also has some seriously dark skies, portions of which have even been recognized by DarkSky. Direct your gaze upward and see if you spot any UFOs in Rachel, the closest town to Area 51. Keep your eyes peeled for unusual objects making turns at 90-degree angles, showing off speed bursts, or outright stopping in the skies above you. And even if our antennaed friends escape you, the stargazing will dazzle you.

On the other side of the military base, in Amargosa Valley, the Area 51 Alien Travel Center offers a café and emporium with alien-themed everything. Don’t miss the “World’s Largest Firework” at the Alamo Fireworks Megastore, or the free adults-only tour offered by another neighboring business that you won’t find anywhere else in America – guaranteed.

Haunted museum — Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum

Curious Curio Collections

If you get fired up for unconventional history, we have you way more than covered. For eerie artifacts tied to paranormal experiences (like the world’s allegedly most haunted object), look no further than Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in the heart of downtown Vegas.

Have a blast at the National Atomic Testing Museum, which digs deep into Nevada’s unbelievable atomic past. If you’re quick with a calendar (and can pass a background check), pair that with a Nevada National Security Site tour. It’ll get you up close and personal with majorly mind-blowing atomic points of interest like the Apple 2 Houses – the staged-like-they-were-lived-in “residences” for JCPenney-dressed mannequins that withstood the first nationally televised nuclear test.

Over in Boulder City, it’s a graveyard smash at Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum, which celebrates the art and history of special effects makeup and horror movie legends by way of props, memorabilia, and creature suits.

ghosts of goldwell open air museum nevada — Coffinwood

Only-in-Nevada Oddities

Here in the Silver State, the unusual is our usual – and we’ve got oddball pit stops aplenty.

Buried in an off-the-beaten-track neighborhood in Pahrump, Coffinwood is a bona fide #WeirdNevada experience. Book a tour of this private residence and property to discover a collection of hearses, a lapidary studio, a coffin shop, a coffin garden, and so much more. And relatively just up the street in Beatty is the Goldwell Open Air Museum, an outdoor desert art park where you can mingle with larger-than-life sculptures, including the “Ghosts of Goldwell.”

We’ve got more Weird Nevada attractions where those came from, and while they might stray from the definition of “paranormal,” they definitely check all the “something weird is going on here” boxes.

Goldfield Cemetery — Goldfield Historic Cemetery

washoe club and haunted museum in virginia city nevada — Goldfield Historic Cemetery

Haunted Hot Spots

The Silver State is considered one of the most supernaturally active places in the country by paranormal experts and enthusiasts alike. In fact, Nevada has so much haunted history, the topic deserved its own feature story. From spirit-filled saloons and storied cemeteries to multiple hotels where legendary guests never checked out, discover 13 places where – even if you don’t believe in ghosts – the tales you’ll hear will show you why plenty of people do.

Get a sneak peek at the spirited stories awaiting you. PBS Reno’s “Wild Nevada” takes you inside Tonopah’s Mizpah Hotel and the Goldfield High School, both haunted hot spots routinely (and successfully) investigated by ghost hunters.

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