Utah’s vast plains, valleys and mountains are famous for their beauty and spectacular quality. Behind it all, however, lie stories about people and events that are whispered about in dark corners and moonlit campfires. Stories of hauntings, restless spirits, the unsettled dead and terrible events continue to fascinate and scare locals and visitors. Find out more about the haunted places in Utah and the stories behind them.
The Old Pump House in Benjamin
Utah LakeNear the southernmost tip of Utah Lake and halfway between Payson and Spanish fork is the town of Benjamin. An old pump house was built there to provide water to neighboring farms. Its use has since been discontinued but the spirits residing in the pump house had other ideas.
On some nights, residents near the pump house report seeing lights from inside and hear music and people talking. Knowing that the place is basically abandoned, some of the neighbors would call the police to report what they thought were trespassers. The police would arrive to find the place empty with no recent signs of entry. Furthermore, power supply had been cut off the pump house for decades, so there was no reason why anyone should see any lights.
So why is the place haunted? No one knows for sure but locals tell the story of two workers at the pump who died when one of them accidentally got caught in the machine. To make matters worse, the other worker who tried to help him later died as well. The hauntings in the pump house may be the spirits of these men or the other workers who chose to stay behind.
The Brigham Young Farmhouse
The Farmhouse is located at Salt Lake City’s Pioneer State Park. It is an old building, having been built in the 17th century. It is said that an old man haunts the building and that this is the ghost of Brigham Young himself. Another ghost called John Young is known to interact somewhat with visitors and his presence has been documented. There are also sounds of children’s laughter even if there are no children within the immediate vicinity.
The Alta Club
The Alta Club in Salt Lake City was once one of the most popular places for people to socialize. It is said to be haunted by a club member, a man who died in the 1950s in a fire. He is said to have lit a cigar and fallen asleep without putting it out. The fire destroyed most of the area on the top floor and killed the man. His ghost is said to haunt the place where he died and he has been seen walking up and down the hall. Members have also reported feeling someone place a hand on their shoulder and there is no one there.
Brigham Train Depot
The Depot was built in Brigham City in 1906 by the Oregon Short Line Railroad, later the Union Pacific Railroad. It has since been preserved and maintained for its historical value. It is this history that makes it one of the most famous haunted places in Utah. It is not surprising that with the preservation of the structure, the memories of those who once worked here were preserved as well, in the form of ghostly manifestations. Orbs appear on this site and a strong presence, said to be the spirit of a worker who died on the job, is also felt. EVP, or electronic voice phenomena wherein disembodied voices are recorded on tape have also been documented. Also, view the video below about the “Lady in Blue”.
Ghost Hunters – Haunted Utah
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