1879 Lumber Baron's Estate Built on Exhumed Cemetery Grounds — Carson City's Most Storied Haunted Address
710 W Robinson St, Carson City, NV 89703
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
The Bliss Mansion operates as a bed and breakfast. Room rates vary. The exterior can be viewed from the street. Contact the property for current availability.
Access
Limited Access
Three-story Victorian mansion; stairs throughout interior
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1879 · Nevada State Historical Marker No. 70 · West Side Historic District · First Home in Nevada Fully Piped for Gas Lighting · Comstock Lode Timber Industry
Duane L. Bliss arrived in California during the gold rush era and made his first fortune in the Sierra Nevada timber industry before pivoting to the Nevada silver economy. His D.L. Bliss & Sons company controlled vast stands of timber on the west side of Lake Tahoe and built the sawmills that supplied mine shoring timber to the Comstock Lode operations in Virginia City. He later capitalized the Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company to move that lumber efficiently.
The Carson City mansion, built in 1879, was the physical expression of that wealth. At 8,500 square feet with 15 rooms across three stories, it was at the time of construction the largest and most modern private residence in Nevada. Its construction used clear lumber and square nails throughout, drawn from the timber business that was the source of Bliss's fortune. It was the first home in Nevada entirely piped for gas lighting. Nevada State Historical Marker No. 70 is maintained on the property.
The site Bliss selected had a complication: an 1860 cemetery occupied the ground. The bodies were exhumed and relocated to another cemetery before construction began — though some accounts suggest not all remains were recovered. Bliss and his wife Elizabeth lived in the mansion for the remainder of their lives.
The building subsequently passed through family ownership before being converted to a bed and breakfast. It operates today as an AAA 4 Diamond–rated inn with five guest suites and event facilities. It stands directly across from the Nevada Governor's Mansion in Carson City's West Side Historic District.
Sources
The cemetery origin is the Bliss Mansion's foundational dark-history claim, and unlike much haunted-house lore it is historically grounded. An 1860 cemetery occupied the site; bodies were exhumed and relocated before construction began, with some accounts suggesting the relocation was incomplete. The presence of disturbed burial ground beneath the mansion anchors the paranormal reports that accumulated over the following century.
Duane Bliss himself is the most frequently cited apparition. He is described in multiple accounts as appearing at the upper-floor windows, looking out pensively before vanishing, or standing in the yard before disappearing suddenly. Curtains in rooms where no one is present have been observed moving. A housekeeper reportedly witnessed the figures of a woman and her young daughter walking through the parlor and into the hallway.
The most dramatic claim involves an incident from the 1980s: a child staying in the mansion allegedly fell or was pushed on the stairs. The account attributes the incident to one of approximately 35 spirits said to haunt the property — a figure that appears across multiple sources covering the Bliss Mansion's paranormal reputation.
The Carson City Ghost Walk, which has operated for over 30 years, includes the Bliss Mansion in its tour circuit. US Ghost Adventures also covers the property. The combination of a historically documented disturbed burial site, a named original occupant, and multiple independent accounts citing consistent phenomena places the Bliss Mansion among Carson City's better-documented haunted addresses.
Notable Entities
The mansion operates as a bed and breakfast with five large guest suites. Guests stay in the same building where Duane Bliss lived and where paranormal reports have accumulated since the 1980s. Book directly by calling 775-887-8988.
The Bliss Mansion at 710 W. Robinson Street is located directly across from the Nevada Governor's Mansion and can be viewed from the sidewalk. The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office maintains a historical marker (No. 70) on the property.
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