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Medora has two documented haunted places, new index finds

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Medora has two documented haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index of North Dakota's most haunted places, tied with Minot for second among the state's towns, behind only Fargo and Bismarck. The index ranks 20 North Dakota sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

At the Chateau de Mores State Historic Site, built in 1883 as a hunting lodge by the Marquis de Morès, the French aristocrat who founded Medora and named it for his wife, Medora von Hoffman, tour guides and visitors describe a woman-in-white apparition long associated with her, an impression on her side of the bed, and belongings found rearranged. The State Historical Society of North Dakota leads October lantern tours through the 26-room house, recounting the legend alongside the family's history.

The Rough Riders Hotel, built in 1884 by George Fitzgerald and renamed in 1903 to honor Theodore Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry regiment, has drawn guest reports for three decades of a child's laughter and toilets flushing in empty rooms on the top floor; no record names a child who ever died there. The hotel, now run by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, does not market itself as haunted or offer ghost tours.

Statewide, Bonanzaville, USA in West Fargo ranks #1, and Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in Mandan, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Chateau de Mores State Historic Site, 3426 Chateau Rd., Medora, offers daytime tours mid-May through mid-September and lantern tours in October.Rough Riders Hotel, 301 3rd Ave., Medora, is a working hotel open year-round; its restaurant, Theodore's Dining Room, is open to the public.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/north-dakota/The fact sheet, with Medora numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/north-dakota/Venue contact: history.nd.gov and medora.comA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

Short version

SHORT VERSION

Medora has two documented haunted places, new index finds

Medora has two documented haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index of North Dakota's most haunted places, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. At the Chateau de Mores, built in 1883 by Medora's founder, guides describe a woman-in-white apparition associated with his wife, Medora de Mores, and belongings found rearranged. At the Rough Riders Hotel, guests describe a child's laughter on the top floor, though no record names a child who died there. Statewide, Bonanzaville, USA in West Fargo ranks #1.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/north-dakota/