Four Salt Lake City landmarks rank among Utah's ten most haunted places

With Halloween approaching, four Salt Lake City landmarks rank among Utah's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, including Rio Grande Depot (closed to the public for restoration) at #2. The index ranks 73 Utah sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Rio Grande Depot ranks #2. Architect Henry Schlack designed the 1910 depot for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Three separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1940. The depot's best-known legend is the Purple Lady, said to have died on the tracks retrieving a lost engagement ring; staff report her apparition near the south end of the building and a station master's figure in the lobby.

Capitol Theatre ranks #5. Designed by G. Albert Lansburgh, the building opened in 1913 as the Orpheum Theatre and was renamed in 1927. On July 4, 1949, a basement fire broke out; about 600 patrons evacuated safely, and 17-year-old usher Richard Duffin died of smoke inhalation. Three separate published accounts describe activity there.

Also in the top ten: The McCune Mansion (#8) and The Devereaux House (#10).

Statewide, Skinwalker Ranch in Ballard (exterior viewing only) ranks #1.

"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:Rio Grande Depot, 300 S. Rio Grande St., is closed to the public for restoration.Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 S., hosts ticketed performances year-round.The McCune Mansion, 200 N. Main St., is a private event venue; the exterior is visible from the sidewalk.The Devereaux House, 334 W. South Temple, is used for private church receptions; the exterior is visible from the sidewalk.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/utah/The fact sheet, with Salt Lake City numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/utah/Photos: The McCune Mansion and The Devereaux House, on the fact sheet.Venue contact: history.utah.gov and saltlakecountyarts.orgA 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

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