Utah is a state full of haunted places, each with its own history and mysteries. I set out to learn about ghostly things in Utah, starting at the Fear Factory in Salt Lake City. 

The factory isn’t just a place for jump scares during the Halloween season. A separate company, Grimm Ghost Tours, also runs ghost tours that dig into the building’s history, offering a deeper look at why these haunts are so intriguing.

Fear Factory

Inside the factory, shadows flicker, and the old walls mingle with new partitions built for the haunted house. The guide on my tour began by saying, “Some places hold on to more than the stories of those who came before. They hold on to the energy of those people.” 

As it turns out, the Fear Factory was once the Portland Cement Company, established in the early 1900s. The factory’s dangerous conditions made industrial accidents a grim reality, and it’s believed that many workers met tragic fates here. Consequently, their spirits are said to linger within the factory’s walls. The tour showed how places like this become a blend of history and mystery, offering more than just a scare — they offer a real connection to the past.

Skinwalker Ranch

This fall, Utah’s haunted places are appealing for those who want to understand the unknown. Skinwalker Ranch in the Uintah Basin is one of the most famous spots, and is known mostly for its mysterious events like UFO sightings and strange creatures. 

The ranch has changed hands several times, with owners like Robert Bigelow and Brandon Fugal bringing attention to its strange occurrences. Despite many investigations, including a significant research program, skeptics argue there’s a lack of concrete evidence supporting the paranormal claims. Since 2016, access to the ranch has been restricted, with security measures keeping the public at bay. 

Ogden Haunts

Ogden has its own haunted sites. The Ben Lomond Hotel, now the Bigelow Hotel, has become infamous for room 1102. Guests have reported hearing eerie noises and seeing strange figures, all linked to the story of a bride who drowned in the bathtub on her wedding night. The hotel’s elevators have been known to move on their own, with no technical explanation found by engineers. Walking through the hotel, it’s easy to sense the weight of its history, as if the past is just out of reach, waiting to be uncovered.

Union Station in Ogden is another location with a haunted reputation. Built in 1869, it has seen its share of tragedy, including the 1944 Bagley Train Disaster. Today, visitors say they’ve seen a woman wandering the upstairs halls. “Train operators are very diligent,” our guide from the Fear Factory mentioned, hinting at the ghostly personality behind some spirits believed to linger there.

Utah’s Ghostly History

Salt Lake City’s Rio Grande Depot is yet another haunted spot, known for the ghost of “The Purple Lady” — an unknown woman believed to have died in a tragic accident. Sightings of her wandering the halls, along with reports of cold spots and faint noises, make this depot a place where the past feels close, blending the line between reality and the supernatural.

Old Tooele Hospital, now called Asylum 49, is a different kind of haunted experience. This former hospital is now known for its terrifying haunted tours, where visitors report seeing spirits like the ghost of a little girl named “Jessica.” It’s as if the building holds onto the memories of those who once lived and died there, offering a haunting reminder of its history. 

Moon Lake in the Uintas, and Mercur Cemetery, are other locations that blend history with mystery. Campers at Moon Lake have reported seeing the ghost of a young girl at the water’s edge. Mercur Cemetery is known for sightings of shadowy figures and a phantom horseman.

Researching haunted places and developing ghost tours involves a lot of research and a dedication to telling authentic stories. As the owner of Grimm Ghost Tours explained, “We want people to fall in love with history and historic places.” Grimm Ghost Tours’ historian, Fiona, digs into each location’s past, from who owned the land originally to what was there before the current building. “We like first-hand accounts, ones that have been verified,” she said.

This fall, if you’re drawn to haunted places and want to experience ghost tours that offer more than just scares, Utah has plenty to offer. Whether it’s a tour through the Fear Factory or exploring other haunted sites on your own, these locations invite you to step into a world where history and the supernatural meet. They tell stories that go beyond the surface, showing us how the past can still haunt the present.

Feature Image: Machinery still housed at the Portland Cement Company, now the home of the Fear Factory haunted house. Photo courtesy of Grimm Ghost Tours.