It’s spooky season! Do you know what lurks this city from years past? Check out This Is Boise’s top five haunted local spots.
The Egyptian Theater
There are many accounts from locals and traveling performers with tales of strange feelings and sightings at this iconic Boise spot. The most popular sighting is of Joe the Projector Room Ghost. Rumor has it that Joe died in the 1920s of a heart attack on his way up the stairs to the projector room. Do you have any ghost stories at The Egyptian?
Historic Idanha Building
Originally a hotel, Idanha has been open since 1901 and has quite a few stories to tell. According to hauntedplaces.org, “The ghost of a bellman who was gunned down in the hotel moves the elevator up and down by itself. Guests also report seeing him peering around corners in the building. Doors open and close by themselves, lights go on and off and a hideous moaning sound has been heard on certain levels of the building.” Idanha is now an apartment building and houses restaurants, 10th Street Station, and a tattoo parlor.
StrangeLove Nightclub and Dirty Little Roddy’s
On the corner of 6th and Main, this building was originally known for being a meeting house for a German Rec Hall. This venue was a popular location for parties and social gatherings. Rumor has it that in the early 1900s a traveling theater group came to town to entertain the miners. An understudy convinced the janitor to kill the lead actress so she could have the part. There have been many sightings of her apparition throughout the years, and it’s even been said she has appeared in some photos. She plays small tricks on building staff, moving carts and bottles around to confuse or frighten people. She is most known to ride the elevator up and down.
Idaho State Penitentiary
Located at the base of the foothills, this historic building was built in 1870 almost entirely by the prisoners that would occupy it. Now a tourist attraction, the old penitentiary’s most famous ghost is of Raymond Snowden, also known as Idaho’s “Jack the Ripper”. Due to a series of facility mishaps, Snowden’s supposed-to-be-quick death turned to be particularly slow and memorable. There are reports of negative energies throughout the entire grounds. It’s no surprise that this building has a long list of apparition sightings and ghost tales over the years.
The Owyhee
Since 1910, the Owyhee has been a popular building in downtown Boise. There have been many reports of apparitions, noises, doors opening and closing, moved materials, and spooked staff. Many of the reports cite that the supernatural encounters aren’t filled with negative and malicious energy, but rather that they are ghosts that are going about their daily business. The once-hotel is now an apartment, retail, and restaurant space.
