The Federal Government Will House You In This Haunted Ghost Town, If You Dare

There’s something to be said for free lodging. Unless, of course, you’ll be residing with ghostly neighbors. Some people maintain that Garnet, Montana, is a real ghost town. In the late 19th century, the remote mountain town rapidly grew after gold and silver were discovered in the area. But by the 1940s, the mines had run out of ore and people emptied out of the town, according to the Huffington Post. Now, the only people who reside there are tourists and volunteers selected by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (the Bureau).

Now, the bureau is looking for volunteers who will spend the summer leading tours and providing visitor information. The volunteers will live on the property for free if they maintain the property and provide visiting tourists with information, lead and guide tours, help with special events and set up exhibits, and run the gift shop, according to the Examiner. Most volunteers stay a month, and some remain for the whole summer. They have a normal workday, ending at 5 p.m. The night’s their own. Ranger Nacoma Gainan stated the following, according to the Examiner.

“It’s primitive, to say the least. It’s for people who love the outdoors and want to give back. There’s no electricity, no Wi-Fi, and no running water. But there are trails to explore, artifacts to inspect. Volunteers are really left to their own devices after the visitors are gone.”

What’s the catch? Staying at the accommodations is not for the faint of heart. The majority of the buildings in Garnet are rumored to be haunted. Kelly’s Saloon has had the most reported paranormal activity on the property. It sounds like a real-life “The Shining.” Eerie sounds of laughter and music playing are often heard throughout the building. This has even been heard in the dead of winter when only one person was tending the town. Some of the caretakers have also heard unexplained footsteps and doors opening and closing by themselves in the Wells Hotel.

Ellen Baumler, the Montana Historical Society’s resident ghost whisperer and author, wrote that at the stroke of midnight, people have heard ghostly fingers striking piano keys, with ghostly melodies lingering in the night air. She noted that winter visitors spoke of transparent apparitions wearing old-time clothing, wandering the streets, making footprints, and entering buildings. She wrote the following in the Independent Record.

“Late at night, the spirits of Garnet come out to play in the moonlight. Sometimes, in the deep winter quiet, a piano tinkles in Kelley’s Saloon and the spirits dance to ghostly music. Men’s voices echo in the empty rooms. But the moment a living, human hand touches the building, the noises stop. They cause no trouble and anyone who visits the deserted town in the dead of winter should be prepared to meet them. They hide in the shadows, laugh in the wind, and come out when you least expect them.”

If you’re interested, the volunteer spots for the upcoming summer have been filled. But the town also rents cabins out. Beware: If you choose to go during the winter, the ghosts are said to be more active then.

Would you ever want to take a vacation in what is believed to be a real ghost town?

There have been a number of recent photographs that allegedly have ghosts. One that went viral was of a woman named Anastassia Perets, according to an article in the Inquisitr. Now 21-years-old, she took a trip down memory lane and discovered a photo of herself when she was 4-years-old. At first, the photo seems normal enough — after all, she was a little toddler looking at cute caged birds while wearing red pants, black knee-high boots, and the obligatory ponytail. Normal enough, right? But what lurks behind her is what can make the skin crawl. There’s a little girl seemingly innocently holding a toy behind her opening a door. One problem: Anastassia says there was no other girl in the photo. She said that the blonde toddler in the background is an apparition!