Wyoming’s history is littered with stories of the Wild West, and how gold rushes and oil booms caused towns to grow, and in time, bust. Ghost towns often come to mind when you think of the history of the Cowboy State, and any Wyoming explorer has certainly stumbled upon some out here on the prairie. The picture that pops into your head is the town that springs up out of the desert and then becomes abandoned for one reason or another, usually because the winds of fortune have shifted elsewhere. Here is one creepy ghost town in Wyoming that has a mysterious and fascinating past.
Gebo is located just north of Thermopolis, and it was established as a coal mining community in 1907.
Flickr/David Cohen The town of Gebo is named after Samuel Wilford Gebo who established the first mine in the area along with the Owl Creek Coal Company.
Mining flourished from 1907 to 1938 and brought in a lot of residents, but by the 1970s, all that was left here were remnants of demolished buildings.
Flickr/David Cohen At one time over 20,000 people lived in the town, making it the largest town in Hot Springs County! Mining eventually fizzled out in the area and residents started abandoning the town. Gebo became a ghost town. All that was left were abandoned buildings. In 1971, much of the town was bulldozed. However, today, some of the remnants of the buildings and cemetery remain.
Check out this video of the ghost town cemetery by YouTube user woodster72, if you want to experience the town without heading out to the region.
Any visitor will immediately notice the town’s sad secret – the cemeteries. There are several graveyards in Gebo, and the majority of the graves are the final resting spots of children and infants. Life on the prairie was difficult, and without access to healthcare or modern medical technology, younger Wyomingites often lived short lives. That doesn’t mean they’ve completely left, though. In fact, people have reported hearing a crying baby and voices from dismembered bodies making this a ghost town in the literal sense. Visitors generally experience feelings of uneasiness throughout the town.
Flickr/David Cohen
The town of Gebo is named after Samuel Wilford Gebo who established the first mine in the area along with the Owl Creek Coal Company.
At one time over 20,000 people lived in the town, making it the largest town in Hot Springs County! Mining eventually fizzled out in the area and residents started abandoning the town. Gebo became a ghost town. All that was left were abandoned buildings. In 1971, much of the town was bulldozed. However, today, some of the remnants of the buildings and cemetery remain.
Check out this video of the ghost town cemetery by YouTube user woodster72, if you want to experience the town without heading out to the region.
Gebo isn’t the only ghost town in Wyoming. Check out Visit These 10 Creepy Ghost Towns In Wyoming At Your Own Risk for other ghost towns in the state.
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Address: Gebo, WY 82443, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
ghost town in Wyoming October 14, 2020 Kim Magaraci Are there any haunted hotels in Wyoming? Wyoming’s past is pretty wild, and it’s not surprising that some of our oldest hotels may be hosting some spirits of their own. The Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, once a brothel, has earned a reputation for being a haunted spot to grab a drink or settle down for the night. The historic Sheridan Inn is also a spooky spot, and the world famous Old Faithful Inn likes to brag about the spirits that found their hospitality so welcoming, they never wanted to leave. What are the best little known ghost towns in Wyoming? If you’re looking to explore a ghost town that’s off the beaten path, Kirwin and Gebo are both suitable spots! Kirwin was once a gorgeous getaway, and even Amelia Earhart was building a vacation home here. When an avalanche wrecked the town and took several lives, most residents packed up and left. Can I visit any abandoned places in Wyoming? There are many abandoned places scattered throughout the Wyoming prairie, and our old mining ghost towns are often open to visitors. South Pass City and Atlantic City are two that immediately come to mind, but if you don’t mind doing a little exploring, Kirwin and Gebo make for impressive day trip destinations.
The OIYS Visitor Center
ghost town in Wyoming
October 14, 2020
Kim Magaraci
Are there any haunted hotels in Wyoming? Wyoming’s past is pretty wild, and it’s not surprising that some of our oldest hotels may be hosting some spirits of their own. The Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, once a brothel, has earned a reputation for being a haunted spot to grab a drink or settle down for the night. The historic Sheridan Inn is also a spooky spot, and the world famous Old Faithful Inn likes to brag about the spirits that found their hospitality so welcoming, they never wanted to leave. What are the best little known ghost towns in Wyoming? If you’re looking to explore a ghost town that’s off the beaten path, Kirwin and Gebo are both suitable spots! Kirwin was once a gorgeous getaway, and even Amelia Earhart was building a vacation home here. When an avalanche wrecked the town and took several lives, most residents packed up and left. Can I visit any abandoned places in Wyoming? There are many abandoned places scattered throughout the Wyoming prairie, and our old mining ghost towns are often open to visitors. South Pass City and Atlantic City are two that immediately come to mind, but if you don’t mind doing a little exploring, Kirwin and Gebo make for impressive day trip destinations.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Wyoming’s past is pretty wild, and it’s not surprising that some of our oldest hotels may be hosting some spirits of their own. The Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, once a brothel, has earned a reputation for being a haunted spot to grab a drink or settle down for the night. The historic Sheridan Inn is also a spooky spot, and the world famous Old Faithful Inn likes to brag about the spirits that found their hospitality so welcoming, they never wanted to leave.
What are the best little known ghost towns in Wyoming?
If you’re looking to explore a ghost town that’s off the beaten path, Kirwin and Gebo are both suitable spots! Kirwin was once a gorgeous getaway, and even Amelia Earhart was building a vacation home here. When an avalanche wrecked the town and took several lives, most residents packed up and left.
Can I visit any abandoned places in Wyoming?
There are many abandoned places scattered throughout the Wyoming prairie, and our old mining ghost towns are often open to visitors. South Pass City and Atlantic City are two that immediately come to mind, but if you don’t mind doing a little exploring, Kirwin and Gebo make for impressive day trip destinations.
