BILLINGS — The Dude Rancher Lodge is famous for offering hospitality— and hauntings.
The lodge was first opened in 1950 by Percival and Annabell Goan. The bricks used to construct the lodge were recycled from the old St. Vincent hospital and Washington School.
After the original owners died, guests and employees alike started to notice strange events inside the lodge.
“It’s kind of creepy when you hear your name yelled at you,” explains Tracy Bryant, who provides laundry services for the lodge.
Bryant explains that when she uses the service tunnel underneath the lodge, she often hears someone yelling her name.
But that's not all.
“I’ve had my dryer settings messed with, I don’t change them around too much. I’ve also seen on the cameras the dryer turn on in the middle of the night down there, just starts rolling,” Bryant says.
Other employees say they won't even use the service tunnels out of fear.
But it's not just the service tunnels that these events have occurred in.
Motel staff told MTN News on Monday that rooms 223, 224, and 226 have frequent paranormal events reported.
Travelers will visit the lodge from far and wide in an attempt to have a ghostly encounter.
Jessa Jacoby is an avid ghost hunter and travels all over Montana trying to find paranormal activity.
Jacoby traveled from Bozeman to stay at Dude Rancher Lodge and says they were far from disappointed.
Jacoby says when checking in, the receptionist was shocked by their choice.
“She says, ‘So two for room 226?’ and I said, ‘No, just one,’ and she said ‘Oh...you’re staying by yourself? You’re brave!” Jacoby says.
When Jacoby got to their room, they got to work trying to contact potential spirits.
“All of a sudden, the energy in the room kind of shifted. It wasn’t anything I had felt there before, and there was just this sense of urgency to it,” Jacoby explains.
Jacoby says the spirit made contact with her through their rapid word generator and also changed their music from heavy metal to "1950s bubblegum pop".
These claims of paranormal activity are echoed by dozens of past guests. The lodge boasts its haunted history and is always happy to talk about it with guests.
“The Dude Rancher is definitely the most active place I’ve ever visited,” Jacoby explains. “I would recommend the Dude Rancher to any traveler that wants to have a spooky adventure."
To learn more about the Dude Rancher Lodge or to make a reservation, please click here.
