“The Haunted States” study ranks South Dakota 9th most haunted state in the U.S.

According to The Haunted States study, conducted by Legal US Poker Sites, South Dakota ranked 9th among the most haunted states in the nation and gives it a “fright factor” score of 13.2 out of 100.

South Dakota has recorded 302 ghost sightings and is home to four notorious haunted locations. With 37 open missing persons cases still unsolved in 2025, there’s an uneasy sense that not every spirit in South Dakota has found peace.

Among South Dakota’s most haunted sites are its historic hotels, where some guests and owners never seem to leave.

In Deadwood, the Bullock Hotel and Casino is said to be watched over by Seth Bullock, the town’s first sheriff and the hotel’s founder. Guests report disembodied voices, flickering lights, and objects that move on their own, as if Bullock still keeps order long after last call. Just down the street, the Franklin Hotel is believed to host the lingering presence of its namesake, Harris Franklin, seen by some as a gentleman in period clothing or felt as a quiet observer watching from the shadows.

In Rapid City, the Hotel Alex Johnson is home to the state’s most famous spirit, the Lady in White. In the 1970s, a young bride plunged from Room 812 under mysterious circumstances, and her ghostly figure is still said to wander the halls, joined by the playful spirit of a little girl who knocks on doors and giggles down the corridor.

Rounding out South Dakota’s haunted landmarks is the Orpheum Theater in Sioux Falls, a century-old stage said to be home to a ghost known only as Larry. Built in 1913, staff and visitors report blue lights in the balcony and sounds of footsteps in empty halls. One janitor once found an old tin-type photo of a man onstage, believed to be Larry himself. No one knows who he was, but his presence still lingers in the spotlight.

In South Dakota:

• Haunted Locations: 4
• Ghost Sighting Reports: 302
• Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 37
• Oldest City: Fort Pierre (1832)
• Haunted Casinos: 4

Here’s the full rundown of the Top 10 Most Haunted States in America for 2025