5 of Salt Lake City’s Most Haunted Houses
By Dan Candidi ·
Conceptual AI illustration of a fictional house; this is not a photograph of any of the five properties.
Armstrong Mansion, McCune Mansion, Devereaux Mansion, the Utah Governor’s Mansion and the Lion House all have a place in Salt Lake City’s ghost-story tradition. These are five selected historic homes with published tales attached to them. Nobody has supplied a reliable census of the afterlife, so “most haunted” isn’t an objective ranking.
The buildings have paper trails. The ghosts mostly have newspaper clippings. Here’s what the records support, where the stories come from and which details deserve a raised eyebrow.
The houses and their dates
The dates need a little care, especially at Devereaux. An original home on a property and the building standing there today can be two different things.
Armstrong Mansion — 667 E 100 South — built in 1892–93.
McCune Mansion — 200 N Main Street — completed in 1901.
Devereaux Mansion — 340 W South Temple — Jennings’s standing mansion dates to work in 1867 and 1877; the earlier Staines cottage, finished around 1857, was replaced.
Utah Governor’s Mansion — 603 E South Temple — completed in 1902.
Lion House — 63 E South Temple — built in 1856.
Dates and addresses come from the historic and official sources linked below. They describe construction history, not the age or existence of a haunting.
Armstrong Mansion: the woman at the gable window
Address: 667 E 100 South, Salt Lake City.
Armstrong Mansion, Salt Lake City, UT
The history: Armstrong Mansion dates to 1892–93. Its original National Register nomination contains both years, so giving a range is more honest than pretending the record is tidy. The house later served as a bed and breakfast. University reporting in April 2024 described it as part of The Other Side Academy.
The story: A 2012 KSL column retold an unnamed couple’s account of seeing a woman in black at their room’s gable window while they were outside. In the telling, they went back to a locked room and found it unchanged.
That’s a secondhand guest story. It doesn’t identify the couple or establish that a paranormal event occurred. It also says gable window, not a particular floor, so be skeptical of retellings that add one.
History sources: National Register nomination; Amplify Utah, April 16, 2024. Story source: Grant Olsen, KSL, May 22, 2012.
McCune Mansion: a wedding guest without an invitation
Address: 200 N Main Street, Salt Lake City.
McCune Mansion, Salt Lake City, UT
The history: McCune Mansion was completed in 1901 for Alfred and Elizabeth McCune. Elizabeth selected architect S. C. Dallas. The National Park Service’s historic survey and the Utah Geological Survey support the completion date.
The story: In 2023, KSL Homes repeated a legend about a girl dancing and laughing at weddings. Its account also describes a man in a black cape appearing in mirrors and reports of organ music with no player around. A 2012 Salt Lake Tribune roundup includes the caped man and a young girl, too.
Those are published retellings. Neither the girl’s identity nor the reported appearances are established historical facts. A wedding already has enough people whose names you can’t remember; this story adds one more.
History sources: HABS survey UT-87; Utah Geological Survey, Stop 4. Story sources: KSL Homes, October 3, 2023; The Salt Lake Tribune, October 31, 2012.
Devereaux Mansion: the girl in the window—and a date worth correcting
Address: 340 W South Temple, Salt Lake City.
Devereaux Mansion, Salt Lake City, UT
The history: William Staines’s original cottage was finished around 1857, but that cottage is gone. According to the 2011 historic structures report, William Jennings added a brick west wing in 1867, then replaced the cottage with an east wing in 1877. The mansion standing today belongs to that later chapter.
So “built in 1857” is too simple for this building. Older records also use 334 W South Temple; the owner’s report and city records use 340.
The story: The Salt Lake Tribune’s 2012 roundup describes a girl seen in the windows. KSL Homes’ 2023 account adds staff stories about moved objects and lights switching on and off. No documented incident backs any of it.
History sources: Elwin C. Robison’s 2011 Historic Structures Report; Salt Lake City’s February 6, 2020 Historic Landmark Commission agenda. Story sources: The Salt Lake Tribune, October 31, 2012; KSL Homes, October 3, 2023.
Utah Governor’s Mansion: a ghost tour with the first lady
Address: 603 E South Temple, Salt Lake City.
Utah Governor's Mansion, Salt Lake City, UT
The history: Also known as the Kearns Mansion, the house was completed in 1902. Jennie Kearns donated it to the state in 1937. Salt Lake City’s history of the property records both dates.
The reported connection: In 2019, then–First Lady Jeanette Herbert gave FOX 13 a ghost tour of the mansion. That coverage earns it a place in this collection, but the page’s written account doesn’t provide specific encounters. There’s no sound basis here for adding a ghost’s name, footsteps or a moving-object story.
Sometimes the accurate version is shorter than the Halloween version. We’ll survive.
History source: Salt Lake City, “The Historic Governor’s Mansion.” Coverage: FOX 13, November 1, 2019.
Lion House: shadows and a stubborn china cabinet
Address: 63 E South Temple, Salt Lake City.
The Lion House, Salt Lake City, UT
The history: Built in 1856, the Lion House was a home for Brigham Young’s family. The Utah History Encyclopedia records that Young died there in 1877. It’s a separate building from the neighboring Beehive House, so their histories shouldn’t be mixed together.
The story: KSL Homes’ 2023 article repeats accounts of passing shadows, a man clearing his throat and a china cabinet said to unlock and relock on Young’s birthday. The article doesn’t supply named witnesses or dated incident records. Treat those details as folklore.
An access note: The owner’s site listed the Lion House as closed for renovation as of October 30, 2026. Check the owner’s current information before making plans.
History sources: Utah History Encyclopedia, “Beehive and Lion Houses”; Utah Geological Survey, Stop 9. Story source: KSL Homes, October 3, 2023. Renovation source: the owner’s Lion House page.
Questions about Salt Lake City’s haunted houses
Are these houses proven to be haunted?
No paranormal event is established by the evidence used here. Historic records support the buildings’ histories; dated news accounts show that the ghost stories have been told.
Can you book a night at Armstrong Mansion?
Don’t count on it. The bed-and-breakfast years are history, and April 2024 reporting describes the building as part of The Other Side Academy.
Is the Devereaux Mansion standing today from 1857?
No. The historic structures report distinguishes the earlier Staines cottage from Jennings’s work in 1867 and 1877, which produced the standing mansion.
Can you visit all five interiors?
This article isn’t an interior-tour guide. McCune’s operator stated that entry was by appointment only when checked on October 30, 2026, and the Lion House was listed as closed for renovation as of that same date. Addresses don’t grant permission to enter. Check with the relevant operator or owner.
Are the Lion House and Beehive House the same building?
No. They’re neighboring homes with different histories. This article’s Lion House address is 63 E South Temple.
Old houses, better questions
The stories give us a reason to look closer at Salt Lake City’s old homes. The records tell us who built them and how they changed; the folklore shows what people have said about them since.
If an older Salt Lake City home is on your buying list, I can help you compare homes and the practical questions to investigate. A dramatic window is a feature. It still needs a good inspection. For the less spooky side of the city, see Living in Salt Lake City.
By Dan Candidi · Lawson Real Estate Team at eXp Realty.
Historical and folklore information reviewed through October 30, 2026. Reported legends are not claims that paranormal events occurred. Access arrangements can change.