Boo-yah! South Dakota Ranks As One of the Most Haunted States in the Nation

South Dakota just made another Top 10 list. Some people might be thrilled, others might be thinking, “Oh great, what now?”

Better, buckle up, because this one’s a little on the eerie side. Dakota News Now is reporting that, according to a new “spooky study” by the fine folks at Legal U.S. Poker Sites, South Dakota ranks as the 9th most haunted state in the entire country.

We’re right behind Arizona and one spot creepier than Oregon.

Get our free mobile app

If you’re after the ultimate scare, you’ll need to head west to California, America’s undisputed champion of paranormal activity. (Watch the news each night, there's always something scary coming out of California!) Rounding out the top three haunted states are Delaware and Texas.

So, where in the Rushmore State can you catch a glimpse of something that goes bump in the night?

Some of South Dakota’s most haunted hotspots include the Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, the Orpheum Theatre and Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls, the Alex Johnson Hotel in Rapid City, and Keystone Cemetery out in the Black Hills.

And if you happen to be in Sioux Falls, keep an eye out for the ghostly elevator rider said to haunt the Washington Pavilion. (Hopefully, they at least press your floor for you.)

Speaking of haunted Sioux Falls locations, let me tell you, I’ve had a few of my own close encounters. Back in the 1980s, I lived in a house on Western Avenue that was, without question, haunted. I’m talking things nuttier than squirrel turds would happen inside that place.

Some mornings, we’d wake up to find the living room furniture rearranged like a home makeover show hosted by Casper. My mother's electric sewing machine would start running on its own, despite not being plugged in (and no, it didn’t take batteries). The TV would turn on and off by itself, long before remotes existed. And random items like pictures, cassette tapes, and clothing would vanish, only to mysteriously reappear days or even weeks later in totally different rooms.

READ MORE:  Will Halloween 2025 Be a Cold One in Sioux Falls?

Whoever that mischievous spirit was, they clearly fancied themselves a prankster-slash-handyman. It would’ve been great if they’d taken it a step further and helped shovel snow in the winter or tackled the weekend laundry, but we never got that lucky!

According to the Legal U.S. Poker Site Paranormal Patrol peeps, South Dakota boasts 302 documented ghost sightings and four official haunted locations.

But I’ve got a feeling they missed one. Someone should drop by my old house on Western Avenue between 26th and 33rd Street. I’m pretty sure we can bump that “officially haunted” count up to five.