7 Spooky & Fascinating Haunted Places in Anchorage, Alaska

My blog posts likely contain affiliate links, including for the Amazon Associates program.
If you click, book, or buy from one of these links, I may earn a commission. Read more in my Privacy Policy.

In the summer of 1992, a family made their way up the Alaska-Canada Highway to settle in their new home near Anchorage. One night, they stopped in a small b&b after a long day of driving, and the next morning, the parents reported the same spooky apparition – my mother woke up to experience an older couple standing at the foot of their bed, while my dad thought it was a dream.

Many people are surprised to learn that I believe in paranormal activity, but when my introduction to Alaska all those years ago included a ghost story – how could I not? I’ve always been fascinated by ghost stories and haunted hotspots, and there are some great ones across The Last Frontier – and plenty of haunted places in Anchorage.

Most people don’t visit Anchorage during the spooky season – aka Halloween/October – since it’s already winter in Alaska. But there’s still plenty of interest in the history of Alaska and any spooky happenings around Alaska’s biggest city. That’s why I’ve put together this list of haunted places in Anchorage – and published it in the middle of summer, when more people can use it to plan a visit to one or more of these spots. Best of all, it doesn’t get fully dark through most of the Alaskan summer in Southcentral, so it’s a bit less spooky to go ghost hunting than in other places.

So if you, like me, have always secretly (or not-so-secretly) enjoyed watching those ridiculous “Ghost Hunting Adventurers” shows (not a real name, just making fun of them!) and want to try your hand seeking out paranormal activity – head to these haunted spots in Anchorage and bring all your courage.

In this post, I promote travel to a destination that is the traditional lands of the Dena’ina Ełnena people. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land.

Table of Contents

1. The Hotel Captain Cook

John Hall's Alaska Review - View from the Captain Cook Hotel

Best Places to Stay in Alaska - Hotel Captain Cook

Arguably one of Anchorage’s most iconic buildings and best hotels, the Hotel Captain Cook is also consistently said to be one of the most haunted places in Anchorage. The hotel was built in 1964 and is located in the heart of downtown. The staff and managers of this hotel claim to see a lady hanging around the hotel restroom.

They’ve also seen doors opening and shutting, as well as lights being switched on and off. According to the locals, the lady is trapped there and can’t get away.

However, as far as I know, nobody has reported activity in guest rooms – and I can share that during my multiple stays in the past few years, I’ve personally never had any experiences.

2. Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites

The Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites is another haunted hotel in Anchorage. Guests have reported seeing ghostly figures, hearing strange noises, and feeling an eerie presence in the hotel.

It has been said that the ghost of a man seen in a lift or just walking around will suddenly disappear into thin air. There are a lot more myths about the hotel, such as a woman being seen in the windows and a man hanging himself in one of the rooms, but no one knows for sure if these are true or not.

3. 4th Avenue Theatre

The 4th Avenue Theatre is one of the most haunted places in Anchorage. The theatre was built in 1947 and is located in the heart of downtown. Many people have reported seeing a ghostly figure of a man walking around the theatre. He is said to be wearing a black suit and a top hat.

Some people say that he is the ghost of the original owner, while others say that he is the ghost of a man who was killed in a fight outside the theatre. Either way, he is definitely one of the spookiest ghosts in Anchorage!

Unfortunately, the 4th Avenue Theatre hasn’t been open to the public for many years so there’s no way to verify these claims, but if I ever hear about tours happening, I’ll be sure to add the info here.

4. Snow City Café

Snow City Café is a beloved brunch spot for both locals and visitors alike… and it’s said to be haunted by the ghost of a former employee! The café was built in 1994 and is located in the heart of downtown. There are a few ghost stories surrounding this one, but the main one is of a woman back in 1976 that died in a car bombing. She was a travel agent and the city wasn’t called Snow City at that time.

Most of the employees can vouch for this active ghost, especially noticeable at nighttime and couldn’t get any stranger – she’s playful around water too. This is definitely one of the most interesting haunted places in Anchorage!

5. The Historic Anchorage Hotel

Haunted Places in Anchorage - Historic Anchorage Hotel

The Historic Anchorage Hotel is another haunted hotel in Anchorage. The hotel is 100 years old and said to be one of the spookiest Anchorage haunted hotels around. In fact, things are so spooky that the front desk keeps a “ghost log” for every ghost sighting the employees or guests encounter at the hotel – and has a note about common “activity” in the hotel right on their website.

Basically, many guests will hear children laughing or running in the hallways when there are no children staying at the hotel. There have also been reports of objects moving on their own, such as chairs and lamps. If you’re looking for a truly Haunted hotel experience, then this is the place for you!

Photos courtesy of the Historic Anchorage Hotel

6. The Dimond Center Mall

Most visitors know the Dimond Center Mall as the new location of the Anchorage Market Festival, but there’s more here than lovely stalls and helpful shopping opportunities. According to local legend, the Dimond Center mall was built over an ancient Alaska Native burial ground. Workers digging in the area discovered a few graves, but they were largely ignored because they were so tiny and ancient.

People now tell stories of hearing flute and drum music, seeing transparent wolves inside the mall, and seeing ghostly people dressed in native clothing. There have also been reports of strange lights and smells in the mall. If you’re looking for truly haunted places in Anchorage, then the Dimond Center Mall is the place for you!

7. Ship Creek

Here’s one of the haunted places in Anchorage that you’ll remember: Ship Creek. It is said at Ship Creek that you will discover the specter of a native Alaskan woman named Marie, who was murdered in town in 1987.

Visitors report hearing her cries for help, and seeing her apparition running alongside the creek. Her murder is still unsolved to this day, which only adds to the eeriness! When traveling about downtown, be on the lookout for anything suspicious – you might see her!

Bonus: Take an Anchorage Ghost Tour

Haunted Places in Anchorage - Ghost Tours of Anchorage

If you really want to get your heart pumping and experience some of the haunted places in Anchorage, then you should definitely take the Ghost Tour of Anchorage! After learning about this tour last summer, I finally took it for myself on my last night in Alaska in summer 2022.

Rick, your guide, is a lifelong Anchorage resident and has been offering these tours each summer for, if memory serves, almost 20 years (actually, it is 20 years if you include the two years of the pandemic when tours weren’t offered).

In any case, he serves as an excellent guide, dressed in hat and tails, who leads you on a short tour down Anchorage’s 4th Avenue to explain the many haunts and restless souls along this historic stretch of the city. Some of the places you’ll see on an Anchorage Ghost Tour are the ones on this list – plus there are a few others that have less consistent activity but still make for a great story.

The tour is very fairly priced at $15 per person, and Rick is a wealth of knowledge about Anchorage’s history; even if you don’t believe, you’ll get insight into different chapters of Anchorage history than those you’ll see in the visitor guides.

Have any questions about these haunted places in Anchorage? Let me know in the comments!