Virginia City, Nevada
Purchased in 1875, the Old Washoe Club opened for the first time. Just four short months later, the “Great Fire” blazed through most of Virginia City, the Old Washoe Club being one of its victims. Once renovations were completed, the Old Washoe opened its doors for the second time in 1876.
While mostly being promoted as a bar, the Old Washoe very quickly became a meeting location for all the elites who passed through. This allowed the business to adopt the nickname the “Millionaires Club”. Some notable members of this exclusive club included men such as, “John Mackay, and other nationally significant members like Ulysses S. Grant, actor Edwin Booth, and railroad magnate Darius Ogden Mills.”
https://travelnevada.com/museums/the-washoe-club-haunted-museum/
By the late 1890’s, the business began to decline, much like it did for the rest of the town. With the closure of the club and the two stories above the saloon, the upper floors were left empty and abandoned while the bar remained open and occupied.
Given that the town, as a whole, has a violent history, it’s no surprise that the Old Washoe Club has it’s own bloody history. Some came to the Club to partake in illegal activities, some gambled a little too much and it cost them their lives, some got too drunk and let their anger get to them. At the end of the day, all the energy that passed through the saloon and club left an imprint on the building. So, when some passed on in the building, they never truly left.
The Investigation
Given that the Old Washoe has had some prolific investigators before, it’s no surprise that many people (myself included) go to Washoe and expect spectacular evidence.
I was given a total of four hours to investigate all three floors and I decided to split my time as evenly as possible, and based on how much evidence I was receiving. Surprisingly to me, the most intelligent activity occurred for me in two different locations. The Crypt, and the third floor.
The Crypt
Within the crypt, I was able to get some brief communication with spirits that seemed to be younger, children even. This came as no surprise to me as during the tour, I was informed of why this small room was dubbed “The Crypt”. A particularly cold winter back in the late 1800’s prevented the townsfolk from burying their dead, as the ground was frozen solid. So, while they were forced to wait for temperatures to rise, they stored many of the deceased within the Old Washoe’s freezer box. An exact number of just how many bodies were stored there is unknown, but an estimated 60 were kept in their at one time.
The spirits within this space simply wanted to talk. Many responses were child-like in nature, using keywords such as “play”, “young”, and “games”. When trying to gather names, I found myself unsuccessful.
The Third Floor
The other location where I gathered some intelligent activity was on the third floor. This came as no surprise to me as I was informed that this is where the “ladies of the night” would sleep and conduct their business.
Here, I received interaction from both seemingly male and female spirits. The female spirits were the ones who seemed to be the most irritated that I was there, my presence seemed to be unwelcome. Another fact that did not surprise me.
The male spirits that communicated with me varied. I seemed to have some into contact with three different males, two of which seemed to be interested in a surface that was no longer being supplied, while the last male spirit seemed to be one that was trapped on the property, within the building.
After asking many questions to try and start a conversation, gather some information, I got very little valuable and applicable information. The last male spirit, who identified as Robert, told me that he was once a rich patron of the Millionaire’s Club, a member that was cherished until his one qualifying attribute was gone — his money. Once he lost his money, it seemed he lost his wife and his friends. The collective circumstances seemed to be too much for Robert as he then communicated “death”, “alone”, “gunshot”.
Conclusion
My time spent at the Washoe Club was interesting. The aforementioned locations were the only ones where I had any actual communication with spirits. Other “paranormal” activity came in to form of various noises and potential tricks of the eye as I thought I had seen a dark shadow watching me from around corners throughout the night. While I can’t explain all of these weird occurrences, I also can’t debunk them, so I’m not going to carelessly label them as “paranormal” nor as evidence. At no point did I have any poltergeist activity, I was never touched by an unseen force and I never heard any disembodied voices. I did find the entire experience fascinating and I hope to one day be back for a second investigation!
If you’re ever interested in visiting the Old Washoe Club and it’s spectral inhabitants, book a tour. Maybe you’ll catch some evidence yourself!
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