Albuquerque, New Mexico has an abundance of haunted lore for those hoping to have an authentic ghost encounter. Spooky tours cover all the haunting places in historic Old Town and Albucreepy Downtown Ghost Walk will take you for a stroll to all their downtown haunts. Whether you believe in ghosts and hauntings or not, many visiting the haunted places in Albuquerque below have experienced something inexplicable, extraordinary, mysterious, or eerie.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a peaceful little chapel, tucked away in Albuquerque's historic Old Town, and open to the public. Sister Giotta Moots founded the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe which was built for the students of Sagrada Art Studios. Sister Moots dedicated the chapel to Our Lady of Guadalupe because she is the Patroness of the Americas and because of the love the Spanish and Native Americans in New Mexico, as well as the general public, have for her.
The Lady in Black
The Lady in Black who haunts the Chapel may well be the scariest ghost in Albuquerque. She appears in the chapel from nowhere, and dressed in black, she sits on a bench, praying, meditating and sobbing, and then suddenly vanishes. It's believed that when the woman in black is seen in the chapel, it's at times of tragedy. Paranormal investigators have seen orbs and have possible audio and photographic evidence that seemly reveals the Lady in Black's ethereal presence.
Church Street Café
The Church Street Café was once originally built in 1709 by the Ruiz family and was known as Case de Ruiz for about 200 years. The last family member, Rufina Ruiz, died in 1991 at the age of 91. Shortly after Rufina passed away, Maria Coleman purchased the property and renovations got underway to create the Church Street Cafe. If you enjoy Mexican food with a taste of the supernatural, you'll find it at Albuquerque's Church Street Café.
The Hauntings of Sarah Ruiz
It was during the renovations that the hauntings began. The house was inhabited by the spirit of Rufina's mother, Sarah, who was not pleased with what was happening to her home. The new owner describes how the female apparition would appear and scream at her "Get him out of here, now!" When construction began, it was constantly being interrupted by tools being moved and kicked around. To this day Sarah Ruiz's apparition has been seen in the café wearing a long black dress.
KiMo Theatre
The KiMo Theater in downtown Albuquerque was built in 1927 by Oreste Bachechi and is now owned by the city of Albuquerque. The theater's unusual name KiMo is a combination of two Indian words meaning "mountain lion" or "king of its kind." This beautiful theater is not only home to some of the city's best shows, it's also home to one of the city's most famous ghosts. The KiMo Theatre is available for self-guided tours during regular business hours, except during scheduled activities. Guided tours are arranged by appointment only.
Trickster Ghost
The old theatre is home to the ghost Bobby Darnell, a six-year-old who died in a 1951 explosion at the theatre resulting from a boiler malfunction in the basement. Bobby is a trickster ghost who is often seen playing on the lobby staircase, where he met his end. An altar in honor of Bobby was built underneath the stairwell decades ago, and performers still leave mementos at the shrine to ensure a successful show.
Hotel Andaluz
Albuquerque's Hotel Andaluz, located on Second Street NW, has a rich history. Fun fact! Conrad Hilton is actually from New Mexico, and he built the Hotel Andaluz in 1939. It was one of his first hotels. Over the years the hotel has been renovated and upgraded and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Hotel Andaluz is a luxury ghost hunting experience, with room prices ranging from $192 - $230 per night. It's whispered that room 409 has the most paranormal activity.
Benign Ghosts
From all reports, the ghosts at Hotel Andaluz are benign. Some people claim to have seen the ghost of a woman dressed in clothing straight out of the 1940s roaming the halls on the seventh floor. There are also reports of an old woman named Emily wearing a pink dress who haunts the fourth floor of the hotel, while other apparitions haunt the ballroom on the second floor. Guests often complain that their jewelry is moved around during the night and many have also complained of being awoken by the sound of a woman screaming!
Sandia Ranch Sanatorium
Built in the early 1900s, the Sandia Ranch Sanatorium, located in Albuquerque's North Valley on the corner of Edith and Osuna, is one of Albuquerque's local urban legends. Before it was shut down in the 1970s by the state, it was home to tuberculosis patients, seniors, and then the mentally ill. It's rumored that the asylum was forced to close after one patient went so crazy that he killed several staff members and other patients. When Bernalillo County purchased the Sanatorium, along with its 17-acre plot of land in 2015, the haunted hospital was demolished, and the vacant property is set to become a park. However, though the asylum is gone its horror stories linger on.
Asylum Horror Stories
There are horror stories of a doctor who experimented on and murdered patients, stacked their bodies in the basement to be disposed of later and when it seemed his crimes were about to be uncovered the doctor went down to that same basement and hung himself. Another scary ghost story is that a large black figure follows those who entered the abandoned asylum. This figure has been captured in some photographs taken in the building. Other accounts say that a black cloud hovered over those who dared enter the abandoned asylum. Whether Albuquerque's new park feels as spooky as the abandoned asylum or not, it's creepy to think about the grizzly stories that once happened in what is now to be a park.
Experience Albuquerque's Haunted Places for Yourself
Exactly what evidence is needed to prove ghosts exist? Many ghost hunting enthusiasts say that the First Law of Thermodynamics suggests they are real. If energy can't be created or destroyed, but only changes form, what happens to our body's energy when we die? Couldn't that somehow be manifested as a ghost? There are 11 Universities with paranormal studies, proving that studying ghosts and the paranormal isn't just for people on the fringe. See for yourself by visiting one of Albuquerque's most well-known and unique haunted places.
