Haunted Destination: Amargosa Opera House

Death Valley Junction, California

It’s not just the lurking, lonely spirits that give Death Valley Junction, CA, a reputation as a ghost town -- the population (of the living) only numbers about 20. The dusty town’s buildings were constructed by the Pacific Borax Mining Company in the 1920s, and many have fallen into a state of disrepair. The town has no gas station and only one restaurant – a café that’s part of the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, a strange desert outpost that was lovingly repaired by Marta Becket in the 1960s. A dancer, Marta gave performances (sometimes to an empty audience) in the theatre up until February 2012. If you’re lucky enough to visit the un-renovated, abandoned part of the hotel, you’re sure to learn why it’s now referred to as “Spooky Hollow.”