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Two of Deadwood’s most prominent early citizens lived in the Adams House . One of their spirits has remained to watch over the home. Deadwood’s haunted Victorian mansion is now a museum dedicated to the life and work of W.E Adams, a man who served as mayor for six terms. His ghost haunts the old Victorian mansions alongside his life’s belongings. 

The home was boarded up in 1936, two years after W.E Adams’s passing. His wife, Mary, left it exactly as is, leaving bedsheets, china, and other belongings behind. She kept hearing her deceased husband wandering about the 2nd floor and decided life would be better in sunny California. 

The home became a bed and breakfast in 1988 and a museum in 2000. There are constant reports and sightings of old W.E Adams, making it one of the most haunted mansions in Deadwood. 

Quick Facts

• Upon construction, the Adams House came complete with central heating, indoor plumbing, and electricity 
• The Franklin family were early settlers of Deadwood who made a fortune in the grocery business and banking
• W.E Adams ran for mayor and lost in 1916 against Nathan Franklin, the man he bought the house from 

Early Prominent Citizens of Deadwood

The Franklin family and the Adams family were two of Deadwood’s most prominent citizens around the turn of the 20th century. The Franklin Family, who built the historic home in 1892, came to Deadwood in 1877 at a time when essential services were in high demand.

Harris Franklin and his wife Anna had their hands in various industries: cattle, alcohol, banking, and, of course, gold mining. They accumulated a small fortune and bought four acres of land between 1883 and 1890.

Their beautiful home was constructed in 1893 at the cost of $300,000 in today’s money. Although this is a relatively small fare, the home came with the most modern of amenities. Indoor plumbing, electricity, and central heating all made life easy in the 10-bedroom, red sandstone-lined building. It was considered the finest home in Deadwood and still is! 

In 1904, Harris and Anna sold their home to their son, Nathan , for just one dollar! Nathan lived here while continuing to grow the family business and name. He served as Mayor for two terms and incorporated the Consolidated Power & Light Company of Deadwood and Leed. 

In 1920, he sold the home to his former political rival, W.E Adams, and moved to New York. 

The Adams Family

W.E Adams, six-time mayor of Deadwood and former town grocery, had a string of poor luck in his family life during his third term. Shortly after purchasing the house, his wife Alice had been diagnosed with cancer. 

Alice died while visiting their daughter Helen in Michigan, sending the poor young and pregnant Helen into a state of shock. A premature birth followed, killing both mother and child. 

A heartbroken W.E Adams carried on, remarrying a woman named Mary who was some forty years younger! While many suspected she was more than your typical Deadwood gold digger, these doubts were squelched when she convinced Adams to open The Adams Family Museum in honor of Alice and their family.

Deadwood’s Haunted Victorian Mansion

W.E Adams and Mary lived happily in their sought-after home for many years. But, in 1934, Adams died of a stroke inside the home. Two years later, in 1936, she packed up and moved to California, leaving the house behind as is. She claimed her husband was haunting the building and couldn’t stand to be there any longer. 

All of the Adams’ belongings, the bedsheets, china, silverware, and medicine, were left to gather dust. And they did so for the next fifty years. In 1987, Mary Adams finally sold the homes to a young couple, Bruce and Rebecca Crosswait. Age had taken its toll on the Victorian home; the roofs were caving in, and water damage was evident. 

The two opened a bed and breakfast to pay for the repairs. Almost immediately, they learned why Mary Adams left – the house was haunted by Deadwood’s former mayor! 

In 1992, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission purchased the building and turned it into the museum we see today. Over 80% of the furnishings in the home are original, making W.E Adams even more at home in his old mansion. 

Hauntings of The Adams House

Tours are offered of the beautiful manor, and many have met the man of the house on multiple occasions! Objects often float around the second floor, and the stench of cigar smoke quickly follows. 

During tours, Mary’s rocking chair has swayed back and forth, seemingly on its own. A sure signal that W.E Adams is thinking of his beloved wife. 

His first wife has not been forgotten; her photo has fallen off the wall during tours on numerous occasions. Museum operators consider W.E Adams to be a friendly spirit, and he seems pleased to welcome new guests into his home. 

Haunted Deadwood

Come and be one of these guests to The Adams Home and the rest of Deadwood! The ruff and tumble gold mining town is filled with history and haunted places. Take a guided ghost tour with one of our experienced tour guides to see for yourself! In the meantime, check out our blog to get more excited about your adventure through Deadwood, and be sure to follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and TikTok . 

https://www.deadwoodhistory.com/about-us/properties/historic-adams-house.html

https://www.kotatv.com/content/news/Historic-Adams-House-combines-history-paranormal-activity-496636011.html

https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/historic-preservation/page/historic-adams-house

https://www.ourparanormalworld.com/deadwood/

https://www.kotatv.com/2021/10/26/an-investigation-into-adams-house-hauntings/

https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/haunted-deadwood-wilder-west-experience

https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/city-commission/page/nathan-e-franklin-term-1914-1918

https://www.jmaw.org/deadwoods-franklin-home-jewish/

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Adams House

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Adams House - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.00 mi) Adam's House
• (0.02 mi) Historic Deadwood Home!
• (0.03 mi) Steps to Main St. Deadwood Presidential Victorian Home 4 Bdrm 3 Bath
• (0.07 mi) 1899 Inn
• (0.05 mi) Aunt Sophia's Bed and Breakfast
• (0.10 mi) Lou Lou’s Bomdiggity’s Pasties
• (0.22 mi) Jacobs Brewhouse & Grocer
• (0.23 mi) Pump House
• (0.34 mi) Deadwood Legends Steakhouse at The Franklin Hotel
• (0.24 mi) Dale's Restaurant

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Historic Adams House

The Historic Adams House was built in 1892 by Deadwood pioneers Harris and Anna Franklin. Local contemporary press described the home as “the grandest house west of the Mississippi”. The elegant Queen Anne-style house heralded a wealthy and socially prominent new age for Deadwood, a former rough and tumble gold mining town.

Influential business leaders of Deadwood often gathered for dinner in the Adams House dining room to enjoy an evening meal and discuss the day’s current events. Guests would be treated to fine dining on a table set with monogrammed silverware, 18-karat gold charger plates, and crystal wine glasses. The food was superior, the room was opulent, and the conversations were lively. It was a grand way to pass the evening.

It has been said the parlor was the most important room in any Victorian home. The parlor at the Historic Adams House was no exception. With a cozy fireplace, a beautifully sturdy upright piano, and a Victrola that played all genre of recordings, the parlor assured that guests were surrounded by the best when they called upon the occupants of this lovely home.

Christmas Tours of the Historic Adams House:  November 24-26, December 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17. The historic home will be elegantly dressed during the Christmas season. The open house-style tour will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A kid-friendly scavenger hunt with a prize will be available for children.  Unique gifts are available for purchase in the Adams House Gift Shop.  Tickets are $8 for members and $12 for non-members, $5 for children 6 – 12, and free to children 5 and under.  General admission tickets can be purchased online at DeadwoodHistory.com or at the door.  For more information please call 605-722-4800.

Hours of Operation

November through March: Closed, but will be open for Christmas Tours in December and group tours with advance reservations.

May through September: Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the last tour at 4:00 p.m.

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In 1930 pioneer businessman W.E. Adams founded the Adams Museum in Deadwood, with the purpose of preserving and displaying the history of the Black Hills.

Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center (HARCC) - Deadwood - offers a variety of rental options for meetings and events of all sizes.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS The Days of '76 celebration began in 1924 as a way to honor Deadwood’s first pioneers - the prospectors, miners, muleskinners, and madams who poured into

Paranormal Tours at Adams House

If you’re looking for ghosts, you just may be able to find one – or more – at Deadwood’s Adams House.

Tours of the historic home with a “professional” paranormal team are being offered to the public.

Staff at The Adams House have been reporting….unusual activity – like creaking floors and things that go bump in the night - for years, says Deadwood History spokesperson Rose Speirs.

“Staff members have witnessed and heard things,” Speirs explains. “Black Hills Paranormal Investigations has actually done two investigations of the home and they’ve come back with activity.”

And they may come back with activity…again.

Layer creaks/screams/eerie laughter and “Ghostbusters” theme – fade

Ghost hunts at The Adams House are Friday's and Saturday's for the next two weekends.

The first paranormal tour is at 6 p.m.

The last tour…for the more courageous ghost hunters, takes place… at midnight.

For more info: http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Guided Walking Tour of the Moscow Metro

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You would like, admiring the frescoes in kurskaya and komsomolskaya metro stations, marvelling at the architecture of the moscow metro, listening to your guide's commentary, essential information *, duration 1 hour 50 minutes, starting time 2:00 pm.

Set off to discover the most breathtaking stops on Moscow’s beautiful metro system on this walking tour.

Some of the stops on the Moscow metro are real masterpieces. Head underground and admire the Moscow metro with your guide.

During your guided tour, you will get to admire the Ploshchad Revolyutsii , designed by the architect Dushkin. There are no fewer than 72 sculptures in this station!

You will then explore Kurskaya station, built in 1938. The design, mosaics and slogans will immerse you in the era of Stalin. You will also see the frescoes depicting Russian victories in Komsomolskaya station.

Then, continue to one of Moscow’s must-see metro stations, Novoslobodskaya , which resembles an underground palace: marble, stained glass windows...

Join your guide to explore the most lavish and important metro stops in Moscow! 

• Availability: every day (excluding exceptional dates)
• Duration: 1 hr. 50 mins approx.
• Departure point: The Kremlin
• Languages: English
• Please wear comfortable shoes
• Metro tickets are included for the metro stations visited during the activity 
• A valid student card will be requested from participants who have booked the reduced student tariff
• A minimum of 2 participants is required to book this activity

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• The guided tour of the Moscow metro

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Moscow metro tour: architectural styles of the subway.

Duration: 2 hours

Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing

This metro tour of Russia’s capital and most populous city, Moscow, is your chance to get a unique insight into the beautiful and impressive architecture of the city's underground stations. Admire their marble walls and high ceilings representing Stalin's desire for glory after World War 2, and see first-hand how the interiors change with the rise of new political eras. Your guide will lead you through the complex network, which is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems worldwide, with over two billion travelers in 2011.

Opened in 1935, Moscow’s underground system, now 190 miles (305 km) long with 185 stations, is today one the largest and most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world. On this Moscow metro tour, discover the impressive architecture of Moscow’s underground stations and learn how they reflect the Soviet era.

Getting around by metro, your local guide will take you through parts of Moscow’s infamous history. Stop at stations built during the time of the USSR (Soviet Union) that are praised as one of the most extravagant architectural projects from Stalin’s time. After World War 2, he was keen on establishing Stalinist architecture to represent his rising regime and a recognized empire. Learn how when his successor started the de-Stalinization of the former Soviet Union in 1953, the extravagancy of the architecture was toned down.

Discover how the unique character of each station reflected several different eras. While stations like Kievskaya and Slavyansky Bulvar have pompous halls and high stucco ceilings brimming with extravagant decorations, those built later, like Volzhskaya, are lightly adorned with sparse furnishings. Architect Alexey Dushkin and painter Alexander Deyneka were just two of the many artists who made these magnificent landmarks possible.

Revel in Moscow's glory days, as well as the years of scarcity, on this fascinating Moscow metro experience. Conclude your tour at one of the central stations in Moscow. If you're lucky, you may even find the secret entrance to the unconfirmed Metro-2, a parallel underground system used by the government -- a mystery which has neither been denied nor confirmed today.

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We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

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Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

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DEADWOOD HISTORY HOSTS CHRISTMAS TOURS OF THE HISTORIC ADAMS HOUSE

DEADWOOD – Deadwood History, Inc. will host Christmas Tours of the Historic Adams House on December 10, 11, 17, and 18, 2022. Celebrate the holiday season with a self-guided tour of the historic home in all of its festive holiday décor. The Historic Adams House will be open from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members, $5 for children 6 – 12 and free to children 5 and under. Purchase at the door or online at DeadwoodHistory.com. For more information, please call 605-722-4800.

During the holiday season the Historic Adams House will be elegantly dressed in a variety of Christmas colors and traditions. The open house-style tour will highlight several rooms decorated with a special theme. Deadwood History staff will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the house, the families who lived there, and the Christmas décor. A kid-friendly scavenger hunt will be available for children, and the Adams House gift shop will be stocked with a variety of unique items to complete your Christmas shopping. The Historic Adams House is located at 22 Van Buren Street, Deadwood. 

The event is co-sponsored by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation, Deadwood History, Deadwood Chamber & Visitors Bureau, Riverfront Broadcasting, Saloon No. 10, and Spearfish Area Chamber of Commerce.

We inspire the global community by preserving and celebrating the cultural heritage of Deadwood and the Black Hills in the context of the American West through exceptional exhibits, innovative educational programs, and access to extensive collections in unique settings.

Adams Museum, Days of ’76 Museum, Historic Adams House, Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center (HARCC), and The Brothel Deadwood.