The tiny town of Chugwater, Wyoming, has one wopper of a ghost story.
Let’s call it the Chugwater “Twilight Zone” Restaurant Mystery.
It involves an entire restaurant that appears when the weather is the worst and travelers need help, or at least a warm meal.
The story takes place during a severe March blizzard in 1959; three travelers (including an airman stationed in Denver) sought shelter in the small rural town of Chugwater.
It is true that on this very day (March 5), the region of the upper Midwest received a record amount of snow. 22 inches of snow fell.
Watch the story in the video below.
The travelers saw lights ahead. They stumbled into a local restaurant and sat down. Two friendly waitresses brought them hot meals while they waited out the storm. When the weather finally looked like it was lifting, they headed out, bringing with them fond memories of a cozy restaurant, its staff, and other customers.
Days later, when they returned to the area, they decided to have a meal at that same diner. But where the restaurant was supposed to be was just an empty lot.
A resident remembered that, some time ago, there was a restaurant there, but it burned down.
Local records showed the building had actually burned down in a devastating fire decades earlier in 1925, killing those inside.
It’s one thing to have an interesting ghost story. It’s another to have historic records that back it up. This makes me want to travel to Chugwater on a cold and snowy night to see if the place appears, so I can meet those who once worked there.
Cheyenne’s Haunted Trolley Ride
There is still time to book a haunted Cheyenne trolley tour.
Watch actors play the roles of spooks and specters in Wyoming’s capital city.
Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods
