Explore Horror Writing in Las Vegas, Nevada
What happens in Vegas... doesn’t always stay dead
Neon lights and endless noise may define Las Vegas, but even in a city that never sleeps, the shadows find time to stretch. Beneath the casinos, showgirls, and spinning roulette wheels, strange things stir that glitter can’t cover up.
From the haunted rooms of the Motel of Death, where guests have checked out under mysterious circumstances, to the unsettling silence of the Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum, Vegas proves it’s not just the living who refuse to leave. For horror writers, it’s a surreal backdrop where excess meets the unexplained, and the house doesn’t always win.
5 Sinister Stories and Desert Shadows in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel, one of the city’s oldest resorts, is rumored to be haunted by mobster Bugsy Siegel. Guests have reported flickering lights, cold spots in his former suite, and the smell of cigar smoke with no source.
In the quiet suburb of Summerlin, residents have claimed to see a figure in a long coat standing motionless in driveways during the early hours. When approached, he vanishes without a trace.
Beneath the glitz, the Las Vegas storm drain system stretches for miles and is home to a hidden population of unhoused residents. Urban explorers have reported eerie graffiti, strange sounds, and the unsettling feeling of being followed.
At the abandoned El Rancho Hotel site, one of the city’s first major casinos, security guards have claimed to hear old-time music and slot machine noises echoing across the rubble.
Just outside the city, near the Red Rock Canyon, hikers have reported encountering strange rock formations that seem to shift position. Some return to the same trail only to find familiar markers missing or rearranged.
Haunted Places in Las Vegas Where Luck Ran Out
Sin City’s glow hides eerie corners and dark allies where the past still lingers, sometimes in ghostly form.
Las Vegas Horror Writing Prompts
What Horror Lovers Should Know Before Visiting Vegas
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Yes. The Luxor Hotel is rumored to be cursed due to its pyramid shape and construction accidents. Staff at Bally’s also report ghost sightings tied to the 1980 MGM Grand fire that killed over 80 people.
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Definitely. Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum is filled with cursed items and haunted dolls. The La Palazza Mansion, once linked to mob activity, is said to have bloodstains that won’t disappear.
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The gift shop at The Haunted Museum has horror-themed merch, while Monster Museum inside Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum (in nearby Boulder City) sells ghoulish goodies and collectibles.
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Yes. Stories about a haunted cave system under the Strip and strange lights in the desert near Area 51 often fuel local conspiracy theories and speculative horror plots.
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The Nevada State Museum and UNLV Special Collections house local folklore, crime history, and desert legends, perfect for crafting grounded horror stories.
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Absolutely. Its mix of glitzy excess, desert isolation, and dark mob history gives horror writers an unusual backdrop full of eerie contrast.
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Yes. The Mojave Desert is vast, silent, and full of strange rock formations and abandoned structures—ideal for stories of isolation, madness, or encounters with the unknown.