Victorian Nightmare at Mackay Mansion

The Mackay Mansion has stood on D Street since 1859, built in association with mining magnate George Hearst and later home to silver king John Mackay. It operates as a museum with its own resident legends: staff tell of two little-girl spirits on the third floor, Emma and Lily, who tug at visitors’ clothing, and Ghost Adventures has come through to investigate more than once.

On a few nights each late October it becomes Victorian Nightmare, a haunted-house event staged through the real period rooms. The setting does the heavy lifting: oil lamps, original furnishings, and 165 years of history you’re walking through after dark.

For 2026, a local Halloween guide lists the haunted house as closed, and it’s missing from the mansion’s own October calendar, so don’t plan on it this year unless the mansion announces otherwise. The mansion is still busy in October: candlelit spooky tours on Friday nights at $35 (cash only), Candles and Screams paranormal nights on Saturdays at $65, a kids’ tricks-and-treats evening on October 23 at $13, a Witch’s Tea on October 24, and overnight lock-ins on October 30 and 31. They’re all on the calendar. Pairs naturally with the Washoe Club and the graveyard train for a full Virginia City Halloween run.