5 haunted places around South Dakota to check out this Friday the 13th

Pactola Lake is a popular recreational area for boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking. What many don't know is that on the floor of the lake lies a ghost town: the old mining town of Pactola, which the reservoir is named for. With an entire abandoned town at the bottom of the lake, it's no surprise that people have seen ghostly apparitions, heard mysterious noises, and experienced other strange occurrences at the lake. Strange happenings are most common in the winter months, supposedly, so opportunity is just around the corner.

Like all good theatres, the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux Falls has a ghost. His name is Larry. The story goes like this: In 1959, a man was practicing a community theatre performance in the theatre late at night when he saw a bright, glowing blue apparition in the shape of a man. It was either waving at him or beckoning him up to the balcony. Whatever the apparition was doing, the performer was leaving. After feeling an icy chill, he left he building as quickly as he could and locked the doors behind him. When the staff arrived the next morning, it was found that all of the fuses in the building had blown out, and had to be replaced. Was Larry the cause? There's no way to know for sure, but since then there has been a steady stream of reports from performers, staff and patrons of ghostly activity.

The Bullock Hotel was founded in 1894 by one Seth Bullock with the aim of being Deadwoods most luxurious lodging. Made of white and pink sandstone, integrating a fine-dining restaurant, and featuring red velvet carpeting, chandeliers, and a Steinway grand piano, it certainly was.  Bullock was a stern, well-respected man who's grandson said could "outstare a mad cobra or rogue elephant." Photo credit - Richie Diesterheft According to the Bullock Hotel's website, he supposedly still keeps watch over his hotel to this day. Several areas of the hotel are said to be haunted, including the second and third-floor hallways, the restaurant, and the cellar. The paranormal activities are said to be particularly common when staff seems to be slacking. There are hundreds of stories of strange occurrences at the hotel: plates and glasses throw themselves, a mysterious male voice calls out when no one is present, and an antique clock that hasn't functioned in years suddenly chiming. You can learn more about the hotel, or book a room and see it for yourself, here.

This 18-foot-wide, 70-foot tall gulch is best known for it's place in the story of Jesse James, the famous outlaw who was said to have leapt straight across the chasm on horseback in 1876. What's lesser known is that gulch is haunted by the ghosts of two lovers that died nearby. Legend has it that at some point in the mid-1800's, a woman was kidnapped by a band of outlaws and taken to Devil's Gulch. Her fiancé came to save her, but both died of their wounds after a fierce fight.

Like something out of a fairy tale, Easton castle is a 22-room Victorian mansion surrounded by 20 acres of forest. The castle is said to be haunted by three ghosts: the original owner, the housekeeper, and a third unknown individual. The current owners don't believe the stories, but they offer tours of the castle and opportunities to stay overnight, both in the castle and camping in the surrounding woods, on their website.