Douglas ยท Historic downtown Douglas
Hotel LaBonte
Douglas's 1913 hotel, opened in January 1914; the hotel ties its ghost stories to a 1924 manhunt that ended in a gunfight inside.
- Built
- 1913Erected in 1913 and opened in January 1914 (NRHP nomination; the hotel's history agrees).
- Architect
- Baerresen Brothers
- Type
- Inn
- Area
- Historic downtown Douglas
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The story
Douglas business leaders formed the Douglas Hotel Company in 1913 to build a first-class hotel, and the LaBonte opened in January 1914 with electric lights, steam heat, telephones and running water. Its name recalls the LaBonte stage and Pony Express station on the Oregon Trail southeast of town. In 1924 a manhunt ended in a deadly gunfight inside the hotel. It was listed on the National Register in 2008 and still houses a cafe, bar and event room.
The ghost story
The hotel's own 'Stories & Hauntings' page ties its reputation to a 1924 shootout in which a fugitive was fatally wounded by the sheriff inside the hotel, and says guests and staff report footsteps, voices, doors moving and a feeling of being watched.
Source: hotellabonte.com
Good to know
- Address: 206 Walnut St, Douglas, WY 82633
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.