Deadwood ยท Lower Main Street
Historic Franklin Hotel
Built as a hotel and opened June 4, 1903, on Main Street; the hotel names Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft as guests.
- Built
- 1903Built 1902-03 as a hotel; grand opening June 4, 1903. The city lists it as constructed 1903. A 1929 addition followed.
- Style
- Renaissance Revival elements (rusticated stone and tan brick)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Area
- Lower Main Street
- Credentials
- Inside a National Register historic district
The story
By the hotel’s account, Deadwood businessmen tried for years to finance a large hotel until Harris Franklin offered to match contributions dollar for dollar, and construction began in earnest in 1902. It opened on June 4, 1903, with a banquet for 250. Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft are among the guests the hotel names. After a 1929 addition and the crash it was converted to apartments, and it returned to hotel use when limited-stakes gaming opened in Deadwood in 1989. Strategic Gaming Management bought it in May 2023 and rebuilt the rooms on floors two to four. The hotel requires guests to be 21 to book.
The ghost story
KOTA reported in October 2024 that the hotel is said to be haunted by Harris Franklin, the investor behind it, who is believed to watch over the hotel and its restaurant.
Source: www.kotatv.com
Good to know
- Breakfast: available
- Address: 709 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732
Things to do
Black Hills tours from Rapid City
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Sources (4)
- https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/deadwoodsd-meet-7393a6cffffe4b59ae7f7dd0896bd162/ITEM-Attachment-001-0d516f80a820491582b75a96ccf972ac.pdf
- https://www.silveradofranklin.com/visit/history/
- https://www.kotatv.com/2025/05/21/more-than-century-old-deadwood-hotel-getting-nice-makeover/
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/66000716_text
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.