Bannack State Park — Attraction in Dillon

This was fun! First, I have to admit that while my husband is kind of into history, I'm not so much... but we both enjoyed this. We drove up from Rexburg, ID for a day trip and really enjoyed the day outside. You check in at the visitor center and don't forget a magnet or t-shirt (we got both!). You can purchase a guide booklet for $2 to explain the history of the buildings as you walk through the ghost town. We took our dog with us and she could go pretty much anywhere, that was great! She enjoyed wandering through the abandoned buildings as much or more than we did (LOTS to smell). It's cool to see the many layers of wallpaper or flooring used, the different types of structure of the buildings, and the different "old-timey" ovens and heaters! One building even slammed shut and then opened the front door by itself as we were approaching - talk about spooky! I loved the hotel, jail, and school the most. Even though many of the "homes" looked the same after a while, some had a surprise here and there like a spooky staircase or random room we couldn't figure out the purpose of. We didn't rush and it took us about 2 hours to walk through. Hard to say if we'd go back, now that we've been, but we would if family/friends visit and want something off the beaten path to do. Also, who doesn't want to tour a ghost town in October!! Oh, and I gotta add that the Park Rangers were great, lots of fun...

Our family isited Bannack State Park for the first time, two weeks ago. I am a bit of a history junkie, so my hopes were pretty high, as to what we may see and experience. I was NOT disappointed! As we toured many, but not all of the buildings. Various members our group experienced some interesting feelings of pressure and even some dizziness, in some locations. The most pronounced impressions came from the Masonic lodge, the jail and the big hotel. When we visited the visitors center, I asked the person at the desk if anyone else had ever mentioned similar experiences. She grinned slightly and proceeded to show me a collection of pictures that other guests had shared with the staff. I'm not a big believer in ghosts, but I was intrigued. After arriving back home, we proceeded to analyze our many photos, to see if we had inadvertently captured any suspicious images. We certainly did! In my opinion, Bannack is definitely haunted. So, if you visit, be sure to take lots of pictures! I highly recommend taking 2 or 3 hours at a minimum, to take it all in. We will...

Do you like abandoned, crumbling buildings? Do you enjoy self-guided tours and exploring places on your own? Do you think historic cemeteries are neat? Then Bannack is the place for you! Bannack State Park is an amazing place, especially if your interests are aligned and your expectations are set appropriately. The park is a minimum 2 hour drive from anything. There is not much to do here other than explore buildings, read the history of each outpost from the guide book, and marvel at the artifacts. But it is so cool! This preserved gold mining town is great for history buffs, photographers, historic cemetery lovers, and anyone who wants to put on a prairie dress and pretend they are in an old western town. There are so many buildings you can go into and look around! The roads to the park are well maintained and paved up until the entrance driveway. It is not difficult to find or navigate to. There are several signs telling you where to turn to reach the park. There are bathrooms and picnic areas available. For out of state vehicles, it's $8 to park and $2 for...