One of the Most Haunted Cities in Arizona You Probably Don’t Know About: Mesa

Main Street early 1900's

When people talk about haunted cities in Arizona, they usually jump straight to Jerome, Bisbee, or Tombstone.

But Mesa often gets overlooked—and it shouldn’t.

Mesa is one of the most historically layered cities in Arizona, and that layered history plays a big role in why so many places here have reputations for paranormal activity.

Long before Mesa became a city, Indigenous communities engineered sophisticated canal systems to survive the desert. Many of those ancient waterways still shape the city today. In the late 1800s, Mormon settlers arrived, establishing farms, churches, and permanent communities on land that already carried centuries of history.

As Mesa grew, it moved quickly into its Wild West era—saloons, gambling, brothels, violence, and sudden wealth. During Prohibition, bootlegging and illegal alcohol operations flourished behind closed doors. Mesa didn’t erase its past as it expanded—it stacked it. And cities built this way tend to hold onto their stories.

Some of Mesa’s most famous haunted locations reflect that history.

The Nile Theater, built in the 1920s, is one of the most well-known haunted theaters in Arizona. Performers and staff have reported shadow figures, unexplained voices, and activity that has repeated for decades. Another hotspot is the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which sits on land tied to Mesa’s early frontier days, including its former city jail. Staff and visitors have reported strange sounds, movement after hours, and an unsettling presence that has become part of the museum’s lore.

Downtown Mesa is filled with historic buildings that carry similar stories—footsteps after closing, doors opening on their own, cold spots, and experiences that persist even as businesses change.

That’s where Jarrod’s Coffee, Tea & Gallery comes in.

Jarrod’s is a locally owned Mesa staple—part coffee shop, part art gallery, part community gathering space—and it also happens to be very haunted. Over the years, staff, performers, and guests have reported unexplained activity, making it one of Mesa’s most talked-about paranormal locations.

Get Ghosted Phoenix hosts monthly Get Ghosted & Roasted coffee talks at Jarrod’s, where Mesa’s history, hauntings, and famous locations are explored in a seated, intimate setting. These talks dive into local lore, documented paranormal activity, and the historical context behind it all—and often include hands-on demonstrations with ghost-hunting tools.

If you’ve ever wondered what Mesa is hiding beneath the surface, this is your chance to find out.

We host coffee talks at Jarrod’s regularly. Check our upcoming dates, grab a seat, and come get ghosted & roasted with us!