A legendary 1872 frontier outpost in Cimarron where bullet holes still riddle the ceiling and the ghosts of outlaws, lawmen, and pioneers linger.
The St. James Hotel, originally founded in 1872 as Lambert's Inn, is an enduring monument to the untamed, violent era of the New Mexico frontier. Built by Henri Lambert, a French immigrant who served as a personal chef to President Abraham Lincoln, the hotel quickly became a vital, often bloody, crossroads on the Santa Fe Trail. In a territory where law and order were virtually nonexistent, the hotel's saloon and guest rooms bore witness to at least 26 shooting deaths during Cimarron's wildest years. The local saying of the era, "Who was killed at Lambert's last night?" reflected a reality where disputes were settled with Colt revolvers. Today, the property retains its raw historical weight, featuring 22 visible bullet holes in the dining room ceiling, remnants of a time when a double layer of heavy wood was installed above the saloon to protect sleeping guests upstairs from stray gunfire.
The original two-story adobe structure houses 12 historic rooms, each named for the legendary figures of the American West who once walked these creaking floorboards. Jesse James always requested Room 14, keeping his back to the wall and a clear view of the door. Wyatt Earp and his brother Morgan stayed here on their way to Tombstone, Arizona, while Buffalo Bill Cody used the hotel to plan his Wild West Show, eventually recruiting an entire nearby Native American village to join his traveling troupe. Other notable names on the historic registry include Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid, Clay Allison, and writer Zane Grey, who began drafting his novel, "Fighting Caravans," while staying in Room 22. The rooms are decorated with 19th-century Victorian antiques, lace curtains, and framed historic room tags, preserving the heavy, nostalgic atmosphere of the 1880s, while a modern addition offers contemporary comforts for travelers seeking a less haunted night.
The hotel's reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the Southwest is anchored in specific, well-documented lore. Room 17 is said to be the domain of Mary Lambert, Henri's wife, who died on the property. Guests often report the scent of her rose perfume or a persistent tapping on the windowpane if it is left open. Meanwhile, Room 18 remains permanently locked and off-limits to guests due to the reputedly hostile spirit of Thomas James Wright, a gambler who was shot in the back after winning the hotel in a high-stakes poker game. Following a brief closure in late 2024, the historic property was purchased by Red River-based father-daughter partners Chad and Elyse Mantz, who reopened the hotel in 2025. Today, the saloon still pours cold drinks under those bullet-scarred ceilings, and the dining room serves up hearty plates of bison burgers, keeping the frontier spirit of Cimarron alive for a new generation of travelers.
Ask the front desk about the 22 bullet holes still visible in the dining room ceiling, and peek at the padlocked door of Room 18, where the angry ghost of a murdered gambler is said to reside.
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