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These Are the Most Haunted Places in the US

By Caitlin Morton and Matt Ortile

We know the United States as the land of spacious skies and amber waves of grain, but it's also the land of ghosts. In the most haunted places in America, lingering spirits roam through the halls of hotels , abandoned asylums, Broadway theaters, and even a city zoo. If you want to get up close and personal with the paranormal, many of these sites offer guided tours through the spookiest of spaces—as well as overnight stays in the most haunted rooms in some of these hotels. (That's one way to capitalize on spirits stuck on our plane of existence, at least.)

If ghosts aren't your go-to travel buddies, fear not. Many of the below sites and the destinations where they are found offer enough culture, history, architectural wonders, and beautiful scenery to keep you firmly planted in this realm. Just be sure not to provoke the spirits as you go about your journeys.

Below, 32 of the most haunted places in America. Happy travels…

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date. All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Additional reporting by Randy Kalp and Jenna Scherer.

Bodie, California

In the 1870s and '80s, Bodie boomed when gold was found in the hills surrounding Mono Lake —at one point, it was home to 10,000 people. It's now a State Historic Park , with some parts of the town preserved in a state of "arrested decay"—think tables with place settings, and shops eerily stocked with supplies. It's not surprising that there are many reports of supernatural activity here, including ghost sightings and music playing from shuttered bars. There is also a legend that any visitor who takes anything from Bodie—even a rock—will be cursed with bad luck and health problems upon leaving.

Planning your visit: There are no food shops, gas stations, or other commercial facilities at Bodie in order to, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation , “preserve the ghost town atmosphere.” Prepare accordingly.

Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia

Those of you who remember the '90s will recognize this cemetery as the one featured in the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil . Like the book, the Savannah cemetery itself has a Southern Gothic atmosphere, with Spanish moss giving shade to time-worn Victorian monuments. There are many notable figures buried here, like singer Johnny Mercer and poet Conrad Aiken, but it's Gracie Watson who most deserves a visit. Having died at just six years old, her grave is marked by a life-size marble statue with her hand resting on a tree stump, symbolizing her life cut short. Many visitors place toys at her grave when they visit, and some have reported seeing the ghost of Gracie near the site. Other spooky accounts of the Bonaventure include inexplicable sounds, like crying babies and barking dogs, and statues suddenly smiling as people approach them.

Planning your visit: The Bonaventure Historical Society offers guided tours and, if you're looking for a particular gravesite, instructions that will point you where you need to go.

Cahawba, Alabama

Alabama's first capital and famous ghost town takes its name from the state's longest river, situated at the confluence of the Cahaba and the Alabama. It was abandoned after the Civil War, and its empty buildings, slave burial ground, and eerie cemeteries are now popular settings for ghost tours and stories of paranormal activity. The most famous tale is that of a luminous floating orb appearing in the former garden maze of Colonel C.C. Pegues’s house, shortly after the colonel had been killed in battle. The phenomenon became known as "Pegues’s Ghost," and still attracts curious visitors to the site today.

Planning your visit: Since Cahawba is a ghost town, you'll want to make your base elsewhere—driving from nearby Selma takes just 20 minutes, and the nearest airport is Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), about an hour away.

Calcasieu Courthouse, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Toni Jo Henry was a former sex worker who reached national levels of infamy when she killed a man in cold blood in 1940. It took three trials for a jury to convict the "charming" Toni Jo, but she eventually became the first (and only) woman in Louisiana to be executed in the electric chair. However, her spirit is said to have remained in the courthouse, where workers can feel her presence and even smell her burning hair. Many claim she meddles with everyday life at the courthouse to make life more difficult for the employees, locking doors and fiddling with office equipment.

Planning your visit: For your travel companions too creeped our to visit the courthouse? Send them to Lake Charles, North Beach, a naturally occurring inland stretch of white sand that's perfect for picnics, swimming, and, well, long walks on the beach.

Laura Walsh

Alex Erdekian

Charlie Hobbs

Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Since its construction in 1886, the Crescent Hotel has served several purposes: luxury resort, conservatory for young women, junior college. But the strangest mark on its history came in 1937 when it got a new owner, Norman G. Baker. Baker was a millionaire inventor who decided to pose as a doctor (despite having no medical training) and turn the hotel into a hospital that could "cure" cancer. He was eventually exposed and run out of town, though reports say that his spirit found its way back to the site—and gained some otherworldly company, too. The now-operating Crescent Hotel is said to be haunted by at least eight ghosts , ranging from a five-year-old girl to a bearded man wearing Victorian clothing.

Planning your visit: If you really want a spirited night at the Crescent Hotel , you can book Room 218, a.k.a. Michael's Room, the most paranormally active address on the property—and, according to the hotel website, the one most frequently requested by bold and brave guests. (If you need a buddy, the room sleeps two, for what it's worth.)

Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina

One of the oldest theaters in America, this site in downtown Charleston has racked up a lot of tumult and history over the years. After a fire burned down the original theater, the Planters Inn was built on the spot; it was converted back to a theater in the 1930s. The most flamboyant ghost here is Nettie Dickerson, who, legend has it, was struck by lightning while standing on the balcony of the hotel. Her shadow has been reported gliding along the second floor of the theater, dressed in a red gown. Also in otherworldly attendance: Junius Brutus Booth, a renowned 19th-century actor (and the father of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth) who used to frequent the inn.

Planning your visit: The Dock Street Theatre is right in the middle of the French Quarter, in Charleston's original walled city. You'll have your pick of restaurants and hotels in the area after catching a show (or a ghost sighting); the elegantly timeless French Quarter Inn is a Readers' Choice Awards favorite.

The Driskill, Austin, Texas

The Driskill is a majestic Romanesque hotel with modern rooms and an iconic brick facade, drawing European tourists and wedding parties since 1886. It's a true Austin landmark—and according to some, a true hot-spot for ghosts. Travelers have noted eerily abnormal sounds through its ornate corridors, as well as phantom sightings of the hotel’s namesake, Jesse Driskill, whose portrait still hangs in the lobby. They say Driskill never recovered from the heartbreak of losing his hotel in a high-stakes poker game, and honestly, we get it: This spot would be a hard one to say goodbye to.

Planning your visit: The Driskill is a stone's throw away from the Colorado River bisecting the city: Just walk down Congress Avenue and you'll hit the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail , which offers fantastic views of both the water and the city.

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The castle-like Eastern State Penitentiary took solitary confinement to new levels when it was built in 1829. Prisoners lived alone, exercised alone, and ate alone; when an inmate left his cell, a guard would cover his head with a hood so he couldn't see or be seen. The prison had to abandon its solitary system due to overcrowding from 1913 until it closed in 1970, although the forms of punishment did not get any less severe (chaining an inmate's tongue to his wrists is one example). The site—one of the most haunted places in America—now welcomes thousands of visitors every year, both for its museum and annual Halloween celebrations, which feature 15 haunted attractions within the prison walls. Reported paranormal happenings have included disembodied laughter, shadowy figures, and pacing footsteps.

Planning your visit: The Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc., the nonprofit organization that keeps the Penitentiary open as a tourist site, goes all in on Halloween. If you're visiting in October, be sure to review all the need-to-knows on their site.

Emily's Bridge, Stowe, Vermont

New England is known for its lovely covered bridges, but some are more likely to elicit dread than delight. Take Emily's Bridge in Stowe , for example, a 50-foot-long bridge that is said to be the site of a young woman's death by suicide in the mid-1800s. According to legend, the woman (Emily) was supposed to meet her lover at the bridge to elope, but ended up hanging herself from the rafters when he never showed up. Today, Emily's ghost is said to maliciously haunt the site, clawing at passing cars and even scratching the backs of pedestrians until they bleed. There are slightly less menacing spooks as well, like images of a white apparition and strange voices and footsteps coming from the tunnel.

Planning your visit: If you drive up to the bridge and can't bear to go in? Re-route. In the fall, Stowe is a fantastic place to go leaf peeping , and in the winter, it's one of New England's bona fide ski capitals; the Austrian-inspired Trapp Family Lodge is just 15 minutes away from Emily's Bridge by car, for a safe retreat.

Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennsylvania

The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest in American history, with somewhere around 50,000 young men dying in the three-day conflict. Many of the soldiers never received a proper burial after their untimely deaths, and many believe the souls of these men now wander the battlefield to look for their weapons and comrades.

Planning your visit: If you do choose to wander the fields, the National Park Service encourages visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park to be mindful of deer ticks, especially when the insects are most active in the late spring to early fall. Follow traditional protective measures like wearing insect repellent and pants.

Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii

If flight delays and $13 sandwiches aren't enough to make you fear airports, Honolulu 's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (also called Honolulu International Airport) has an extra feature to strike fear in even the most intrepid of travelers: a resident ghost. Dubbed “the Lady in Waiting,” the apparition is a blonde woman in a white dress who shows up in off-limits areas of the airport. According to legend, the woman fell in love with a man who promised to marry her (while she was still alive, of course), but then he hopped on an international flight and abandoned her at the gate—her ghost is still waiting for him to return. People have reported other strange occurrences as well, like toilet paper rolls that unravel on their own and toilets that flush by themselves. (Although when it comes to airport bathrooms, we've seen a lot scarier.)

Planning your visit: Since the airport's Lady in Waiting is said to show up in places usually inaccessible to travelers, you'd probably be better off actually, you know, leaving the airport and seeing Hawaii. Perhaps a stay at the Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort ? It was voted the best resort in Hawaii in this year's Readers' Choice Awards .

Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff's Hotel Monte Vista has its fair share of paranormal guests who have truly overstayed their welcome, including a long-term boarder who had a habit of hanging raw meat from the chandelier in Room 210; two women who were also thrown from the third floor and allegedly now attempt to asphyxiate male guests in their sleep. There are also reports of an infant whose disturbing cries have sent staff members running upstairs from the basement. (Actor John Wayne even claims to have had a paranormal encounter here.)

Planning your visit: When you need a break from ghosthunting (or ghostbusting), there's plenty to do in Historic Downtown Flagstaff, where the Hotel Monte Vista stands. Among them: Nearby restaurants Atria and Brix are perfect for locavores who love a menu that rotates with the seasons (and none of it hangs from a chandelier here).

House of the Seven Gables, Salem, Massachusetts

No, this house did not steal its name from the classic novel—in fact, it inspired the novel. Aside from being the site of those famous witch trials, Salem also happens to be the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who used this 17th-century house as inspiration for his famous 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables . Aside from its beautiful-yet-spooky facade, the house is surrounded by tales of paranormal activity and ghost sightings (all based on personal experiences of staff).

Planning your visit: Every October, the house offers spooky tours as well as performances of their “ Haunted Fables at the Gables ." There are daytime options as well as nighttime options for the brave of heart. And late in the month, the programming becomes dedicated to an interactive theater experience called Daemonologie: Sinew & Soul .

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois

Lions, and tigers, and…ghosts? As it turns out, one of Chicago's most popular attractions is also one of its most haunted, with much more than just chimpanzees roaming the grounds. From the 1840s to '50s, the heart of Lincoln Park served as the city cemetery, housing some 35,000 bodies . The cemetery was eventually moved due to its proximity to the city's water supply, and most of the bodies—but not all of them—were moved along with it. If you've ever seen a horror movie, you know that messing with burial grounds is the easiest way to get haunted, and the Lincoln Park Zoo is no exception. As if walking above several thousand corpses isn't creepy enough, famed parapsychologist Ursula Bielski once called the area (in its current state) “without a doubt the most active site I’ve investigated”—and people have reported seeing ghosts there since it opened in 150 years ago.

Planning your visit: The Lincoln Park Zoo is free—no admission fees are required. Opening hours change with the season, so be sure to double check so you don't get locked out of the park (or locked in).

Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, Fall River, Massachusetts

Without a doubt, the most famous haunted bed and breakfast in New England is the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River. For those unfamiliar with the story (or the macabre jump-rope rhyme), police accused Borden of brutally killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet in 1892; she was acquitted of the murders later that year. At the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum, visitors can tour the house or spend the night, even staying in the room where Abby Borden was killed. Guests and employees have reported all kinds of strange activity in the house, including weeping and footstep sounds, an apparition in Victorian-era clothing wandering the halls, doors opening and closing, and muffled conversations coming from vacant rooms.

Planning your visit: Since the Lizzie Borden House has only six rooms available for booking on any given night, you might find yourself with no room at the inn, as it were. Don't fret: Just drive 30 minutes and cross state lines to Providence , Rhode Island, where a bevy of plush hotels like the Graduate await (hauntings not guaranteed).

The Mark Twain House, Hartford, Connecticut

Mark Twain lived in this Hartford house from 1874 to 1891, during which time he wrote both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . The landmark now serves as a museum that showcases the iconic author’s life and work. It’s also an excellent place to experience the paranormal, apparently, as visitors have reported things like odd noises and a woman in white (isn’t it always?). The billiard room is considered the most haunted spot in the house—it is where Twain used to sit and smoke cigars, and some claim they can smell smoke wafting through the air as they pass through.

Planning your visit: The Mark Twain House and Museum website highly recommends booking timed tickets in advance of your visit. And if you're looking for another equally historical house tour, the home of the writer and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe is just a one-minute walk away, around the corner from Twain's.

Masonic Temple, Detroit, Michigan

With its 16 floors, over a thousand rooms, and Gothic facade, the Masonic Temple is one of the most imposing additions to Detroit 's skyline. According to rumors, there's also more to it than meets the eye, like hidden passageways and staircases. The most famous urban myth associated with the Temple, however, is that of its architect, George D. Mason: Legend has it that Mason went bankrupt funding the construction and then leapt to his death from the roof. You'll be hard-pressed to find facts to back up this tale, but it certainly does help explain reports of a ghost climbing the steps to the roof of the building.

Planning your visit: The Masonic Temple maintains an active events calendar for its theaters and ballroom. There are guided tours as well, though they're subject to staff availability,—be sure to consult the calendar and get tickets ahead of time.

The Mizpah Hotel, Tonopah, Nevada

The Mizpah Hotel opened in 1907 as one of Nevada's first luxury hotels, complete with solid granite walls and Victorian-era decor, and it was fully restored in 2011. But the swanky hotel has a history as blood-red as its scarlet furnishings—one it proudly embraces. Legend has it that a woman died on the fifth floor, and her soul never left the building. The "Lady in Red" now reportedly makes her presence known by whispering in men's ears and leaving pearls from her broken necklace on guests' pillows.

Planning your visit: The Mizpah Hotel isn't creepy enough for you? Walk 10 minutes up along Main Street and stop by The World Famous Clown Motel , which is exactly what it says on the tin. If that weren't enough, its tagline is “America's Scariest Motel.”

Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio

Opened in 1896, the Ohio State Reformatory is famous for its Gothic facade and ominous six-story cell block. But its greatest claim to fame is when it served as the filming location for The Shawshank Redemption —though, to be clear, the prison was shrouded in terror long before Red and Andy holed up there. The reformatory closed in 1990 due to overcrowding and inhumane conditions, but not before more than a total of 200 people (including two guards) died in the building. Legend says that the ghosts of several former inmates still roam the halls, as well as an old guard who jabs people with his nightstick.

Planning your visit: There are various ways for visitors to experience the hauntings first-hand at the Reformatory, from two-hour guided tours to private paranormal investigations. The site also plays host to an annual music and tattoo festival called InkCarceration .

One if by Land, Two if by Sea, New York City

One if by Land, Two if by Sea has all the makings of a perfect evening: gold chandeliers, fireside tables, upper-crust cuisine… and about 20 ghosts. The spirits are reportedly more playful than malicious—paranormal activities are classic phantom pranks like flickering lights, tilting picture frames, and moving plates. Some of the most famous apparitions guests have claimed to see include a woman dressed in black who walks down the staircase and a Ziegfeld follies girl. Other people claim that Aaron Burr haunts the restaurant—it was his carriage house back in the day, after all. Sadly, there are no reports of him performing any songs from the Hamilton soundtrack.

Planning your visit: Given the fame it has as one of the world's most romantic restaurants, reservations are a must. And for a truly swoon-worthy evening, book a room nearby at The Marlton Hotel , a New York City classic, right off of Washington Square Park .

Pine Barrens, New Jersey

The heavily forested Pine Barrens spans over 1 million acres and seven counties in New Jersey. The area thrived during the Colonial period, host to sawmills, paper mills, and other industries. People eventually abandoned the mills and surrounding villages when coal was discovered to the west in Pennsylvania, leaving behind ghost towns—and, some say, a few supernatural wanderers. The most popular Pine Barrens resident is without a doubt the Jersey Devil. According to legend , the creature was born in 1735 to Deborah Leeds (her 13th child) with leathery wings, a goat's head, and hooves. It flew up the Leeds' chimney and into the Barrens, where it has reportedly been killing livestock—and creeping out South Jersey residents—ever since. ( The Sopranos ' fans will recognize the vast woodlands from the namesake Season 3 episode, which was anxiety-inducing in its own right.)

Planning your visit: To say that the Pine Barrens are huge is to understate the fact. It can be easy to get lost—as TV characters Christopher Moltisanti and Paulie learned the hard way. If you want to go exploring, stay in your vehicle or at the very least stay close to roads and campgrounds.

Pittock Mansion, Portland, Oregon

Oregonian pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock decided to build their dream house when they reached their golden years, in 1909, spurring the innovative design and construction of the Pittock Mansion . Unfortunately, the couple only got to enjoy their home for a few years before passing away—Georgiana in 1918 and Henry in 1919. The building is now a public landmark where some strange occurrences have been reported, such as the smell of roses (Georgiana's favorite bloom) filling a room with no flowers in it, and a childhood painting of Henry moving, on its own, from spot to spot within the house. Clearly, death was not enough of a reason for the Pittocks to vacate their beloved home.

Planning your visit: Be mindful of the Mansion's opening hours , which vary throughout the year. Virtual tours are also offered. In addition to tours, temporary exhibits and permanent collections that celebrate local Oregon history and culture are also on display at the house.

Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska

Established in 1898 as a brothel for miners during the Klondike Gold Rush, Alaska's Red Onion Saloon had a feature that set it apart from other bordellos: It used dolls to help run its business. (Always a good sign.) Every day, 10 dolls would be placed on the bar downstairs, each one representing one of the ladies working in the upstairs rooms. A customer would choose one of the dolls, at which point it was laid down on the bar to indicate that the corresponding worker was occupied. When the customer came back downstairs, the doll would be returned to her sitting position to let other potential clients know she was available. Fast-forward to 2023, and the Red Onion Saloon still operates as a bar and restaurant (yep, the dolls are still on display), and offers tours of the upstairs rooms, which are preserved as a sort of makeshift brothel museum. As if licentious dolls weren't creepy enough, there are reports of Lydia—a former madam of the brothel—haunting the site, complete with cold spots and lingering smells of perfume wafting through the halls.

Planning your visit: There's no super easy way to get up to Skagway, but it is set along the Inside Passage, a popular coastal route for cruise ships traveling through the North American Pacific Fjordland. If you want to pay a visit, look for a sailing that has a shore day in Skagway.

RMS Queen Mary , Long Beach, California

Aside from a brief stint as a war ship in World War II, the RMS Queen Mary served as a luxury ocean liner from 1936 to 1967. During that time, it was the site of at least one murder, a sailor being crushed to death by a door in the engine room, and children drowning in the pool. The city of Long Beach purchased the ship in 1967 and turned it into a hotel , and it still serves that purpose today—although the reported ghosts of the deceased passengers get to stay for free. (For an extra dose of spine-tingling experiences, see if you can visit the ship's engine room, which is considered by many to be a "hotbed" of paranormal activity.)

Planning your visit: In addition to overnight stays at the guest rooms , there are tours and exhibits on offer on the Queen Mary. An experience called The Grey Ghost Project allegedly takes “a skeptical- and evidence-based approach to investigating the supernatural." The Steam and Steel Tour, meanwhile, brings you close to the ship's massive engine rooms.

San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio, Texas

The oldest church in Texas holds El Mariachi Mass on Sunday, and is a stunning example of Gothic Revival architecture. But come nightfall, you'd have to be something of a daredevil to enter its myth-ridden grounds . When construction workers started renovating the church in 1936, they unearthed bones, nails, and tattered military uniforms near the altar, which some believe belonged to three soldiers of the Alamo. Since the disturbing incident, visitors have reported shadowy figures and orbs in their photographs, as well as ghosts in the back of the church itself . Such otherworldly inhabitants include a man dressed in black and figures in hooded, monk-like clothing.

Planning your visit: Be mindful of the mass times and confession hours should you decide to drop by during the day. Once you've paid a visit, head to the San Antonio River Walk , which is right outside the church, for some bites, people-watching, and maybe even a boat tour .

Sheffield Island Lighthouse, Norwalk, Connecticut

Built in 1868 to help ships reach Connecticut's Sheffield Island (a 45-minute ferry ride from South Norwalk), this 10-room, Victorian-style lighthouse has a bit of a troubled past. In 1972, the lighthouse's original keeper died suddenly while watching passing ships with a spyglass; his death was never fully explained. Then, in 1991, an archaeologist working on historic site preservation reported several mysterious happenings, including mystical music coming from the shores, distant cries for help, and the sound of a foghorn—despite there being no foghorn on the island. Many believe the sounds were the work of the ghost of Captain Robert Sheffield, who originally purchased the islands in the early 1800s (and apparently had a knack for weird musical instruments).

Planning your visit: Today, Sheffield Island Lighthouse offers guided group tours from May through September. For a truly picturesque afternoon out on the water, try a sunset cruise that leaves from South Norwalk.

The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel 's stately Georgian architecture and world-renowned whiskey bar have lured travelers to Estes Park since the hotel opened in 1909. But the Stanley reached new levels of fame after inspiring Stephen King's fictional Overlook Hotel from The Shining . That eerie association aside, many other ghost sightings and mysterious piano music have been connected to the hotel. The Stanley Hotel leans into its reputation quite cleverly, offering nightly ghost tours and psychic consultations from the in-house Madame Vera .

Planning a visit: Estes Park is a popular base for visitors heading to see the majesty of Rocky Mountain National Park , so hiking and outdoor adventuring could easily be bundled with ghostbusting at The Stanley on your next Colorado trip.

St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is visited by nearly 225,000 people annually, but it is just as well-known for its otherworldly visitors. Several tragic events occurred at the now-historic site that have contributed to the alleged paranormal activity. One of the first was when the lighthouse keeper fell to his death while painting the tower; his ghost has since been spotted watching over the grounds. Another event was the horrific death of three young girls, who drowned when the cart they were playing in broke and fell into the ocean. Today, visitors claim to hear the sounds of children playing in and around the lighthouse.

Planning your visit: Stay a while in St. Augustine, voted on of the best small cities in the US in this year's Readers' Choice Awards . There's lots more history to explore in this centuries-old town (founded in 1565 by a Spanish admiral), like the Castillo de San Marcos across the Matanzas River.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, West Virginia

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum opened its doors to patients in 1864, and in the 1950s, the West Virginia facility reached its peak, housing more than 2,400 patients—even though it was designed to hold only 250. The severe overcrowding led to inhumane conditions (like lack of heat and convalescent people kept in cages), and patients started acting increasingly violent, from starting fires to attacking staff members. The asylum finally closed in 1994, but the souls of some patients are said to linger.

Planning your visit: Ghost tours are available for those who dare, but for the rest of us, there are other attractions across the West Fork River that bisects Weston: the Mountaineer Military Museum and the Museum Of American Glass in West Virginia .

Whaley House, San Diego, California

Thomas Whaley built this family estate in 1857 in San Diego , on the former site of the city's first public gallows. Shortly after he moved in, he reported hearing the heavy footsteps of "Yankee" Jim Robinson, a drifter and thief who was hanged on the site four years before the house was built. Whaley's family history ended up being filled with tragic deaths and suicides, many of which occurred inside the home itself. Some of the family members reportedly still haunt the landmark , often accompanied by cigar smoke and the smell of heavy perfume.

Planning a visit: There are day and evening guided tours on offer at the Whaley House; there's even an after-hours investigation package where participants can join “ an actual paranormal investigation ” and get their hands on “ the latest ghost hunting equipment .”

Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California

The Winchester Mystery House might be one the most disturbing construction projects in history. Following the death of her husband and child, Sarah Winchester (the wife of a rifle-maker's son) was informed by a seer that her family was killed by the ghosts of gunshot victims. To keep away the vengeful spirits, she commissioned the Victorian fun house-turned-macabre dwelling that you see today. Some of the creepier features include staircases that lead directly into the ceiling, doors that open onto brick walls, and windows that can take you to secret passages.

Planning your visit: Book a guided tour , since you'll probably need it to navigate this M.C. Escher drawing of a house. If you're looking to be truly transported, grab tickets to the Unhinged immersive theatre experience that's on offer during the Halloween season.

The Bowery Hotel, New York City

This iconic hotel in Manhattan's Lower East Side is out of New York's Gilded Age with opulent decor and charming (albeit sometimes creepy) oil paintings throughout the property. But if you're feeling an otherworldly presence when you check in, that may be due to the poltergeists that allegedly make The Bowery Hotel their home. Some say that the elevators go haywire every night at one in the morning thanks to those spooky specters.

Planning your visit: If you want to stay up until 1:00 a.m. to catch the ghouls wreaking havoc, there's plenty to do in the neighborhood to keep you occupied until then. Grab dinner at nearby Momofuku Ko , then catch a performance at The Bowery Electric .

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The Creepiest Places in All 50 States

From rundown prisons to defunct hospitals to hotels with resident ghosts, discover the creepiest spot in your state … if you dare.

Alabama: Sloss Furnaces

Open from 1882 to 1971, this National Historic Landmark in Birmingham was once the world’s largest manufacturer of pig iron, though this achievement came at a cost. Working conditions at the plant were miserable, particularly from 1900 to 1906 under the reign of graveyard shift foreman James "Slag" Wormwood. Wormwood pushed his workers to take dangerous risks to speed up production, and 47 workers died during his reign (while many others were injured). The foreman himself died on site, and his spirit is said to have lingered. Workers complained of an "unnatural presence" at the plant, as well as being pushed from behind or told to "get back to work" by a mysterious voice. All in all, more than 100 reports of suspected paranormal activity at Sloss Furnaces have been recorded by the Birmingham Police.

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Here Are the 50 Most Haunted Places in the United States

Oh, Say Can You Scream?

• Photo Credit: Timothy Eberly / Unsplash

From California to the New York Island, the United States is a big country. And you know what that means: ghosts. Lots of them.

Here are the 50 most haunted places in America, one spooky destination for every state. If you ever find yourself at one of these eerie locales, just make sure to pack the spirit cleansing sage.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Drish House

• Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In 1867, John Drish, a reported alcoholic, jumped to his death from the second floor balcony of his estate. His widow, Sarah, is said to still haunt the house , illuminating its tower with a phantom fire hundreds of years after her death.

Related: 10 Haunted Places to Explore This Summer—If You’re Brave Enough  

Anchorage, Alaska

Historic Anchorage Hotel

The Historic Anchorage Hotel may advertise “warm standard rooms and free breakfast” but most guests get more than they bargained for, including the chilling sight of a ghost child smiling up at them from the closet in their room. Others report whispering, the laughter of children, and flickering lights.

Tombstone, Arizona Bird Cage Theater

This theater in the appropriately named town of Tombstone, was once home to a bawdy saloon and brothel. Evidence of the theater’s raucous past can be found in its walls, which are riddled with over 140 bullet holes. The former patrons of the saloon aren’t done partying yet, as visitors report yelling, laughter, and loud music even after the theater has closed its doors for the evening. 

Related: 9 Most Haunted Movie Theaters in America  

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Eureka Springs, Arkansas The Crescent Hotel

The Crescent Hotel was originally built as a resort for the rich and famous in 1886, and was revamped into a treatment center for cancer patients in 1937. With eight (!) identified ghosts, including a staff doctor who haunts the halls in his coat and tails, it’s easy to see why many consider this to be America’s most haunted hotel.

San Jose, California Winchester Mystery House

Most people view the labyrinthine halls of the Winchester Mystery House as the work of a paranoid woman. But if you believe Sarah Winchester’s story, you may think differently. Sarah claimed she was haunted by the ghosts of all those killed by Winchester weapons, her husband’s family business. So she built stairwells that led to nowhere and doors that opened to a 40-foot-drop to confuse any vengeful spirits that came a knocking.

Related: The Winchester Mystery House  

Estes Park, Colorado Stanley Hotel

This massive Colorado hotel served as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining . King and other guests have reported their belongings being packed and unpacked, the sounds of children laughing, and the noise of what sounds like a party going on in the ballroom when it’s completely empty. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right?

Related: Master of Madness: Stanley Kubrick's Near-Insane Methods on the Set of The Shining Delivered Incredible Results  

Easton, Connecticut Union Cemetery

Locals say that the spirit of a “White Lady” haunts Union Cemetery in Easton, Connecticut, so called because of her long, diaphanous white dress. Some claim she’s the mother of a boy buried in the cemetery, others say she’s the ghost of a young woman who was run over and killed while walking near the grounds.

Related: Lady in White: The Haunted Burial Grounds of Union Cemetery  

Dover, Delaware  

The Governor’s Mansion

People have reported ghostly encounters in this historic home since 1815. Moans and screams are heard from a hole in a large tree near the house … some claim the hole may have been a hiding place when the house served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

West Palm Beach, Florida The Riddle House

Nothing good can ever come from a house that used to be a funeral home, right? How about one that’s haunted by the restless spirits of a nearby cemetery? One caretaker reportedly hung himself from the Riddle House’s attic rafters. While this haunted abode was slated for demolition in 1995, a descendant of the original owner stepped in and turned it into a creepy museum. Yay. Great? 

Related: The Creepy History of Florida's Riddle House  

Savannah, Georgia Pirates' House

• Photo Credit: Peter Broster / Flickr (CC)

Built in 1753, this Savannah restaurant is actually one of the state’s oldest standing structures. It’s still in operation today, but don’t go overboard at the Pirates' House. Otherwise you may find yourself at the mercy of the same pirates who once took advantage of young, drunk sailors, and sold them into slavery on their ships, never to be seen from again.

Related: 10 Most Haunted Places in Savannah  

H onolulu, Hawaii ‘Iolani Palace

‘Iolani Palace was once the seat of Hawaii’s royal family—and apparently some of them, including Queen Lili’uokalani, have never left. The Queen was imprisoned in this palace for eight months after trying to overthrow the government. Visitors today report seeing her ghostly figure gliding across the grounds, and her silhouette in the windows of the now unoccupied palace.

Boise, Idaho Old Idaho Penitentiary

This old state prison built in 1870 was once home to 13,000 prisoners. One of its most infamous inmates was Raymond Allen Snowden, also known as “Idaho’s Jack the Ripper.” Visitors report strange sounds and a feeling of dread while visiting the site of his 1957 execution.

Midlothian, Illinois Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery

Home to one of the most famous ghosts ever captured on camera, the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is a hotbed of paranormal activity thanks to its storied past. Apparently gangsters once used the cemetery as a dumping ground for bodies. As Bachelor’s Grove slipped into neglect, Satanists were rumored to conduct rituals of animal sacrifice on its grounds.

Related: Bachelor’s Grove: Chicagoland’s Sinister Abandoned Cemetery  

Benton, Indiana Stepp Cemetery

The now neglected Stepp Cemetery in Benton, Indiana is home to the ghost of a grieving woman in black. As the story goes, the woman was so distraught over her infant’s death, she went to the cemetery and dug up its body, then ended her own life.

Villisca, Iowa Villisca Axe Murder House

In 1912, eight people, including six children, were bludgeoned to death in this Iowa home. But the scariest part to the story is that we still don’t know who did it. The scene of the crime now functions as a museum and is available for overnight rentals. Can you solve the mystery yourself?

Related: The Villisca Axe Murders  

Atchison, Kansas The Sallie House

• Photo Credit: Sallie House

The Sallie House came into paranormal prominence in the 1990s when owners Debra and Tony Pickman claimed they had suffered violent attacks and strange phenomena. Tony claimed that one night he dreamt a little girl pulled him out of bed. Soon thereafter, he found child-sized fingerprints burned onto his wrist.

Louisville, Kentucky Waverly Hills Sanatorium

One of the country’s most well known abandoned sanatoriums, Waverly Hills is remembered for the sheer number of patients who entered its doors and never left. Apparently so many died while at Waverly Hills that employees had to install a “body chute,” a long tunnel made for disposing corpses so as not to upset the other patients.

Related: 5 Haunted Places In Kentucky

St. Francisville, Louisiana Myrtles Plantation

Decisions, decisions...With so many paranormal hotspots in Louisiana— especially in New Orleans —how do you choose just one? In the end, we went with St. Francisville's Myrtles Planation . The ghost of a young girl was captured on camera at this haunted destination in rural Louisiana, but she’s not the only specter roaming the property. Others have seen the ghost of a slave named Chloe who was apparently murdered on the grounds. Myrtles is now a bed and breakfast, so if you feel like looking for Chloe yourself, be our guest.

Kennebunkport, Maine Captain Lord Mansion

Captain Nathaniel Lord built this house in 1812. Unfortunately, he died before he could move in. The home was then used as a convalescent home for elderly women before its conversion into a bed and breakfast in 1972. One woman never left, however. Guests report late-night sightings of an elderly woman dressed in a nightgown, wandering the halls.

Sharpsburg, Maryland Antietam Battlefield

Antietam was the bloodiest day in American military history, with over 22,000 casualties perishing in the Civil War battle. Visitors today report strange activity, including the ghostly sounds of battle along Bloody Lane, a site where more than 5,000 soldiers lost their lives.

Fall River, Massachusetts Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast

Lizzie Borden may have been tried for and acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother, but that doesn’t mean that the scene of the crime is free of restless energy. Now a bed and breakfast, guests have reported strange activity, including the sensation that they aren’t alone … look out behind you!

Related: Lizzie Borden's Home Could Now Be Yours ... If You Dare  

Detroit, Michigan Masonic Temple

Now a concert venue, Detroit’s Masonic Temple is supposedly honeycombed with hidden passageways. It’s also the home to the ghost of its builder, George D. Mason, who went bankrupt from construction costs and leapt off the Temple’s roof after his wife left him.

St. Paul, Minnesota Forepaugh’s Restaurant

This upscale restaurant was once home to businessman Joseph Forepaugh, who shot himself inside the house in 1892 after his affair with one of his maids was revealed. The restaurant’s staff and patrons have reported seeing the spectral figures of Joseph and his mistress walking through the house. At least they’re together in the afterlife!

Related: The 8 Most Haunted Places in Minnesota  

Pascagoula, Mississippi Longfellow Place

The ghost of a slave who was beaten to death on the property is said to haunt this dilapidated mansion in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Visitors have reported strange noises coming from the upstairs floor of the house. An angry spirit has also slapped one employee and pushed another.

St. Louis, Missouri Lemp Family Mansion

The Lemp Family suffered tragedy after tragedy. By 1950, four of the family’s descendants had committed suicide, with three of the self-inflicted deaths occurring in their family’s St. Louis mansion. Now a restaurant and inn, guests report eerie midnight encounters with the spirits of the Lemp family, troubled even in death.

Related: The Lemp Mansion Curse  

Deer Lodge, Montana The Old Montana Territorial Prison

At this ruined old state prison in Deer Lodge, Montana, visitors have reported terrifying paranormal activity including the sensation of being choked by some unseen force. In the former site of the women’s prison, people have been pushed down corridors, overwhelmed by feelings of dread and anxiety, and emerged with scratches covering their bodies.

Nebraska City, Nebraska Seven Sisters Road

The legend of the seven sisters is well known in Nebraska City. The story goes that a man hung each of his seven daughters (or in some accounts, sisters) on the trees that line this dirt road. Commuters today claim to hear the sounds of female screams and have had their cars break down unexpectedly.

Related: The Bloody Bride of 13 Curves Road  

Tonopah, Nevada Mizpah Hotel

The Lady in Red haunts the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada. She is said to be the ghost of a prostitute who frequented the hotel during its red light days, and was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend or husband. Today she haunts the halls, terrifying guests.

Related: 10 Most Haunted Hotels In the World  

Dover, New Hampshire Pine Hill Cemetery

One of the country’s oldest cemeteries, Pine Hill, in New Hampshire, is the resting place of Abel Blood, whose tombstone bears a hand pointing to heaven. Visitors have reported that the hand glows at night, and instead of the finger pointing above to heaven, it points below, to hell.

West Milford, New Jersey Clinton Road

Dubbed the most haunted road in America, Clinton Road, in West Milford, New Jersey, has been terrifying commuters for decades. Phantom headlights, Satan worshippers, and the ghosts of animals from a ruined zoo have all been reported on Clinton Road. Most terrifying, however, is the spirit of a boy who drowned in nearby Clinton Brook. It’s said if you toss a coin into the brook, he’ll toss it back up to you.

Related: Clinton Road: Take a Terrifying Drive Down America's Most Haunted Roadway  

Albuquerque, New Mexico KiMo Theater

The ghost of another young boy named Bobby Darnall reportedly haunts the KiMo Theater. He died when a boiler exploded on site. Cast and crew claim Bobby will pull a variety of tricks to sabotage their performances. They have taken to leaving doughnuts to appease him before shows.

Oneida, New York Farnam Mansion

This beautiful 19th-century mansion in Oneida, New York proves that looks can be deceiving. The paranormal activity was so intense that its owners contacted paranormal researchers known as the Shadow Chasers. Inside the house they heard disembodied voices and unexplained footsteps, and encountered a shadowy figure.

Related: 8 Creepy Abandoned Mansions from Around the World  

Asheville, North Carolina The Biltmore Estate

The gigantic 250-room Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina, is one of the most famous and frequently visited homes in the United States. Visitors have reported hearing the sounds of George Vanderbilt  [ed]  and his wife talking quietly in the library, despite the fact that George died of appendicitis in 1914. Others have caught sight of a headless cat roaming the property, and the echoes of conversation in the empty indoor swimming pool.

Fargo, North Dakota The Children’s Museum at Yunker Farm

• Photo Credit: Fargo-Moorhead CVB / Flickr (CC)

This children’s museum is housed in a haunted farmhouse from 1876. The ghost of Elizabeth Yunker, for which the house is named, has been seen upstairs, and the museum’s elevator operates on its own. Visitors have also seen the ghost of a young boy standing by the well in which he apparently drowned.

Athens, Ohio Athens Mental Hospital

Notorious for its brutal medical procedures, this decaying mental hospital is teeming with paranormal activity. One particularly haunting story tells of a patient who literally became lost inside the maze-like hospital. Her naked body was found a year later, with her clothes folded neatly beside her. Visitors today say you can still see the stain of her body on the floor.

Related: American Horror: The 10 Most Haunted Places in Ohio  

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma St. Vincent’s Home

A paranormal investigator visited St. Vincent’s Home in Oklahoma City and recorded what he believes is a voice repeatedly saying, “don’t ignore me.” In the audio file, it sounds like the voice is no further than three feet away from the recorder, though the researcher claims he was more than 15 feet away from his colleagues at the time.

Portland, Oregon Pittock Mansion

Henry and Georgiana Pittock built their dream home in Portland, but sadly passed away just a few years after moving in. Visitors claim they still haunt the mansion, with Henry’s picture constantly moving places on the walls, and the smell of roses (Georgiana’s favorite flower) wafting through rooms despite there being no flowers present.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Eastern State Penitentiary

When Eastern State Penitentiary was built it was only meant to hold 250 prisoners. Somehow, the capacity swelled to over 1,700 inmates. Known for its sadistic guards, who reportedly doused prisoners in cold water and forced them to stand outside in freezing temperatures, the now decrepit halls of Eastern State still send shivers down the spine.

Related: America’s 7 Most Haunted Prisons  

Exeter, Rhode Island The Ladd School

Built in 1908 as a home for the “feeble-minded,” the Ladd School is now reportedly haunted by the spirit of a young boy who was strangled to death by a mentally ill patient. A team of researchers and the founder of the Ladd School Historical Society once visited the building where the supposed murder took place. Upon entering, all their filming equipment stopped at the exact same time.

Spartanburg, South Carolina Hell’s Gate/Oakwood Cemetery

• Photo Credit: Suzie Tremmel / Flickr (CC)

It’s never a good sign when your local cemetery is commonly known as “Hell’s Gate.” Visitors have reported strange activity while visiting this burial ground, including cell phone batteries being drained of power, the sound of laughing children, floating orbs, and a thick white mist.

Deadwood, South Dakota Bullock Hotel

This Historic Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota is said to be haunted by its namesake Seth Bullock, the first sheriff of Deadwood. Guests report the smell of his cigar, the sound of his boots in the hallway, even his reflection in the mirrors. The staff claims a ragtime song is frequently heard coming from an empty piano, and glasses and flatware have been known to fly through the air.

Adams, Tennessee Bell Witch Cave

Locals say the spirit of Kate Batts, a woman who believed the Bell clan cheated her out of her property, still haunts the cave near the Bell family land. Any object taken from the cave is said to be cursed. Electrical equipment reportedly malfunctions near the cave and paranormal investigators have encountered violent forces at the site.

Related: The Bell Witch: An All-American Haunting  

Jefferson, Texas The Grove

Built around 1861, this Greek revival in Jefferson, Texas, is home to several ghosts, most notably the Lady in White, who was first spotted by the owner of the house in the 1990s. A staff member later reported the sensation of being watched, and sure enough, when she turned to look, she saw a woman dressed in white heading down the hallway.

Salt Lake City, Utah Westminster College

A bride and groom had just been married at Gunston Memorial Chapel, near where Westminster College stands today. They were set to leave for their honeymoon when a drunk driver smashed into their car, killing the newlyweds. The bride, unable to leave the site of her wedding, apparently still roams Converse Hall, dressed in bridal white.

Related: A Crimson Vision: The Red Lady of Huntingdon College  

Stowe, Vermont Emily’s Bridge

This beautiful covered bridge in Stowe, Vermont is reportedly home to the ghost of a girl named Emily, who planned to meet her lover one night under the bridge. When her lover never materialized, she hanged herself from the bridge rafters. Commuters crossing the bridge report strange noises, such as the sound of rope tightening. When their vehicles emerge from the other side, they are often covered in scratches.

Virginia Beach, Virginia Ferry Plantation House

Dating back to 1642, the Ferry Plantation House in Virginia Beach is home to 11 ghosts. Among the resident spirits is a former slave named Sally, a Lady in White who perished by falling down the stairs, and the victims of an 1810 shipwreck. The ghost of artist Thomas Williamson also haunts the property; he has been seen at the top of the stairs, painting.

Related: 9 Haunted Plantations You Need to Visit  

Lakewood, Washington Thornewood Castle Inn

This beautiful castle in Lakewood, Washington, was the location for Stephen King’s TV miniseries Rose Red . Built by Chester Thorne as a gift for his bride Anna, both Mr. and Mrs. Thorne are said to haunt the property that spans 27,000 square feet. Visitors also report seeing a ghostly young boy who reportedly drowned on the property standing on the shore of the lake.

Moundsville, West Virginia Moundsville State Penitentiary

In this Gothic style state prison, visitors are most haunted by the Shadow Man, the ghost of a maintenance man who was allegedly stabbed to death by inmates for reporting activity to the guards. Interested in meeting this shadowy figure? You’re in luck. Tours at Moundsville begin at sundown for maximum freak-out effect.

Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin Summerwind Mansion

Summerwind was built in 1916—and has driven its residents away with terrifying activity ever since. The apparition of a man reportedly attacked the mansion’s original owners. As for the second set of owners? After allegedly discovering human remains buried in a crawlspace, the family fled, abandoning the house entirely. The mansion burned down in 1988, yet remnants of the spooky structure remain.  

Related: What Lies Within: The Haunting of the Summerwind Mansion  

Buffalo, Wyoming Occidental Hotel

Known as the most haunted place in Wyoming, the Occidental Hotel is haunted by the ghost of a prostitute’s daughter who lived on the top floor. Wearing a white dress with long, flowing black hair, her unnerving presence has been known to drive guests screaming from their rooms.

Featured photo: Timothy Eberly / Unsplash ; Additional photos: Peter Broster / Flickr (CC) ; Sallie House ; Fargo-Moorhead CVB / Flickr (CC) ; Suzie Tremmel / Flickr (CC)

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The Most Terrifying Haunted Attraction in All 50 States

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, farms, theme parks, and historic buildings across the country transform into horror hotspots. No matter where in the U.S. you live, you can find a haunted attraction near you. We’ve rounded up some of the most terrifying options in all 50 states.

By mentalfloss .com | Oct 18, 2023

While some people use autumn as an opportunity to get cozy, horror fanatics see it as the time to get their adrenaline pumping. There are few better places to do this than at a haunted house, maze, or hayride. If October gets you in the mood to be terrorized by an actor in a clown mask , plenty of businesses across America are happy to provide that service. Whether they’re housed in a theme park or a historic prison, these are the most heart-pounding haunted attractions in all 50 states.

1. Alabama // The Haunted Chicken House

Location:  Heflin, Alabama

The Haunted Chicken House wins our unofficial award for most creative backstory. According to the attraction’s lore, the Seven Oaks Chicken Farm took a dark turn in 2003, when a local farmer named Dan imported genetically-altered roosters to boost his business. The birds mutated into violent monsters, and Chicken Dan recruited an army of slashers and monsters to help fight them. The result is one of Alabama’s most bizarrely spooky attractions. After walking through the actual Haunted Chicken House, guests can take a spin onboard the haunted hayride or the “Crazy Train” bus. Tickets are currently on sale for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout October. —Michele Debczak

2. Alaska // Fright Nite Haunted House

Location:  Anchorage, Alaska

Fright Nite has been freaking out patrons for more than three decades. Each production—usually open during the second half of October—features new actors, costumes, sound effects, and themes. And you can bet there will be evil clowns. —Kat Long

3. Arizona // 13th Floor Haunted House

Location:  Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix’s spooky 13th Floor offers four different experiences with creepy backstories. You may find yourself harshly judged by an evil nun with a sinister agenda, enchanted by malevolent spirits from the deep sea, or hunting down zombies infected with a global virus (too soon, guys!). There’s also an optional, interactive maze adventure that takes place in total darkness. If you think you can handle it, 13th Floor runs through November 4. —KL

4. Arkansas // The Reaper Haunted House

Location:  North Little Rock, Arkansas

Like a slasher movie come to life, The Reaper Haunted House —which has been scaring Arkansans since 2011—promises to shock its guests with more than 30 scenes of “blood, gore, and mayhem.” The terrifying tableaux continues through November 1. —KL

5. California // Knott’s Scary Farm

Location:  Buena Park, California

Knott’s Berry Farm transforms into Knott’s Scary Farm during spooky season. The Southern California theme park is celebrating 50 years of frights this year. On select nights through October 31, the park is overrun with terrifying creatures. In addition to the 10 unique haunted mazes, the event features five sprawling scare zones and four chilling live shows. When they’re not getting their pants scared off, guests can decompress over themed treats like cereal killer funnel cake and spookghetti pie . Tickets for 2023 are available starting at $60. —MD

6. Colorado // The Frightmare Compound

Location:  Westminster, Colorado

The Frightmare Compound is celebrating its 40th year of scaring the bejesus out of Coloradans in 2023, and the multi-experience complex of fear is not resting on its laurels. In addition to its legendary haunted house, which is populated with various blood-soaked ghouls, the Frightmare Compound also invites its victims into a museum of monsters and a coffin simulator that replicates the claustrophobia of being buried alive . If your heart can take it, there are also mini escape rooms that force you to figure out your own survival. The attractions open on September 15 and run through November 4. —KL

7. Connecticut // The Trail of Terror

Location:  Wallingford, Connecticut

This isn’t your average walk in the woods. Connecticut’s Trail of Terror is a roughly hour-long walk through a medley of monstrous frights. The scare crew may all be volunteers, but don’t underestimate their ability to get your heart racing. The Trail of Terror is open Friday to Sunday from September 30 through October 29. —Kerry Wolfe

8. Delaware // Frightland

Location:  Middletown, Delaware

Frightland , which has been in business for 27 years and counting, boasts eight separate experiences—Horror Hayride, Haunted Barn, Idalia Manor, Fear, Ravenwood Cemetery, The Attic, Ghost Town, and Zombie Prison—which span about 1800 acres and are all linked by a fictional backstory. Basically, Dr. Thaddeus Idalia lost his mind after his daughter’s death and devoted his life to trying to resurrect the dead. The vengeful subjects of his botched and terrifying experiments have now taken over his estate; not far, as it turns out, from the ghosts of his father’s equally chilling deeds . — Ellen Gutoskey

9. Florida // Halloween Horror Nights

Location:  Orlando, Florida

Every Halloween season, Universal Studios in Orlando applies the movie magic of its theme park rides to epic haunted houses. Halloween Horror Nights runs from September 4 to November 2 in 2023, and each night features 10 haunted houses built around a different theme. Properties like Stranger Things , The Exorcist (1973), and Child’s Play (1988) are brought to life through Hollywood-level makeup, set design, and special effects. In between waiting in line for walk-through experiences, guests also have to face the live scare actors who prowl the park. Prices vary by night, and you can order tickets in advance through Universal’s website . —MD

10. Georgia // Netherworld Haunted House

Location:  Stone Mountain, Georgia

It’s a rare Halloween attraction that can promise fun and excitement for the whole family, but Netherworld in Stone Mountain has entertainment for timid first-timers, terror enthusiasts, and those in between. For its 27th year this October, guests will be thrilled by two new haunts, “Cryptid Chaos” and “Primordial”—we hope they feature an epic battle between Bigfoot and, say, an iguanodon. Aside from those scares, Netherworld hosts escape rooms, a monster museum, and a Halloween midway with places to eat, snap a selfie, or chill with roaming costumed spooks. Netherworld runs through November 11. —KL

11. Hawaii // Haunted Plantation

Location:  Waipahu, Hawaii

If you feel haunted houses are passé, leave your attitude at the door of the Haunted Plantation . Located on O‘ahu in Waipahu, the site of an actual former sugar plantation, the attraction spends most of the year as a living history museum. It transforms into an outdoor scare factory in October, complete with heart-pounding frights and more than 60 actors in professional special effects makeup. Timed reservations are required. —KL

12. Idaho // The Haunted World

Location:  Nampa, Idaho

The Haunted World boasts a whopping 35 acres of frights, including Gristle’s cornfield, a 700-foot dungeon, “Hacksaw Jim’s Stanky Cellar,” and a 55-foot Slide Into Darkness. Cap it all off with a visit to Cannibal Lecter’s Carnival of Pigs, and you’ve got yourself a nice little evening. The Haunted World is open Monday through Saturday in October. —Stacy Conradt

13. Illinois // Basement of the Dead

Location:  Aurora, Illinois

There are few things spookier than basements—and Basement of the Dead , located in Aurora, Illinois, takes those scares and ratchets them up to 11. The story revolves around a boiler explosion at Walker Laundry that maims two workers, who then disappear; soon people working in the laundry begin to vanish, only to later show up in pieces at the mouth of drainage pipes. The workers are still there, obviously, ready to snatch whoever comes into the basement next. Visitors report that Basement of the Dead has excellent actors who rarely fail to get a jump out of their victims, and the sets, music, and lights add to the terrifying vibe. There’s also a 3D haunted house. Basement of the Dead is open from late September to early November; you can get your tickets here . —Erin McCarthy

14. Indiana // Hanna Haunted Acres

Location:  Indianapolis, Indiana

With six separate attractions, there’s something for everyone at Hanna Haunted Acres . Visitors can make their way through Acres Manor, a grand haunted mansion that threatens to confront you with your deepest fears, or a carnival that promises to be a grotesque circus of nightmares. And if those don’t give you goosebumps, there’s also an Undead Underworld, the Horror Fields, Cannibal Chaos, and a Haunted Hayride. Hanna Haunted Acres is open every day in October—but they say their scariest days are November 3 and 4. That’s when your whole party has to make it through four of the haunts with a single glow stick. —SC

15. Iowa // Slaughterhouse

Location:  Des Moines, Iowa

Slaughterhouse in downtown Des Moines is a cannibal-themed haunt with an elaborate backstory about “America’s most heinous cannibal empire” from the mid-1800s. It’s open for fresh meat Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in October, and also on Thursdays in the two weeks before Halloween. When it’s not spooky season, Slaughterhouse is also an escape room where you have 60 minutes to help one of the people-eating clan’s victims break free from the torture. —SC

16. Kansas // The Haunted Cannery

Location:  El Dorado, Kansas

A visit to The Haunted Cannery starts with a covered hayride through Walters Farm and Pumpkin Patch. Once they arrive at the maze, guest will be forced to dodge clowns, zombies, and “anything horrific that comes to mind.“ A RIP-FAST PASS ticket gets you a ride on their “hell bound“ ambulance plus a special closed lid rolling casket ride (not recommended for the claustrophobic). The attraction is open Fridays and Saturdays through October. —MD

17. Kentucky // Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Location:  Louisville, Kentucky

Waverly Hills Sanatorium , one of the most haunted places in America, is a former tuberculosis hospital located in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s been estimated that 50,000 patients died at Waverly Hills while it was open from 1910 to 1961. While the historical society offers more fact-based tours year-round, they embrace the Halloween season by offering a haunted house on Fridays and Saturdays from the end of September through October—and if you buy the RIP pass, you’ll get a special mini tour of the upper floors of the sanatorium. Want even more? Private, eight-hour paranormal investigations start at $1100. —SC

18. Louisiana // The 13th Gate

Location:  Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The 13th Gate doesn’t limit its frights to one theme. The 13 realms spread out across the 40,000-square-foot property include a realistic pirate ship, an outdoor graveyard with zombies, and underground passageways filled with live snakes. General admission tickets are currently available for $35. Be warned that the intense attraction isn’t recommended for guests with certain health conditions—including a weak bladder. —MD

19. Maine // Nightmare on the Ridge

Location:  Auburn, Maine

Every year in October, Wallingford’s Orchard in Auburn, Maine, hosts the Nightmare on the Ridge . The haunted walk takes place outdoors, so it’s not recommended for people with a fear of the dark (or clowns). Tickets are now available for $25. —MD

20. Maryland // Bennett’s Curse

Location:  Baltimore, Maryland

A ticket to Bennett’s Curse in Baltimore earns you entry into four terrifying attractions . The oldest and most critically acclaimed is House of the Demons , where guests find themselves in the crosshairs of a war between vampires and vicious underworld demons. There’s also a 3D experience, an asylum station, and Legends of Halloween , the last of which features every classic Halloween creature you can think of. —EG

21. Massachusetts // Witch’s Woods

Location:  Weston, Massachusetts

Whether you want to see professionally carved pumpkins, venture into a darkened castle, or just go on a haunted hayride, Witch’s Woods delivers. The Jack o’ Lantern Jamboree and Horrorwood Chamber of Chills (a walking tour) are both free to visit—no admission required—but otherwise, tickets are usually $48 (though they’re offering $14 off coupons if you go on Sundays during October). The 2023 Halloween season runs through October 31. —Shayna Murphy

22. Michigan // Erebus

Location:  Pontiac, Michigan

If you’re the type of person who can’t get enough scares, you’ll want to experience Erebus . With 100,000 square feet, four stories, and a half-mile of walking, Erebus held the title of World’s Largest Haunted House in the Guinness Book of World Records for a number of years. It has also been named the best haunted house in the U.S. by USA Today . Between getting buried alive and running across a few hungry dinosaurs, you’re sure to find scares at Erebus you won’t find anywhere else. It’s open most days in October. —SC

23. Minnesota // Dead End Hayride

Location:  Wyoming, Minnesota

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Dead End Hayride (@thedeadendhayride)

If your idea of a fun hayride includes singalongs and apple cider, the Dead End Hayride probably isn’t for you. At the attraction, which is located on 160 acres of wooded farmland, guests will find themselves at the mercy of more than 200 characters scattered across places like Castle Ruins. There’s also some pretty impressive pyrotechnics. It’s also open most nights in October. —SC

24. Mississippi // Haunted Castle

Location:  Tupelo, Mississippi

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Now in its 15th year, the Haunted Castle changes up the scares every season. For 2023, they’re bringing back a fan favorite: The Lost in the Darkness Labyrinth, “an unnerving journey through a twisted maze that will test your sanity like never before.” You can get your creep on every Friday and Saturday in October (and on Halloween itself, of course). —SC

25. Missouri // The Darkness

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Lurking in downtown St. Louis is The Darkness , a horrifying walk-through attraction that has been called the haunted house industry’s Disney World. Inside, you can expect to encounter everything from zombies and demons to dolls and clowns, all with movie-quality makeup, costuming and props. If you can’t make it during October, don’t count yourself down and out just yet. The Darkness also does a Krampus-themed Christmas haunt, and a one-night-only Bloody Valentine event in February. —SC

26. Montana // Field of Screams

Location:  Victor, Montana

If you build it, they will come ... to the Field of Screams . The attraction kicks off with a corn maze that leads to a haunted playground, a mysterious swamp and, of course, a graveyard. It’s open on Fridays and Saturdays in October, but for the less adventurous folk, Monday nights are Zombie Free—no creepy characters, just the chance to wander through the amazing sets, complete with fog, lighting, and music. —SC

27. Nebraska // Bloodrush

Location:  Omaha, Nebraska

With a name like Bloodrush , subtlety is not part of the program of this haunted attraction, which is really more of a haunted forest. During the 40-minute walking tour, you’ll encounter everything from zombies to chainsaw-wielding maniacs. If you expect to find relief in a nearby shack, chances are you’ve never seen Evil Dead II . It’s open Thursdays through Sundays in October, plus October 30 and 31. —Jake Rossen

28. Nevada // Hotel Fear and Asylum

Location:  Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is home to some of the best hotels in the world—and at least one of the scariest. The Hotel Fear and Asylum is a two-pronged attraction , with visitors able to explore a lodge meant to host families related to patients of the (fictitious) institution nearby. Naturally, both the accommodations and the facilities are anything but relaxing. Fortunately, vistors will contribute to some real-life health benefits by attending: A portion of proceeds go to the Paradise Ranch Foundation, which uses horse-assisted therapy for mental health issues. —JR

29. New Hampshire // Haunted Overload

Location:  Lee, New Hampshire

Megalophobes might cower at Haunted Overload , which features monstrous attractions up to 34 feet tall. If things get too scary, their Friday Night Lite tones down the thrills. The farm is also open during the day so parents and kids can stroll around without having any performers leaping out at them. —JR

30. New Jersey // Brighton Asylum

Location:  Passaic, New Jersey

Brighton Asylum , the self-proclaimed most-visited haunted house in New Jersey, has three award-winning attractions for adrenaline enthusiasts to visit. Whether you’re visiting Brighton Asylum’s patient areas, the subCULTure tunnels, or the Bleeding Grounds staff quarters, you’ll definitely be spooked. And if those aren’t enough, you can add on to the fun with escape rooms, axe-throwing, carnEVIL games, and paranormal explorations. In addition to scaring folks Friday through Sunday in October (and a couple of Thursdays), Brighton offers holiday haunts like Santa’s Slay, Dark Valentine, and even Saint Patrick’s Slay. — SC

31. New Mexico // McCall’s Haunted Farm

Location:  Moriarty, New Mexico

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New Mexico’s top haunted attraction taps into the inherent creepiness of farms. The fictional backstory sets up the frights at McCall’s Haunted Farm perfectly: After the State Highway Department built an interstate through his farm, Farmer McCall went mad and murdered his family. There wasn’t enough evidence to convict him, but in the subsequent years, tourists began to go missing from the area. In the present, visitors can experience the Field of Screams—a corn maze haunted by Farmer McCall’s victims—and the Haunted Barn, which features an old meat processing facility that is now used for disturbing ends. Other activities on the property include zombie paintball, creepy carnival games, and a clown-themed maze. Tickets for Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Halloween are on sale for $28 to $38. —MD

32. New York // Headless Horseman Hayrides

Location:  Ulster Park, New York

Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Attractions has operated for more than 30 years and consists of six haunted houses, a terrifying walking trail, a corn maze, spooky entertainment, and a haunted hayride new for this year called “Death Is the Only Cure.” In a The Last of Us -like twist, it features a mushroom that turns its hosts into a creature that resembles a crow. Headless Horseman Hayrides is open from late September until late October; you can get your tickets here .

33. North Carolina // Kersey Valley Spookywoods

Location:  Archdale, North Carolina

Don’t let Kersey Valley Spookywoods’ fool you: this is no kiddie affair. With 15 different horror sets to choose from, you’re sure to find one that makes your blood curdle. Sure, you’ll find your typical haunted corn maze and asylum settings. But there’s also the mineshaft-themed Depths of Despair, a vampire and werewolf melee called Agony’s Embrace, the mysterious Whispering Pines Funeral Services, and the Inferno, a hell-themed set that could have been designed by Dante himself. —SC

34. North Dakota // Acres of Terror

Location:  Leonard, North Dakota

Acres of Terror is celebrating 20 years of frights in 2023—and after two decades, it has scaring down to a science. It takes most people 45 minutes to an hour to wander through the haunted corn maze, creepy trailer, and abandoned school house, where visitors must do their best to avoid murderous characters lurking down pitch-black hallways. There’s also a short ride on a bus driven by a werewolf, something we’re quite sure you won’t find many other places. Drop by any Friday or Saturday, dusk til midnight, through October 29. —SC

35. Ohio // Spooky Ranch

Location:  Columbia Station, Ohio

True to its midwestern setting, the Spooky Ranch at Rockin’-R-Ranch has a haunted house and haunted barn. But the star attraction is the haunted hayride. The high-tech operation takes what’s usually a simple autumnal activity to a terrifying new level: The hayride features pyrotechnics, enormous animated creatures, and live actors. The Spooky Ranch is open Thursday through Sunday during October. (You can visit on Halloween as well). —KW

36. Oklahoma // HexHouse

Location:  Tulsa, Oklahoma

For an extreme haunt, look no further than HexHouse , named one of the top 15 intense haunted houses in the U.S. by HauntWorld.com . HexHouse promises that there are no cheesy animatronics or movie monsters, but does offer full immersion in “an altered reality that is much darker and less predictable than anything you’ve seen in the movies.” The house is allegedly based on the true story of an occultist who lived in Tulsa in the 1940s and held two women captive in her home. While we’re not sure how true that is, one thing is for sure: HexHouse will bewitch you. —SC

37. Oregon // The Fear PDX

Location:  Portland, Oregon

If you guessed that “Smiley’s Fun House” isn’t actually all that fun, you’re probably ready for The Fear PDX . In addition to Smiley’s, this mult-attraction haunted house includes The Mansion, The Harvest, The Forgotten, and Radioactive Rampage, and six other ghoulish sets. A new addition for 2023 is Chopped, a game where you compete against others to finish a task with one hand while the other is imprisoned in a small guillotine. Lose the game, lose your hand. —SC

38. Pennsylvania // Eastern State Penitentiary

Location:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary is a real prison that opened in 1829 and shut its doors in 1971. Most of the year, you can tour the abandoned facility and learn about its history—but when fall hits, Eastern State turns into a horrifying attraction complete with five haunted houses (including one in 3D), cocktail lounges, flashlight tours of parts of the facility, live performances, and ghost stories within its walls. Halloween Nights at ESP is open late September through mid-November; tickets start at $39 and you can grab them here .

39. Rhode Island // Haunted Labyrinth

Location:  Cranston, Rhode Island

Cranston’s Haunted Labyrinth is the longest-running haunted house attraction in New England (this will be their 39th season). But it’s more than just that, because there’s also an indoor maze filled with some frightfully fun surprises. This year’s theme—Nightmares Retold—will revisit some old terrors from the past. If you pay in cash, tickets go for $12; if you’re using a card, admission is $13. It runs until Tuesday, October 31. —SM

40. South Carolina // Nightmare Dungeon Haunted House

Location:  Greenville, South Carolina

The closest thing to being inside of a horror movie? Nightmare Dungeon Haunted House . Purportedly built inside an actual 150-year-old farmhouse, NDHH features more than 40 horror scenes, including CGI effects, pyrotechnics, and movie-quality props, costumes, and makeup. New this year is The Hellevtor, an eight-floor descent into the dungeons beneath the house. Visit any day in October, from 7:30-11 p.m.—if you dare. —SC

41. South Dakota // Fear Asylum

Location:  Brookings, South Dakota

It’s lucky number year 13 for Fear Asylum , and they say the patients are getting restless. Rumor has it the government has been testing on the unwilling subjects of the Brookend Asylum for decades, turning them into nightmarish creatures and ghouls. And when they don’t make it, the graveyard on the grounds makes for convenient disposal. If you’re not shaking in your boots by the end of the experience, you can add on two escape rooms and the mysterious “last ride.” —SC

42. Tennessee // Nashville Nightmare

Location:  Madison, Tennessee

Nashville Nightmare’s themed haunted houses prove that anywhere can be scary, from research labs to high schools. If there’s a secret to their success—and by success, we mean eliciting screams from guests—it’s probably the actors’ commitment to making you forget that they’re just actors. The premises also play host to a bar, an axe-throwing station, mini escape games, and a laser maze crawling with mummies. —EG

43. Texas // Cutting Edge Haunted House

Location:  Fort Worth, Texas

The Cutting Edge Haunted House , which is located in a century-old abandoned meat packing plant, embraces its roots. As the website reads, “The meat packing equipment from the Old West is still in use, but now it is a two-story human processing area.” The “humans” being processed may be mannequins, but that knowledge will do little to calm your nerves. The industrial carnage is brought to life through live actors and special effects. In addition to having one of the most creative themes of any haunted house, it’s among the largest of its kind, taking guests 55 minutes on average to explore it in full. Tickets are now on sale for the 2023 Halloween season, with prices starting at $39.95. —MD

44. Utah // Fear Factory

Location:  Salt Lake City, Utah

Built on the site of an old cement works where workers died gruesome deaths (seriously!), Fear Factory is made up of six buildings and two underground passages encompassing an entire seven-acre city block. In addition to being named on a number of scariest haunted houses lists, Fear Factory has been visited by the Ghost Adventures TV crew to investigate alleged satanic activity. Non-paranormal activities include a circus, catacombs, vampire lair, and hellish industrial sets. When parking gets scarce, you can even get picked up by the Zombie Bus. —SC

45. Vermont // Haunted Milton

Location:  Milton, Vermont

Deep in upstate Vermont and not too far from the Québec border, there’s a haunted lodge that could send shivers right down your spine . Haunted Milton hasn’t released too many details yet about what’s in store for the 2023 Halloween season, though the theme is “Mother Knows Best.“ You can check it all out for yourself starting on Thursday, October 26. Tours only run through to Saturday, October 28, and no people under 13 are allowed. If you’ve got $10 to spend, this creepy showcase could be perfect ahead of Halloween.

46. Virginia // Red Vein

Location:  Ashland, Virginia

If Friday the 13th (1980) is your favorite horror flick, this year’s Red Vein haunted house might be right up your alley (the newest addition to the haunted house is summer camp massacre-themed). But even if that’s not your jam, there are plenty of other scares in store, including an asylum, a haunted house, and Witch’s Woods. The house is run by Red Vein Army, a sort of horror collective —a group of people who, in addition to the haunted house, also operate escape rooms, haunted history tours, and were even once a traveling haunt actor troupe. —SC

47. Washington // Georgetown Morgue

Location:  Seattle, Washington

How’s this for a horrifying backstory: In 1965, the co-owner of a morgue in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle was killed when he was crushed by a smokestack during an earthquake. Three years later, on October 25, nine morgue employees were horrifically murdered when masked intruders forced them into the crematory and burned them alive. The local legend hasn't been verified , but it inspires a terrifying haunted house attraction every year in October. Georgetown Morgue was rated America’s 11th scariest haunted house by Hauntworld.com in 2022. If you’re brave enough, they’re open Thursday through Sunday in October, plus October 30 and the 31st. —MD

48. West Virginia // Fright Nights

Location:  Daniels, West Virginia

If you happen to be in southern West Virginia and you’re in the mood for something spooky, Fright Nights is the place to be. The haunted attraction boasts not just one, but five themed experiences , including a House of Wax where the “sculptures” are said to get more, ahem, “life-like” as you venture deeper inside. You can also explore a Stranger Things -inspired escape room . The 2023 Halloween season runs through Sunday, October 29, and you can grab tickets now. —SM

49. Wisconsin // Burial Chamber

Location:  Neenah, Wisconsin

Touted as the midwest’s largest haunted complex, Burial Chamber consists of four spooky attractions. In addition to the titular Buried Alive experience, thrill-seekers can enjoy Phobia Haunted Woods, Adrenaline Haunted House, and Insanity Haunted House. There’s also a unique “I Spy” experience: Find a number of specified items in a creepy room and win free pass upgrades. Be sure to book in advance! —SC

50. Wyoming // Nightmare on 17th Street

Location:  Cheyenne, Wyoming

Freddy Krueger’s got nothing on Nightmare 17th Street . With 14 individually themed rooms that span between classic horror and modern scares, there’s bound to be something that preys on your specific phobia. Even better—proceeds benefit various charities in Cheyenne, so everyone wins. —SC

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The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, draws ghost hunters looking for spectral forms.

These are the most haunted places in the United States

From abandoned asylums to ghost-ridden houses, discover these haunts' spine-chilling histories.

In the spring of 1692, hysteria descended upon the quiet town of Salem, Massachusetts, snaking through the community like an insidious virus. Over several months, a group of young girls claiming to be possessed by the devil condemned a score of men and women to the gallows in one of history’s most infamous witch hunts.

It’s said many of these troubled spirits still roam Salem today—including Giles Corey, an 80-year-old farmer accused of witchcraft and crushed to death after publicly questioning the girls’ motives. Howard Street Cemetery, where Corey is buried, is one of many sites across the United States believed to host the paranormal.

( Related: Here are 24 spooky places to visit around the world .)

But what draws us to the supernatural? Margee Kerr , a sociologist and the author of Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear , tells the Washington Post that feeling terror when we know we’re safe can bring around a special kind of euphoria and confidence . And some people see ghosts and spirits as proof that the soul can survive the body’s death, psychologist Christopher French explains in The Atlantic .

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, these seven spooky destinations prove that haunting lore is often rooted in very real and traumatizing histories.

The LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans, Louisiana

Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie was a Louisiana socialite known for hosting ritzy soirees in her lavish French Quarter mansion in New Orleans during the early 19th century. Guests gorged on fine food and champagne, unaware of the grisly scenes that unfolded two stories above.

The LaLaurie Mansion looms over the French Quarter of New Orleans.

When local police responded to a kitchen fire in 1834, they discovered the bodies of several horribly mutilated enslaved people in the attic. When the public learned of LaLaurie’s grotesque secret, a mob stormed the house, prompting her to flee to France . Soon after LaLaurie disappeared from New Orleans, people claimed to hear the phantom screams of her victims spilling from the house in the dead of night.

Spooky Fact : In 2014, the infamous murderess was reborn through Kathy Bates in the television series American Horror Story: Coven .

How to Visit : The replica of the LaLaurie Mansion (the orginial burnt down in the fire) is now privately owned and doesn’t offer tours, but several city tour operators, such as Free Tours by Foot and Ghost City Tours , include a stop at the Royal Street mansion on their itineraries.

The Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, Oregon

Portland , one of the most dangerous ports in the U.S. during the early 19th century, was the epicenter of an illicit maritime practice known as shanghaiing , a form of human trafficking.

According to local lore, swindlers preyed upon unsuspecting men in the local saloons, which were often outfitted with trapdoors that deposited the victims directly into a network of underground tunnels. These men were then supposedly held captive, drugged, and eventually transported to the waterfront, where they were sold to ships as unpaid laborers; some worked for several years before finding their way back home. The tunnels are said to be haunted by the aggrieved spirits of the captives who died in the dark recesses beneath the city.

Spooky Fact : The practice of kidnapping men to work on ships came to be known as shanghaiing because the ships they were sold to were often headed to East Asia.

How to Visit : Portland Walking Tours and the Cascade Geographic Society (both currently closed due to COVID-19) offer guided tours of the Portland tunnels, where visitors get a sinister history lesson in the dark. Don’t worry: They provide the flashlights.

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

This menacing Gothic-style prison opened in Philadelphia in 1829 and became the first in the U.S. to implement solitary confinement, a hotly debated practice. Prisoners resided in stone cells with virtually no human contact (hoods were placed over their heads anytime they were moved). Proponents of this system believed that solitude would lead to penitence, which would ultimately result in rehabilitation. Critics, on the other hand, believed it incited emotional anguish comparable to physical torture. The so-called “Pennsylvania system” was replicated in several other states and in Europe.

Gangster Al Capone spent a year imprisoned at Eastern State, where he furnished his cell with luxurious antiques, rugs, and paintings.

It is believe the inmates’ ghosts took back the prison after it closed in 1971. Visitors claim to see their apparitions wandering the corridors and hear mischievous whispers in abandoned cell blocks.

( Related: See eerie pictures inside a Namibian ghost town .)

Spooky Fact: In the mid-1800s, thousands of tourists would visit the prison—including Charles Dickens who wrote “The system is rigid, strict and hopeless solitary confinement, and I believe it, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong…”

How to Visit: Eastern State Penitentiary offers daytime tours year-round, as well as special events . Terror Behind the Walls, one of the country’s top haunted houses, has been suspended for 2020 due to COVID-19. But if you’re feeling brave this fall, explore the decommissioned prison—and Alphonse “Scarface” Capone’s cell—under moonlight with Eastern State Penitentiary’s newly launched night tours .

R.M.S. Queen Mary , Long Beach, California

This retired ocean liner sailed the Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. During its first three years at sea, the Queen Mary carried dignitaries and Hollywood celebrities, including General Dwight Eisenhower, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn. Its days as a luxury ship were short lived, however, and in 1939 it was stripped of its amenities and began its second life as the “Grey Ghost,” a World War II troopship. At the conclusion of the war, it was restored to its former glory and traversed the Atlantic for nearly two more decades.

The Queen Mary is permanently moored in Long Beach, California.

On Halloween 1967, the Queen Mary departed on its last cruise, eventually docking in Long Beach, California , its final resting place. The ship is reportedly haunted by the spirits of those who died aboard, including the young sailor crushed to death by a door in the engine room and a crew member murdered in cabin B340.

Spooky Fact: Winston Churchill signed the D-Day Declaration aboard the Queen Mary during World War II.

How to Visit : The Queen Mary no longer sails the Atlantic, but it lives on as a floating hotel and restaurant on California’s Pacific coast. Follow in the footsteps of its famous passengers and book a room in 2021. Return next year during the Halloween season to join the ghouls, spirits, and undead aboard the Queen Mary when it transforms into the frightening Halloween attraction, Dark Harbor .

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, Fall River, Massachusetts

On August 4, 1892, the bodies of Andrew and Abby Borden were discovered bludgeoned beyond recognition in their home. The prime suspect: their youngest daughter, Lizzie.

The Borden case was one of America’s first crimes to unfold under the media spotlight. Despite growing public scrutiny and allegations that Lizzie had financial motives for the murder, she was ultimately acquitted due to lack of physical evidence (and no one was ever charged for the murders). The Borden home has since been converted into a museum and bed-and-breakfast, where guests can see gruesome photos of the crime scene and sleep in one of its reportedly haunted rooms.

( Related: These ghost towns may suprise you. )

Spooky Fact : The 19th-century murder made headlines again when it received a Hollywood makeover in the 2014 movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax , starring Christina Ricci.

How to Visit : Sleep in the sames rooms where the Bordens took their final breaths at the Lizzie Borden B & B . The museum offers daily tours and a gift shop that sells spooky souvenirs, like an ax-wielding Lizzie Borden bobblehead doll.

The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

One night in this hotel nestled in Colorado ’s mountain wilderness inspired Stephen King’s best-selling novel turned horror film, The Shining . In 1909, Massachusetts couple F.O. and Flora Stanley opened the isolated resort—and reportedly never left.

The Stanley Hotel inspired Stephen King’s best-selling novel turned horror film, The Shining .

According to staff, Mrs. Stanley can be heard playing her Steinway piano in the music room at night, and Mr. Stanley occasionally shows up in photographs. There have also been reports of bags being unpacked, lights turning off and on, and echoes of children’s laughter heard in the hallways. Paranormal experts hail the Stanley Hotel as one of the nation’s most active ghost sites.

Spooky Fact : Guest bedrooms have a TV channel that plays The Shining on a 24-hour loop.

How to Visit : Book a room at the Stanley and spend a night with the hotel’s permanent guests. Too spooked to spend the night? Book a day tour or brave the tour at nighttime.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, West Virginia

This foreboding asylum began construction in 1858 and opened to patients in 1864. The massive structure was designed by architect Richard Andrews to maximize sunlight and fresh air—it was believed that the building itself would serve as a healing environment.

By the 1950s, the facility—designed for 250 people—housed 2,400 patients in crowded conditions, with afflictions ranging from alcoholism to epilepsy. Patients were physically restrained and often given inhumane treatments, such as electroshock therapy and lobotomies. After more than a century in operation, the facility was forced to close in 1994 due to reforms in mental health treatment and the deterioration of the building.

Hundreds of patients died during the asylum’s tenure, and scores of guests and ghost hunters have claimed to see their shadowy figures roaming Trans-Allegheny’s crumbling halls.

( Related: How did 18th-century vampire hunters identify the undead? )

Spooky Fact: The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is the largest hand-cut stone masonry building in North America, and supposedly the second largest in the world after the Kremlin in Moscow .

How to Visit : The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum offers historical day tours Tuesday through Sunday. Visit during October to participate in ghost hunts , paranormal tours and flashlight tours, or attend the annual Asylum Haunted House .

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Most Terrifying Places in America

Related to:.

Winchester House in San Jose, CA

Photo by: Doug Letterman via Flickr Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0

Doug Letterman via Flickr Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0

Evil lurks in every dark corner while restless spirits haunt America's most frightening spots. Travel Channel is taking you to the creepiest haunted mansions, most terrifying basements and the scariest stretch of road in the States. After you’ve taken a look at these terrifying attractions -- take a look at  Travel's Best Halloween Attractions 2015 . Meet our panel of advisors and see the creepy locations they picked to help you plan your next frightening getaway!

Shanghai Tunnels (Portland, Oregon)

The  Shanghai Tunnels , an underground network of dark passageways, snake across 9 miles from Old Town to downtown Portland. These tunnels have a sinister past as the center of an illegal maritime practice known as "shanghaiing." From 1870 to 1940, abductors snatched up unsuspecting men and sold them to sea captains to work aboard ships for free. Crafty "shanghaiiers" preyed on their victims at saloons that had trap doors, or dead falls, that released sloshed bar patrons into this subterranean maze. The abductors held the men captive in these tunnels until they were ready to ship them out to sea, sometimes to ports as far as Shanghai. Today, tour guides lead guests through the tunnels, which are said to be haunted by the restless spirits of these captives who died underground.

Old Town Tatu (Chicago)

Patrons looking to get inked at Chicago's  Old Town Tatu  may be surprised to find more than body artwork at this haunted shop. In the 1880s, this spot was home to Chicago's first established funeral parlor. Richie "Tapeworm" Hererra saw potential in this former mortuary and converted the rented building into a tattoo shop in 2003. But the artists and visitors were spooked by all kinds of unnatural activity, including poltergeists that moved objects and a ghostly apparition of a man in a suit. Sadly, owner Richie Hererra passed away of a heart attack while in the building. However, his friends believe his spirit lingers, looking over the staff and sometimes even playing practical jokes.

Lemp Mansion (St. Louis)

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Lemp Mansion  may be a popular inn and restaurant in St. Louis, MO, but its past is not so pleasant. The mansion is marked by 60 years of tragedy for the wealthy Lemp family. At least 4 members of this doomed dynasty died in the house on DeMenil Place. William Lemp committed suicide in his home 1904. When the family brewing business went bad during the 1920s, his son Billy took his own life as well. In 1949 it was Billy's brother Charles who committed the third suicide in the home. The fourth death in the family was a 13-year-old boy who was physically and mentally disabled. He lived his life hidden away in the attic, gazing out the window at the life outside until he died in that same room. Visitors can experience the paranormal -- and may even encounter one of these spirits -- on a weekly ghost tour of the mansion.

Bobby Mackeys Music World (Wilder, Kentucky)

At  Bobby Mackeys Music World , this haunted honky-tonk is a real scream but not just because of the rollicking music and mechanical bull. Even the loudest line dancing can't scare away the ghosts prowling around the basement. Pearl Bryan was just 22 years old when she was killed during a botched amateur abortion in 1896. Then in the 1950s, a love story turned sour when another young pregnant woman killed herself and her unborn child after her father had the child's father killed. With tales of lost love, satanic rituals, botched abortions and suicide, an eerie vibe remains underground in this ghastly hot spot.

Winchester House (San Jose)

You may know the way to San Jose, but good luck finding your way around the haunted  Winchester House . Sarah Winchester inherited the wealth of the prominent Winchester Rifle Company in 1881 after her husband passed away. However, her sorrow from the loss of her husband and the death of her young daughter just a few years earlier left her stunned and sad. To battle her own demons, she began building this rambling Victorian at the bequest of a psychic and some demanding spirits. These spirits became the invisible architects behind every strange nook and cranny as Sarah spent 38 years adding on to the house. Today visitors can check out all 24,000 square feet with 160 rooms (including some that are hidden), 47 fireplaces and staircases that lead to nowhere.

The Whaley House (San Diego)

Wealthy retailer Thomas Whaley built his family estate in 1857 in San Diego. The only problem was he built his mansion,  the Whaley House , on unholy ground, on the former site of the public gallows where criminals were executed. Whaley's family history was marred with death and suicide, and these restless spirits still haven't left his home. Visitors often find their senses are assaulted by errant house alarms and strange smells -- these ghosts are partial to cigar smoke and heavy perfume.

Clinton Road (West Milford, New Jersey)

Clinton Road is just 10 miles long, but the drive can feel never-ending when you're racing to keep ahead of the evil spirits that lurk about. This desolate stretch of road has all of the makings for the classic urban legend -- alleged paranormal activity, satanic rituals and phantom trucks that send drivers on a wild ride. More recently, it was a dumping ground for a mob hit man known as the Iceman. No haunted thoroughfare is complete without a dead man's curve, located about 3 miles into the hair-raising drive. The worst part? There are no exits on this lonesome highway.

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16 eerie ghost towns in America you can actually visit

You might actually see a spirit at these long-forgotten, abandoned ghost towns in America

America is home to hundreds of ghost towns and abandoned settlements. While they’re dotted across the county, they are ubiquitous in regions like California, Nevada and Colorado that experienced the boom and then bust of industries like mining.

Visiting ghost towns in America is a chance to step back in time, taking in life as it once was. Picture tumbleweeds rolling down Main Street, once-bustling stores now sitting in eerie silence, and faded signs that hint at lives lived long ago. You can wander through old homes, buildings and streets to get a snapshot of the past, taking in stories of pioneers, prospectors, and dreamers. Like the name suggests, you may even spot a ghost along the way.

If you're interested in a glimpse into the past, we've rounded up the most fascinating ghost towns in the US to discover America’s hidden history. If spooky travel is your thing, don’t forget to visit the scariest real-life haunted houses , take yourself on a ghost tour or pay your respects at the most hauntingly beautiful graveyards .

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Ghost towns in America

1.  Centralia, PA

An underground mine fire gone seriously wrong led to this modern ghost town northwest of Philadelphia. In 1962, a fire accidentally spread to the town's old, underground mines, creating sinkholes that spewed smoke and toxic fumes across the community. In 1983, most of the town was evacuated, and in 1992, its real estate was claimed under eminent domain and condemned by the state (delivering the final blow, the ZIP code was officially recalled in 2002). Even though Centralia's fire is still burning today—and expected to burn for another 250 years—four residents still live in the doomed town as of 2020 (sounds like they’re playing with fire, if you ask us). Only five homes remain standing in this town. 

2.  Custer, ID

The population of this gold mining town, located deep inside Idaho's Challis National Forest, peaked in 1896. Home to a massive stamp mill, it had eight saloons and a tiny Chinatown complete with laundry services, a shoe store, and a joss house (a Chinese place of worship). But just 15 years after its boom, Custer's mills shut down and its residents had no choice but to leave their remote mountain home; by 1911, just two families remained. However, most of the town still stands, and in 1981 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Its buildings are open seasonally for visitors and the original school now serves as a museum.

3.  Bodie, CA

This Gold Rush-era town near Yosemite has stood eerily untouched for almost 100 years. Although it already showed signs of decline with dwindling numbers at the start of the 20th century, a series of fires forced the remaining residents to flee the town, leaving it almost exactly as it was in the early 1900s. Dinner tables are still set, shops are still stocked with supplies, and the schoolhouse still has lessons on the chalkboard. Be warned: bad luck is said to befall anyone who steals anything from the site while visiting. 

4.  Kennecott, AK

This preserved-in-time copper mining town is located at the end of a 60-mile-long dirt road in the middle of Alaska's Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (the largest national park in the USA). In its heyday, from around 1910 to 1940, Kennecott processed nearly $200,000,000 worth of copper. By 1938, however, the mine was empty and the Kennecott Copper Corporation abruptly abandoned the operation, leaving everything behind. Today, with St. Elias Alpine Guides, you can take a two-hour guided tour (the only official way to get into the town with its 14-story mill). Make sure also to visit the Root and Kennecott glaciers, too.

5.  Rhyolite, NV

This ghost town near Death Valley National Park was once a bustling ore mining community. In 1904, gold was found within its quartz (rhyolite is a silica-rich volcanic rock that contains quartz, hence the town name), and the game was on with 2,000 claims in a 30-mile area. Soon, Rhyolite boasted a hospital, an opera house, and a stock exchange. In 1906, Charles M. Schwab spent several million on its Montgomery Shoshone mine. Unfortunately, following the 1907 financial panic, businesses were shuttered and residents began to move out. In 1916, light and power were turned off, and the town went ghost. Today, Rhyolite is perhaps best recognized as the set for ScarJo's 2005 sci-fi thriller The Island .

6.  Cahawba, AL

Cahawba was the state's first capital from 1820 to 1825, situated at the junction of two rivers. After the war, the legislature was moved to Selma and the town lost business and population—and periodic flooding wreaked havoc. Today, it's visitable as Old Cahawba Archeological Park, which honors the history of the Native American presence there and the years when many freedmen and women lived there. You can see abandoned streets, cemeteries and building ruins—just make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the ghostly 'orb' that's been known to appear in the garden maze at the home of C.C. Pegues.

7.  Glenrio, NM/TX

Straddling the border between New Mexico and Texas, Glenrio was an action-packed stop on Route 66 for decades. From the 1940s until the 1960s, the tiny town's gas stations, diners, bars and motels were packed with road-trippers passing through the Southwest. But when I-40 was built in the 1970s, drivers no longer stopped in Glenrio, and the town fell into disrepair. Not all is lost, however: the Glenrio Historic District includes 17 abandoned buildings.

8.  St Elmo, CO

Like many ghost towns in the US, St. Elmo (originally called Forrest City) was once a thriving gold and silver mining community. When the gold and silver ran out and disease stalked the town, the population dwindled. The nail in the coffin ended the train service to Chalk Creek Canyon in the '20s. Surprisingly, a general store and Ghost Town Guest House are still operating, which means visitors can spend the night in this ghost town even if the scene is a little  unlively .

9.  Nelson, NV

Early Spanish settlers found silver in Nelson (then Eldorado) in the 1700s. It took another hundred years for other prospectors—many of them Civil War deserters—to find gold, creating the largest booms Nevada had ever seen. All hell broke loose when they did: disputes over the Techatticup Mine, the town's most notorious site, frequently led to murder. Nelson's mines remained active through the 1940s. An infamous 1974 flash flood destroyed the town of Nelson's Landing, five miles away. Nelson's buildings remain today—the ghost town is now a popular location for photo, film, and music video shoots.

10.  Bannack, MT

Paranormal enthusiasts may already know about this desolate former mining town in Montana—it’s featured in the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures . The Gold Rush-era city was known in its time for being a little rough (holdups, robberies, and murders were well documented on the route to nearby Virginia City) and the sheriff of Bannack was a rumored outlaw. The town was abandoned by the 1950s, but more than 50 of its original 1800s structures still stand and can be explored now that it's a state park.

11.  Santa Claus, AZ

Sure, the middle of the Mojave Desert isn’t the first place you’d look for jolly old Saint Nick—and yet that didn’t stop this now-abandoned town in Arizona from dedicating itself to all things Christmas. Realtor Nina Talbot founded the town in 1937 to attract buyers to the desert, and while Santa Claus was popular with tourists for a bit, all the Christmas spirit wasn't enough to convince enough folks to move in. The decline of Route 66 sounded a death knell for the playing of Jingle Bells. You can still see rundown red-and-white buildings and forlorn tinsel for yourself (it’s not maintained, but you’re free to visit).

12.  Thurmond, WV

In the early 1900s, the railroad kept this West Virginia town humming as a thriving depot for coal. Thurmond had it all as a major stop on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway—hotels, banks, a post office, and more. Sadly, the Great Depression, followed by the invention of the diesel train in the 1950s, ended Thurmond's prosperity. Today, the National Park Service has restored the depot, and the town is on the National Register of Historic Places; you can take a self-guided tour of the now quiet town. Reach it by driving seven miles down a narrow, winding road.

13.  Calico, CA

Calico once thrived with its busy silver mines, beginning auspiciously in 1881. But in the mid-1890s silver lost its value and the inhabitants skedaddled. Walter Knott purchased some of Calico’s buildings to disassemble and move them to Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park near Disneyland. He returned to buy and restore Calico itself, which he later deeded back to the county; it’s now a county regional park that’s an accurate-looking ghost town if not wholly literal. There were once 500 mines here and now you can tour the Maggie Mine and 30 structures—shops, saloons, schoolhouse—and stay in a tent, bunkhouse or cabin overnight. In late October, watch for the “Ghost Haunt” weekend events.

14.  Goldfield, NV

This was your authentic Gold Rush mining camp, established in 1902, which was once the largest city in Nevada. The mines went bust and a flash flood spelled the town’s decline ten years before a fire put things to a conclusive end. Yet, about 250 people still live here among the remnants of the town with saloons, slanting homes, deserted hotel and shacks. It’s worth a visit to poke around this “living ghost town;” we especially recommend the said-to-be-haunted Mozart Tavern, where locals treat visitors with special kindness. Paranormal ghost tours take place here regularly, and the Goldfield Days in August temporarily fill the town back up to its boomtown population.

15.  Goldfield, AZ

There’s more than one Goldfield Ghost Town in the U.S., and this one in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains may provide less of that quiet contemplation of ruin and abandon than a ghost town usually provides; things are hopping here and the latest addition is a zipline. But there are tours of a legitimate century-old mine, a narrow gauge railroad, a walking ghost tour at night, seasonal historic gunfights over the contents of a Wells Fargo box, the typical gold-panning, and the not -typical chance to talk with a ‘floozy’ at Lu Lu’s Bordello. Bring the kids?

16.  Castle Dome, AZ

This place is enormous, with 80 buildings and 300 mines (not all are safe to enter). It represents a salvaging of the once-booming mid-1800s settlement (only seven buildings are original), with reconstructions harking to the gold and silver mining claims enacted here. The tales here are impressive, with an 1863 mine owner attacked by 180 Apaches and left in an arroyo to be half-eaten by coyotes, and the wild chain of events that followed, including an opium overdose, a stagecoach robbery and a fellow being shot trying to stop a lynching. There’s much more: an $800 million fluorescent minerals wall and a doomsday cult that wintered here, but we’ll just say it’s worth the visit.

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8 Creepiest Places in U.S. National Parks

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America's national parks are full of beauty and natural wonders, but they're also home to many things that can strike fear in the hearts of hesitant hikers: dark caverns, wild animals and complete isolation. For the most part, there's nothing to fear, but if you're looking to add a little spooky spice to your next outdoor adventure, check out these parks. Local legends, historic hauntings and creepy creatures make these national parks the perfect places for a hike — no matter the time of year.

Mammoth Cave

With more than 150 documented paranormal events, the caverns at Mammoth Cave National Park have been called "the most haunted natural wonder in the world." Rangers have reported seeing apparitions resembling slave guides who led cave tours before the Civil War, but the most frequent sighting is of Stephan Bishop, a slave whom the National Park Service website describes as "one of the greatest explorers Mammoth Cave has ever known." Bishop, who's buried in the Old Guide Cemetery not far from the cave, is often seen during the Violet City Lantern Tour, when rangers take visitors through caverns lit only with kerosene lamps.

During the 1800s, Mammoth Cave briefly served as a tuberculosis hospital, and visitors can see the remains of the "consumptive cabins" where patients stayed. Outside one of the cabins is a slab of stone where the bodies of dead patients were place before burial. Today it's known as Corpse Rock, a place where some people claim to have heard phantom coughing.

Devil's Den, Gettysburg National Battlefield

With 51,000 casualties, Gettysburg was the site of the Civil War's bloodiest battle. Reports of ghostly soldiers are common here, especially at Devil's Den, a boulder-strewn hill that was used by artillery and infantry. The most common sighting is that of a barefoot ghost wearing a floppy hat who is known as "The Hippie" and is thought to be a member of the 1st Texas Infantry. Those who have met the spirit report that he always says the same thing while pointing toward Plum Rum: "What you're looking for is over there." Those who claim to have photographed the ghost say that his image doesn't appear in pictures, and Devil's Den is known for causing cameras and other electronic equipment to malfunction.

Norton Creek Trail, Great Smoky Mountains

The misty ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains are home to many ghost stories, but few are as terrifying as the Cherokee legend of Spearfinger. According to legend, the witch had a long, sharp finger made of stone, and she walked the Smokies' trails disguised as an elderly woman and lured children who wandered too far from their village. She'd hold the children and sing them to sleep and then used her stone finger to cut out their livers, which she would eat. There’s also the tale of a settler who was murdered on the north shore of Lake Fontana while looking for his daughter, and lost hikers have reported a mysterious light that leads them back.

If you want to see the lights yourself — and walk the mountains where Spearfinger was said to live — hike the Norton Creek Trail, which will lead you past several cemeteries. An old roadbed, the trail is still used during "Decoration Days" when the families of the cemeteries' dead come to decorate the graves.

Batona Trail, New Jersey Pinelands

Since the 1700s, there have been thousands of reported sightings of the Jersey Devil in the New Jersey Pinelands . Described as a kangaroo-like creature with the head of a dog, bat-like wings, horns and a forked tail, the animal is said to prowl through the marshes of Southern New Jersey and spook people with its hideous appearance. Residents of cities near the Pinelands have reported hearing the devil’s screams late at night. For the best chance of glimpsing the Jersey Devil, hike a section of the Batona Trail, a 49-mile route that ventures deep into the creature's habitat.

Star Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park

The park that’s home to North America's tallest sand dunes is also a flying saucer hotspot. More than 60 UFO sightings have been reported in and around Great Sand Dunes National Park, and the region made national headlines in the 1970s with a rash of cattle mutilations that continue today. If you can't make it to the nearby UFO Watchtower , the top of the 750-foot Star Dune provides the best view for UFO spotting.

Bloody Lane, Antietam National Battlefield

This Maryland park was home to the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. On Sept. 17, 1862, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after the 12-hour Battle of Antietam, which ended the Confederate Army's first invasion into the North. Today, the sunken road known as Bloody Lane is said to be haunted by the soldiers who lost their lives. Witnesses have reported hearing phantom gunfire, shouting and singing, and some have even claimed to see soldiers in Confederate uniforms who abruptly vanish.

Visitors, park rangers and Civil War re-enactors have experienced strange phenomena at several other Antietam National Battlefield sites, including Burnside Bridge. They've reported seeing blue balls of light moving through the air and hearing phantom drumbeats. According to historians, many fallen soldiers were buried beneath the bridge.

Transept Trail, Grand Canyon

Park rangers and visitors have reported seeing the Grand Canyon’s "Wailing Woman" who's said to haunt the North Rim. According to legend, the woman committed suicide in the nearby lodge during the 1920s after learning that her husband and son had died in a hiking accident. Dressed in a white dress printed with blue flowers, she floats along the Transept Trail between the lodge and the campground on stormy nights, crying and moaning over the family she lost to the canyon.

Grouse Lake, Yosemite National Park

Hikers who visit Yosemite 's Grouse Lake via the Chilnualna Falls Trail often report hearing a distinct wailing cry like the sound of a puppy. According to Native American folklore, the sound is the cry of an Indian boy who drowned in the lake. Legend has it that he calls to hikers for their help, but anyone who ventures into the lake will be pulled under and drowned.

But the wailing boy isn't the park's only deadly spirit. The Miwok Indians believed Yosemite's waterfalls were haunted by an evil wind called Po-ho-no, which entices people to the edge of the falls and then pushes them over the edge. In 2011, three hikers plunged to their deaths from the top of Yosemite's Vernal Falls.

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Travelling Without a Passport

The 12 Most Haunted Places in America

From classics like the Amityville House to the lesser known Devil’s Tree, read this list at your own risk and beware, you’re in for a scare.

Have you ever heard something go bump in the night? Or seen a shadow that you could have sworn moved without reason? These 11 places might convince you that the all the creepy noises and unexplained shadows aren’t just in your imagination but spread throughout America instead.

See Also: The 10 Most Haunted Places on Earth

1. The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado

Eight kilometres from the Colorado entrance of the Rocky Mountains National Park, you’ll find the Grand Heritage Hotel, The Stanley. The Stanley served as inspiration for horror novelist, Stephen King to write the famous horror novel, The Shining . In  1974 while vacationing, King and his wife Tabitha spent one night in Room 217 as the staff was getting ready to close the hotel for the end of the season. They turned out to be the only guests in the four hundred and twenty room hotel that night. A cumulation of eerie events and a fever dream led King to form the bones of The Shining that very night, using The Stanley as the basis for the novel’s hotel, The Overlook Hotel.

Admission:  You can stay at The Stanley Hotel (prices start at around $200/night) and watch Stanley Kubrick’s movie adaptation of The Shining on the hotel’s in-house entertainment system or get lost in the hedge maze, installed last year as a nod to both the film and mini-series adaptation of the novel. Book your tour or weekend getaway here.

2. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum – Weston, West Virginia

Described as a living hell for its patients, the infamous psychiatric hospital in Weston, West Virginia was operating from 1864 till 1994 when it was forced to close due to its treatment of patients.  Originally designed to hold 250 people, the facility hit peak capacity in the 1950s with patient numbers swelling to reports of 2,400 to 2,600. Treatments such as hydrotherapy and electroshock therapy as well as controversial lobotomies were commonplace. 

By the 1980s, the hospital had a reduced population due to changes in the treatment of mental illness. Those patients that could not be controlled were often locked in cages and those who weren’t locked up would sometimes find themselves in violent exchanges with one another. Ultimately a new, psychiatric facility was built and The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum closed in May 1994. The building and its grounds have since remained mostly vacant…with the exception of a few unidentifiable figures reported being seen wandering the hallways at night.

Admission:  Jump on two types of tours at the deserted asylum; paranormal or a ghost hunt. Paranormal tours visit the activity hotspots from the hours of 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., one to two times a month. On ghost hunts, you can tour the main building or medical, forensics, and geriatrics centers solo or with experienced ghost hunting guides by your side. Book your tour here.

3. Lemp Mansion – St. Louis, Missouri

The mansion boasts the hauntings of at least three members of the Lemp family that took their own lives and the life of an illegitimate son that was locked away from public’s view. The demise of the Lemp empire is one of the great mysteries of St. Louis. Johann “Adam” Lemp, the patriarch of the Lemp empire, was responsible for introducing German lager to the city. After that time he steadily grew his local provisions business to become one of the largest breweries in St Louis.

But a combination of tragedy, greed, and prohibition resulted in the brewery going bust and two Lemp generations (father, son and daughter) committing suicide in the family mansion all within a 20 year period.

Admission: You can stay the night at the Lemp Mansion, with prices starting at $200 for one of the luxurious parlours once occupied by the dearly departed members of the Lemp family. Alternatively, you can sign up for an evening of appetizers, cocktails and infrared cameras to track your tour through the world of the paranormal. Make your reservations here . 

4. Whaley House – San Diego, California

The property on which the Whaley House in San Diego, California sits has seen its fair share of death and disturbance before the Whaleys ever moved in. The ghost of James “Yankee Jim” Robinson, is said to have haunted the Whaley family back in the late 1800s. Robinson was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced to death by hanging on the very plot that Thomas Whaley would eventually build his family home. Thomas, who was present the day of the hanging, would later report the occurrence of heavy footsteps heard frequently from the upstairs quarters. Thomas and his wife Anna had six children; Francis Hinton, Anna Amelia, Thomas Whaley Jr, George, Violet, and Corinne Lillian. The second born son, Thomas Whaley Jr., tragically died from scarlet fever when he was only 18 months old. Second youngest, Violet, committed suicide at age 22 after an embarrassing failed marriage. She shot herself in the chest with her father’s 32-calibre.

Despite dying of old age and natural causes, the ghost of each remaining child except Anna Amelia has supposedly been spotted at the Whaley house since their passing. Both Thomas and Anna have been spotted regularly keeping watch over the family estate from windows and staircases.

Admission: Admission is $8 during the day and $13 in the evenings. If you’re up for a scare, you can take a private after-hours tour of the Whaley House at 10 pm for a starting price of $75. Booking in advance is essential and you can do it by clicking here.

5. Devil’s Tree – Somerset County, New Jersey

Or as the local’s call it the ‘portal to Hell.’ Various legends and myths surround this solitary oak tree situated on Mountain Road, New Jersey and the origins of its cursed nature. One theory suggests this tree was used for lynching and another says that a farmer, after killing his family, hung himself from one of the tree’s branches. Locals will tell you that the tree is cursed and some even believe it to be a portal directly to Hell. If you dare to damage or disrespect the tree, prepare to meet with some form of harm. You can expect anything from spirits chasing you away in a black pickup truck to your hands turning black after touching its bark. People have also reported that if you put your ear to the tree you’ll be able to hear the sounds of bloodcurdling screams from deep inside.  If that’s not creepy enough, apparently, in winter the ground beneath the trunk of the tree does not gather snow. No snow. No matter how cold. Just ponder that for a minute. 

Admission:  It’s just a tree so admission is free!

6. The Amityville Horror House – Amityville, New York

The three bedroom, two bathroom family home in upstate New York was on the market just this year, asking a mere $850,000 for a house packed with history.  The story goes that on November 13th, 1974, Ronald and his wife Louise DeFeo and four of their five children, ages 9 to 18, were found murdered in their family home. Ronald DeFeo Jr, son and brother to the victims, was found guilty of the murders and is still serving six concurrent sentences of 25 years to life in prison.

A year later in December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz and their three young children moved into the house. Only 28 days later, the Lutzes fled the house, claiming they had been terrorized by angry spirits still occupying the house. The events that took place over those 28 days (slime oozing from walls, rotating crucifixes and demonic pig-like creatures with glowing red eyes) laid the basis for the 1977 novel The Amityville Horror and various Hollywood adaptations by the same name.

Admission:  As it is a private residence, visitors are neither welcome or permitted and that means drive bys too.

7. Villisca Ax Murder House – Villisca, Iowa

It is unknown who murdered the entire Moore family and their two young guests (neighbours  the Stillinger sisters, aged 8 and 12)  on that fateful night of June 10th, 1912. The victims, two adults and six children were found brutally murdered in their beds all hacked  to death with an axe. The murderer was never found. Rumours and hushed speculation about what really happened that night persist to this day and although there have been several people accused of committing the horrific act, the crime remains unsolved. Police pieced together what they believed happened; the killer or killers waited in the attic of the house until the Moore family and the Stillinger’s were asleep before making their way through the house and killing all the occupants. Children’s laughs and cries have been heard coming from the house and tours have been cut short due to  falling lamps and flying objects.

Admission: Daylight tours are $10 for the faint-hearted. If you’re feeling brave, you (and five of your closest friends) can stay overnight at the Ax Murder House for $428, with $74.90 for each additional person. As stated on the Villisca House website, your guide “will simply turn over the key and head on home,” leaving you and your mind alone in the dark. Book the scariest night of your life here.

8. The Crescent Hotel – Eureka Springs, Arkansas

How many ex-hotel/college/bogus cancer hospitals do you know that are home to at least eight reported ghosts or spirits?

Built in 1886, The Cre scent Hotel was a playground for Arkansas’ rich and famous. As a result of poor management, the hotel went out of business and re-opened in 1908 as a conservatory for young women. In the next thirty years, it would close again and re-open as a junior college and summer hotel.

In 1937 millionaire radio personality and self-styled doctor Norman G. Baker transformed The Crescent into a cancer hospital and health resort. Baker claimed that he could cure ailments, cancer included, with the area’s natural spring water. In 1940 Baker was charged with fraud and sent to jail, leaving the hotel without an owner. Several of the ghosts are believed to be cancer patients that were tricked by Baker into thinking they’d be cured. Then there’s Michael, the Irish stonemason who lost his footing and fell to his death while building the hotel in 1885. T here’s also an interesting incident of a man in a hat, who had been caught on camera by TV’s paranormal investigators,  Ghost Hunters.

Admission: $249 will get you a one-night stay at the Crescent Hotel, breakfast included and two tickets to the ghost tour. Alternatively, 75 min tours run nightly at 8 pm for $22.50 a person. Book your night of terror here.

9. Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Myrtles Plantation in the deep south of the United States is up for contention in the ‘most haunted’ stakes. There have been reports of up to 12 different ghosts walking and guarding the Myrtles grounds in St. Francisville. Two have been caught on camera; a young girl dressed in antebellum clothing looking out from a window and most famously, Chloe, a woman in a green turban snapped standing idly on the plantation ground. Legend has it that Chloe was a slave that had an ear cut off as punishment for eavesdropping. Despite the numerous accounts of ghosts, there is only one historical record of a murder or tragic death on the plantation. William Drew Winter lived on the plantation from 1865 to 1871. He was shot on his front porch by a stranger, and managed to stagger his way inside, up to the 17th step of the staircase – some say to lay in his wife’s arms. His ghost has been seen and heard trying to climb the same steps.

Admission: Guided mystery tours run Friday and Saturday evenings at 6 pm, 7 pm and 8 pm at $15 per person. You can take a more intimate (and private) guided mystery tour for a $200 flat rate plus $15 per guest. You can also stay at the Myrtles Plantation, with rooms ranging in price from $148.00 to $400.00 per night. Find out more here.

10. Hex Hollow – Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania

Rehmeyer’s Hollow or Hex Hollow, gained national attention in 1928 when a rather perplexing murder took place.

On the night of November 27th, three men broke into the house of Nelson Rehmeyer. One of those men, John Blymire of nearby York County, had been convinced by a local witch, Nellie Noll or the River Witch of Marietta , that his recent spate of ill health and bad luck was the result of a curse that Nelson Rehmeyer had placed on him. Rehmeyer was a practicing pow wow healer – a form of Christian faith-based folk healing, popular with Dutch and German settlers in the Pennsylvania region. Nellie had advised the men to find Nelson’s spellbook ( The Long Lost Friend – a popular book to treat ailments in pow wow culture) and burn or bury it, along with a lock of his hair.

Needless to say, John Blymire and friends couldn’t find the book but found Rehmeyer instead. The story goes that when Rehmeyer did not cooperate with their wishes, they strangled him to death, mutilated his body and tried to set his house on fire, all in an attempt to lift the ‘hex’.  

Admission: The house has been restored as a historical exhibit and tours are being run occasionally by Rehmeyer’s great-grandson Ricky Ebaugh.

11. Wood Island Lighthouse – Wood Island, Maine

T here are a few legends of the Wood Island Lighthouse located just off the coast of Maine, but one particularly disturbing incident in the 1890’s has gained much attention from hunters of paranormal activity.

Stories vary on what actually occurred and who was killed, but in 1896 a murder-suicide shook the small community of Wood Island, Maine. Although there are mixed versions of what actually took place, the tale told is that Howard Hobbs, a local squatter and fisherman, had murdered a sheriff’s deputy in his squatter shack following an altercation. In a panic, Hobbs attempted to turn himself into lighthouse keeper Thomas Orcutt. Orcutt, turned Hobbs away in fear, leaving the squatter to return to his shack where he committed suicide. The ghost of the murdered deputy has been spotted on the island, guarding the lighthouse – but there is no mention (or sightings) of Howard Hobbs.

Admission:  The lighthouse operates tours dependant on season and price of admission is based on a suggested donation of $15 for adults and $8 for kids. Make a reservation here!  

12. Gettysburg Battlefields – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

There have been reports of ghost soldiers and even ghosts battling on the fields of Gettysburg.  The bloodiest battle with the highest casualties (approximately 50,000 men) fell during what was considered a turning point in the American Civil War. At over 24 kilometres, the battlefields are home to several hotspots for paranormal activity and ghost sightings.

At Sachs Covered Bridge, visitors have seen soldiers and mysterious mists appear then strangely, and without a trace, disappear. The Devil’s Den is considered to be home to a Texan soldier, spotted as recently as 2010, that is known for approaching visitors and even providing directions. And although a little removed from the battlefields, Farnsworth House is reported to have had 16 spirits occupy its rooms at the one time – all distinct and equally creepy.

Admission: You can jump on a tour or take a self-guided one of the Battlefields. Prices start at $30, and some tours include entry to the Gettysburg Visitor Center. Or you can consider one of  Mark Nesbitt’s Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours , one of the most popular tours to take while in Gettysburg. Tours start at $10.50 and differ in price depending on length.

What the creepiest places you’ve visited in America? We love a good scare, share them with us in the comments! 

Sarah Alexander

After seeing La Sagrada Família on TV when she was 12, Sarah knew that one day she’d see it in person. FYI: Spain is a long way away from her home of Melbourne, Australia. Thanks to Indiana Jones, Sarah thought she was going to be an Archeologist when she grew up. She ended up living in Toronto, Canada, taking every opportunity to travel and eat fried chicken & donuts.

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These Are Officially the Best Halloween Haunts in America

If you’re looking to have a spooktacular October, the Haunted Attraction Association is here to help.

As the “only official association in the haunt industry,” the HAA takes its job of promoting safe and ethical haunted places very seriously. With that, it’s now revealing its list of the 31 top haunted attractions across the U.S.

According to the HAA, in order to gain its seal of approval, haunted sites must be a member of HAA and meet a list of 10 criteria relating back to the group's mission, which includes: to protect customers, promote haunted attractions, and educate industry professionals.

“Guest safety is a top priority throughout the industry,” HAA President Brett Hays said in a statement. “The number of certified Top Haunt attractions has more than doubled in the past three years, which shows the commitment to safety across the board from our members.”

Sure, this all sounds kind of tame for someone looking for a frightful Halloween, but trust us, you’ll still be screaming, crying, and calling your mom to tell her you love her at all of these places.

Seriously, you think you’re getting through the Haunted Hotel in Kentucky , where ghosts, goblins, and bad guys lurk around every corner, without screaming? How about the fact that the killers hiding inside are actually allowed to touch guests? Is that horrifying enough ?

Oh, you assume you’re making it out of the Fear Farm in Arizona without peeing your pants just a little? I don’t think so, especially after you get a good look at their witches.

And don’t even get us started on Terror in the Corn in Colorado . Corn fields are already scary enough without ax murders hiding among them.

Here are 31 different places around the country you can visit with your family this Halloween season where we’re almost positive you’ll make it out alive.

• 13th Floor Haunted House – Denver, Colorado
• Creepy Hollow Haunted House – Rosharon, Texas
• The Factory of Terror – Canton, Ohio
• Fear Fair – Seymour, Indiana
• Fear Farm – Phoenix, Arizona
• Field of Screams – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Frightland – Middletown, Delaware
• Hauntville Haunted House – Cleveland, Ohio
• Haunted Hollow – Rockwood, Pennsylvania
• Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory – Akron, Ohio
• The Haunted Hotel – Louisville, Kentucky
• Hobb’s Grove –Sanger, California
• House of Torment Haunted House – Austin, Texas
• Headless Horseman Hayrides & Haunted Houses – Ulster Park, New York
• Hysterium – Fort Wayne, Indiana
• The Kingwood Asylum – Houston, Texas
• Legends of Fear – Shelton, Connecticut
• Niles Scream Park – Niles, Michigan
• Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern – Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Reaper’s Revenge – Scranton, Pennsylvania
• ScareHouse –Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Scare USA –Two Rivers, Wisconsin
• Shocktoberfest – Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
• Spooky Ranch at Rockin'-R- Ranch – Columbia, Ohio
• Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Terror in the Corn – Erie, Colorado
• Terror on the Fox – Green Bay, Wisconsin
• The Asylum Haunted House – Denver, Colorado
• USS Nightmare – Newport, Kentucky
• Wiard's Orchards Night Terrors – Township, Michigan
• Wisconsin Fear Grounds – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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17 Of The Scariest Places In The US That'll Send Shivers Down Your Spine

Are you scared yet? 😱

BuzzFeed Contributor

In honor of Halloween , we've rounded some of the creepiest destinations in the US . Whether a place has a reputation for being haunted or just celebrates all things scary, there are plenty of spots sure to send shivers down your spine.

Check them out below:, 1. winchester mystery house — san jose, california.

If you thought your home renovation took a long time, wait until you hear the story of the Winchester Mystery House . It was the home of Sarah Winchester, widow of William Wirt Winchester and heir to a big chunk of the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. After her infant daughter and husband died, Winchester moved out to an eight-bedroom farmhouse in San Jose, California. From there, construction continuously went on at the house from 1886 to 1922, turning it into a 24,000-square-foot mansion with 10,000 windows, 160 rooms, 52 skylights, 13 bathrooms, six kitchens, and more.

It's rumored that the constant building was due to Winchester's fear of being haunted by those who were killed by Winchester guns or because a psychic instructed her to do so. Whatever the case, the truly bizarre layout of the house will send shivers down your spine as your try to navigate every twist and turn.

Check out: These Guys Spent The Night In The Winchester Mystery House And Lived To Tell About It

2. Eastern State Penitentiary — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary was in operation from 1829 to 1970, and it became a US National Historic Landmark in 1965. It's now an eerie Philadelphia site with aging cellblocks that once housed notorious names like Al Capone. Lots of people believe it's haunted; over the years there have been reports of shadows, phantom voices, and footsteps roaming the crumbling grounds. The Penitentiary is often touted as one of the most haunted places in the country and has been featured on tons of TV shows, such as Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and A&E and Syfy’s Ghost Hunters .

Check out: 25 Things Everyone Should Do In Philadelphia Before They Die

3. Pittock Mansion — Portland, Oregon

Originally built in 1914, Pittock Mansion is perched on a hill with sweeping views over Portland and the Willamette River. It was the home of influential couple Henry and Georgiana Pittock, who died only a few years after moving in. It's since been converted into a historic house museum, and the couple allegedly haunt the property. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions, catching objects moving on their own, and hearing footsteps caused by heavy boots.

4. The Myrtles Plantation — St. Francisville, Louisiana

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The Myrtles Plantation dates back to 1796 and is allegedly haunted by a ghost named Chloe. Her apparition was supposedly photographed on the property in 1992. Other strange happenings include hearing footsteps, a creepy tune coming from the grand piano, and the sound of kids playing.

5. Moon River Brewing Company — Savannah, Georgia

Constructed in 1821, this property has served as a post office and hotel, and it's now home to the Moon River Brewing Company. While you're enjoying an ice-cold pint, you can ponder creepy stories from employees and visitors who have encountered unexplained happenings like bottles being thrown, people being pushed by invisible forces, and apparitions on the upper levels.

6. The Queen Mary — Long Beach, California

Various spirits have been reported aboard the Queen Mary, including phantom children and a lady dressed in white. Stateroom B340 is believed to be the most haunted room on the ship, with guests claiming to witness the bathroom lights and taps turn on by themselves, unexplained knocking on the door during the night, and covers being pulled off the bed. The cabin was off-limits for guests for 30 years, but in 2018 it reopened for overnight stays , which include a Ouija board, tarot cards, and more. Time Magazine also named the ship one of the "Top 10 Most Haunted Places on Earth."

Note: As of October 2020, reservations are currently on hold due to COVID-19.

7. The LaLaurie Mansion — New Orleans, Louisiana

One of the most haunted houses in the French Quarter, the LaLaurie Mansion is a go-to stop on ghost tours in New Orleans. Built in 1832, it was once home to Delphine LaLaurie, a notorious serial killer known for her cruel mistreatment of slaves. The former slaves are said to haunt the grounds to this day.

The lavish mansion and the story of LaLaurie were key talking points in American Horror Story : Coven. Actor Nicholas Cage also briefly owned the house after purchasing it in 2007, but lost it two years later to foreclosure.

8. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum — Weston, West Virginia

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was built in the mid-1800s and once served as a psychiatric facility called Weston State Hospital. The property was originally designed to "house 250 souls," but at one point recorded an occupancy of over 2,400 patients who were forced to live in poor, overcrowded conditions. It ended up closing in 1994 after changes to mental illness treatments. Visitors have reported ghost sightings and other paranormal activity on the grounds, and the property was also featured on A&E and Syfy’s Ghost Hunters and Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures .

9. Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum — Las Vegas , Nevada

If you're a fan of Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures , the name Zak Bagans will likely ring a bell. In 2017, Bagans (host of the show) opened The Haunted Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. The museum features over 30 themed rooms that are all about the paranormal, with terrifying exhibits ranging from the Dybbuk Box to the Demon House staircase. And it'll probably come as no surprise that the property, which dates back to 1938, is also said to be haunted itself .

10. Lemp Mansion — St. Louis, Missouri

This property was constructed in the early 1860s and bought by William J. Lemp, a prominent brewer in St. Louis. The mansion is said to be haunted by members of the Lemp family including William, who died on the property. Reports of hauntings include footsteps, orbs showing up in photos, and the sound of knocking. Today, the property serves as a restaurant and inn.

11. One if by Land, Two if by Sea — New York City , New York

This West Village restaurant is not only known for its romantic ambiance, but also for its paranormal activity. One if by Land, Two if by Sea is believed to have 20 ghost that call the property home. Strange happenings, including mysterious cold drafts and plates flying in the air, have been reported by diners and staff members alike.

12. The Gettysburg Battlefield — Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Once the site of the American Civil War's bloodiest fight, it's no surprise that the Gettysburg Battlefield is thought to be haunted by fallen soldiers. Thousands died during the 1863 battle, and many were never given a proper burial . Paranormal activity , like ghostly apparitions and the sounds of Civil War music, have been reported on the grounds.

13. Waverly Hills Sanatorium — Louisville, Kentucky

Set in a Tudor Gothic Revival-style building, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was opened in in July 1910 as a treatment center for patients with tuberculosis. It operated as such until 1961, then later served as a geriatric facility before shutting down for good in 1981. The grounds were abandoned until 2001 when it was bought by a couple of historical and paranormal fanatics, Charles and Tina Mattingly, who have focused on restoring it over the years. Guests have reported activity like eerie sounds, spirit sightings, and phantom footsteps.

14. Museum of Death — New Orleans, Louisiana

After being founded in California in 1995, the Museum of Death eventually opened a second location in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's home to a variety of bone-chilling exhibits including serial killer artworks, a skull collection, and coffins.

15. The Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, Colorado

After staying a night in The Stanley Hotel’s Room 217 back in 1974, author Stephen King was inspired to write his horror novel, The Shining . Room 217 is known for unusual activity and is one of the most requested rooms on the property. It’s believed that the hotel's original builder Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife Flora haunt the grounds to this day. If you don't mind the ghostly company, you can brave booking an overnight stay in Room 217 just like King did.

16. The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast / Museum — Fall River, Massachusetts

This Massachusetts house is synonymous with the infamous 1892 murders of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother, Andrew and Abby Borden. Lizzie was accused but not found guilty of the gruesome murders. Today, the property serves as a B&B and museum, where guests can stay overnight and possibly experience paranormal activity themselves.

17. St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum — St. Augustine, Florida

The St. Augustine Lighthouse has been in operation since 1874, but dates back to the late 1500s. It has a long reputation of being haunted, with both staff members and visitors reporting eerie occurrences , such as music boxes playing by themselves, things moving on their own, and spotting the apparition of a tall man. In more recent years it's expanded into a museum, and it was also featured on A&E and Syfy’s Ghosthunters .

Do you know of some other creepy places? Share your faves in the comments!

Don't forget to check out bring me for all of buzzfeed's best travel tips and hacks, vacation inspiration, and more.

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10 Of The Creepiest Places In The US

For fear addicts, there 10 extraordinarily creepy places in the US will be seriously attractive destinations, especially during the Halloween season.

A lot of people love to be scared. Whether it's reading a scary story, watching a spooky movie , or even going out to a haunted house attraction, it can be fun! Scary stuff really gets our hearts pounding and gets our adrenaline up in the most fun ways. Although fictional scary things like movies and books are entertaining, it's even more fun to experience real scares, up close and personal.

Related:  10 Of The Most Haunted Places To Visit In America

Around the world, there are mysterious and sometimes haunted places that draw in visitors from all over the world. But travelers don't always have to go far to experience one of these creepy places. A lot of them are located right in our backyards.

10 The Winchester Mystery House - San Jose, California

The Winchester Mystery House is located in San Jose, California and was the home of Sarah Winchester, heiress to a lot of the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. The home's construction started in 1884 and construction finished in 1922. What took so long?

Well, the Winchester Mystery House has 160 rooms, is over 24,000 square feet, and 2,000 doors. Some of the doors open into walls or outside while some staircases lead directly to the ceiling. Sarah Winchester believed she was being haunted by the spirits of those whose lives were taken by her family's weapons and building the house  forever was the only way to appease them.

9 Clinton Road - West Milford, New Jersey

Clinton Road is a stretch of road located in West Milford, New Jersey that is home to a lot of really unusual urban legends. One of the most famous ones about the spirit of a young boy that allegedly lives off the side of the road, under the bridge. People who drop coins into the bridge claim that they reappear up on the bridge soon after because that spirit brought it back.

Related:  10 Creepy Urban Legends From Around The World

Although this legend sounds cute and helpful, there are also a lot of really eerie ones tied to this area. Some people have reported that they've felt hands pushing them if they lean too far over the edge of the bridge even when no one was standing near them.

8 The Mütter Museum - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

There are a lot of really interesting museums around the world . Some display works of art that have influenced pop culture, some how the history of the place they're located, and some are, well, just a little weird. The Mütter Museum is a museum located in Philadelphia that definitely falls into that last category.

If you're interested in human anatomy and all things creepy, visiting this museum needs to go on your travel bucket list. No, it's not haunted, but it does display a huge collection of bones, bodies, and organs that have something unique about them. The Soap Lady, John Wilkes Booth’s vertebra, the Tallest skeleton on display in North America, and Slides of Albert Einstein’s brain are all on display at this museum.

7 Lemp Mansion - St. Louis, Missouri

The Lemp Mansion is a mansion located in St. Louis, Missouri that is said to be cursed. This spooky historical site was built in the early 1860s and was purchased by William Lemp, son of the founder of Western Brewery .

Related:  10 Most Haunted Places To Visit In The American South

The purchase of this massive home should have been a happy time for the life of this successful and wealthy family. Unfortunately, the events that took place in the family afterward proved to be anything but happy. Multiple members of the Lemp family took their own lives in the walls of the home and misfortune in the form of divorce and financial troubles seemed to surround the family.

6 Bell Witch Cave - Adams, Tennessee

The Bell Witch is a legend that has haunted the Adams, Tennessee area for a long time. This urban legend is one about  the spirit of a spooky witch  that began to haunt the Bell family in the early 19th century. The family heard noises in their house, had unexplained scratches on their bodies, and were generally terrorized by the spirit of a witch known as "Katie" or the "Bell's Witch."

Today, the Bell Witch Cave, located on the property that the Bell family owned when they were being haunted by this terrifying spirit, is a popular tourist destination. Visitors can tour just the cave or also take a tour of the Bell's cabin at the same time.

5 The Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, Colorado

If this hotel looks familiar, it's probably because you've either read or watched  The Shining , a book by Stephen King and a movie by the same name that was based on this terrifying book. In the story, a family moves to The Stanley Hotel to take care of it for a winter and things get scary  fast .

Related:  Scary Stories: 10 Places For Stephen King Fans To Visit

There's a reason Stephen King based a story on this terrifying location. King stayed at this hotel and was so creeped out by what he experienced that it inspired him to write that infamous novel. According to visitors, Room 217 and the staircase area called "The Vortex" have the highest levels of spirit activity.

4 Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary isn't used as a prison anymore, but it's still visited by a lot of people and some visitors even claim that its former inmates didn't leave when the facility closed down. Even though Eastern State Penitentiary closed in 1971, it's been called one of the most haunted places in the US.

Visitors have reported hearing ghostly whispers, laughs, and voices coming from the cell blocks or even seeing mysterious figures standing inside them. Tours are given at the facility regularly and during the Halloween season, it's the site of a haunted house attraction.

3 Leakin Park - Baltimore, Maryland

Leakin Park is a park located in Baltimore, Maryland. Although parks may seem like a beautiful place to take a walk, experience nature, and get a little fresh air, Leakin Park is anything but one. Leakin Park has been part of Baltimore's landscape for a long time, but it's gotten quite a reputation in that time.

Related:  10 Haunted Forests Only The Brave Dare Visit

Since the 1940s, around 70 or more bodies  have been found dumped in Leakin Park, getting it the nickname of "Baltimore's Open Air Cemetery." Unfortunately, poor data records make it difficult to know exactly how many bodies have been found there - and how many may be undiscovered in the park. Among the most famous ones are the body of Hae Min Lee, subject of the  Serial podcast.

2 Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Louisville, Kentucky

Waverly Hills Sanatorium was opened in 1910 as a tuberculosis hospital, but was closed in 1961 after an antibiotic was developed that helped to reduce the need for a hospital dedicated to people suffering from tuberculosis. Since then, this sanatorium has become incredibly famous as one of the most haunted places in America.

Considering the fact that it used to house hundreds of tuberculosis patients, many of whom were likely not lucky enough to leave its walls, it's no surprise that people have experienced some strange, seemingly paranormal events in this building. Each year, a haunted house attraction  welcomes visitors to this building  for more than a regular tour.

1 Bachelor's Grove Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery was opened in the mid-19th century and it has under 100 plots. So, why has this cemetery gained such a reputation for being such a famously terrifying location? According to local legends and rumors, this location was used by the Chicago organized crime scene as a dumping ground for bodies in the 1920s and 1930s .

The fact that there were so many people whose bodies were left in this cemetery, paired with the people who were laid to rest for the final time here, means that there's quite a dark history at this spooky cemetery. Over the years, people have claimed to see spirits wandering the cemetery or even seen phantom cars driving out of its gates.

Next:  10 Haunted Highways That Will Make You Want To Drive Faster

Outdoor Yak

12 of the Creepiest Places In The World According to Travelers

Posted: April 22, 2024 | Last updated: April 23, 2024

Maybe your local haunted house has people dressed up as murderers to jump out and scare you, but these real places across the globe will creep you out more than any manufactured event ever could. This list counts down the scariest places you can visit according to people who actually visited them and lived to tell the tale on an online forum.

Paris Catacombs

A lack of grave space in the 18th century led Paris city officials to transfer remains to an underground site of tunnels below Paris streets. One visitor recalls, “So many skulls stacked in mounds staring at you. Thousands of them. They were all people once. It was creepy.”

Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland

The Nazi Party carried out a disturbing mass genocide of over 6 million innocent Jewish people during the Holocaust in the 1940s. Auschwitz one of the larger extermination camps where over a million people were ruthlessly murdered. One visitor says, “You know the numbers. But when you’re there it’s so much more real. You become overwhelmed and then a bit numb. And then you cry. Maybe only a little bit but there’s always something that will affect you. The kids shoes. The tons of hair. The ruthless efficiency of sorting out the artificial limbs.”

Port Arthur, Tasmania

“It was a creepy convict settlement at the end of the earth in the 1800s. Freaky enough on its own but it’s also the site of a lone gunman massacre in 1996 where 35 people are gunned down and killed. The vibe of the place will creep anyone out,” says one user.

Saqqara, Egypt

Saqqara is home to one of the oldest pyramids and burial sites in Egypt. One traveler remarks, “I got carried away and went all the way to the back while my tour group was taking their time. It hits you when you realize you’re alone, staring at the depiction of a door to the afterlife. Gaps in the walls, too dark to see the stonework behind them.”

The Killing Fields, Cambodia

When the brutal Khmer Rouge regime came to power in Cambodia following the civil war in the 1970s, the state carried out a genocide wherein more than a million innocent people were mass murdered. One user says, “I was there in 2018, and there were still bones and clothing coming up out of the ground after the latest rain. I don’t need ghosts to scare me. History does a just-fine job.”

Puerto Alvira, Colombia

“Empty streets, broken down buildings, dusty old pool halls. Major ghost town vibes. Most of the people we did see were staring aimlessly in to the distance or at the ground. Turns out many of the town’s inhabitants were killed or injured in a massacre committed by a paramilitary group during the height of the country’s drug violence,” says one commenter.

Natchez, Mississippi

A visitor to this Southern U.S. town says, “It used to be one of the wealthiest cities in the country based on slave labor and was the site of one of the busiest slave markets. There was a heaviness in the air that creeped me out and I couldn’t wait to leave.”

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Home to the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the bloodiest fights of the American Civil War, where over 50,000 soldiers lost their lives. One visitor recalls, “There was no one near me while I was standing next to the battlefield, but I had a definite sense I was not alone.”

Chernobyl, Ukraine

In 1986 a nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine exploded, leaving devastating effects for years to come. The radiation spread as far as Russia and Belarus. There’s no way to effectively remove the risk of radiation from the immediate area, so the town has been completely abandoned since.

Forteleza el Coyotepe, Nicaragua

This closed-down underground prison is one of the creepiest places you can go in Central America. One visitor explains, “Catacombs with zero light, thousands of bats swarming every time you’d enter a room. Then there were the horrible things carved into stone walls of windowless cells like ‘There is no God here’ and ‘Please Jesus let me die’ (in Spanish).”

Capuchin Catacombs, Sicily

“For those who haven’t been, the monastery is as macabre as anything I have ever seen: 6,000 mummified bodies, some standing up, some lying in caskets, all clothed and in varying stages of decay; skulls caved in, desiccated skin peeling off, some with hair still on. It was certainly compelling, but too gruesome,” remarks one user.

Gary, Indiana

One commenter visited Gary by accident and it left a major impression. “Drove through once because we missed an exit and had to circle through Gary to get back… it was so unsettling. Every window in every building is either shot through, broken, or boarded up. Houses falling apart like they were purposely built for the set of a horror movie… but it’s all of them. My kids were in the backseat and my son asked if this place was real and then begged us to get out of there as fast as we could.”

Source: Reddit

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