The Most Haunted Places in America....03:24 Oct 24 2013
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Alabama[edit]
Main article: Reportedly haunted locations in Alabama
Alaska[edit]
Dimond Center in Anchorage. It is allegedly built on burial grounds and haunted by Native Americans.[1]
Arizona[edit]
Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone. There have been reports of ghostly laughter, yelling and strange music. These reports date back to the 1880s. It was investigated on Ghost Adventures. It was also investigated by TAPS on Ghost Hunters.
Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee. Owners claim mysterious voices, odd sounds and smells and levitating objects.[2] It was investigated on both Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.
Gadsden Hotel in Douglas. It is reportedly haunted by a few specters, including a cowboy, and two "shoppers". This place is also home to a few stories, such as those of a woman being pinned to her bed, another having her hair pulled, and yet another having someone lay down next to her in bed.[3]
Lee Williams High School in Kingman. Part of the football field lies atop the old Pioneer Cemetery. Women in prairie gowns and men wearing suits from the 19th Century have reportedly been sighted during outdoor graduation ceremonies.[4]
Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff is reputed to be haunted. A phantom bellboy is said to knock on the door of room 210 and announce "room service." John Wayne reported seeing a ghost in his room while staying at the hotel in the early 1950s.[5]
Vulture Mine in Wickenburg. It is reportedly haunted by the ghosts of prostitutes in the bordello, children in the school house and silver miners that were killed in this area.
Arkansas[edit]
The Crescent Hotel is a historic hotel in Eureka Springs. Built in the 1880s, it is still in service today and reported to be haunted.[6]
Fort Chaffee in Western Arkansas, which is near Fort Smith, is reportedly haunted. It was featured in episode 10 of the 4th season of the TV series Ghost Adventures on Friday, November 19, 2010.[7]
The King Opera House is a historic live performance venue in Van Buren. Opened in the late 19th century, the opera house is purportedly haunted by a young Victorian man who was whipped to death by the father of his lover when they attempted to elope.[8]
In El Dorado, Arkansas, there is an old theatre building called the Rialto that is claimed to be haunted and has been investigated by a local group of ghost hunters.
California[edit]
Main article: Reportedly haunted locations in California
Pioneer Park
Colorado[edit]
The Hotel Jerome in Aspen is claimed to be haunted by several different ghosts. The most frequently reported is that of a young boy who supposedly drowned in the hotel pool in 1936.[9]
Osgood Castle in Redstone is claimed to be haunted by the ghost of its builder, John C. Osgood.[10]
Pioneer Park, also in Aspen, is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Harriet Webber, wife of its builder, who died of what was ruled to be an accidental strychnine overdose in 1881, four years before it was built.[11]
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, near Rocky Mountain National Park, is purportedly haunted by several spirits, including that of its founder, F.O. Stanley, and served as the inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining. It has also been featured in several episodes of various supernatural series, like Ghost Hunters and "Ghost Adventures".
The Peabody Mansion in Denver is reportedly haunted by the spirit of a former governor, and a rape victim.
The Colorado Grande Hotel in Cripple Creek is reported to be haunted by the spirit of Maggie, who is seen in her room on the third floor
Connecticut[edit]
Bara-Hack is a ghost town in the northern part of the state that is reportedly haunted.[12][13]
Dudleytown is an abandoned town founded as a settlement in the mid-1740s. It lies in the middle of a forested area in Cornwall. The original buildings are gone and only their foundations remain. Videos purport to show restless spirits in the area[14] and hikers have reported seeing orbs in the area.[15] Visitors claim that the area is unusually quiet and without wildlife.[15] It is on private property and is closed to the public.
The Remington Arms factory in Bridgeport was once a weapons factory. It was closed in the 1980s. It is claimed that accidents and fatalities were the cause of the closing. People have claimed shadow figures, voices, yelling, and residual working sounds. It was featured on the TV series Ghost Adventures.
Union Cemetery in Easton (also Bridgeport), which dates back to the 17th century, is touted as "one of the most haunted cemeteries in the entire country" by authors of paranormal books who report that visitors have photographed orbs, light rods, ectoplasmic mists, and apparitions. A spirit known as the "White Lady" has also been reported.[16][17][18]
New London Ledge Lighthouse in New London is said to be haunted by a lighthouse keeper named Ernie who jumped from the roof.[19][20]
Delaware[edit]
Addy Sea Inn in Bethany Beach is said to be haunted.
Dead President's Pub & Restaurant in Wilmington is haunted by a former patron named "Lemonade" Mullery.[21]
Fort Delaware in Delaware City is reportedly haunted by imprisoned Confederate soldiers who fought during the American Civil War.
Florida[edit]
Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine is allegedly haunted by the Spanish soldiers who once inhabited the fort. It was featured on the TV series Ghost Adventures.
The Riddle House in Royal Palm Beach is reportedly haunted by the spirit of Joseph, a former employee of the original owner Karl Riddle, who hanged himself in the attic after being falsely accused of a crime. Moved from its original location in West Palm Beach, the house was featured on the TV series Ghost Adventures.
The Saint Augustine Lighthouse is allegedly haunted by two little girls, the daughters of the engineer responsible for building the lighthouse. A drifter is also said to have hung himself in the lighthouse in the 1800s and a couple of ghosts are reportedly past lighthouse keepers. It was featured in one episode of Ghost Hunters.
The Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Thomas "Fatty" Walsh, a mobster who was murdered on September 7, 1929 during a gambling dispute. Claims include that his ghost haunts the hotel elevator. Claims also include that of a woman who was said to have jumped out of a window to save her child and a woman in white clothing in their rooms.[22]
Georgia (U.S. state)[edit]
The Moon River Brewing Company in Savannah is allegedly haunted by angry spirits. Staff members have claimed physical attacks, possessions, and dark figures. It was featured on the TV series Ghost Adventures.[23][24]
The Hampton-Lillibridge House in Savannah has been referred to as the "most haunted house" in the US.
The Masquerade Nightclub in Atlanta is said to be haunted.
The McDonough Square is reported to be haunted due to the Camp Creek train wreck in 1900. As many of the victims were brought to the McDonough Square for medical treatment and most died within hours it is believed they haunt the area.
Hanging Grounds off Padgett Road in Senoia is said to be haunted by a Civil War executioner.
The Warren House in Jonesboro is said to be haunted by the figure of a soldier.
Ebos Landing (Igbo Landing) in Dunbar Creek, St. Simons Island, Glynn County is reportedly haunted by the souls of Igbo slaves who committed mass suicide by drowning there in 1803 in protest against slavery in the United States.[25][26]
Hawaii[edit]
'Iolani Palace is purported to be haunted.[27]
Idaho[edit]
Old Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise is reportedly haunted by former prisoners.[28] It was investigated on an episode of Ghost Adventures.
Illinois[edit]
Ashmore Estates is a former almshouse and current an allegedly haunted attraction in Coles County. It has appeared in several books, television shows and documentaries, including Soul Catcher and an episode of Ghost Adventures.[29]
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery has been the location of several ghost sightings. The cemetery was featured on Ghost Adventures
Crenshaw House, Gallatin County also known as The Old Slave House, is reported to be haunted.[30]
Manteno State Hospital an abandoned mental hospital in Manteno, is reputed to be haunted.
The McPike Mansion constructed in 1869 in Alton.
Pemberton Hall is the oldest all-female dormitory in the state of Illinois. It is home to the legend of Mary Hawkins, a former dorm mother who reportedly haunts the hall.
Peoria State Hospital is an abandoned mental hospital in Bartonville reputed to be haunted.
The Stickney House in Bull Valley is thought to be haunted.[31]
Hundley House in Carbondale, Illinois near the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale is reputed to be haunted.[32]
Indiana[edit]
At the Story Inn in the town of Story a guest room is supposedly haunted by a ghost known as "the Blue Lady".[33][34][35]
Willard library, a public library in Evansville, is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a woman called "the Grey lady". Every October, ghost tours are held there.
Black Moon Manor, a home in rural Greenfield, Indiana, is reportedly haunted. It was featured on Ghost Adventures.
Whispers Estate, a home in Mitchell, Indiana, was ranked 4th in the Travel Channel presentation "Most Terrifying Places in America" which aired on Oct 29, 2010.
Iowa[edit]
Brick building in Farrar featured on The Travel Channel TV show My Ghost Story is reputed to be haunted.[36]
The Villisca Axe Murder House was featured on the TV series Ghost Adventures.
The Jordan House in West Des Moines is said to be haunted by the ghost of Eda Jordan, the three year-old daughter of Iowa abolitionist James C. Jordan. She broke her neck and died in 1893 when she fell off the bannister which she was sliding down. She supposedly walks the halls of the house while carrying a white cat.[37]
Kansas[edit]
The Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia has stories of a ghost that haunts the theatre, especially during the opening season.[38]
The Oxford Middle School (Also Known As the 5th & 6th grade center) in Oxford, Kansas is supposedly haunted by a ghost named Anne Marie, though the school has closed, the legend lives on. Multiple sightings of Anne Marie have been reported, she supposedly resides in the storage area in the balcony of the Gym.[39]
Kentucky[edit]
Main article: Reportedly haunted locations in Kentucky
Louisiana[edit]
Magnolia Plantation (Derry, Louisiana) is a former plantation in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001.[40][41] Included in the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Magnolia Plantation is also a destination on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. Reportedly haunted by spirits of residents of the main house and of slaves who practiced Voodoo, Magnolia Plantation has been featured on the Travel Channel series Ghost Adventures. Scariest Places on Earth also sent two families to spend the night here.
The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is reportedly haunted by a slave known as Chloe. Chloe was put to death by the other slaves after she intentionally or unintentionally killed at least some members of her master's family with oleander leaves put in a cake. The other slaves possibly killed her to prevent punishment by their master. It has been called by some one of the most haunted homes in America.[42]
The Mystere Mansion, otherwise known as the haunted mortuary in New Orleans is believed to be haunted by people who were cremated and buried in the area. The mansion was featured on Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures
Maine[edit]
Fort Knox, Prospect, Maine A 19th Century seacoast fortification located on the banks of the Penobscot River. Investigated by numerous paranormal groups, including SciFi Channel's Ghost Hunters. Numerous reports of apparitions, sounds, EVPs, touching and film/photo evidence.[43]
Maryland[edit]
Auburn House at Towson University in Baltimore County is said to have a female ghost.[44][45][46][47]
Chestnut Lodge in Rockville was a private facility treating mental patients for over one hundred years. Closed in 2001 and now under renovation for resale as upscale condominiums, separate recent investigations claim paranormal activity. The building was burned down in June 2009.[48]
Engineered Piping Products is a Baltimore-based reseller of industrial pipe, valves and fittings. The building is located upon the site of an old residential neighborhood. All of the activity tends to happen at the site of the old Deboser home. A local paranormal group, Pasadena Paranormal, has cumulatively logged over 100 EVPs from this location. They have experienced buzzing sounds that fly by their heads, and recently[when?] one employee had his coat tugged from behind when he was in the building alone. This site has been submitted to the Syfy's Ghost Hunters Great American Ghost Hunt for their consideration.[49]
Point Lookout Lighthouse, at the southernmost tip of Maryland's western shore of Chesapeake Bay, has seen numerous shipwrecks, bodies washed ashore, and plenty of paranormal activity, as documented over the centuries.[50]
Massachusetts[edit]
The Boston Athenæum is said to be haunted by the scholarly Rev. Harris, who was seen there by Nathaniel Hawthorne.[51]
The Houghton Mansion in North Adams, where North Adams' first mayor, A.C. Houghton, and his family, lived, is supposedly haunted by the family's chauffeur, who committed suicide after a car accident that led to the deaths of Mrs. Houghton and the Houghton's only daughter. It is now used as a Masonic temple. It was investigated on the TV series Ghost Adventures.[52]
The Joshua Ward House in Salem is associated with the Salem witch trials. Sheriff George Corwin and witchcraft victim Giles Cory are said to haunt this place.[53]
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, which is now a bed and breakfast, is said to be one of the most haunted houses in the US. It is the site of a double murder, one of the most famous in US history, claimed ghost sightings and noises.[54]
The USS Salem (CA-139) in Quincy, which now serves as a museum ship open to the general public. Though never seeing combat, the ship has seen its fair share of life and death. Notably after the 1953 Ionian Earthquake serving as a hospital ship. The ship is home to the Fore River Paranormal Society, hosts ghost tours on a regular basis, is converted to a haunted ship open to the public during Halloween and was even featured on the show Ghost Hunters.
Michigan[edit]
Big Bay Point Light is reputedly haunted by the red-haired ghost of its first keeper, Will Prior.[55]
The Mission Point Resort (formerly Mackinac College), located on Mackinac Island, is reported to be haunted by many ghosts including a little girl in the auditorium as well as those who drowned in lagoons, pools, and from jumping off cliffs. Syfy's Ghost Hunters investigated the phenomena in 2011.
Historic Fort Wayne is a part of Haunted Historic Fort Wayne Tour in Detroit, Michigan. It will be featured on Haunted Collector on April 17, 2013.
Minnesota[edit]
Winona State University is haunted by anonymous specters, especially in Lourdes and Richards Hall. Other paranormal reports include pictures getting knocked off walls and moved around by themselves, doors opening and closing by themselves as well as apparitional people walking through the halls when no one is in site.[56]
Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Center is reported to be haunted by children and numerous negative entities, the location was featured on Ghost Adventures
Mississippi[edit]
Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. This site is haunted by various specters in the 334th and 338th training squadrons. Paranormal activities include lights flickering and an abnormal coldness radiates from the place, radios turning on and off by themselves, windows opening by themselves, as well as lockers.[57]
King's Tavern in Natchez is reported to be haunted by numerous spirits, with the notorious one being Richard King's mistress, Madeline. This tavern was featured on Ghost Adventures, where leader Zak Bagans says that this location's hauntings may be related to a tornado that went through here on May 7, 1840.
Rowan Oak in Oxford is haunted by William Faulkner's spirit.[58]
Vicksburg National Military Park is haunted by Confederate soldiers who fought for the Battle of Vicksburg during the American Civil War. Paranormal reports include spectral battling shouts and gunshots.[59]
Missouri[edit]
Town of Avilla on historic route 66. Known haunts of large numbers of Shadow Folk throughout village. Also haunted by a Revenant Civil War-era bushwhacker nicknamed "Rotten Johnny Reb", from a gruesome historical event now called the "Legend of the Avilla Death Tree".[60]
Vaile Mansion in Independence, Missouri is reputed to be haunted.[61]
The Henderson Mansion located at 1016 Paseo in Kansas City, Missouri is believed to be haunted in relation to a murder that occurred in the mansion in 1978. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.[62]
Town of Lebanon on East 32 Highway. Known haunts of large numbers of Shadow People throughout property.
Reports of a woman calling out the name "Peggy." Several people have reported that they have heard voices too. Ozark Visions is open to the public year-round.[63]
At Kemper Arena in Kansas City there are said to be sightings, sounds, and lights flickering on and off in the arena late at night from a former WWE wrestler named Owen Hart who died in 1999 by falling 78 feet (24 m) to his death from the ceiling of the arena. There are also said to be sightings of him still in his Blue Blazer suit at the top of the arena looking down with the cable hooked up to him.[64]
Pythian Castle [20] was haunted. The castle was originally built by the Knights of Pythias as an orphanage & senior citizens home for its members and their families in 1913. It was called the Pythian Home of Missouri.
Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City is reported to be haunted by numerous inmates after countless riots have occurred there
Union Station in Kansas City is reported to be haunted by immigrant spirits and those of the Kansas City Massacre. The station was featured on Ghost Adventures
The Lemp Mansion [21] (3322 Demenil Pl, St. Louis, MO) is a historical restaurant and inn located in Benton Park, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. It formerly served as the home and office of the Lemp family, owners of the Lemp Brewing Company. The site of three Lemp family suicides, it is said to be haunted.[65]
Montana[edit]
Bannack, Montana, a ghost town reportedly haunted by executed outlaws and a woman in a blue gown by the name of Dorothy.[66]
Bannack, a ghost town that was one of the first-settled towns in its county, is reportedly haunted. It was founded in 1862 and named after the Bannock Indian tribe. Several reports of hauntings have been made there, including the apparition of a woman in a blue gown named Dorothy who drowned in Grasshopper Creek. A gang of outlaws were also executed in the town and their ghosts are said to haunt the area. There were several epidemics of illnesses there as well, and a reported 8 to 14 infants died in the town; visitors have often reported hearing babies crying.[66]
Carroll College, in Helena, supposedly has a ghost in the men's bathroom in St. Charles Hall, where a drunken student died of a cerebral hemorrhage after falling and smashing his head against a sink in the middle of the night.[67] The bathroom was closed for a period after the death, but was later reopened for student use. Several maintenance men and students have reported coming into the bathroom and seeing blood in the sink where the student hit his head. St. Albert's Hall is also said to be haunted by a nun who died of influenza in the college's early days.
The Copper King Mansion in Butte is said to be haunted by its original owner, Senator William A. Clark.[66] Owners have reported a warm and welcoming presence in the house, but have reported witnessing unexplained shadows and footsteps, as well as cold spots. The mansion also served as a Catholic convent in the early 1900s.
Garnet, a ghost town nestled in the Garnet Mountain Range about 40 miles outside of Missoula, is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including gold miners and a woman executed for murder there.[66] People have often heard voices and loud music when nobody is there.
Little Bighorn National Battlefield, a battlefield in Big Horn County, Montana, is said to have recent claims of paranormal activity at the park from visitors as well as employees. These include taps on shoulders, rangers seeing apparition movement out the corner of their eyes when no one is around, orb spectacles throughout the fields, a Native American war cry, as well as moans and screams. Lt. Benjamin Hodgson was a member of Company B who died in the battle and has been claimed to have been seen a couple times near the Stone House.[68]
Montana State Prison Museum, located in Deer Lodge, is reportedly haunted and had a history of extremely violent criminals, countless executions, and several riots.[69] Built in 1871 and in operation until the 1970s, the prison is now a museum open to the public, and guests have reported disembodied voices and footsteps in all areas of the prison. An underground solitary confinement sect of the prison, known as "the hole", which housed prisoners in total darkness, is said to be haunted, and guests have reported being pushed and touched while in the cells.
Virginia City, a ghost town-turned-tourist-attraction, is said to be haunted. The saloon and theatre are two areas of reported ghost sightings.[67] The town had a violent past and was home to many outlaws. Calamity Jane lived in the town as a child.[67]
Nebraska[edit]
Hummel Park in Omaha. Paranormal activity reports include apparitional Native American drums and wolves howling at night as well as anonymous specters. Another paranormal activity at this site is a mysterious stairway nicknamed the "Morphing Stairs" because there are always more stairs to count going up than going down.[70]
The third floor of the Jennie M. Conrad Hall at the University of Nebraska at Kearney is said to be haunted by a ghost.
Nevada[edit]
Abraham Curry House in Carson City
Abraham Curry House in Carson City is a historic residence reportedly occupied by the spirit of its namesake builder Abraham Curry, the founding father of the city and state capital, who died in 1873 with only one dollar in his pocket.[71]
Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, Nevada has been reportedly haunted, both the Ghost Adventures crew and Ghost Hunters have investigated there.[72][unreliable source?]
The Madame Tussauds wax museum in Las Vegas is said to haunted by famous celebrities.[73]
La Palazza Mansion (1700 Bannie Avenue) in Las Vegas is reported to be haunted by spirits that were rumored to be sacrificed or killed by the mafia. The home was featured on Ghost Adventures
Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings is reported to be haunted by gamblers and the victim of a plane crash in the area. The saloon will be featured on Ghost Adventures
Bonnie Springs Ranch near Blue Diamond is reportedly haunted by spirits passing through on the Spanish Trail, and also has haunts of the native Indian tribes. The area was featured on Ghost Adventures
The Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah is reportedly haunted by mining victims and murder victims. The hotel was featured on Ghost Adventures
The Redd Foxx's home in Las Vegas. It is said that the famous American comedian is playing pranks on the current tenants as a ghost.[74]
The Nevada Governor's Mansion in Carson City was first occupied by the family of Governor Denver S. Dickerson in July 1909. Guests and staff have reported seeing a woman and child on the premises, thought to be Dickerson's wife Una and daughter June, the only child to have been born in the residence.[75]
Virginia City, Nevada
The Yellow Jacket Mine has been reported to be haunted by the spirits of eleven miners who were trapped underground during the Yellow Jacket Mine fire. The television series Ghost Adventures sent three investigators to discover the mystery of the numerous hauntings in the mines.[76]
The Mackay Mansion is reported to be haunted by the former residents of the mansion. The television series The Dead Files aired an episode of The Mackay Mansion to investigate the many haunting occurrences.[77]
The Old Washoe Club is reported to be haunted by the spirits of swingers and prostitutes that perished in the area. The club was featured on Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters
New Hampshire[edit]
Huntress Hall, a dormitory at Keene State College, is supposedly haunted by its namesake, Harriet Huntress. Students often report strange noises coming from the building's attic, where Huntress' wheelchair remains to this day.[78]
The Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods. Room 314 is allegedly haunted by the wife of the original owner. It has been investigated on Ghost Hunters.[79]
Pine Hill Cemetery (also known as "Blood Cemetery") in Hollis is allegedly haunted by a family murdered in the 19th century. People have reported orbs, EVPs, and a mysterious little boy running out onto to the road to stop cars.[80][81]
New Jersey[edit]
Burnt Mill Road in Atco is reportedly haunted by a young boy killed by a speeding car many years back. If one drives to a specific spot at midnight, a little ghostly boy may be seen running into the road chasing his ball.[82]
Burlington County Prison in Mount Holly is reportedly haunted by a legless, floating spirit that moves from the entrance to the yard, a tall male in a uniform in the basement, and the third floor is claimed to have a flurry of paranormal activity.[83]
The Devil's Tree in Bernards Township is said to be one of the old headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey. An area surrounding the tree is said to give off unnatural warmth where snow doesn't seem to stick in the dead of winter. They say that the tree has a branch that still hangs low from where the KKK would lynch people. People who have tried to cut it down or do harm to the tree have allegedly met an untimely death.[84][85]
Domani's Restaurant in Roselle Park is reportedly haunted by its former owner who died in the building.[86]
The Essex County Hospital Center in Verona is believed to be haunted by full-body apparitions of nurses and patients. Some have even claimed a demonic presence. The sound of a rolling gurney can frequently be heard.[87][88]
Poltergeist incidents and other ghost sightings have been claimed at the Union Hotel in Flemington since its upper floors were closed and it was converted into a restaurant.[89]
New Mexico[edit]
Boyd's Sanatorium in Dripping Springs. Apparitional former patients and staff roam this defunct location. People camping nearby have reported nightmares of what life was when it operated as a mental asylum. Feelings of being watched and of general unease are reported by witnesses. Other paranormal activities include unexplained cold spots, feeling of touched by unseen presences, light anomalies, disembodied voices and shadowy figures.[90]
Chino Mines Creek in Bayard. There is an older woman by this creek who cries for her son. The story is that she and her son were wiped away in a flood. She was a beautiful Hispanic woman who was poor and married a rich handsome man. It seems that this man changed after they got married. He would go away a lot and wouldn't come back for long periods of time. It seems that he was cheating on her. She was very upset but didn't seek revenge in the usual way. Instead of murdering him, she decided the thing that would get him most is to not see the children ever again. That is when she drowned her children in the river. At the last minute she realized what she was doing but by that time it was too late and they were dead. While running down to rescue them she fell and cracked open her head. This ghost is called "Llorna" which means crying lady. Since that had happened it is said that you can hear her crying all over searching the riverbeds for her children.[91]
Highway 666. Paranormal activities include a large gasoline truck driving up the center of the road (some have seen it as being on fire) at high speeds and tries to run other vehicles off of the road, two female apparitional hitchhikers (one who disappears from your car when picked up and another who will run out into the highway in front of cars disappearing when she is about to be hit), cars passing travelers with no driver behind the wheel, disembodied dogs running across the highway and mysterious lights appearing in the sky.[92]
Holy Cross Sanatorium in Deming. It started out as a military base in World War I and as a TB ward in World War II. Then a Satanic cult used it as an animal sacrificing place at a later date. There is only one building left now. The rest have been destroyed and this place is most certainly haunted. Noises come from the top stories. Also there is a shadowy apparition in "the alter room" not to mention a pretty disturbing cemetery nearby in which a cross has been knocked down. Murders occur here quite often. There was a lover's quarrel with a drainpipe and a gang killing a peer for sacrifice.[93]
Insane Asylum in Albuquerque. Reports by paranormal investigators include black clouds, light anomalies, mysterious mists, disembodied voices, apparitional former patients and the feeling of being watched by spirits.
Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe. The most paranormal activity areas of this former prison are Cell Block 4 as well as Cell Block 3, which housed the maximum security prisoner, the tool room and the tunnels underneath the prison including the laundry room as well as the gas chamber.[94]
St. James Hotel and Saloon in Cimarron. It was the site of numerous murders during the 19th Century and is reported to have a paranormal activity in one of its rooms.[95]
New York[edit]
108 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York
112 (now 108) Ocean Avenue, Amityville. Based on the 1977 book The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. Scene of a tragic mass murder of a family on November 13, 1974 committed by Ronald DeFeo, Jr., the next inhabitants of the home claimed that it was haunted and fled after 28 days. Their experiences were portrayed in Anson's bestselling book, which was followed by a hit movie The Amityville Horror which in turn spawned a cottage industry. Despite accusations of a fraud, the family maintains that they experienced paranormal phenomena while living in the Amityville house.
Big Moose Lake. Grace Brown's apparition is seen by witnesses in the cabin where she stayed until Chester Gillette murdered her. Witnesses have reported to the media about seeing her both from the outside and the inside of Covewood Lodge. She is also seen by visitors in the lake as she reenacts her tragic drowning. Her presence is also associated by a feeling of wet chills descending over witnesses and her face has been seen staring up from the lake’s depths.[96]
Cherry Hill, a late 18th-century farm manor house in southern Albany, was the site of a murder in 1827 that led to Albany's last public hanging after a controversial trial. An unidentified ghost has been seen on the property.[97]
The Church of St. Barnabas in Irvington reportedly has some ghosts of former occupants. In 2000 workers installing a new organ left the church in haste after seeing one.[98]
The Farnam Mansion in Oneida is said to be haunted by human and animal spirits alike. Research conducted by the current owners, Gerri and Brian Gray, found seven known deaths had occurred in the mansion. The Farnam Mansion has been investigated by such paranormal groups as the New York Shadow Chasers and New York State Paranormal Research, all of whom have reported paranormal phenomena.[99]
The New York State Capitol building in Albany is said to be haunted by the ghosts of a night watchman who died in a 1911 fire, artist William Morris Hunt, and others.[100]
The Smith-Ely Mansion in Clyde is said to be haunted by the ghosts of not only its historic inhabitants but also more recent victims of suicide. The house has since been converted into a bed and breakfast. The B & B now draws patronage from casual tourists and ghost hunters alike.[101]
SUNY Geneseo's Erie Hall dormitory (room C2D1) is alleged to have been haunted in 1985 and popularized in the media as the "C2D1 Haunting".[102][103]
Durand-Eastman Park on the waterfront in Irondequoit is known for the legend of the "White Lady", said to be a local mother whose daughter was murdered by her boyfriend. The story was voted "Best Local Urban Legend" in City Newspaper's '2008 Best Of' Awards.[104]
Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany is reported to be haunted by spirits that perished there as patients. Notorious spirits include that of Roy, the 7 foot giant, and Ray, who attacks women in the basement. The asylum was featured on Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures
Sailor's Snug Harbor in Staten Island is haunted by the spirits of sailors, a matron after her son stabbed her with scissors, and a priest after he was shot dead on the church grounds. The harbor area was featured on Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures
Letchworth Village in Haverstraw is believed to be haunted by patients that perished in the building. The area was featured on Ghost Adventures
North Carolina[edit]
Shouting by disembodied voices was heard during a paranormal investigation of the stone building that formerly housed the Ashe County Hospital in Jefferson. The investigators also heard an elevator in the building "ding" even though the structure had no electricity. Also in Jefferson, the Museum of Ashe County History occupies the century-old building that had been the county courthouse. In the summer of 2010, a college intern working alone in the building on the main floor heard a telephone ring on the second floor and a person walk across the floor to answer it.[105]
The Attmore-Oliver House in New Bern has been the scene of some poltergeist-like activity stemming possibly from either deaths in the house during a smallpox epidemic or the spirit of the last private owner.[106]
Brown Mountain in Burke County is reputed to have ghostly orbs of light radiating from the mountain. The Brown Mountain Lights date back as far as the year 1200, according to local Cherokee legend. This was the year of a great battle, and the Cherokee believed the lights to be the spirits of Indian maidens who still search for lost loved ones. There also has been speculation of alien activity. Wiseman's View on Linville Mountain is the best vantage point for viewing the Brown Mountain Lights. The lookout was used by German Engineer William de Brahm in 1771 while studying the phenomenon. He attributed the lights to nitrous gases emitting from the mountain and combusting upon collision. His theories were later disproven.[107]
The Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, NC was set ablaze on July 1, 1981 by a woman who was assumed mentally disturbed. Ms. Melba Frey went up to the upper balcony and started the fire, which burned the entire balcony and lobby. Her body was found in the stairway by firefighters, and she is now believed to haunt the area in which she died, flipping the folding seats up and down.[108]
The Devil's Tramping Ground near Bennett, North Carolina is a 40 foot ring in the middle of a forest devoid of any growth for at least a century. Legend has it that this a site where the Devil rises to the surface of the earth to plot his misdeeds against mankind. A United States Geological Survey team could uncover no scientific explanation for the lack of growth within the ring.[109]
An older woman in 18th-century dress is said to haunt the second and third floors of the Harvey Mansion Historic Inn and Restaurant in New Bern. A North Carolina State University professor reported seeing her glide by his table while dining in the second-floor restaurant.[110]
Lydia's Bridge is located in Jamestown, just outside of Greensboro, NC. According to the story, in the early 1920s Lydia and her date were headed home from a dance. It was a foggy night, and in a hurry to get home by Lydia's curfew, her date lost control of the car and hit the Southern Railroad Underpass Bridge head-on. Her date died on impact, but Lydia, badly injured, managed to escape the car. Trying to flag down a passing car for help, she was mistaken as a hitchhiker, and died by the roadside. There have been accounts of people picking up a hitchhiker in white, who says her name is Lydia. She gives an address and says she doesn't want her mother to worry and she needs to be home by curfew. Then she disappears before she reaches her destination. Lydia is also known as The Phantom Hitchhiker; The Lady in White; and The Vanishing lady. Lydia's Bridge is now abandoned, but U.S. Highway 70 used to run under it. Now High Point Road, it was straightened and a new underpass was built a few feet away in an effort to make the road safer.[111]
Fayetteville hosts ghosts such as "The Lady in Black" who haunts the Sandford House (formerly called the Slocumb House).[112] Her apparition first appeared in the late 19th century and has been sighted recently[when?] by members of The Woman's Club of Fayetteville.[113]
The Tar River, near Tarboro in Edgecombe County, is associated with a legend of a banshee. The legend speaks of a Patriot miller who was killed by a small group of British soldiers during the American Revolution. Before they drowned him in the river, he warned the soldiers that if he were killed, they would be haunted by a banshee. After his death, she appeared and caused the deaths of the soldiers and supposedly still haunts the river.[114]
North Dakota[edit]
The Liberty Memorial Building in Bismarck, according to former employees was said to be haunted by a ghostly presence nicknamed the "Stack Monster." When the building housed the State Historical Society of North Dakota, an archivist reported hearing a voice call him by name. A superintendent of the Historical Society claims he stepped off the elevator in the basement and thought he saw a man in a white shirt walk into a storage room. Archivists working at night say they were "suddenly overwhelmed with the sensation" that they should immediately leave the building. One employee speculates the "Stack Monster" vacated the building. Another assistant says they observed the heavy entrance doors on the building's south side slowly open and close as if someone was going outside. Employees humorously created an ID badge to invite the "Stack Monster" to "check into newer quarters" at the Heritage Center.[115]
Ohio[edit]
Cincinnati Music Hall is a theater that was built over a potter's field. Reports of spirits on the property date back to 1876 and continue through modern times. In 1988, during the installation of an elevator shaft, bones of adults and children were exhumed from under the hall.[116]
The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is a defunct prison that was shut down in 1990. Now, people report cell doors slamming, yelling, physical attacks on women, and shadow figures. It was investigated on the TV series Ghost Adventures.[117]
Ohio University is known in state folklore as one of the most haunted college campus in the United States. Established in 1804, the university is old by Ohio standards, which adds to its ghostly reputation. A large number of places on campus are said to be haunted, and numerous other popular tales are told about the university in Athens county. The British Society for Psychical Research claims that Athens, Ohio, is one of the most haunted places in the world.[118] Fox filmed an episode of its Scariest Places on Earth at the university. Many of the ghost stories associated with Athens and the University center around the former Athens Lunatic Asylum and the horrors that supposedly went on there.
Prospect Place in Trinway. Satanic rituals were allegedly performed on the site, and many people were supposedly killed during its time as a stop on the underground railroad. It was investigated on the TV series Ghost Adventures.[119]
Spring House Gazebo in Eden Park, Cincinnati. In 1927, Imogene, wife of George Remus, was shot at the gazebo. Her ghost has been reported at the site wearing a black dress.[120]
Emmitt House [121][122] in Waverly, Ohio. Some reported sightings and human remains found.[123][124]
The Sedamsville Rectory in Cincinnati is reported to be plagued by a negative entity after child abuse and dogfighting were practiced there, the rectory was featured on Ghost Adventures, where the team had an exorcist cleanse the property
Kings Island amusement park in Mason is haunted by a boy who fell 50 feet from the Eiffel Tower replica, a little boy in a white shirt who haunts the Racer roller coaster, and a little girl in a blue dress from the cemetery on park property. It was on Ghost Hunters.
Oklahoma[edit]
Dead Women Crossing is a community in Custer County, Oklahoma.[125]
Oregon[edit]
Hot Lake Hotel circa 1920s, located in Union County, Oregon.
Bagdad Theater, located in Portland, is a theater built by Universal Studios in 1927 that was used as a cinema as well as a theatre stage for plays and vaudeville shows. A theater maintenance man hanged himself behind the stage, and the women's bathroom is reportedly haunted by a spirit.[126] It is now operated by McMenamins as a cinema and pub.
Hot Lake Hotel is a supposedly haunted hotel in eastern Oregon. The hotel is known for a massive fire that occurred in 1934, as well as suicides and hauntings from ghosts during its days as a sanatorium.[127] Countless people died on the property, including a doctor who killed himself in an operating room, as well as a nurse who died after falling in the scalding hot springs.[128] The building served as a hotel and resort for its homeopathic mineral waters, as well as a hospital and elderly home, and housed a restaurant in the late 1980s. It was in disrepair by the early 1990s, but was restored for the public in 2003 by a private family. In 2001, the hotel was featured on the television show The Scariest Places on Earth.
The Multnomah County Poor Farm, also known as the Edgefield Poorhouse and Edgefield Power Station, located in Troutdale, Oregon, is supposedly haunted. The construct, built in 1911, operated as a poorhouse, and also housed the mentally challenged, the disabled, and the elderly;[129] since death was common in poorhouses, many people were buried on the property in unmarked plots.[130] The property later served as a sanitorium and a reform school for troubled kids before falling vacant in 1990. It is now a hotel operated by McMenamins restaurant and brewery, and has several restaurants and bars on the property as well as an outdoor stage for concerts. Hotel guests have frequently reported hearing a woman's voice reciting nursery rhymes, as well as unexplained crying in the building. A woman dressed in white is also often seen roaming around the property.[129]
Pittock Mansion, located in Portland, is reportedly haunted by its original owners, Henry and Georgiana Pittock, who built the house and died there.[129]
Rhododendron Village, located near the town of Rhododendron along the Barlow Trail, is a campsite that was used by pioneers on the Oregon Trail in the mid-1800s, and is reported to be haunted. The site, which houses several log cabins and mess halls, is near Laurel Hill, the steepest hill along Barlow Trail. Conestoga wagons were often hoisted up the hill by ropes, and many deaths occurred there; the Rhododendron Village served as a gravesite for many of these people. Volunteer workers there have reported doors slamming open and shut as well as lights turning on and off, and several graves have been discovered around the property.[129]
The Shangai tunnels located in Portland are part of an underground city located in the Old Town/Chinatown district. The tunnels were often used during prohibition, as well as to kidnap and smuggle immigrants, laborers, and prostitutes who would be sold to ship captains passing through on the Willamette River. The tunnels are reportedly the most haunted place in the city of Portland.[131]
The Welches Roadhouse is a two-story house in Welches, Oregon on Mount Hood that is supposedly haunted by a woman who killed herself on the property.[129] The woman purportedly jumped from a second-story door used for snowdrifts after the man whose child she was bearing—an escaped convict whom she had taken in—left her.
Pennsylvania[edit]
Main article: Reportedly haunted locations in Pennsylvania
Rhode Island[edit]
Belcourt Castle, a French Renaissance-style château in Newport, is alleged to be the location of numerous paranormal phenomena and events, including moving chairs, moving armor, ghostly apparitions, a possessed statue and various other sightings.[132]
In Exeter, there are a few buildings formerly known as the Ladd School, a school for the mentally disabled that was founded by Dr. Joseph H. Ladd in 1907 and officially closed in 1994. The school reportedly mistreated students, and there are stories today of ghost sightings of the children who suffered, noises, and electronic malfunctions. The Exeter Job Corps Academy was built over the Ladd School's ground, with many of the older buildings still intact and reportedly "haunted."[133]
Sherman- Arnold Farm, Harrisville, Rhode Island is alleged to be haunted. It was the property on which the Perron family purportedly experienced the events documented in Ed and Lorraine Warren's case file which was the basis for the movie entitled The Conjuring.
South Carolina[edit]
The Jacksonboro Light is a phenomenon that has been reported by many witnesses in the vicinity of Jacksonboro, approximately 30 miles west of Charleston. In the late 19th century, a preacher in search of his missing daughter was struck by a train while searching for her by lantern at night. Witnesses report seeing the swaying lantern light and the outline of the deceased preacher along Parkers Ferry Road at night when a train whistle is sounded.[134]
The Old Charleston Jail in Charleston is reported to be haunted by the spirit of Lavinia Fisher, one of America's first female serial killers. The jail was featured on Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters
South Dakota[edit]
Mount Marty College in Yankton. This college is haunted by numerous different anonymous specters. Other paranormal activity reports include showers turning on and off by themselves, water fountains running by themselves, mysterious footsteps, and apparitional shadows.[135]
Tennessee[edit]
The town of Adams, TN was the site of the Bell Witch haunting, as well as the Bell Witch Cave. Townspeople (even in modern times) have reported seeing strange occurrences, including seeing a little girl in a green dress who disappears shortly after being seen. This is a common apparitional state in which the Bell Witch chooses to be seen.[136]
The Carnton Mansion in Franklin, Tennessee was used as a hospital for Confederate Soldiers during the Civil War. Many of the deceased here were buried in mass graves. Several of their apparitions have been seen, heard and even felt here. Among them is the white apparition of a woman who appears on the back porch.[137]
Back in the Sixties and Seventies when it was still known as Hendersonville High School, Ellis Middle School was haunted by ghostly footsteps and random apparitions. Students once described the apparition of a dark coachman on the location. The Seventies TV-Series "That's Incredible" once considered a segment on the hauntings but passed it over for other projects.[138]
The Isaac Franklin Plantation in Gallatin, best known as Fairvue, is reported as haunted by the ghost of a Union Officer and a little girl on a tricycle. Three families have lived here and it was once used as a Civil War Hospital.[139][unreliable source?]
The Loretta Lynn's Plantation House and the area surrounding Hurricane Mills, Tennessee are both said to be haunted by the founders of the plantation and its town. There have been unexplained reports of Civil War soldiers walking and camping around the town and near the plantation. In 2011, the Ghost Adventures crew conducted an investigation inside the house, and aired the episode of the Loretta Lynn Plantation House, during which the crew observed a significant amount of unusual activity.[140]
The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis is haunted by the ghost of a small girl who was killed in a car accident in front of the theater. She appears in Seat C5 watching the performances and around the structure. In 1979, a parapsychology class from the University of Memphis found evidence of six more ghosts on the location.[141]
Built in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1818, Rotherwood Mansion is haunted by the ghost of a "Lady In White." She's believed to be Rowena Ross, the daughter of the builder of the house. She supposedly returns looking for her true love who drowned on the Holston River.[142]
Also known as the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium was originally built as a church, but years of music concerts here made the location the home of Country Music in the United States. Many believe the location is haunted. Footsteps have been heard, doors close and the voice of Hank Williams Sr. has been heard singing his old songs. Others have described the image of a Confederate Soldier on the premises.[143]
The Sheraton Read Hotel in Chattanooga is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Lisa Netherly, who was murdered by her husband as she was meeting her lover for a secret tryst. She is said to haunt her former room and to jump into bed with male guests who check in alone.[144]
Tennessee High School in Bristol, TN is haunted by former students and a phantom locomotive that roars over the gym and down the hall. Part of the school was reportedly built over forgotten railroad tracks.[145]
Tennessee State Prison is supposed to be haunted. A former warden describes odd voices, strange sounds and disembodied footsteps. The location was used in the movie The Green Mile and also elaborated on in the TV-Series, "Celebrity Paranormal Project."[146]
The Woodruff-Fontaine House in Memphis is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Molly Woodruff. She has been seen and felt in the Rose Room which was once her bedroom. The location is now a museum, and one docent once heard Molly's voice say, "My bed doesn't go there." Others have sensed cigar smoke in the old mansion they can't explain.[147]
The Hales Bar Dam in Haletown is reported to be haunted by victims of a curse set on the land by the Cherokee after their leader, Dragging Canoe, was murdered in the area. The dam was featured on Ghost Adventures
Texas[edit]
The Alamo in San Antonio
The Alamo in San Antonio is reportedly haunted by many spirits of those who died during the Battle of the Alamo. The site has been the scene of many ghostly sightings, starting shortly after the battle and continuing up to modern times.[148] It is also said to be haunted by monks in the cathedral portion of the original building.
The Devil's Backbone in Texas Hill Country is allegedly haunted by Spanish monks, Native Americans, Confederate soldiers on their horses, and a wolf's spirit.[149]
Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston has long been a popular spot for local ghost hunters. The existing building was completed in 1925, allegedly on the site of a mid-19th century cemetery, and has recently[when?] been remodeled into apartments.[150]
Marfa lights In May 2004, students from the Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas at Dallas spent four days investigating and recording lights observed southwest of the view park using traffic volume monitoring equipment, video cameras, binoculars, and chase cars. The conclusion was that all of the lights observed over a four night period southwest of the view park could be reliably attributed to automobile headlights traveling along U.S. 67 between Marfa and Presidio, TX.[151]
Miss Molly's Bed & Breakfast, Fort Worth. It's rumored that every building in the legendary Stockyards of Fort Worth is haunted. But none is quite as haunted as Miss Molly's—which is considered by most to be one of the most haunted places in Texas. The hotel was built in 1910 and it's gone through several different transformations. Everything from a "speak-easy" named The Oasis during prohibition to a bordello in the 1940s named Gayatte Hotel—which was operated by a Miss Josie. Today the Star Café is on the bottom floor and Miss Molly's Bed & Breakfast is on the top floor. The building has been confirmed to be haunted by-way of apparitions to spirits not knowing that they're dead.[152]
Presidio La Bahía in Goliad is a fort that was the site of numerous conflicts before and during the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of Goliad and most notably the Goliad Massacre in 1836. Many South Texas locals have claimed the spirits of massacred soldiers can be found on the premises, and some have even claimed during the night their cries of agony can be heard from time to time.[153]
Catfish Plantation Restaurant in Waxahachie is a restaurant that has been featured on television shows as being one of the most haunted places in America. This house was bought and turned into a restaurant but the paranormals have come along for the ride. There are reports of apparitions, various aromas, objects being moved, and people being touched.[154]
The Grove (Jefferson, Texas) is an 1861 home that has been called "The most haunted home in the most haunted city in Texas."[155] There are footsteps heard in the house, but no one can be found to account for the phantom steps,[156] and apparitions ranging from a lady in a white dress to a man in the garden have become commonplace on the property.[157]
The Littlefield House in Austin, Texas.[158]
The University of Texas at Brownsville in Brownsville, Texas.[159]
Yorktown Memorial Hospital in Yorktown is reported to be haunted by the spirits of patients and that of the nuns who built the hospital, who choke people with tattoos. The hospital was featured on Ghost Adventures
The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells is reported to be haunted by spirits that killed themselves and committed suicide in the hotel. The hotel was featured on Ghost Adventures
Utah[edit]
American Fork Canyon is haunted by people who lost their lives due to auto accidents, including a hitchhiker.[160]
Asylum 49 in Tooele is reported to have negative entities roaming the halls alongside the spirits of deceased patients. The hospital was featured on Ghost Adventures
Vermont[edit]
Bennington College students in the Jennings Hall music studies facility have reported hearing voices and footsteps, particularly after dark, and have reportedly seen the image of a woman coming down the main staircase, allegedly the spirit of Mrs. Jennings, who died in the house. It was the inspiration for the Shirley Jackson novel "The Haunting of Hill House".[161]
Virginia[edit]
Aquia Church in Stafford
Aquia Church in Stafford is said to be one of the most haunted churches in Virginia. Legend says that the church and the church graveyard, which has graves dating back to 1738, are both home to paranormal activity that has taken place for over 200 years.[162][163]
Ball's Bluff in Leesburg was the site of a Civil War battle in October 1861 and is said to be haunted by those who died during the fighting here.[164][165]
Bremo Historic District in Bremo Bluff, where a house at Bremo Recess is reportedly haunted by Anne Blaws Barraud Cocke, the wife of John Hartwell Cocke, brigadier general in the War of 1812 and builder of the plantation estate.[166]
Ferry Plantation House in Virginia Beach, a colonial and plantation era house, with 11 reported ghosts, including: people who perished in an 1810 ship wreck at the ferry landing, former slave named Henry—who still considers this his home, Sally Rebecca Walke—eternally mourning the loss of a lover, former resident/artist Thomas Williamson, and the Lady in White from 1826, who reportedly died from a broken neck falling down the stairs.[167]
Manassas National Battlefield Park has many reports of paranormal activity. An unfinished railroad located within the battlefield which was ordered by Robert E. Lee to be constructed during the Civil War is said to be a hot spot for paranormal activity.[168][169]
Monticello in Charlottesville was the home of Thomas Jefferson, and employees have often heard him whistling on the grounds, as he was known to do during his living days. It has been reported that there has been seen an apparition of a 10 year old boy wearing a uniform and a tri-cornered hat peering out a 2nd floor window.[170]
The Rosewell plantation in Gloucester County is a mansion constructed in 1725 that has been home to numerous accounts of paranormal activity.[171][172]
Washington (state)[edit]
Kells Pub / Butterworth Building located in Seattle's downtown Pike Place Market area, is said (by employees, customers and ghost hunters) to be haunted. It was once a mortuary, currently converted into a pub. This located was featured on Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures[173]
Montgomery House Bed and Breakfast in Kalama was once a hospital, bordello, and medical clinic, built on land formerly occupied by the Cowlitz Indian Nation. The land was site to tens of thousands of Native American deaths, and full-body spectres are reported both in the establishment's back yard and within the home. This location was the subject of the 2009 feature film documentary Montgomery House: The Perfect Haunting, directed by psychic Danielle Egnew.[174]
Washington, D.C.[edit]
Main article: Reportedly haunted locations in Washington, D.C.
West Virginia[edit]
The Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg is a grand hotel that was built in the late 19th century and is reported to be haunted by several ghosts.[175][176]
Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County.[177][why?]
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, formerly Weston State Hospital, is purported by its owners and visitors to be haunted by the spirits of patients who died there. Ghost Hunters, televised by SyFy has investigated the facility for their television series. Ghost Adventures did a live event on October 30, 2009, where they performed an overnight paranormal investigation on the Travel Channel.[178]
The West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville was built in 1867 and has been called one of the "most haunted places in America." SyFy's "Ghost Hunters" and Travel Channel's "Ghost Adventures have both televised paranormal investigations of the facility.[179][180][181]
Wisconsin[edit]
Summerwind Mansion, formerly known as Lamont Mansion, is a ruined mansion on the shores of West Bay Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. It is reputed to be one of the most haunted locations in Wisconsin.
Wyoming[edit]
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne is haunted by 19th Century Cavalry soldiers at night. Other paranormal activities occur in the dormitories.[182]
Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins is reported to be haunted by the most violent inmates in Wyoming history. It was featured on Ghost Adventures.
Top 10 Most Haunted Places
4 Comments
by Jennifer Plum Auvil
Filed Under: Haunted, United States
Whether you're a believer or not, America's towns are filled with true ghost stories passed down through time. From haunted fortresses and historic military spots to grisly tales of suffering and death, we've collected the country's most chilling real ghost stories.
Looking for more haunted places to visit? See what creepy locations our panel of advisors chose for Travel's Best Halloween Attractions 2013. Prepare to be spooked!
top-haunted-places-moundsville Taber Andrew Bain, flickr
Moundsville Penitentiary
Moundsville, West Virginia
During its more than 100 years in operation, the Moundsville Penitentiary in West Virginia was one of America's most violent correctional facilities and the final stop for almost 1,000 criminals. The prisoners lived in cramped quarters, which led to riots. Many men were hung or killed in the electric chair, while others were murdered by other prisoners. The prison closed in 1995, but according to some, the tortured spirits are still behind bars and in the bowels of the prison and may be seen or heard on a tour.
top-haunted-places-trans-allegheny
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Weston, West Virginia
Once known as the Weston State Hospital, this asylum was home to thousands of people with mental illness, starting in 1864. Hundreds of people died here before the facility closed in 1994. Spirits are said to haunt the building and grounds today, dating back to the Civil War era when the asylum's grounds served as a military post. Paranormal tours of the facility feature 2-hour visits to the asylum's 4 main hot spots. The more intense Ghost Hunt is an 8-hour overnight paranormal adventure with experienced ghost-hunting guides.
top-haunted-places-villisca-axe-murder-house
Villisca Axe Murder House
Villisca, Iowa
On June 10, 1912, the old white frame house at 508 E. 2nd Street became a grisly crime scene. The heinous murder of Josiah B. Moore, his wife, their 4 children and 2 young girls who were overnight guests rocked the small town of Villisca, IA, and the murderer was never identified. Over the years, residents of the home reported visions of a man with an ax, children crying and unexplained paranormal activity. In 1994, the home was restored to its original condition with no indoor plumbing or electricity. These touches add to the chilling ambience during a lamplight tour from April through November or an overnight experience available by reservation for groups.
top-haunted-places-sammie-dean Thinkstock
Sammie Dean
Jerome, Arizona
Jerome, AZ, is a former copper-mining town with a paranormal reputation that dates back to the Wild West. The town is now home to just 400 residents (down from 15,000 in its heyday), but legend has it there are plenty more ghostly residents from the days of mining accidents and shoot-out gunfights. One well-known spirit is the working girl Sammie Dean, a prostitute who was strangled by a customer in the old Crib District. Her beautiful spirit roams the alleys looking for her killer who was never found.
top-haunted-places-cuban-club Ebyabe, Wikimedia Commons
Cuban Club
Tampa, Florida
Cuban Club, also known as Circulo Cubano de Tampa, can be found in Tampa's Ybor City neighborhood. In 1917 this spot was a popular hangout for Cuban immigrants who enjoyed the ballroom, outdoor band shell and cantina with a stage and dance floor. Today the compound, protected by the National Historic Register, hosts concerts and special events and is the setting for many ghost stories about spirits playing the piano and riding the elevators.
top-haunted-places-fort-mifflin David Smith, flickr
Fort Mifflin
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Built in 1771, Fort Mifflin is the country's only Revolutionary War battlefield that is still intact. There are 14 restored buildings on the grounds on the Delaware River and reportedly plenty of spirits from the past. Amongst the ghosts said to haunt the fort are a screaming woman whose cries are so loud that the Philadelphia police have been called to investigate, only to find no one there. Other characters in the local ghost stories include a faceless man wandering around the fort, a tour guide dressed in revolutionary garb and numerous children and dogs.
top-haunted-places-manhattan-bistro Healey McFabulous, flickr
Manhattan Bistro
New York, New York
SoHo is one of Manhattan's hipster havens with trendy shops and gourmet restaurants. But you may get more than you planned for at dinner at the Manhattan Bistro (129 Spring Street), a French restaurant with a notable ghost. Juliana Elmore Sands was killed in this building in 1799 when she was thrown into a well in the basement. According to some ghost stories, her spirit, often called the Ghost of Spring Street, manifests itself as vapor rising from the kitchen floor and causes front-of-house mischief with flying ashtrays and shattered dishes.
idea_ghost-stories_311x175
Moon River Brewery
Savannah, Georgia
The Moon River Brewery brought its beloved beers to Savannah in 1999, but the building is one of the oldest in town, dating back to 1821. In its original incarnation, it was the City Hotel, a high-end hotel with a history of violence during the Civil War. Men were killed in the hotel during heated skirmishes, including a Yankee who was beaten to death by locals in 1860. Some bar patrons today say they've seen bottles mysteriously fly through the air and have witnessed guests being pushed, touched and even slapped by unseen forces. One resident apparition, Toby, is said to skulk around the billiard room looking for the next great bar brawl.
top-haunted-places-sultans-palace Frank Maggiore, flickr
The Sultan's Palace
New Orleans, Louisiana
The house at 716 Dauphine Street is a classic French Quarter beauty with classic wrought-iron balconies and a large courtyard. But in the 1800s, this residence was a house of horrors for the Sultan, a wealthy man with a depraved lifestyle, multiple wives and children and a harem of women and young boys held against their will. Neighbors complained about the mysterious habits of this man who had a predilection for partying, opium and torture. But the greatest mystery in the house was the Sultan's demise when he was buried alive in the courtyard after his family and harem were hacked to pieces in a bloodbath by an unknown perpetrator. Today, his angry spirit is thought to be responsible for the unusual noises, loud music and strong incense smells that waft from the home, as well as unwelcomed advances on past female residents who swear the Sultan is still up to his old tricks of groping female visitors.
top-haunted-places-calcasieu-courthouse Anthonyturducken, flickr
Calcasieu Courthouse
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Toni Jo Henry has been the talk of the small town of Lake Charles since the 1940s when she killed a man in cold blood. Just as notorious were her stunning good looks. The former prostitute charmed a gentleman in a pickup truck to give her a ride while she was walking the highway with a friend en route to spring her true love from a Texas prison. It took 3 trials for a jury to convict the wily Toni Jo, who had charmed the courtroom and jail staff and divided the town over her presumed guilt. In 1942, this murderous beauty known as Tiger Girl was the first female to die in the electric chair in the state. Her spirit lingers in the courthouse today, and workers there swear they feel her presence, hear her screams and even smell her burning hair. Many believe that she tinkers with office equipment, locks doors and meddles with everyday office life at the courthouse.
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