Ghostly sightings, unexplained noises, and objects moving on their own—these 17 locations are said to be home to hauntings from past lives. Hotspots for ghost tours and paranormal investigators, these terrifying houses, prisons, hospitals, and more are located across the U.S.
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Once a maximum security prison, Alcatraz is now a public museum. Visitors have reported hearing screams, clanging metal doors, and footsteps in deserted corridors, and according to CBS News, “A British couple snapped an eerie photo of what looks like a turn of the 20th-century woman staring straight at their camera.”
The Stanley Hotel
This hotel served as the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel The Shining after he stayed there in 1974. Guests and employees have reported numerous paranormal occurrences, including ghostly apparitions in Victorian attire, phantom piano music, and items moving on their own, particularly in the infamous Room 217.
Gettysburg Battlefield
The 1863 Battle of Gettysburg was one of the Civil War’s most significant and bloodiest battles, with over 50,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing on this site. Many visitors report seeing ghostly soldiers, hearing the sounds of battle, and experiencing disorientation or overwhelming emotions at various locations across the battlefield, particularly at Devil’s Den and the Peach Orchard.
The Myrtles Plantation
Located in St. Francisville, Louisiana, this plantation is said to be built upon an ancient Tunica Native American burial ground, which contributes to its haunted reputation. National Geographic says, “The most popular ghost to haunt the Myrtles is Chloe. According to the legend, in the 1800s, Judge Clark Woodruff, the plantation’s owner, had an affair with Chloe, the household servant.”
Eastern State Penitentiary
Once the most expensive prison in the world, this Pennsylvania prison was known for its strict solitary confinement policy. Visitors have reported hearing whispering in empty cells, laughter, and footsteps, with Cellblock 12 known for ghostly figures and shadowy movements. There have also been strange sounds, sightings, and thermal imaging anomalies documented.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium
This was a tuberculosis hospital located in Louisville, Kentucky, where thousands died from the disease. Visitors have reported apparitions of children and former patients, as well as strange noises, cold spots, and moving objects within the building. The “Death Tunnel” or body chute, where bodies were discreetly removed from the hospital, is a particular hotspot for paranormal activity.
The Villisca Axe Murder House
The site of the 1912 unsolved axe murder of eight people in Villisca, Iowa, this house has become a focus of paranormal interest. Visitors have reported children’s voices, footsteps, and a feeling of oppressive grief or being watched, particularly in the children’s bedrooms and attic.
The Queen Mary
This retired ocean liner is now permanently docked in Long Beach, California, where visitors now head to see if they can spot any ghostly happenings. According to the Queen Mary website, “Among the ghosts reportedly still hanging around is an engineer who died in the ship’s engine room, a ‘lady in white,’ and various children located throughout the ship, including the 1st Class Pool.”
The Lemp Mansion
Once home to the Lemp family, multiple family members died tragically in this Missouri house. Now a restaurant and inn, the mansion is a popular destination for ghost tours due to reports of the sound of someone running up the stairs, phantom piano music, and objects moving on their own.
The Whaley House
The Whaley House, situated in San Diego, California, was once a private home, courthouse, and theater and is now considered one of the most haunted houses in America. There have been reports of the sounds of footsteps, a piano playing by itself, and objects that move or disappear.
The Winchester Mystery House
This huge mansion, located in San Jose, California, was continuously expanded by Sarah Winchester in order to confuse the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles. The house is known for its bizarre architecture, including staircases leading nowhere and doors that open into walls, said to be designed to ward off spirits.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Located in West Virginia, this former psychiatric hospital is known for its Civil War-era history and reports of inhumane treatment of patients. This long history of death and suffering has created a haunted reputation, and there have been reports of unexplained noises, shadows, and feelings of being watched, particularly in hotspots like the lobotomy recovery area.
The Bell Witch Cave
A local folklore legend, the Bell Witch Cave is notorious for the haunting of the Bell family. The Tennessee State Museum says the family was “harassed by a mysterious and invisible spirit now known as the Bell Witch. According to the legend, the witch had the ability to speak, shapeshift, and be in multiple places at once.”
Salem, Massachusetts
Known for the 1692 witch trials, Salem has historical sites such as the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and the Old Burying Point Cemetery. There have been reports of various supernatural experiences, especially near the historic homes and the sites of the trials, where the accused witches were examined and condemned.
The Amityville Horror House
The site of a tragic mass murder in 1974, this New York house has inspired books and films due to its haunted reputation. The Lutz family, who lived there briefly after the murders, reported mysterious odors, cold spots, and sightings of a demonic creature with red eyes.
The Crescent Hotel
Situated in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, this historic hotel is dubbed “America’s Most Haunted Hotel,” with reports of numerous ghost sightings. According to Smithsonian Magazine, one of the resident ghosts is “Michael, the stonemason flirt from Ireland [who fell] to his death during the hotel’s construction, now and forever romancing guests in Room 218.”
The LaLaurie Mansion
Madame Delphine LaLaurie was infamous for her cruel treatment of slaves in this New Orleans mansion. The house is now said to be haunted by the tortured spirits of the slaves who suffered there, with reports of moaning, weeping, and screams that echo through the night.
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