You'll be transported back to the 1800s at this Old West-style saloon in Skagway, southeastern Alaska. And, so legend has it, you'll be transported to an otherworldly realm too. Red Onion was once a bordello, as well as a drinking hole, and it's said that the ghost of a former brothel worker, Lydia, wanders the property today. For an extra dose of history, there's a Brothel Museum here too.
There's a haunted hotel in pretty much every state and, in Arizona, it's the Jerome Grand that harbours the most ghosts and ghouls. Not surprising when you consider that it began life as a hospital in a thriving copper mining town. Ghost-hunting TV crews have descended on the property and come away with tales of active spirits – in particular, spectral nurses who take issue with the venue's property being moved around.
Another lodging with ghostly residents, Eureka Springs' Crescent Hotel is often dubbed the most haunted in all of America. It was held up as one of the finest properties in the country when it opened in 1886 but, when the hotel fell on hard times, it was bought by pseudo cancer doctor Norman Baker, whose fruitless 'treatments' left many suffering with the disease to die here. The Crescent is once again a ritzy hotel but it's said that those deceased still wander the halls – you can join a tour that goes in search of the hotel's spectral guests.
Mystery by name and mystery by nature, this sprawling pile was built over decades by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Wirt Winchester, who invented the Winchester rifle. Many believe her building extravaganza, which saw a simple farmhouse transform into a seven-storey mansion, was brought on as a way to escape vengeful spirits killed by her late husband’s invention. The myths and mysteries are unravelled on guided tours of the property.
No haunted hotel is more famous than The Stanley, the inspiration for Stephen King's classic horror novel The Shining. Some rooms are said to get more supernatural visitors than others, most notably Room 217, where King himself stayed. Among the rumoured spirits are the Stanleys, the previous owners of the famed hotel, and Elizabeth Wilson, a chambermaid who was electrocuted here and later died. The hotel embraces its eerie reputation and whisks guests on creepy expeditions like The Stanley Hotel Spirited Night Tour.
"A house with a heart and a soul" – that's how the home of late writer Mark Twain, or Samuel Clemens, is described. Rumour has it, it's also a house with a ghost or two. Twain lived in the High Gothic Hartford home between 1874 and 1891, and some think he never left. Visitors have reported the smell of cigar smoke wafting through the halls (Twain was a smoker), plus other mysterious spectres including the ghostly image of a woman in white.
Only a small handful of early colonial buildings remain in the city of New Castle, and among them is Amstel House, which dates to the 1730s. Spirits and spectres wouldn't look out of place in this red-brick Georgian mansion, with its elaborate central hallway and period finishes. And several unknown ghosts are said to walk between these walls. Some say one is the spirit of Anna Dorothea, daughter of the home's former owner Dr John Finney.
Centuries-old mansions are perfect fodder for ghost stories – and the Deering Estate, former home of industrialist Charles Deering, apparently has a whole roster of eerie residents. The 1920s-era property remained in the Deering family for decades and, in more recent years, ghost-hunting teams have made recordings of supernatural voices echoing about the place. Now ghost tours take curious visitors on their own hunt for the paranormal.
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The city of Savannah is as haunted as they come, with inns, restaurants and cemeteries all claiming to harbour supernatural beings. Few places are more likely to make your hair stand on end than The Pirates' House, though. The restaurant and tavern is often tipped as the oldest building in Georgia (dating right back to the 1750s), so it's little surprise that it has a long history of hauntings too. Staff tell tales of ghostly sailors floating between tables, their moans echoing up from tunnels below.
The Aloha State is not somewhere readily associated with ghosts and ghouls – but Honolulu's Moana Surfrider hotel is a definite exception. Jane Stanford, co-founder of prestigious Stanford University, sadly died here under mysterious circumstances in 1905. It's thought that she was poisoned with strychnine – and it's also thought that she never left. Guests and staff say they've seen her roaming about the hotel after dark, as if looking for something lost.
What's more terrifying than regular ghosts? The ghosts of hardened criminals incarcerated for decades. That's reportedly who roams about the Old Idaho Penitentiary, a fearsome prison that first opened back in 1872 and has found its way onto plenty of ghostly reality shows since. Among the spectral inmates is Raymond Allen Snowden, known as "Idaho's Jack the Ripper" – he was executed here in the 1950s.
There's a particular otherworldly resident that has guests talking at the Congress Plaza Hotel. It's said to be haunted by none other than notorious Chicagoland gangster Al Capone and visitors are convinced they've seen him sauntering about the halls. The glamorous 19th-century hotel – which is still as ritzy as ever – is also said to play host to the spirit of a worker who died during the property's construction.
The list of ghostly residents at the French Lick Springs Hotel is as lengthy as its history. The hotel has welcomed affluent guests from 1845 (although the current structure dates to 1901), who came to bathe in the area's healing sulphur springs. While the spa is as big an attraction as ever, the property's supernatural reputation earns it some visitors too. It's said to be haunted by a deceased bellhop, as well as one-time owner Thomas Taggart, whose tobacco smoke can purportedly be smelled about the place.
Only a trio of so-called "squirrel cage jails" (jails with a unique rotating design) survive today and the most famous among them is in Council Bluffs, also known as the Pottawattamie Jailhouse. It was built in 1885 and remained in use right up until the 1960s. Today it's open to the public and apparently still home to some ghostly prisoners, whose footsteps and whispers can be heard. It's so spine-chilling that it's earned a place on Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places.
If you were asked to imagine a haunted house, you might dream up something a bit like this: Sallie House is all peeling white paint and striking gables, and it's filled with creepy curios like toy dolls. It's named for a little girl called Sallie, who sadly died of appendicitis here when the house was home to a physician. Since then, there have been reports of malevolent spirits haunting the place. Visitors have reported unexplained scratches on their bodies, as well as moving furniture, coldness and contact to the skin.
Tudor-style Waverly Hills Sanatorium should be on every "haunted America" list. It's often tipped as "one of the most haunted places on Earth" – not altogether surprising given its history as a hospital for tuberculosis patients and as a care centre for the elderly. The whole place will give you chills, but it's said that Room 502 is particularly prone to paranormal activity. It's thought to harbour the spirits of several nurses who died here over the years.
The Big Easy is another city known for going bump in the night. And between the creepy cemeteries and the haunted hotels, there's Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, an old bar with roots in the 1700s that's often dubbed the world's most haunted. Once serving as a bolthole for pirates, it's still said to be home to one of the most famous pirates of all – the spirit of French-born Jean Lafitte, who had a warehouse in NOLA, reportedly roams here.
This Baltimore hotel is also home to some ghostly mariners. The Fells Point property started out as an anchorage and it's said that some of the resident sailors never left. Guests have reported seeing the spirits of seafarers drifting about the place, which is now a trendy boutique hotel. You can investigate for yourself on one of the hotel's ghost tours.
Any true crime buff will have heard of Lizzie Borden: the young girl accused of brutally murdering her family with an axe in the 1890s. Lizzie was acquitted of the murders but her legend lives on, and so too does the house where the killings took place. Unsurprisingly, the house is said to be filled with spirits and visitors can seek them out on guided ghost tours or even during an overnight stay.
This elegant restaurant was once the home of wealthy lumber baron David Whitney Jr and also has a former life as a tuberculosis hospice. While it's now the domain of diners rather than doctors, the house is still thought to harbour spirits from yesteryear, with images appearing in windows and lifts operating on their own. A Paranormal Dinner Tour is the best way to peel back the supernatural skin of this place.
Mounds Theatre has been going strong for almost a century. Originally a venue for silent movies, today it's a space for live music, theatre plays and, apparently, a ghost or two. Rumoured apparitions include those of an usher wandering the rows and a little girl ghost who glides about the stage with a bouncy ball.
Named as Vicksburg's most haunted mansion, McRaven House was built in 1797 and was the home of highwayman Andrew Glass, who would mug people along the Natchez Trace. The house was added to by later residents over the years, so much so that it's become known as a "time capsule of the South". The ghosts of some former residents are thought to linger too. They include Mary Elizabeth Howard (the wife of 1830s owner Sheriff Stephen Howard) who died in childbirth here.
This one's bound to make your teeth chatter. Beattie Mansion – also ominously known as "the house on the hill" – dates back to 1854, when it was built for banker Armstrong Beattie and his wife Eliza. When the couple died suddenly a few decades later, the house became a shelter for the homeless, and later a home for the mentally ill. Many souls passed through these doors and it's thought that many remain. The most prominent is Eliza Beattie herself, who apparently hovers about the second floor. The basement and kitchen are also purportedly haunted and it's possible to stay the night here and experience the chills for yourself.
The castle-like exterior of formidable Old Montana Prison hints at the macabre world within. It first took prisoners in the 1870s and overcrowding soon created abhorrent conditions, while riots in the 1950s led to the murder of a warden. Now tours and overnight stays let visitors explore the most haunted parts of the prison. Ghost hunters have reported feeling an unexplained presence, hearing footsteps and seeing shadowy figures dart between the cells.
Take a four-storey building, fill up two levels with the most haunted objects in the world and you've got the Museum of Shadows (unsurprisingly known as the most haunted museum in the world). Visitors can pore over some 3,000 eerie artefacts, from creepy dolls and puppets to real human skulls. While exploring, guests have reported seeing spirits flit between the displays and even being physically touched by an unknown presence.
It's said that the spirit of the Lady In Red – an ill-fated woman murdered by her lover – haunts the halls of this ritzy Nevada hotel. You needn't fear her though: she's purported to be a friendly ghost, who leaves pearls on the pillows of her favourite guests. When guests aren't seeking out the supernatural, they can enjoy the lavish amenities of this 1907 hotel, with its jewel-toned suites and plush dining areas.
It's not hard to imagine that a crumbling and abandoned estate might be riddled with ghosts and ghouls. Take Kimball Castle, for example – the one-time summer residence of railroad tycoon Benjamin Ames Kimball, built in the 1890s. It's no stranger to paranormal investigators, who come to check out reports of ghostly shadows and whisperings. It's no longer safe to enter, but visitors can stay overnight at the Innkeeper's Cottage.
It's a classic ghost story: a wealthy man builds a house for his beloved wife, who never leaves, even in the afterlife. That's supposedly true of German merchant Abraham Staab and his late wife Julia. Staab built this French Second Empire-style house (now a hotel) for Julia back in 1882, and she eventually died in 1896. Her ghost has reportedly been seen on multiple occasions since (particularly in her former bedroom, now suite 100) and today The Julia Staab American Ghost Package is designed to let guests get up close to the late lady of the house. You can head to the bar for a “Juliarita” margarita too.
New York City has more ghostly buildings than you can shake a sage stick at, but the Morris-Jumel Mansion is purportedly among the most haunted. It's had many roles over the years, serving as a private residence for English Colonel Roger Morris and, later, wealthy merchant Stephen Jumel, as well as a headquarters during the American Revolutionary War. Now it's best known as a haunted, historic house, that still plays host to the spirits of former residents. Visitors can explore the corridors by candlelight or take part in an organised paranormal investigation.
Asheville's Omni Grove Park Inn has plenty going for it: an epic location in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a lavish spa and a long history of famous guests, including a string of presidents. But the spirit of the mysterious Pink Lady is another thing that keeps guests interested. She's said to have roamed the place since the 1920s, after she died falling from the Palm Court Atrium. She's named for her vivid pink ballgown and, for the best chance of spotting her, you should book into room 545.
With a long history comes even more chance of ghostly goings-on and that's certainly true of North Dakota's oldest hotel, built in 1884. The hotel, which famously hosted Theodore Roosevelt, is also apparently home to the ghost of a little boy. His identity remains a mystery, but he makes himself known by giggling and flushing toilets on the uppermost floor.
From staff to inmates, many fated souls died within the walls of the formidable Ohio State Reformatory, which opened in the 1880s. Today it's abandoned by the living, but apparently haunted by the dead: visitors report hearing whispers of spirits, likely those of the inmates that passed away while incarcerated, and you can follow in their footsteps on guided tours. The place is also well-known as the location for prison movie The Shawshank Redemption.
One very persistent ghost is said to haunt Fort Washita, a one-time US military outpost dating back to 1842. It's said to be the stomping ground of a spirit nicknamed Aunt Jane, who was violently murdered by thieves after she refused to reveal where her cash was hidden. Her remains were buried here and locals believe that her spirit haunts the place. Legend has it, she's been known to possess unsuspecting visitors too.
A notoriously intimidating prison that's been abandoned for decades seems a ripe breeding ground for spirits – so it's no wonder that folks believe Eastern State Pen is haunted. The mouldering cell blocks date back to 1829, when they held some of America's most dangerous criminals. Today it's thought that the spirits of some unlucky prisoners linger on within the deserted walls. Book an after-dark tour for an extra spooky experience.
The White Horse Tavern is known as the oldest tavern in America, so it should come as little surprise that it's also purported to be haunted. Its history stretches right back to 1673, when it was predominantly a courthouse, and ghosts have apparently risen from across the centuries. Among the known apparitions is an elderly gentleman and a ghostly sailor who apparently died here.
Charleston is so charming that it's apparently impossible to leave, even in the afterlife. And the city's ghostly residents are said to favour 20 South Battery, a hotel considered one of the most haunted places in the South. It was first built as a private residence in 1843 and was ravaged during the Civil War years. But it was restored to its former glory and now apparently plays host to both ghostly and human guests. Among them is the so-called "Gentleman Ghost", a gentle apparition manifesting as a grey shadow.
Proudly tipping itself as "Deadwood's first and finest hotel", the Bullock has more than a century's worth of ghost stories that visitors love to unravel. It was built in 1895 and named after Sheriff Seth Bullock, who purportedly still haunts the halls. Guests report objects moving of their own accord and feeling a peculiar presence along the hallways of the second and third floors. These haunting tales earned the hotel a place on long-running TV show Unsolved Mysteries.
An eerie cavern with a resident witch sounds just about as creepy as a place could get – and that's exactly what the Bell Witch Cave is purported to be. In the 19th century, the Bell family were reportedly harassed by an angry witch, who even went as far as pinching and scratching them, and legend has it her presence lingers on. Visitors to the site can usually take a peek at the cave and also explore a recreation of the Bell's home.
Given the bloodshed that this historic landmark witnessed, it's no surprise that it's thought to be haunted. The 1836 Battle of the Alamo saw hundreds of Texans slaughtered as Mexicans captured the fort. It's said some of their spirits still remain here, with visitors reporting strange shapes and even hearing the cries of the departed soldiers.
Ogden is a town renowned for its raucous past and nowhere was more rough and ready than the Bigelow Hotel, built in 1927. It was renowned for smuggling and sordid deeds and, so the story goes, a few ghosts have stuck around to continue the debauchery. Guests have reported experiencing lifts with a mind entirely of their own, as well as hearing voices and seeing ghosts.
As is often the case with the spookiest spots, The Old Stagecoach Inn has had many guises in its time, from a tavern and a stagecoach stop, to a private home. Now the 1826 property is a bed and breakfast, and apparently the vacancies aren't just for living guests. The furniture allegedly moves of its own accord here and it's put down to a spectral resident, thought to be a woman with grey hair who has been known to answer the door to travellers.
A number of high-flying ghosts are said to haunt the George Wythe House, an 18th-century mansion that belonged to its namesake attorney. Among them is George Wythe himself, whose 1806 death remains something of a mystery. Another upper-class ghost is Lady Skipwith, a former guest of the Wythe mansion with a penchant for floating up and down the stairs.
This Irish bolthole in Seattle has often been named as the most haunted pub in America. Not too much of a shock when you consider that it was built over a 20th-century mortuary. Bar staff have reported all kinds of strange goings-on over the years, from mirrors smashing out of nowhere to physical apparitions.
There's something especially creepy about a once vibrant theme park left to languish and Lake Shawnee Amusement Park is bound to give you goosebumps. It's got a chequered past dating back to the 18th century, when white settlers and indigenous people were murdered in a vicious land feud. The park didn't open until much later, in the 1920s, but the luck of the land didn't change. Multiple deaths and accidents led to its ultimate abandonment in the 1960s. Now the creaking, deserted rides act as a backdrop for ghost hunts and the annual Dark Carnival event.
This Milwaukee mansion is filled with swish suites, antiques and – legend has it – a spirit or two. It dates back to 1910 (with a stint as a speakeasy) and has attracted plenty of ghost hunters in its time, many of which have reported palpable supernatural activity. Paranormal investigators tell tales of a woman in Victorian dress floating about the place, eerie organ music and the spirit of a man in the basement.
A whole string of Wild West figures have spent some time in the Historic Occidental Hotel, from Buffalo Bill to Calamity Jane. And, apparently, one Old West-era guest has set up camp here for good. The best-known ghost here is nicknamed Emily, the daughter of a lady of the night who operated within the hotel. It's said that Emily died of cholera at the turn of the century and she never left, choosing to spend the afterlife spooking living guests by tapping them on the shoulder or messing with their clothes.