Eastern State Penitentiary
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, Eastern State Penitentiary housed notorious criminals like Al Capone. The crumbling cellblocks are now home to shadow figures, disembodied voices, and the restless ghosts of former inmates. Visitors report being touched by unseen hands and hearing ghostly cackling laughter echoing through the haunted halls.
RMS Queen Mary
Long Beach, California
This retired ocean liner is considered one of the most haunted ships in the world. The ghost of John Pedder, crushed by Door 13 in the engine room, still roams the lower decks. Guests report children's ghostly laughter in the pool area, phantom knocking, and the ghost of the Lady in White dancing in the Queen's Salon.
The Stanley Hotel
Estes Park, Colorado
Stephen King's inspiration for "The Shining," this grand hotel is famous for its paranormal activity. Room 217 is the epicenter of supernatural occurrences, where guests report unpacked luggage and ghostly piano music from empty ballrooms. Children's ghostly laughter echoes through the halls, and the ghost of F.O. Stanley himself still checks on his guests.
Bell Witch Cave
Adams, Tennessee
Home to America's greatest ghost story, the Bell Witch terrorized the Bell family in the early 1800s. The malevolent ghost entity was so powerful it allegedly killed John Bell and continues to torment visitors in the cave. People experience physical attacks from the ghost, disembodied voices, and an overwhelming sense of dread in this limestone cavern.
Ohio State Reformatory
Mansfield, Ohio
Featured in "The Shawshank Redemption," this Gothic prison operated from 1886-1990 and housed some of Ohio's most violent criminals. The ghost of the warden's wife, who died from pneumonia after an accidental shooting, still roams the administrative wing. Visitors encounter aggressive inmate ghosts, shadow figures, and unexplained cold spots throughout the cellblocks.
The Sallie House
Atchison, Kansas
This ordinary-looking house is considered one of America's most violently haunted locations. The ghost of 6-year-old Sallie, who died during a botched appendectomy, creates chaos alongside darker ghost entities. Residents have experienced physical attacks from ghosts, mysterious fires, and objects flying across rooms with deadly force.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Weston, West Virginia
This massive Gothic Revival asylum housed thousands of patients from 1864 to 1994, many subjected to brutal treatments. The spirit of a young girl named Lily plays in Ward 2, while violent ghost patients still roam the medical wing. Lobotomy victims and those who died from overcrowding create an atmosphere of despair that overwhelms sensitive visitors.
LaLaurie Mansion
New Orleans, Louisiana
Site of Madame LaLaurie's torture chamber, this French Quarter mansion witnessed unspeakable horrors in the 1830s. The screams of tortured slaves still echo through the rooms, and visitors report seeing ghost apparitions of the victims. The building has driven multiple owners away due to violent ghostly encounters and an overwhelming atmosphere of evil.
Winchester Mystery House
San Jose, California
Sarah Winchester built this bizarre mansion for 38 years to appease the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles. The house features staircases leading nowhere, doors opening to walls, and 160 rooms designed to confuse spirits. Visitors report ghostly footsteps in empty rooms, doors slamming shut, and the ghost of Sarah Winchester still overseeing construction.
Franklin Castle
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland's most haunted house was built by Hannes Tiedemann, whose family suffered multiple tragic deaths within its walls. Children's ghostly laughter echoes from empty rooms, and ghost apparitions of the Tiedemann family still roam the Victorian mansion. Secret passages and hidden rooms add to the mystery, while visitors report being pushed and touched by invisible ghostly hands.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Louisville, Kentucky
This former tuberculosis hospital treated over 63,000 patients from 1910-1961, with thousands dying within its walls. The "death tunnel" was used to secretly remove bodies, and patients report seeing shadow figures and ghosts of former TB victims. Room 502 is particularly active, where a head nurse's ghost hanged herself after contracting tuberculosis and becoming pregnant.
Bobby Mackey's Music World
Wilder, Kentucky
Built over a well that supposedly serves as a portal to Hell, this honky-tonk bar has earned the title "Hell's Gate." The ghost of Johanna, who committed suicide in the 1930s, is joined by other violent spirits including satanic cult members. Employees and patrons have been physically attacked by ghosts, with some requiring exorcisms after violent encounters.
Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, where over 50,000 soldiers died in three days. Phantom gunfire, marching ghost soldiers, and the smell of gunpowder still permeate the battlefield. Devil's Den and Little Round Top are particularly active, with visitors photographing ghost apparitions of Confederate and Union soldiers still fighting their eternal war.
Old Idaho Penitentiary
Boise, Idaho
Closed in 1973 after housing some of the West's most dangerous criminals for over 100 years. The gallows where executions took place still emanates an aura of death and despair. Violent encounters with prisoner spirits are common, with visitors reporting being grabbed, pushed, and threatened by unseen entities in the solitary confinement cells.
Alcatraz Island
San Francisco, California
"The Rock" housed America's most notorious criminals including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Cell Block D, known as "The Hole," is where the most violent spirits reside, including those who died in the 1946 escape attempt. Visitors report sudden temperature drops, cell doors slamming, and the sound of phantom prisoners still serving their eternal sentences.
Myrtles Plantation
St. Francisville, Louisiana
Known as "one of America's most haunted homes," this antebellum plantation is home to at least 12 spirits. The ghost of Chloe, a slave who was hanged for poisoning the family, still roams the grounds wearing a green turban. The haunted mirror shows handprints of the children who died from Chloe's oleander cake, and visitors report being touched by invisible hands.
Villisca Axe Murder House
Villisca, Iowa
Site of the brutal unsolved murder of the Moore family and two guests in 1912, all killed with an axe while they slept. The children's spirits still play in the upstairs bedrooms, while dark entities lurk in the basement where the killer allegedly waited. Overnight visitors experience paranormal attacks, with some requiring medical attention after encounters with the malevolent presence.
Rolling Hills Asylum
East Bethany, New York
This former poorhouse and nursing home witnessed thousands of deaths over its 150-year history. Shadow people roam the long corridors, while the spirit of Roy, a former maintenance worker, still tends to the building. The "screaming room" in the medical wing produces terrifying sounds, and visitors report being followed by unseen entities throughout the facility.
Lizzie Borden House
Fall River, Massachusetts
Site of the infamous 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden, this Victorian home now operates as a bed and breakfast. Guests report seeing the spirits of the murdered couple, with Mr. Borden appearing on his favorite sofa. Strange sounds, moving objects, and an overwhelming sense of being watched make overnight stays a terrifying experience.
St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine, Florida
The spirits of three children who drowned during the lighthouse's construction in 1873 still play on the grounds. Their laughter echoes from the tower, and visitors see them running through the keeper's house. The ghost of the lighthouse keeper continues his eternal vigil, turning lights on and off and appearing in period clothing to warn of danger.
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery
Midlothian, Illinois
This abandoned cemetery is considered one of the most haunted places in the Midwest. The White Lady, ghost of Mrs. Rogers, appears sitting on her tombstone or walking with a baby in her arms. Phantom vehicles drive down the overgrown roads, and visitors photograph hundreds of orbs and apparitions among the desecrated graves.
Pine Barrens
New Jersey
Home to the legendary Jersey Devil, this vast wilderness has been the site of supernatural encounters for over 300 years. The creature, born to Mother Leeds in 1735, still roams the pine forests with bat-like wings and a blood-curdling scream. Hikers report being stalked by an unseen presence and hearing the devil's cry echoing through the darkness.
Moundsville Penitentiary
Moundsville, West Virginia
One of America's most violent prisons, where 94 men were executed and countless others died in riots and violence. The electric chair in the execution chamber still emanates evil energy, while shadow figures patrol the cell blocks. Visitors report being touched, pushed, and threatened by the spirits of violent inmates who refuse to leave their concrete tomb.
Danvers State Hospital
Danvers, Massachusetts
Built on the site of the Salem Witch Trials, this former mental hospital pioneered the lobotomy and housed thousands of patients in horrific conditions. Though partially demolished, the remaining structures are haunted by former patients who suffered brutal treatments. Security guards report screaming from empty buildings and shadow figures moving through the abandoned wards.
Gore Orphanage
Vermilion, Ohio
The ruins of the Swift Mansion, known locally as Gore Orphanage, are said to be haunted by the children who perished in a fire. Visitors to Gore Orphanage Road report hearing children's cries, laughter, and voices calling for help from the woods. Strange lights flicker among the trees, and handprints appear on car windows of those brave enough to visit this tragic site.