It’s no wonder that we have so many haunted
places in the U.S. given our history of war, disease, slavery, mining, and
other notable traumas throughout the years.
Though hunting for paranormal activity happens all throughout
the year, there’s something about the Halloween season that brings a more
chilling and spine-tingling experience to the forefront in some of our most
haunted cities where restless spirits have never left.
Bodie, CA
Lawlessness and violence were at its peak in the late 1800s
in this once-booming Gold Rush Town. Many miners died in cave-ins, explosions
and other tragic mishaps and the brutal winter of 1878-1879 claimed hundreds of
lives due to exposure and disease.
Unexplained phenomena in this abandoned ghost town stuck in
time include the Lady in White, said to haunt the cemetery searching for her
lost child, Tall Man, wandering the streets at night and believed to have been
a miner who died in an accident, the spirit of a child who died in a fire, and
piano music coming from empty buildings.
Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, S.C. (Photo Credit: Noreen Kompanik)
Charleston, SC
Known for its cobblestone streets, antebellum architecture and
Southern charm, Charleston is also considered one of the most haunted cities in
America. Underneath its romantic appeal, there lies a chilling legacy shaped by
centuries of war, tragedy, slavery and epidemics.
Some of the most haunted places in Charleston are the Old
City Jail, Room 8 and 10 at the Battery Carriage House Inn, the John Rutledge
House, Poogan’s Porch Restaurant, the Angel Oak Tree, Blind Tiger Pub, a Prohibition-era
speakeasy, Dock Street Theatre, Fort Sumpter and the Old Exchange and Provost
Dungeon.
Gettysburg National Military Park. (Photo via Soaptree / Flickr / Creative Commons)
Gettysburg, PA
It’s no wonder that Gettysburg is considered eerily haunted
due to the infamous Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 that resulted in over 51,000
casualties during the Civil War.
Other than numerous reported visual apparitions such as
ghosts of soldiers on the battlefield itself, the town, other places in town such
as Devil’s Den, Sachs Covered Bridge, Tillie Pierce House Inn and Daniel Lady
Farm are hotspots for ghostly encounters.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans (Photo Credit: Noreen Kompanik)
New Orleans, LA
By paranormal standards, NOLA wins the top haunted award as the
city is steeped in tragedy, voodoo and vampire legends. With its history of
slavery and violence, yellow fever epidemics and natural disasters, you’ll find
ghostly figures everywhere.
Some of its most haunted locations include St. Louis
Cemetery No. 1, the resting place of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, LaLaurie
Mansion, home to the horrific torture and treatment of enslaved people, Lafitte’s
Blacksmith Shop, one of the oldest bars in the U.S., Pirate’s Alley, The Old
Absinthe House, Bourbon Orleans Hotel, and many others.
Philadelphia, PA
Surrounded by almost 400 years of history, Philadelphia is
packed with ghost stories, tragic tales and eerie landmarks that attract
paranormal enthusiasts from around the world.
One of the most notorious prisons in America, creepy Eastern
State Penitentiary is renowned for its solitary confinement practices and harsh
punishments. Now a museum and haunted attraction, the prison reports ghostly
faces, shadowy figures, eerie laughter and cell doors slamming shut on their
own.
Other legendary sites include the Betsy Ross House, Christ
Church Burial Ground, the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin, Washington
Square and Elfreth’s Alley, America’s oldest residential street where visitors
have reported orbs, apparitions and choking sensations.
PHOTO: Cell Block 14, Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia. (photo via Flickr/William Doyle)
Portland, OR
The city known for its craft beer and artsy vibes is also a
top destination for paranormal experts with a long list of historic buildings
with ghostly legends.
Beneath the city, a network of Shanghai Tunnels was once
used to kidnap and smuggle sailors and laborers onto ships —a practice known as
“shanghaiing.” Many believe the spirits of those who suffered still
linger, as evidenced by reported cold spots, disembodied voices and shadowing
figures. Two hotels, the Heathman and Benson and two theaters, the Bagdad and
Roseland are also linked to ghostly apparitions, along with the White Eagle
Saloon and Lone Fir Cemetery.
The Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts. (Photo Credit: Wangkun Jia / Adobe Stock)
Salem, MA
Best known for the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, a dark and
dramatic chapter in American history, the town is notorious as 200 town residents
were accused of witchcraft and 19 were hanged.
Today, the spirits of the departed still remain in places
like The Witch House with direct ties to the trials, the Joshua Ward House,
House of Seven Gables, Old Burying Point and Howard Street Cemeteries and
Proctor’s Ledge believed to be the actual site of the hangings. Visitors report
eerie sensations, shadowy figures, cold spots, ghostly whispers and mysterious
happenings.
San Antonio, TX
Home to the Battle of the Alamo which led to thousands of
casualties in 1836, this Southwestern city is also home to lingering souls and
eerie legends. Many believe the spirits of fallen soldiers still roam the
grounds of the Alamo.
The Emily Morgan Hotel, once a medical facility, psychiatric
ward and morgue is reportedly known for its ghostly hospital scenes, phantom
touches and elevators that run at will.
One of the many squares rumored to be haunted in Savannah, Georgia. (photo via Savannah Underground: An Immersive Ghost Hunt) (Photo Credit: (photo via Savannah Underground: An Immersive Ghost Hunt))
Savannah, GA
Southern Gothic-charmed Savannah is one of the oldest cities
in the U.S. and ranked among the most haunted places in the country. Spirits
that never fully left the earthly realm haunt historic places such as the Mercer-Williams
House (made famous by the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), the Andrew
Low House, and a spooky stretch of sealed off tunnels known as Factors Walk.
The Marshall House is known as one of the most haunted
hotels in the U.S. because of its history as a hospital during the Civil War
and yellow fever epidemics. Guest have reported seeing apparitions in hallways,
hearing ghost children running down the halls at night, unexplained noises and
faucets turning on by themselves.
St. Augustine, GA
The nation’s oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city
has its share of ghost sightings and paranormal activities making it one of
America’s most haunted destinations.
At Castillo de San Marcos historic fort, visitors have
reported seeing apparitions and experience cold spots. The Old Jail, infamous
for its inhumane conditions and prisoner executions has experienced rattling
chains, heavy footsteps and mournful moans. Flagler College is said to be
haunted by the spirit of Henry Flagler’s mistress and Tolomato Cemetery is
known for its lurking shadows and whispers among the gravesites.
The Castillo de San Marcos at sunrise, St Augustine, Florida. (Photo Credit: Tom Dorsz / Adobe Stock)
Washington D.C.
Our nation’s capital is steeped in history that includes the
darker side of its storied past with layers of calamity and turmoil given its
military battles, duels, assassinations and untimely deaths.
The U.S. Capitol is said to be haunted by Revolutionary War
officers, former lawmakers and a mysterious demon cat that seems to appear
before national tragedies. The White House is reportedly haunted by Abraham
Lincoln, Grace Coolidge, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill. The National Theatre
is often frequented by actor John McCullough, murdered in the 1880s, while The
Octagon House is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Washington,
D.C. with ghostly sightings of its builder, Colonel Tayloe’s daughters and slaves
who once lived there.
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