When we were kids we used to be so easily frightened by the supernatural concept, scary movies, and creepy buildings (for me, not much has changed). Now growing up, things may be different, that in case you don’t live in the U.S.
The U.S. is the land of all possibilities, and it is also the land with the most ghost encounters and haunted places in the world. From eerie sightings to chilling whisperers these 15 places will definitely make you a believer.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, these places are more than scary, and we wouldn’t dare to set foot in them… EVER:
1. Bonaventure Cemetery, Georgia
This cemetery in general has a spooky appearance, which makes us think from the beginning that it’s haunted. Many historic figures are buried here such as Johnny Mercer, Conrad Aiken, and Gracie Watson. Gracie Watson died when she was only 6 years old, and her grave is accompanied by a life-size statue.
Visitors leave many toys by her grave and some of them have even claimed to have seen her by it. They’ve heard crying babies and barking dogs. They even swear they saw the statue smiling at them.
2. Bodie, California
This is a one-of-a-kind town if you can even call it that. You only see in movies this type of ghost town.
Bodie was once a town with more than 10,000 residents, but now it is only a State Historic Park. Some parts of the town haven’t been touched, everything was left as it was found and there’s a famous legend that says that if any visitor takes anything, they will be cursed.
By the looks of it, you would want to take their word for it.
3. Calcasieu Courthouse, Louisiana
We know what you must be thinking: ”What? A courthouse?!”. Yes, it sounds strange and it’s about to get stranger as it holds an interesting myth behind it.
There’s an old story that mentions how in the 1940s, Toni Jo Henry, a former s*x worker, murdered a man. She was on trial and later executed. She is believed to still haunt the building and mess with the employees, by making their lives harder.
Well, if this story isn’t the literal definition of holding a grudge, I don’t know what it is.
4. Cahawba, Alabama
Cahawba is a very popular town in the U.S. and you probably heard of it as well, and that’s for good reason.
This is the most famous ghost town in the state, it is famous for its ghost tours and supernatural sightings. The small town was abandoned shortly after the Civil War. There’s a story circulating regarding colonel C.C. Pegues’s house, many people have witnessed a luminous floating orb in his garden.
If you happen to visit Cahawba, make sure you take a ghost tour and keep your eyes wide open, you may catch a glimpse of the orb.
5. Crescent Hotel, Arkansas
A haunted hotel? SO original! Like there aren’t other 100 hotels in the U.S. hosting ghosts and spirits.
The history of this hotel is quite odd. It was a resort, a conservatory for young women, junior college, but the strangest time was when a very rich man bought it and transformed it into a facility that cures cancer. The man posed as a doctor even though he had no knowledge of the field.
The hotel is believed to be haunted by eight ghosts, including a little girl dressed in Victorian clothes (of course it had to be a little girl dressed in vintage clothes).
6. Dock Street Theatre, South Carolina
Don’t let the colorful and somehow friendly appearance trick you, the theatre has a spooky reputation.
The theatre is located in South Carolina and is also one of the most haunted ones in the whole country. One of the scariest ghosts is the ghost of Nettie Dickerson, who is believed to have been struck by lightning when she was standing on the hotel’s balcony.
Many people have claimed to see her shadow.
7. The Driskill Hotel, Texas
Wait, what? A hotel? How groundbreaking! But leaving all jokes aside, the hotel is located in Austin Texas, and just like the previous location, it’s amazing and grand will take your breath away (if the spirits don’t do it first!).
This beautiful modern hotel is a true masterpiece and is also a meeting spot for ghosts. Over the years, tourists said to have heard odd sounds and ghostly sightings. We don’t blame the undead for liking hotels so much, we wouldn’t leave either!
8. Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania
This is another haunted place that has a dark past. This prison was famous for how badly the inmates were punished by the guards. The building was closed in 1914 for being too crowded and it was reopened in the ’70s again.
However, the torture aspect never changed, making this place one of the most haunted in the States. Now, it is open for ghost tours and visitors. There have been several ghostly events reported such as demonic laughter, footsteps, and so on.
9. Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii
Not exactly what we had in mind when we thought about haunted places, to be honest. Apparently, there’s a resident ghost in there, a blonde woman dressed in a white gown and walking in areas that are off-limits.
The legend of this ghost is that a woman fell in love with a man, who promised to marry her, but instead, he left her at the gate and the story says she still waits for him to return. We have to say this: what kind of a man does that to a poor woman?!
10. The Mark Twain House, Connecticut
The historic and famous landmark is now a museum that displays the works at the house of the author. However, a lot of people are saying they have encountered paranormal events. The most haunted room in the house is believed to be the billiard room, where Twain used to smoke cigars.
Some people claim they can even sense the smoke coming through the walls. Can it be the iconic writer enjoying his cigars like he used to back in the day? Or is it just some side effect from bad foundation? We will never know.
11. Ohio State Reformatory, Ohio
The reformatory is famous for many things: its Gothic appearance, the 6 block construction, and the fact that it was used to film the famous movie, The Shawshank Redemption. There’s some sort of irony here because before the movie was shot, the prison was closed for inhumane conditions and overcrowding.
An estimated 200 people died there. There are several ghost stories that give us chills regarding the place, and many brave people have tried investigating the place or take part in tours.
Now taking into consideration the bad treatment (to say the least), and the conditions they were forced to live under, we don’t blame the inmates for haunting the halls of this building.
12. Pittock Mansion, Oregon
The beautiful mansion was constructed in 1909, by a couple who sought to live the rest of their lives in this beautiful mansion. Unfortunately, they only got to live their dream for a couple of years before they passed away.
Nowadays, the building is a public landmark, and tourists often report some strange incidents such as a powerful smell of roses in a room with no flowers (roses were the wife’s favorite) and a painting of the husband, often moving around.
13. Red Onion Saloon, Alaska
Just like with the courthouse, this is yet a rather strange place to encounter the supernatural.
Ghosts get pickier and pickier nowadays, don’t they? Back in the day, when the Red Onion Saloon in Alaska was established in the 1800s, it was a brothel for miners. In the present, the place is a museum, and according to its visitors, some ghosts are haunting the site to this day.
The most common story is about the madam of the brothel, leaving behind perfume and spooking the tourists.
14. San Fernando Cathedral, Texas
The San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest one in the state, but there are some not-so-angelic stories surrounding the holy place. In 1936, when the cathedral was subjected to renovation, the construction workers found some bones, nails, and military uniforms near the altar.
Since the discovery was made people have witnessed shadowy figures, ghostly appearances in their photos and so many more off and unexplainable events. The terrifying thing about these spooky figures is the fact that most of them look cloaked or dressed in black.
15. Sheffield Island Lighthouse, Connecticut
The lighthouse was built as a way to help ships reach safely Sheffield Island safely. But there have been some strange occurrences. In the ’70s the keeper died in strange circumstances and his death was never explained.
Also, in the ’90s, an archeologist was doing some work on a historic site and encountered some odd things such as cries for help, music coming from the shore, and the sound of a foghorn. A lot of people seem to believe the sounds come from Captain Robert Sheffield, the one who purchased the island in the 1800s.
If you know about any more haunted places in the U.S. feel free to add them down below in the comments.
P.S.: I think there’s something about most historical cities that makes them a little bit creepy… Don’t you think?
