These spooky small towns are guaranteed to make your blood run cold!
What are you thinking about when you hear “small town”? Most people imagine a nice, scenic place with a couple of streets and a slow pace of life. Yes, we have a lot of towns like these around the country, and they are becoming a popular destination for travelers, but when you want to visit something that feels more special, where do you go?
Depending on what you are looking for, we have prepared a list of some spooky small towns that are perfect for those who want to visit new places this Halloween. These locations have some of the eeriest stories and will give you a bone-chilling experience.
Now, please don’t get us wrong, people still live in most of these towns, and you have plenty of activities to do, but they also have this paranormal twist that will make your Halloween vacation special.
Here are our favorite spooky small U.S. towns. Which one would you like to visit the most?
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
This town has a very rich history, and this makes it a popular spot for those interested in finding out more about the Civil War. Here took place the Battle of Gettysburg, and still today this is one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts ever registered on these grounds.
The battle lasted for a short time, just three days (July 1 to July 3, 1863), but the aftermath is something we are still talking about today. Almost 51,000 people lost their lives here, and as you would expect, they needed a burial place.
Their families requested one, and this is how the Gettysburg National Cemetery was built. President Abraham Lincoln himself delivered the famous Gettysburg Address in 1864.
But when a tragedy like this takes place, this is how ghost stories are born. If you want to visit a spooky place then this is the perfect spot for you. Those who visited this battlefield gave us countless reports of paranormal activity, so you can be sure that this is a whole experience on its own.
People who had such encounters mentioned seeing soldiers floating around on the grounds of the cemetery or hearing the sound of muskets being fired or battle drums.
Alton, Illinois
It’s said that not much happens in Illinois, but is this true? Alton is a town that is found approximately 30 miles north of St. Louis and has a place of honor among the spooky small towns of America.
Again, this is a town that has a lot of history, and as a result, there are many eerie tales that are waiting to be discovered. If you remember the popular TV shows Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters, you probably know that film crews found this town interesting, and it became a part of the plot.
There are more haunted places in Alton, but the most popular one is the McPike Mansion, a Victorian residence constructed in 1869 that rises atop Mount Lookout and overlooks Alton. The original owner, Henry McPike, used to be the mayor of this town, and he lived inside the mansion until his death in 1910.
Following this, the mansion was used as a boarding house and the site of the Browns Business College. Unfortunately, since the 1950s, the house has been abandoned. The once marvelous building was targeted by thieves and vandals, and its 11 marble fireplaces and the carved banister were destroyed.
Those who dared to explore the McPike Mansion reported seeing the former owner and his family and also the people who used to work there. The cellar is the hotspot for spooky activities with strange apparitions and cold spots.
Salem, Massachusetts
If you are a fan of spooky locations, you surely know about Salem. Even if you aren’t attracted to strange stories, Salem is still a very popular location when it comes to ghosts and paranormal.
Now, calling Salem a small town is not quite accurate since this is a city, but we can’t make a list of spooky locations without including it. This city has a dark history that will always be tied to the infamous witch trials, which took place between 1692 and 1693.
It all started when two young girls, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, acted stranger than usual, and this was considered to be a clear indicator that they were possessed by the devil. They were accused of witchcraft, and it all escalated, leading to a mass panic that culminated with the hanging of 19 people, the tragic death of Giles Corey, and others dying while in custody.
Today, this tragic past leaves us with a bunch of historical places that attract thousands of visitors seeking a spooky experience. As you would expect, the most haunted location is by far the Proctor’s Ledge.
This is where the hangings took place. Rumors say that the spirits are still active in this place. Visitors report strange sensations and unexplained occurrences as if the ghosts of those who were wrongfully executed want their revenge.
Then we have the Burying Point Cemetery. This is the oldest cemetery in Salem and also the resting place of Judge John Hathorne. He is the one responsible for sending those innocent people to their deaths. Some say that his spirit still lingers around.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
This is a village located 30 miles north of New York City, and it became famous due to the short story of Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” This spooky tale is a classic in American folklore and presents us with the story of the unfortunate Ichabod Crane, who is chased by the Headless Horseman.
There are many who support that the tale was inspired by local legends, one of them being about a Hessian soldier who was beheaded by a cannonball during the American Revolution. It’s said that he is still roaming around the village on his horse, searching for his head.
One of the favorite spots is the Old Dutch Church. Just by looking at it, you can say it might be haunted. It dates way back to the colonial era and is a stone building, and the legend says that the Headless Horseman haunts the churchyard. This is his resting place, but near the church, you can find the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where there are more than 45,000 people buried, most of them former residents of the village and soldiers.
But if you are planning a trip to Sleepy Hollow, you can’t miss the Headless Horseman Bridge. This is the exact place where Ichabod Crane encountered the terrifying apparition, as the stories say.
What do you think about these locations? Have you visited any of them before? If yes, have you encountered any ghosts? Tell us your stories in the comments! Have a spooky Halloween!
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