Haunted Places to Visit in the United States
If there’s anything that true crime documentaries, or horror flicks with the tagline “based on a true story,” have told us, it’s that just about any creaky hotel or abandoned house can have a sordid backstory. From mysterious deaths to ancient burial grounds, there’s an opportunity to explore haunted locations no matter where you live.
In fact, lots of haunted locations are hiding in plain sight, waiting to be visited by those in the know. But be careful- poke around too much, and you might disturb more than just the dust on the floorboards.
Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, PA)
This nearly two hundred year old prison has the dubious honor of being the most haunted place in Pennsylvania, a state that has no shortage of death in its long history.
Here, prisoners were kept in completely solitary confinement. Everything from meals to exercise was done completely alone, and the prisoners were transported around the grounds with bags over their heads to ensure a complete deprivation of human contact.
Naturally, many within its walls went mad over time, tortured by their constant solitude. Once home to the most famous criminals of the day, including Al Capone, the penitentiary has now been left to slowly crumble.
Touring this magnificent, castle-like building, you’ll find yourself painfully aware of the silence and solitude that was once it’s mission statement. Yet, the sounds you might hear from within will make you wish the halls had stayed silent.
Winchester Mystery House (San Jose, CA)
It’s unknown exactly why the wealthy widow, Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, had such a fascination with expanding her home. Perhaps it was the death of her infant daughter, or of her husband who died soon after. Regardless, left alone in their eight room farmhouse, Sarah began to build the most eerily beautiful mansion in the world.
Before her death, the house grew to an astounding 24,000 square feet of twisting hallways, secret passages, and doors to nowhere. The house is a maze, doubling back on itself like a dying serpent in a series of passages that seem to follow no known architectural logic. And within those passages, some say they’ve seen Sarah herself, still endlessly wandering her bizarre palace.
Proctor’s Ledge (Salem, MA)
Salem, MA, is known worldwide for it’s witch trials. However, visitors to Salem can find themselves overwhelmed by its many tourist attractions and questionable bus tours. There’s a lot of gimmicks plastered over a town with a truly disturbing history. So where can a visitor go to find someplace truly haunting?
On the outskirts of Salem is Proctor’s Ledge, the recently confirmed site of the Salem Witch Trial executions. It’s an unassuming stand of trees, which creak in the wind, and where residents have long since reported specters lingering there in the dark.
Deadwood (Deadwood, SD)
No town holds onto its chaotic past as tightly as Deadwood, South Dakota, the site of the later exploits and eventual death of Calamity Jane and “Wild Bill,” Hickok, two of the wild west’s most infamous gunslingers.
This gold rush town’s lawless history can still be explored today on sites such as Historic Bullock Hotel and Mount Moriah Cemetery, where both outlaws are buried. Part of the Old West feels like it’s still alive when you wander it’s streets, and the cigar smoke lingers in the air longer than it should. Many people say that Deadwood’s roughest customers are still refusing to leave, even long after their deaths.