12 Haunted Houses in the US That Will Leave You Sleeping With the Lights On

Europe may have creepy castles and manors, but come to the US to find the scariest houses. From haunted cabins to ghostly mansions, these abodes will send you running in fright.

Throughout the US, there are unique haunted houses to check out. Some have giant swimming pools or gorgeous architecture. Others are famous for their undead residents.

No matter which city or town you visit, chances are, you’ll find a haunted house. Below are 12 famous haunted houses in the US.

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Old Arnold Estate, Burrillville, Rhode Island

12 Haunted Houses in the US Old Arnold Estate, Burrillville, Road Island — © Warner Bros. Pictures

If you’ve ever seen The Conjuring, you’ll be familiar with this scary house. The Old Arnold Estate is where the Perron Family was famously terrorized by a less-than-happy ghost named Bathsheba.

Like the movie, the real-life events surrounding the 1736 house were incredibly frightening. Still, the Perron family stayed in their home and almost became used to the ghosts, who, according to paranormal investigators, were the souls of over a dozen former residents.

Today, you can visit the house and experience the energy that made it so famous. Will you see something terrifying? There’s only one way to find out.

John Bell Cabin, Adams, Tennessee

12 Most Haunted Places in the US Adams, Tennessee — © Maddi Avery / Shutterstock

In the 19th century, the Bell family moved to the rural Tennessee woods. Soon after, they started experiencing horrible phenomena. Horrifying animals appeared out of the forest, apparitions attacked them physically, and they even had face-to-face meetings with the ghost. The hauntings got so severe that the ghost even killed the father, John Bell.

The ghost was supposedly the family’s former neighbor, Kate Batts. In a fit of supernatural revenge for reasons unknown, she haunted the family and drove them mad. All from the spot known locally as the Bell Witch Cave.

Today, you can tour both the cave and the cabin. Just be prepared to experience some very dark energy. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. This may be the most haunted house in America.

The Rosson House, Phoenix, Arizona

The American West is a place teaming with ghostly encounters. In the state of Arizona, the Rosson House earns a place as one of the most haunted houses in America.

This 1895 Queen Anne Victorian house was once the family home for Dr. Roland Rosson. Since then it was passed down between several owners before the city of Phoenix bought it in 1974 and turned it into a museum. Supposedly, the museum caretaker was murdered on the premises in the 1980s.

Today, the caretaker’s ghost possibly others haunts the house. Visitors and thrill seekers experience creepy phenomena such as locking doors, moving objects, and an empty fireplace that generates crackling heat.

The Ax Murder House, Villisca, Iowa

12 Most Haunted Places in the US Villisca, Iowa — © Jason McLaren / Wikimedia Commons

Would you visit a house called the Ax Murder House? Probably not, we suppose. And for good reason. The house was the site of an ax murder where an entire family was killed.

The event happened in 1912. The suspect was never caught for his heinous crimes. The six family members and two neighbor children who also died in the murder are said to haunt the house, in search of justice for their killer.

You can tour the haunted house in Villisca. Many people have reported eerie phenomena including footsteps, screams, and objects moving.

Sallie’s House, Atchison, Kansas

As haunted houses go, this may be the scariest. Sallie is a little ghost girl many people have seen living in the small 19th-century home in Atchison. As harmless as this seems, she’s likely more than the spirit of a girl.

Throughout the decades, families have reported violent hauntings and appearances from Salle. Her ghost is even turned into possessions, most famously in the 90s when the Pickman family fled in terror.

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Don’t be scared, you can visit Sallie’s house today. However, be warned. Evidence shows that Sallie may be a demon disguised as a little girl. Who wants to come and play? We sure don’t!

The Whaley House, San Diego, California

San Diego is known for its sunny beaches, Navy soldiers, comic book nerds, and on occasion, haunted places. The Whaley House is certainly one of them.

The home was built by the Whaley family in the 19th century. When the family built the house, they didn’t realize it was on the site of the city’s former gallows. This is where outlaw James “Yankee Jim” Robinson, who was charged with grand larceny, met his violent end.

Today, the house is a museum dedicated to the eerie hauntings and cool history of the house. Supposedly, several Whaley family members, their dog, and ol’ Yankee Jim himself come out to party.

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Franklin Castle, Cleveland, Ohio

Few houses in the Midwest are as frighteningly haunted as the Franklin Castle. For generations, it was passed down to different owners. However, the house was most famously home to the aristocrat Hannes Tiedemann.

After a string of family members died mysteriously, it was thought that Hannes was behind it. There have been human bones and other creepy discoveries in the house since Tiedemann passed away.

Hauntings in the house have included strange noises, footsteps, and objects closing and shutting. Although you can’t visit the haunted house, you can see it from the outside during a Cleveland ghost tour.

Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts

12 Most Haunted Places in the US Fall River, Massachusetts — © Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikimedia Commons

Lizzie Borden went to trial for murdering her parents Andrew and Abby Borden by ax in her house. She was never found guilty but continued to live her life in the creepy house until she died.

Lizzie and her slain parents are said to haunt the house. Their presence is so intense that paranormal investigators frequent the home and its current owners equipped ghost cams to the rooms.

If you’re feeling up to the challenge, the Lizzie Borden House is now a B&B where you can stay the night if you dare. Or, you can come for the day and see the house’s museum. Either way, you’ll be in for a scare.

Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California

San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House is definitely not a place you’d want to spend the night. The creepy home is owned by the Winchester family, known for manufacturing the famous Winchester rifle. According to legend, it may be the ghosts of the rifle’s victims who pay a visit to the house.

The owner, Sarah Winchester, inspired by the dead visiting the home, kept adding rooms and bathrooms to the home. It even has secret tunnels, trapped doors, and strange hallways with no exits.

You can tour the house and its dozens of rooms if you visit San Jose. Just make sure to not get lost inside the labyrinth of a home.

House of Death, New York, New York

In the neighborhood of Greenwich Village, one house stands out above the rest for spooky phenomena. The house, nicknamed the House of Death, is supposedly haunted by two dozen spirits, some of them angrier than a NYC cab driver during rush hour.

On top of being haunted, the house is historical. It was once the usual haunt of novelist Mark Twain while he was alive.

Today, people still live in the house. You can see it from the street, but know that the people living inside are having some ghostly encounters.

Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts, is continuously visited by paranormal investigators — including those meddling kids and their dog — for being haunted. It makes sense since the town was the site of the 17th-century Salem Witch Trials.

Of all the haunted locations in the town, few come close to the House of the Seven Gables. The house was built in 1668 and was immortalized in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel The House of the Seven Gables.

The hauntings of the mansion include ghostly visitations and poltergeist phenomena. You can visit the house which was close to the actual site of the Salem Witch Trials on a special ghost tour of Salem.

The White House, Washington D.C

Yes, the nation’s capital is supposedly haunted. Like, we’re talking REALLY haunted. So much so that former presidents have reported seeing frightening apparitions in the hallways and strange noises in the dark.

Suspected ghosts include President William Henry Harrison and Abraham Lincoln. Others could be the ghosts of White House staff and workers who passed away in or near the house.

Some tours of the White House tell you the history of the famous house’s hauntings. Although you’ll never be able to investigate yourself, you can take our word for it. This house is one of the most haunted in the country but the ghosts are a little more highly-profiled.