The 12 Most Haunted Places in the US That Will Keep You Up at Night

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Spooky season is here, and it’s time to explore the most haunted places in the US. From cemeteries to un-earthly mansions and ghost towns, these places will send chills down your spine.

From coast to coast, you’ll find some peculiar energies in the US. From small towns to big cities, these places are located in the middle of unsuspecting communities.

For those who dare, visiting them is a journey to the realm of the undead. Below are the 12 most haunted places in the US.

Salem, Massachusetts

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Everybody who studies US history knows the tale of the Salem Witch Trials. In the 17th century, over a hundred innocent women were murdered, accused of practicing witchcraft.

Their bodies were likely buried next to their accusers and judges in the Burying Point cemetery. Here, various ghosts are said to roam freely, haunting anyone who enters.

And then, there’s the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, also known as the House of the Seven Gables. This 17th-century house witnessed several of the most terrifying moments in Salem’s past.

If you feel brave, you can tour the house and cemetery during a Salem ghost tour. Other must-visit haunted places include The Witch House, a 17th-century home owned by Jonathan Corwin, one of the perpetrators of the trials.

Adams, Tennessee

This small community near the Red River in northern Tennessee is home to one of the spookiest hauntings in the country. The town is home to the infamous Bell Witch Cave, a cave with a long connection to an evil witch who terrorized a family who moved nearby in the 19th century.

When John Bell and his family moved to Adams, they soon began seeing eerie, disfigured animals. Then, the witch herself started speaking to them. Eventually, the witch’s ghost supposedly murdered John Bell and drove his family away.

Currently, the cave and home are open to tours. Because of the dark energy that many say still haunts them, Adams consistently ranks as one of the most haunted places in the US.

Villisca, Iowa

As small and charming Midwestern towns go, Villisca is pretty standard. Polite people living in a calm setting, what could be wrong?

Unfortunately, the town is the site of one of the most brutal murders in US history. In 1912, a family of six, including two neighbor’s children, were brutally murdered by a mysterious ax-wielding assailant.

The house is now called the Ax Murder House and run as a hotel for anyone interested in the paranormal. If you visit the house, you may hear footsteps or feel a ghastly presence tug on your clothes. Or, you may see the most terrifying aspiration imaginable. There’s only one way to find out.

New York, New York

The Big Apple is the largest city in the US. It’s also one of the most haunted. Throughout its long history are some of the grisliest murders in US history. This has created a fantastically haunted destination.

Many people have paranormal encounters in the city’s hotels. Establishments such as the Hotel Chelsea have been the homes of tormented artists, mobsters, and even murderers. Throughout the city’s boroughs are ghostly places where you can sleep for the night.

Then there are the apartments and office buildings throughout the city that have seen horrendous events. Places like the House of Death, a place that’s supposedly infested with over two dozen ghosts.

Fall River, Massachusetts

This small Massachusetts town is the home of the famous Lizzie Borden House. In the 19th century, Lizzie was tried for the ax murder of her parents. She was never convicted but continued living in the house until she died.

Today, the house is considered one of the most haunted places in the US. It’s now run as a B&B where you can stay and try to connect with the mischievous ghost.

Many visitors have said they felt the ghost’s presence throughout the neighborhood and in the Oak Grove Cemetary, where she was buried. Other haunted sites include the creepy Berkley Dighton Bridge. For paranormal activity, Fall River is ground zero.

Burrillville, Rhode Island

12 Most Haunted Places in the US Burrillville, Road Island — Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

This small and outdoorsy town in Road Island may be an all-American getaway, but it hides a sinister location. The Conjuring House, as the home is known, is one of the most haunted places in the US.

The house is where the Perron family famously experienced one of the most intense hauntings in American history. The hauntings were likely caused by an entire family that died under strange circumstances.

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Then, there was the ghost Bathsheba. Thought to be connected to the family’s deaths, Bathsheba was a violent and hateful ghost who gave the family nightmares throughout their time living in the house. Now, you can come and see the house and even take part in a tour.

Atchison, Kansas

The town of Atchison is like many other American Midwestern towns. It has small grocers, friendly people, and a few intensely haunted homes.

Places such as the 1889 McInteer Villa and the Dilgert House offer ghost tours and plenty of ghostly stories. Then, there is the big baddie of Atchison, a ghost known as Sallie.

The creepy 19th century home hides one of the most sinister ghosts in US history. Salie is the ghost of a little girl who died in the house during a brutal opperation. However, many people report that the ghost in Sallie’s House is really just a demon who appears in the form of an innocent child ghost.

New Orleans, Louisiana

The Big Easy is famous for being where party-goers come to experience epic nightlife and history and culture lovers come for thrills. It’s also where paranormal investigators like to hang out on weekends. With a drink in hand of course.

Throughout the city are iconic haunted houses, cemeteries, and bars. Places like the French Quarter, Muriel’s Jackson Square, Le Petit Theatre, and the Site of the Old French Opera House are often scenes of paranormal activity.

Arguably the most haunted location in the city is the Andrew Jackson Hotel. Here, guests have reported several poltergeists who enjoy playing tricks on guests.

Savannah, Georgia

This southern city is where cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture blend in with the steamy coastal forests. Savannah is truly a magical place. It also has tragic history and some of the most haunted places in the US.

For most fans of ghost stories, Bonaventure Cemetery, is the city’s most notorious destination. Here, the ghost of Gracie Watson haunts her gravesite. Other ghosts supposedly haunt the site as well, including animals and ghostly statues.

In addition to the cemetairies are the buildings. The most haunted being the Marshall House, a former Civil War hospital turned hotel. Here, you can potentially see several ghosts wandering through the halls and even messing with your luggage.

Read also: Read also: Historical US Cities To Visit

Cahawba, Alabama

Deep in the woods of central Alabama lies its former state capital, Cahawba. The town was abandoned shortly after the Civil War and is now a famous ghost town.

Like other ghost towns, there are plenty of ghosts in Cahawba. Supposedly, you can see the bright light of Colonel C.C. Pegues floating near his former home. Other ghosts sightings have included the New Cemetery’s lost children.

You can join a ghost tour of the town and learn about its history. However, the park closes at night, so you won’t be able to experience Cahawba at its spookiest.

Bodie, California

The ghosttown of Bodie was once a booming gold mining town full of crazed characters looking to get rich. Today, it’s a California State Historic Park and one of the state’s most visited haunts for paranormal investigators — pun intended.

Bodie’s ghosts have a bad reputation for placing curses on visitors. Many people have reported hearing the abandoned bars’ instruments turn on magically.

If you visit, you can experience the town through a tour and take photos of the abandoned buildings. The town is incredibly photogenic, so if you love ghosts or just western landscapes, it’s definitely worth visiting.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As one of the former centers for the American Revolution, Philly has an ethereal feeling. Besides its historical places, the city is one of the most haunted places in the US.

The most haunted destination in the city is arguably the Eastern State Penitentiary. This assylum for the criminally minded was where thousands of prisoners were brutally treated. Long abandoned, it’s now a popular destination for ghost hunters and fans of scary places. It even throws an annual Halloween party.

Downtown has a host of haunted spots as well. At the American Philosophical Society Library, you may have the chance of coming face to face with the ghost of Ben Franklin.