I was searching for a great list of haunted places to visit in America because, as a ghost hunter, I like to go to those sites to see what kind of paranormal evidence I can collect.
While searching, I discovered some spooky sites full of dark history and strange happenings, including one bizarre encounter that even famous Western actor John Wayne had.
If you’d like to learn more about that, join me as I take you through the list of the most haunted sites in America and London.
- The Best Ghost Tours in New York
- The Best Ghost Tours in London
- Top 12 Most Haunted Places in Minnesota
- The Ultimate Guide to America’s Most Haunted Bars and Restaurants
Emily’s Bridge – Stowe, Vermont
(edited by me)Built in 1844, the infamous Emily’s Bridge stretches 50 feet over Gold Brook. Legend has it that a girl hanged herself from the rafters after her lover failed to meet her at the bridge.
The charming old bridge may cover only a small distance, but many locals report a strange voice inside the tunnel. Other stories exist of claw-like gouges into the sides of cars.
Some passersby talk about seeing the angry ghost of Emily lurking nearby. Some unwitting pedestrians who walked through the bridge found themselves with scratch marks on their backs.
Jerome Grand Hotel – Jerome, Arizona
Before it was a hotel, it was the only hospital for the mining town where an estimated 9,000 people died.
According to hotel staff, one of the most common experiences here is the experience of being touched.
The third floor always has the most activity, and the second and fourth floors experience some paranormal activity.
Some people here report weeping or babies crying on the third floor. Some people hear coughing.
To put that into perspective, this location was once a tuberculosis ward. Sometimes, they have kids running around—of the ghostly type. One of the common visitors here is a kid with his cat.
They have a guest book filled with ghostly encounters to show how much paranormal activity happens here.
You will find helpful information in the article below if you want to learn more about the potential dangers of ghost hunts and investigations.
Related article: The Dark Side of Ghost Hunting: The Dangers You Need to Know
Myrtles Plantations – St. Francisville, Louisiana
(edited by me)Rumored to be one of the most haunted locations in America, Myrtles Plantation has a mirror that always has a face in it, no matter how many times you clean and polish it.
Ghost children haunt the site; you may hear them giggling and playing about even when no children went on tour with you.
If you snap photos here, just be aware that ghosts occasionally mess with your camera to create weird photos. They have at least one documented murder that took place on the site.
If you want to learn the signs of dangerous haunting, you can find information in the article below.
Related article: 9 signs a haunting is dangerous [Expert advice]
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum – Weston, West Virginia
(edited by me)Housing the mentally ill from 1864 until 1994, this haunted site has become a ghost-hunting hot spot. Its dark history deals with thousands of mentally ill patients who suffered abuse inside the building.
Even murder happened at this site, with one as recently as 1987. Across America, old hospitals for the mentally ill were often famous for being haunted due to the incredible abuse that happened there.
This site is not for the faint of heart because you will encounter all sorts of paranormal activity if you come back enough times.
Palmer House Hotel – Sauk Center, Minnesota
Some guests who stayed at the Palmer House Hotel left in the middle of the night. Things happening here include door slamming, knocking noises, and apparition sightings.
Some guests complain to the staff, “Someone let their kids play in the hallway all night.” As it turns out, no one with kids checked into the hotel that night.
Over the years, this hotel in a small town in Central Minnesota has become the center of many paranormal studies.
Nobel-prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis worked as a night clerk at the Palmer House Hotel because it was his hometown.
At the top floor was a brothel where a man named Raymond was said to run, and he’s believed to continue haunting the top floor to this day. The basement is one of the hotspots.
Landmark Theater – Syracuse, New York
Known as one of the most haunted theaters in the nation and built-in 1928, only two years after its construction, the Landmark Theater had a new ghostly resident.
In 1930, a woman named Clarissa fell to her death from the balcony. Some onlookers report seeing a pale woman in a white dress.
She’d be the most friendly ghost at the Landmark Theater. You may smell lilacs in her presence since it was her favorite scent. Just beware that she won’t tolerate smokers.
Oscar, a stagehand, is another ghost of the theater. He suffered electrocution one night while working the lighting board. When he’s restless, the lights flip on and off.
Finally, you have Charlie, the janitor who worked as the caretaker in the 1970s and lived in the basement. Charlie died of natural causes, but he takes his job seriously, even in the afterlife. Charlie continues to move piles of dirt around the theater.
If you want to learn more about what you should think before going on a ghost tour, I invite you to read the article below.
Related article: Get Ready for a Thrilling Adventure: Exploring Ghost Tours
1754 House Inn and Restaurant – Woodbury, Connecticut
Ranked as one of the most haunted inns in the United States, let alone in Connecticut, the 1754 House Inn and Restaurant was formerly known as the Curtis House.
Many of the rooms of this inn have a reported male entity who wanders the rooms in 17th to 18th-century clothing. Others reported sightings of a Confederate soldier in the liquor room.
On the second floor, a young female named Sally haunts the guests. Many report hearing whispers, bed covers pulled off, and translucent figures in the lobby.
If you want to learn what never to do on a ghost hunt or ghost tour, you find helpful information in the article below.
Related article: 18 things you should never do on a ghost hunt
Driskill Hotel – Austin, Texas
A luxury boutique with stunning artwork every 3 feet, the Driskill Hotel has much to offer its guests even beyond being haunted.
Having several sinister stories, one of the stories is the “Suicide Brides.” Allegedly, two brides shot themselves in the stomachs and chose to bleed out in the bathroom of room 525—more remarkable is that this happened 20 years apart.
No matter what room you stay in, something here never sleeps and is said to torment the guests. Some say the Driskill Hotel is the most haunted hotel in Texas, if not the United States.
Disembodied voices, strange dreams, and full apparitions have been witnessed at the Driskill.
If you want to learn what you need to bring on a ghost hunt or investigation, you find a helpful list in the article below.
Further reading: Ghost hunting equipment: A beginner’s guide
Kell’s Irish Pub – Seattle, Washington
Ranking as one of the most haunted pubs in the United States, the place was a mortuary before it became a pub, formerly known as the Butterworth Building.
The hauntings may be because so many bodies passed through this establishment due to violent crime, mining accidents, and disease epidemics.
Ghost hunters have captured disembodied voices on the property multiple times. Strange phenomena happen here, like mirrors that shatter for no reason, plaster falling off the walls, and glasses swiped off the table with no one there.
Hotel Monte Vista – Flagstaff, Arizona
Listed as one of the most haunted sites in Flagstaff, Hotel Monte Vista is about a two-hour drive to the north of Phoenix.
Much history exists in this hotel, and it is the hotel that I mentioned earlier where John Wayne was said to have had a paranormal experience.
In room 306, two prostitutes were murdered and thrown down the street below.
In room 210, an eccentric was said to hang meat from the chandeliers. The room now has the TV turned on randomly, and the linens tear without warning.
Besides John Wayne staying at this hotel, other celebrities like Bob Hope, Spencer Tracy, and Gary Cooper stayed there.
Devereaux Mansion – Salt Lake City, Utah
Situated in downtown Salt Lake City, they constructed the mansion in 1857 for William Staines. The Devereaux Mansion is said to be haunted by a young girl dressed as if from the 1850s.
Many report seeing her looking out of the upstairs window. Sometimes, you will hear her talking to herself, humming to herself, or singing to herself.
She’s also known for playing tricks on the kitchen staff and waving to people at night. At least two ghosts call this haunted site home.
The other ghost is said to be the head housekeeper. Don’t abuse the mansion because this ghost is known for getting aggressive toward those who mistreat the estate.
If you want to learn the signs of demonic haunting, I invite you to read the article below. Knowing the symptoms is always a great idea when visiting haunted sites.
Further reading: 10 Signs of a Demonic Haunting
Belcourt of Newport – Newport, Rhode Island
This 60-room estate, while beautiful and elegant, has a reputation for being haunted. Purchased by the Tinney family in 1956, they used the estate to showcase their expansive art and antique collection.
Also, for those interested as I was, you can book a ghost tour to learn about the castle’s haunted history and the stunning views along the way.
Some examples of hauntings at Belcourt include a monk statue. Originally, they placed it near the stairs, but now it sits in the Belcourt Castle Chapel.
Occasionally, people see a man in monk’s attire at the bottom of the stairs. Another example of haunting is in the Belcourt Castle Gothic Ballroom.
Two of the chairs are reported to be haunted. Some report being thrown out of the chairs or feeling resistance as they sit down.
They also have a suit of armor where a man took a spear through the eye. Some report that you hear his terrible screams every March around the time he died.
The Olde Harbour Inn – Savannah, Georgia
Sitting in the heart of Savannah, much of this town is haunted, and I’ll mention a couple of good sites here.
The site is mainly known for its ghost Hank who frequently pulls tricks on people.
Examples of his tricks include turning off toasters and the coffee pot and attempting to serve continental breakfast.
In some cases, Hank will rearrange the table settings. No one knows what happened, but they believe he was a worker who perished in a fire.
He’s not an evil ghost; some staff even look on him with fondness as he grows on you.
If you are afraid you will bring a ghost home, you learn all about how to prevent this in the article below.
Related article: Can ghosts follow you home? [Things you must know]
Sica Hollow State Park – Sisseton, South Dakota
In the Lakota language, they pronounce it as “Shee-Chah,” and it translates as either “bad” or “evil.”
Stories and legends of the site pre-date white settlers. Local Native American peoples treated it as a hunting ground, but at the same time, they deeply feared it. Because of the iron deposits, the rivers run red.
They believed it to be the blood of their ancestors or the blood of the spirits.
In the 1970s, a group of hikers came to the site, and they disappeared. Some report hearing Native American drums banging in the middle of the night.
Others see campfires off in the trees, but they find nothing when they search for them. Echoes, moans, and even screams sometimes come from the water.
If you want to learn more about elemental hauntings, which are common in nature, you will find all the information you need in the article below.
Related article: Haunted by Nature: Elemental Spirits
The Pirate’s House – Savannah, Georgia
First opened in 1753, this is one of the oldest buildings in Savannah, and it’s the oldest restaurant in the city. It served as an inn for seafarers.
Further adding to the intrigue of this site, a tunnel that goes to the river from the basement can be found.
Some call it one of the most haunted buildings in the entire city, and that is hard to do with so many choices.
One of the ghostly residents is a small boy who died of tuberculosis in the home. He loves coins and tosses them around. Some reported ghost children waving from the windows of the establishment. You also see shadows out of the corners of your eyes here.
Final Thoughts
America has countless haunted sites. Some with dark stories that plague the area even today, but others have less of a bad history, and the ghost appeared to have liked the place during their lifetime.
Going to a haunted site as a ghost hunter is always fun, even if you don’t come away with anything. The great thing about this hobby is that even as a beginner, you have just as much chance of sighting a ghost as a veteran who has done it for years.
If you want to learn more about how to investigate ghosts, I invite you to read the article below.
Further reading: How to hunt ghosts: A beginner’s guide
