9 Most Haunted Places In America

  • By Sam Ashford
  • First Published: January 13, 2025
  • Last Updated: September 18, 2025

The Eastern State Penitentiary

America – the land of the free and home of the brave! Also a home of turbulent spirits and extreme paranormal activity. Join us as we explore nine of America’s most haunted destinations where the horrors of the past brush up against the present.

1. Shanghai Tunnels

Kidnapping, prostitution, and human trafficking: this is the legend of the Shanghai Tunnels. This subterranean network in Portland, Oregon is said to be haunted due to its dark and tragic history. In the 1900s, unsuspecting men drinking in the local saloons were kidnapped and bundled through trapdoors into the city’s grim bowels.

Here they were held captive and drugged before being transported to Portland’s waterfront and shanghaied – sold to ships as unpaid labourers.

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Are you ready to brave the netherworld? Join a tour and venture down narrow steps to explore these tunnels. The spirits of men who died here roam the gloom. Don’t be surprised to feel a presence, glimpse figures, and hear unexplained noises and cries.

One visitor describes evidence gathered: “I took pictures in the Shanghai tunnels and got dozens of orbs over a pile of boots that were taken from the men that had been kidnapped and a one big orb floating under a trap door coming from a saloon.”

2. Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel, in Estes Park, Colorado has a spine-chilling history of reported ghost sightings. The isolated resort, built in 1909, is famous for inspiring the movie The Shining. Stephen King stayed in Room 217 for only one night before scarpering. He later wrote The Shining and the hotel’s creepy atmosphere and paranormal activity have attracted visitors ever since.

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More than a few ghosts reside in this hotel and several rooms are haunted.

  • Room 217 is supposedly haunted by prudish head housekeeper Mrs Wilson.
  • In Room 401 guests are touched by a phantom presence and hear giggling children.
  • In Room 428 furniture is rearranged and footsteps are heard overhead.

Guests also describe shadows passing through walls, luggage being mysteriously unpacked, lights turning off and on, and a small boy appearing on the second floor.

3. RMS Queen Mary

There are few things scarier than a ghost ship! The ghost ship RMS Queen Mary with her supernatural secrets is permanently moored in Long Beach, California.

This once-majestic ocean liner retired in 1967 with a long history of deaths onboard. Many fatalities occurred when the ship served as a troop carrier in World War II.

Today, the ship is a hotel and restaurant rife with ghost stories. Tours of the vessel have witnessed the spirits of several women who drowned in the swimming pools as well as ghost children. Ghouls of a sailor crushed by a door in the engine room and a crew member murdered in Cabin B340 add to the mysteries.

4. Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary is a menacing gothic-style castle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.

Built in 1829, this prison was a revolutionary experiment in solitary confinement. Inmates were kept in complete isolation. Imagine the emptiness, the suffocating loneliness, the sensory deprivation of a black hood over your head whenever you’re moved anywhere. It’s no surprise that many lost their minds.

When Eastern State Penitentiary closed its doors in 1971 it became a chilling monument to its tormented past. Visitors report apparitions moving through empty corridors and cell doors banging. Cruel laughter echoes from cell block 12 and scheming whispers are heard from abandoned cells. A dark presence lurks ominously in the guard tower.

5. Lizzie Borden House

The Lizzie Borden House, in Fall River, Massachusetts, is undoubtedly one of the most haunted houses in America. It was the scene of a brutal family axe murder in 1892. Local lore says Andrew and Abby Borden were bludgeoned beyond recognition by their daughter Lizzie (although Lizzie was never convicted of the horrific crime).

The haunted house is now a museum and bed-and-breakfast, offering various tours and experiences. History buffs, true crime fans, and ghost hunters are all drawn to its disturbing legacy. Guests can stay in the rooms where the murders occurred and feel the oppressive atmosphere for themselves. Visitors have experienced flickering lights, self-opening doors, disembodied voices, unease, and dread.

6. Winchester Mystery House

For ghost adventures in a seriously spooky house look no further than Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. This sprawling Victorian mansion was built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester, famous for the Winchester rifle.

Sarah inherited millions from her dear departed husband and sought advice from a medium about how to spend it. The medium communicated with William who told Sarah she must build a house to appease the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles.

So, Sarah built.. and kept on building. The mansion’s weird architecture features maze-like hallways, staircases leading nowhere, and doors opening into walls.

The house is considered one of the most haunted locations in the United States and paranormal activity abounds. Visitors encounter spectral forms, hear footsteps, and are gripped by unexplained sensations and paranoia about getting lost in the labyrinth.

7. Proctor’s Ledge

Proctor’s Ledge in Salem, Massachusetts, is a spot that sends cold shivers down the spine. Tucked behind trees, this ordinary-looking ledge is the site where innocent people were executed by hanging during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

These tragic events cast a macabre spell over the area to this day. It’s as if the awful weight of the past still lingers in the air. People have heard disembodied voices or felt cold spots. Others swear they’ve glimpsed shadowy entities in the trees.

Salem is a pretty haunted town all around. Restless spirits also spook the nearby Howard Street Cemetery and the Lyceum Bar and Grill.

8. LaLaurie Mansion

New Orleans is surely one of the most haunted cities in the US. For gothic Southern haunting, it’s hard to beat the infamous LaLaurie Mansion in the French Quarter of New Orleans. This grand structure was once the residence of socialite (and serial killer) Madame Delphine LaLaurie.

While banquets and champagne were enjoyed downstairs the socialite’s chained slaves starved in the attic. The lady was notorious for torturing and even murdering her slaves. A fire in 1834 confirmed that suspicion, exposing a horrific torture chamber with several mutilated bodies.

The rebuilt house is a private residence, yet phantom screams of LaLaurie’s victims are still heard from the upper floors. Many people on ghost tours through the Quarter feel a sinister aura from the mansion.

9. Old Hospital on College Hill

This abandoned Old Hospital in Williamson, West Virginia is crumbling and spooky. Legends tell of supernatural entities slamming doors, footsteps and giggling on the upper floors, and apparitions flitting through the wards.

The hospital looms over Williamson, reminding the town of patients and staff who met tragic ends within its walls. These include the nurse who died here after a car accident and a man who killed a policeman, broke a leg, and then plummeted from a third-floor window at the facility.

FAQs

Is the White House haunted?

The White House is said to be haunted with a long history of supernatural activity. Presidents, first ladies, and staff members have described encounters with spirits including Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Dolley Madison – among others.

Is the Amityville Horror House haunted?

The Lutz family moved into this house in Amityville, New York after Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and four siblings there in 1974. The Lutzes claim the house was haunted and reported several bizarre happenings. However, many believe their story was a hoax for money.

How haunted is Gettysburg?

Gettysburg is considered one of the most haunted places in the USA. Visitors report seeing ghostly Civil War soldiers, hearing phantom gunfire and battle cries, and experiencing unnerving sensations at various locations throughout the battlefield and surrounds.

Ghost Hunting USA

Whether you’re a seasoned paranormal investigator or just a curious traveller, these frightening destinations remind us that the past is never truly dead. The land of the free will never be free of its dark history. If you plan on ghost hunting America go bravely – and with the right paranormal equipment.

Sources

Sam Ashford
Sam Ashford - Author

Hey, I'm Sam Ashford! I'm a ghost-hunting expert, writer and founder of SpiritShack. My mission is to help people like yourself learn about spirituality and how to hunt ghosts!