Yahoo Finance The 10 Most Haunted Cities in the United States
Whether you’ve personally seen one or not, chances seem pretty good that ghosts are real. If they’re not, then why have so many people claimed to have seen one? And why do so many towns and cities claim to be 100 percent haunted? It could all be lies, of course, but in the event that it’s not (it’s so not), here’s a rundown of the 10 most ghostly cities in the United States.
1. Salem, Massachusetts
Fiona Broome, who grew up not far from Salem, runs a site called How to Encounter Ghosts and also wrote a book called A Beginner’s Guide to Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries, so it’s fair to say that she’s an expert on this subject. According to her site, she spent two years researching Salem hauntings and found multiple lifetimes’ worth of intel on Salem and its infamous witch trials; her findings indicate that Salem is extremely haunted. When Broome mapped the various homes and businesses that had something to do with the “law-abiding” handling of the witch trials, they formed a straight line to Gallows Hill Park, the supposed site of the 1692 hangings. Salem is also home to the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, aka the House of the Seven Gables, which served as inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel. Visitors often claim to see Hawthorne’s cousin Susan Ingersoll roaming the hallways of the home, which is now a national landmark and museum.
2. New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans ends up on almost every list of most haunted locales, and for good reason. The city is the home of the notorious LaLaurie House, which may ring a bell if you’ve seen American Horror Story: Coven. Socialite Delphine LaLaurie was said to have mistreated her slaves to such an extent that when the house caught fire in 1834, firemen found some of them chained up in the attic with injuries that indicated they had been horrifically beaten and used for experimentation. This is only one of many historic locations in the city that share an equally dreadful history - see also the Gardette-LaPrete House, the site of 19th-century massacre so gruesome that neighbors saw blood oozing under the door, or the Lafitte Guest House, purportedly haunted by the ghost of a little girl who died of yellow fever. Fear not, though, because residents of the Big Easy always have the option of visiting the tomb of Marie Laveau at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to ask for her protection. Make sure to ask nicely, though, and leave her a treat for her troubles.
3. Galveston, Texas
Though Galveston is home to fewer than 50,000 people, there’s enough spookiness happening there to merit the need for at least three ghost tour operators. Most cities have a story or two, but if you need an exhaustive account of every paranormal location in town, you’re in for a wild ride. The main source of haunting is the Great Storm of 1900, a hurricane that left between 6,000 and 12,000 people dead. That’s a lot of restless spirits.
4. Estes Park, Colorado
Ever hear of a little book called The Shining or watch the terrifying movie it inspired? Estes Park is home to the Stanley Hotel, which Stephen King has confirmed served as the basis for the book’s super-haunted Overlook. For years, guests of this breathtakingly beautiful hotel have claimed to hear and see ghostly things bumping around at night. And if the Stanley doesn’t satisfy your craving for haunted hotels, you can also check out the Baldpate Inn and the Elkhorn Lodge, two other popular hangouts for spectral residents. Heeeeeeeeere’s Johnny!
5. Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, drenched in spooky Spanish moss and established in 1733, is old, which really ups the chances that it’s haunted as hell. One of the most haunted locations in the city is 432 Abercorn St., which was once the home of Confederate general who would punish his daughter by making her sit facing a window for days on end until she eventually died from dehydration. Years later, in 1959, three sisters were brutally murdered in same house. The city’s hauntings don’t stop there - it’s also home to the Bonaventure Cemetery, famous for its appearance in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and Calhoun Square, where more than 1,000 slaves are believed to be buried.
6. Key West, Florida
One of the prettiest and most haunted spots in Key West is the Chelsea House Hotel, which dates back to the turn of the 20th century. Guests often say the ghost of a man who was murdered by his wife haunts the corridors, leaving the smell of pipe smoke as he goes. Key West is also home to the Fort East Martello Museum, which houses the hands-down creepiest haunted doll to ever exist on this earth: Robert the Doll. Take a deep breath and then look at this, if you dare.
7. Portland, Oregon
Put a bird on it? More like put a ghost on it. Leave it to Portlandia to have a haunted pizza shop. Old Town Pizza, which is located in the original lobby of the Merchant Hotel, is home to a ghost named Nina. According to the shop’s owner, Nina worked as a local lady of the night over 100 years ago, and after ratting out some of the cities’ most infamous crime lords, she was pushed down an elevator shaft. She’s supposedly been seen wandering around in a black dress, watching everyone live the type of carefree life she never got to enjoy. The city is also known for the Benson Hotel, which opened in 1913 and is the most haunted “not haunted” hotel around. Management doesn’t like to make a big deal about it, but there have been many reported hauntings here over the years. Guests claim to have seen a man walking around the lobby staircase to the mezzanine level as well as a ghost who hangs out on the ninth floor.
8. Athens, Ohio
The combination of one of the oldest universities in the United States and a former insane asylum is already a great setup for a fantastic ghostly situation, but it doesn’t stop there for Athens, Ohio. Mt. Nebo, located in the countryside near Athens, was once home to a family of spiritualists who claimed to communicate with the dead. The Ridges, the aforementioned insane asylum, is actually owned by the university, and people claim to have seen shadows and “corpse stains” on the grounds. The graves of patients who died there are not marked with names and are only identifiable by the number the patient had been assigned during treatment.
9. Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States, and since this has been the case for a while now, it means that a lot of people have lived and died there. One of its most haunted locations is also one of its most frequently visited - the Drake Hotel. Recognized as one of the finest luxury hotels in the city, the Drake has seen a lot of visitors who’ve experienced a lot of spooky vibes. On New Year’s Eve in 1920, a woman, jealous after seeing her fiancé flirting with another woman, jumped to her death from the roof, and guests still report seeing her apparition in the building. The city is also home to the Oriental Theatre (formerly known as the Iroquois), where a 1903 fire killed more than 600 people, some of whom jumped to their own deaths from the building’s fire escapes.
10. St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Paul’s Ramsey County Courthouse is known as a hot spot for paranormal activity, with people claiming to have heard ghostly laughter from out of nowhere and the sound of heels click-clacking down hallways when no one is around. The ghost of a man who was executed long ago is also said to randomly appear, hanging from the ceiling with a noose around his neck. Even worse are the Wabasha Street Caves, a Prohibition-era speakeasy popular with gangsters that’s since been renovated into an events space where you can get married in the company of ghosts, like the couple who meets in the bar at 3 a.m. for a late-night drink.
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