Since Halloween is upon us and to get in the spirit, we’ve compiled the top 10 haunted cities from Oregon to Georgia. Better yet, each city has a few not-to-miss eerie spots if you’re brave enough to explore. These are not for the faint of heart.
10 Washington, D.C.
The U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., has plenty of ghost stories of its own. Several presidential spirits, such as Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson, reportedly walk the halls of the White House. Lincoln’s assassination is said to have been predicted by a black demon cat at the Capitol, as its appearance signals a tragedy.
The President’s Park, Lafayette Park and the Octagon all have resident spirits, with the latter haunted by slaves that worked there. The Omni Shoreham Hotel has sightings of a maid and her daughter that died. It has blocked off the Ghost Suite from guests due to multiple paranormal and unexplained events.
9 Portland, OR
During the Prohibition era in Portland, immigrants, sailors and laborers were smuggled underground from bars and hotels through the Shanghai Tunnels in Old Town and sold to ship captains. The tunnels are said to be one of the most haunted spots in the city, and many of the ghost tours will help you locate one of the spirits.
Former brothel White Eagle Café has records of patrons smelling smoke (with no fire) and flying objects around the establishment.
8 San Francisco, CA
San Francisco may be a tech hub nowadays, but back in the 1800s, it was a dangerous place for Chinese immigrants who came to chase their American dream. Chinatown’s Cameron House was burned down with people inside, and they often appear in tourist photographs.
Alcatraz has a long history of unexplained happenings. Visitors of the prison have heard cell doors closing and long-gone inmates whispering to them in the hallways.
7 Galveston, TX
Galveston has had pirates, hurricanes, murders and more in its long history. The paranormal activity is off the charts in several spots around the city.
The Bishop’s Palace survived the deadly 1900 hurricane, a source of many of the city’s ghosts, and now the building is haunted by its worried owner. The Ashton Villa Mansion has several ghosts-in-residence, thanks to its Civil Era hospital roots.
Both the Hotel Galvez and the Tremont House Hotel host spirits of their own, and visitors can often see them roaming around the properties.
6 Charleston, SC
Charleston has a rich, very spooky history. The Civil War and the city’s long history with pirates have made it a breeding ground for ghosts, strange events and apparitions.
Downtown Charleston’s Battery Carriage House Inn has many reports of ghosts standing over the guests’ beds while they’re sleeping. At the Boone Hall Plantation, a Civil War soldier haunts the grounds. If you’re looking for real scares, the Old City Jail is said to be haunted by more than 13,000 prisoners executed on site.
5 Chicago, IL
With a big reputation built by gangster Al Capone, Chicago‘s Prohibition-era mafia has left plenty of ghosts behind.
The city has multiple crime scenes and hiding spots where murders were committed. Nowadays, visitors can experience screams, apparitions or machine gun sounds at Clark and Dickens. Stay at The Congress Plaza Hotel to experience Al Capone apparitions and strange occurrences, like the elevator stopping on the eighth floor.
And of course, there’s nothing more spooky than a cemetery. Chicago has plenty to choose from, including Oak Woods Cemetery, haunted by Confederate soldiers.
4 Gettysburg, PA
Did you know that nearly all 40 miles of the Gettysburg battlefields are thought to be haunted? Visitors have spotted many of the more than 50,000 soldiers that perished walking the grounds, appearing in photos, and some say they have even seen Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Don’t miss the Ghost Train tour to learn more about the ghosts.
The haunted Lightner Farmhouse B&B once served as a Civil War hospital and still hosts many of the spirits and their phantom cries from that time. Other hotels in the area, also former hospitals, have records of hauntings.
3 Salem, MA
At one point, “The Crucible” had a spot on your bookshelf. Salem, infamous for the 1600s witch trials, has built its reputation as Witch City, U.S.A.. The city is said to be haunted by the 19 executed ‘witches.’ Around town, you’ll see one of them, the ghost of Bridget Bishop at Lyceum Bar & Grill, previously her apple orchard.
The Historic House of the Seven Gables mansion and the Howard Street Cemetery are both included in the haunted tour of Salem. You won’t have a shortage of sightings here in Salem.
2 New Orleans, LA
They say that on Halloween, the line between the dead and the living gets thinner than ever. In New Orleans, you’re not that far from the dead as the city’s cemeteries hang above ground year-round. After the colonial times, slavery, voodoo, many wars and most recently, Hurricane Katrina, the city counts its ghosts as regular residents.
Visit French-Creole restaurant Antoine’s and peek at the ghost of the owner still watching over his business. Marie Laveau, the wicked spirit and voodoo queen, is buried in the St. Louis Cemetery and often “takes” offerings from visitors.
At Muriel’s Jackson Square restaurant, they keep the ghost happy by leaving wine and bread on his table. Among the noir and subtle horror, New Orleans is the perfect backdrop for a spooky weekend.
1 Savannah, GA
Savannah has cemented its reputation as a haunted city. So much that author John Berendt based its murder novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is based on the Georgia city. Visit the Mercer-Williams House to see the history behind the many on-site murders and ghosts.
Savannah’s ghosts come from colonial and Civil War times — from slaves to murdered soldiers. A large part of the city sits on Native American burial grounds, and many of the streets cover unmarked cemeteries. The Marshall House’s apparitions are often attributed to its former life as a hospital during the Civil War.