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30 Most Haunted Places in the World

30 Most Haunted Places in the World

By Andrea Romano

Updated August 06, 2020

Credit: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Editor’s Note: Travel might be complicated right now, but use our inspirational trip ideas to plan ahead for your next bucket list adventure.

While some haunted houses can seem a little hokey — filled with actors dressed as ghouls, goblins, mad scientists, and Frankenstein’s monsters — there are several spots around the globe with reputations for being truly haunted, so we've rounded up the 30 most haunted places in the world.

Related: More Halloween trip ideas

Some of these places are shrouded in mystery, with legends passed down for centuries. Others are much newer, but are steeped in their tragic pasts. Whether these places are from the 12th or 20th century, each has an interesting history — with plenty of ghost sightings and creepy experiences.

Ghost hunters everywhere are always trying to catch a glimpse of a ghost wandering a haunted hallway, hear mysterious voices in an empty room, or even feel a chill as they're investigating a dark corridor. Luckily enough, there are numerous reportedly haunted places that are open for public tours or even overnight stays.

Related: More fall vacation ideas

No matter where you are in the world, there’s probably a haunted house, hotel, or old historical site that’s waiting for you to visit. Not only are there plenty of places to send a chill up your spine in the U.S. — from the Winchester Mystery House in California to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania — there are lots of eerie destinations across the pond, too.

Ghosts, strange sounds and lights, and even UFO experiences have been reported at these famous places in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Romania, and as far as Australia, the Philippines, and China.

Here are 30 of the most haunted places in the world.

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Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England

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This gorgeous country home also has a dark past. The mysterious “Brown Lady,” rumored to be Lady Dorothy Walpole, was reported to be one of the apparitions captured on film in the December 1936 edition of Country Life.

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Poveglia Island, Venice, Italy

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A short trip from Venice, the beautiful island of Poveglia was a quarantine zone for people suffering from the plague. In addition, the island was used in the early 20th century as an insane asylum. Ghost hunters claim this spot is a hotbed of paranormal activity.

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Bhangarh Fort, India

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Two hundred miles from Delhi, this abandoned fortress sticks out in the middle of the desert. Legend has it that a sorcerer cast a curse on the area after being rejected by a local princess.

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Ancient Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge, England

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This 12th-century inn is one of the oldest in the western world. It is believed to have once been a pagan burial ground, and boasts that it is haunted by more than 20 spirits, including ghost children and a pagan high priestess.

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Port Arthur, Australia

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There are many ghost tours around Port Arthur to satisfy worldly ghost hunters. The Tasmanian town was an 18th-century convict settlement, and now it's a hotbed of paranormal activity.

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The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California

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This beautiful ocean liner spent 30 years at sea before permanently docking in Long Beach. During her tenure, she logged more than 50 deaths, which makes her a truly haunted ship.

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Burg Wolfsegg, Wolfsegg, Germany

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This 800-year-old castle in the municipality of Wolfsegg, Germany is apparently haunted by a “White Woman” who scares off any visitors who pass. The woman is rumored to be the ghost of Klara von Helfenstein who was reportedly murdered by her jealous husband.

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Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts

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This allegedly haunted bed and breakfast is the sight of a gruesome and highly-publicized murder that occurred in 1892. Although she was acquitted, Lizzie Borden was suspected of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet in the unassuming home. Since then, guests have reported all manner of strange sightings in the house.

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Casa Loma, Toronto, Canada

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Completed in 1914, this Gothic Revival style house is filled with corridors and secret passageways. Tales of ghosts have been whispered about the property for decades, and you can still take a tour of it today.

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Château de Brissac, Brissac-Quincé, France

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This towering building is famously known as the place where Charlotte de Brézé was murdered. According to the legend, Charlotte, the illegitimate daughter of King Charles VII, was killed by her husband after discovering her affair. Visitors claim to have seen a “Green Lady,” named for the color of her dress, roaming the halls.

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The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

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This famous Rocky Mountain destination is known as one of the inspirations for Stephen King’s “The Shining,” but it also has it’s own spooky past. Allegedly, staff have encountered ghosts during their time there, such as a maid from Room 217 who is known to pack away guests’ clothing when they aren’t looking.

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The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Canada

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Ever since it was completed in 1888, this hotel has been associated with paranormal activity. One of the most famous legends is of the "Ghost Bride," a woman who reportedly awaits people in the hotel ballroom.

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St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine, Florida

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This lighthouse became infamous during the Civil War when the light was removed to disrupt Union shipping — also to many tragic results. However, visitors have reported seeing a friendly ghost of a lighthouse keeper there.

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One If By Land, Two If By Sea, New York, New York

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This West Village establishment is a New York City treasure, but some of the guests who frequent there may not be totally of this plane. The restaurant was once the carriage house of Aaron Burr, and it is rumored that his ghost still haunts the place.

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Tower of London, London, England

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Many historic people have called the Tower of London their final resting place. The infamous fortress has been steeped in tragedy for over 900 years, and it's home to many ghostly sightings of English royalty, including Anne Boleyn and Mary, Queen of Scots.

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Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana

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One of America’s most haunted sites, this plantation is rumored to be built on a Native American burial ground, and it is reportedly home to at least 12 different ghosts, including that of William Winter, who was murdered in the house.

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Tao Dan Park, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Over 24 acres of gardens make Tao Dan Park look like a paradise, but at night, locals have reported that the park takes on a different feel. Rumors say that the ghost of a young man who was killed in an attack still wanders the park, looking for his lost love.

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The Haunted Vicarage, Borgvattnet, Sweden

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Borgvattnet is a small village in northern Sweden, known for having one of the most haunted houses in Sweden, The Old Vicarage. Inhabitants of the home have reported a number of sightings, including a lady in gray and unexplained sounds and moving objects. The house now serves as an inn and restaurant.

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Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California

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After the death of her husband, rifle magnate William Wirt Winchester, Sarah Winchester commissioned this dizzying labyrinth of a house in order to keep safe from vengeful spirits killed by her husband’s guns. The home has four stories, 160 rooms, 10,000 panes of glass, and 47 stairways — some of which go to nowhere at all.

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Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas

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Many big-name celebrities have stayed at this old hotel since 1886, so there’s bound to be a ghost haunting the hallways. Some of the most famous tales surrounding the property include the stories of two “suicide brides,” honeymooning women who took their own lives in the same room 20 years apart.

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Akershus Fortress, Norway

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This medieval castle served as a defensive stronghold for the city of Oslo, and it is rumored to be the most haunted place in Norway. The most popular sightings include a demon dog named Malcanisen that’s said to guard the gates to the castle and the ghost of a woman with no facial features named Mantelgeisten, often seen within the castle, walking back towards her chamber.

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Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa

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This giant fortress originally served as a replenishment station for ships in the Dutch East India Company. Among the famous ghosts to wander the grounds include a tall man seen walking the ramparts, and a "Gray Lady" who was seen crying in the halls.

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The Catacombs, Paris, France

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The Paris Catacombs is truly one of the spookiest places in the world, with the remains of more than six million people located in the underground tunnels. You can still tour some of the tunnels today.

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Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

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This 12th-century fortress has seen a lot of history over the centuries. Many different experiences have been reported over the years, including unexplained music echoing through the halls. Some guests believe the music is from the ghost of a piper who once died in the castle.

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Forbidden City, Beijing, China

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Many people would not assume the Forbidden City, located in the center of modern Beijing, would be haunted, but ghost hunters who are interested in local lore know better. One apparition that was first reported in the 1940s is of a woman in white who can be heard sobbing in the halls of the palace.

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Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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This forest is considered the most haunted in the world. Visitors often report intense feelings of anxiety and the feeling of being watched while traveling through the forest, and some of the most common sightings include ghosts, unexplained apparitions, faces appearing in photographs that were not visible with the naked eye, and even some UFOs.

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Kehoe House, Savannah, Georgia

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This beautiful home was completed in 1892 by William and Anne Kehoe. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family when two of their 10 children died in the house. Since the home was turned into a bed and breakfast, guests have noted mysterious sounds of children playing.

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Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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The battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest of the Civil War, so it’s no wonder why the area seems to be teeming with paranormal energy. Many visitors have reported to have seen apparitions of Civil War soldiers wandering the fields.

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Corvin Castle, Hunedoara, Romania

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If you’re looking for the inspiration for the original vampire myth, look no further than Vlad the Impaler. The bloodthirsty ruler was kept prisoner in Corvin Castle in Transylvania, where many strange sightings have been reported.

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Lawang Sewu, Semarang, Indonesia

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The former railway building (and World War II prison) is believed to be the most haunted place in Indonesia. Among the many ghosts that have been reported here, the most popular are the "Dutch Woman," headless spirits, and a kuntilanak (a female vampiric ghost in Malaysian and Indonesian mythology).

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By Andrea Romano

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30 Most Haunted Places in the World

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Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England

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Poveglia Island, Venice, Italy

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Bhangarh Fort, India

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Ancient Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge, England

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Port Arthur, Australia

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The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California

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Burg Wolfsegg, Wolfsegg, Germany

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Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts

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Casa Loma, Toronto, Canada

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Château de Brissac, Brissac-Quincé, France

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The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

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The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Canada

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St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine, Florida

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One If By Land, Two If By Sea, New York, New York

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Tower of London, London, England

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Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana

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Tao Dan Park, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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The Haunted Vicarage, Borgvattnet, Sweden

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Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California

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Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas

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Akershus Fortress, Norway

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Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa

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The Catacombs, Paris, France

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Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

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Forbidden City, Beijing, China

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Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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