The Most Haunted Places in Every State

Cemeteries may be unsettling all on their own, but the creepiest part of Maple Hill has nothing to do with the tombstones. Within the graveyard is a playground, colloquially known as The Dead Children’s Playground, which is thought to be haunted by the spirits of murdered kids. Locals have reported swings moving on their own, children’s laughter, and the sound of little feet scampering after dark.

There have been so many ghost sightings here, that the hotel keeps a “guest ghost log." Two of the most loyal patrons include the spirit of a jilted bride who took her own life in the ‘20s and an Anchorage sheriff who was shot in the alleyway in 1921.

Decades ago at this hotel just off Route 66, an elderly woman stayed in Room 305 long-term, and would sit by the window in a rocking chair. Now, the chair allegedly moves by itself, and housekeeping has reported seeing the woman’s apparition in the chair.

The Crescent has embraced its spooky reputation wholeheartedly by celebrating the “many guests who checked out but have never left.” Ghost tours are available for those who want a glimpse of the most famous spirits, including a stonemason who took a fatal fall while building the hotel in 1885, and a woman in a white nightgown who may mysteriously appear at the foot of your bed. 

Ghost hunters and adventurers love this 1890 Victorian mansion. While the third floor is considered a paranormal hotspot, the fourth floor has the most haunted room of all. It was once inhabited by Miss Mary Lake, who was the headmaster of a school in the building about a century ago. Miss Lake's spirit continues to take care of guests, even tucking them in with a blanket after they fall asleep.

Few haunted hotels could claim to be as famous as the Stanley, which inspired Stephen Kings's horror novel, The Shining. Unlike its fictional counterpart, the Overlook Hotel, the spirits here are supposedly quite amiable.  

This historic medical facility was originally built to treat children with tuberculosis in the 1930s, but it also served as a home for the elderly, a medical hospital, and ultimately a psychiatric facility. The story goes that reports of patient abuse began to surface in the '70s, and patients began passing away at a high rate. In 1996, the sanatorium was closed, though the the spirits of the patients who lost their lives—and the staff members—supposedly continue to haunt the site.

This building, also called Woodburn, was constructed in the 1790s and is currently the residence of the Governor of Delaware. Government officials, doctors, and other well-to-do folk have called the state mansion home, and reports of ghost sightings have circulated since the early 19th century. Look out for the spirits of a young girl in a bonnet and the elderly man who enjoys drinking leftover wine.

The lore behind Florida's circa-1917 Cuban Club is particularly grim. Stories tell of an actor who committed suicide on stage, a boy who drowned in the pool, and a board member who was murdered by another board member during an argument. Dozens of spirits now supposedly haunt the property. 

Despite its adults-only policy, guests at this Queen Anne-style inn have reported hearing children's laughter and footfalls up and down the halls. Many suspect they're the spirits of the Kehoe family's twin girls, who died while playing in the chimney. 

Monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii, beginning with Kamehameha III and ending with Queen Lili’uokalani, called this regal residence home. Visitors to the palace, which has since been restored and opened to the public as a museum, have reported seeing the Queen’s spirit animating the piano, and a light in her tower, where no lights are installed.

Some of the West’s most dangerous criminals—including "Idaho's Jack the Ripper," Raymond Snowden—were sent to this massive prison complex. Today, the building is open to the public for tours.  Throughout the cell blocks, in the  solitary confinement cell,and at the gallows (especially 5 House, where Snowden was executed) people have reported hearing sinister voices and noises. 

Prohibition gangster Al Capone headquartered his operations at the Congress Plaza Hotel. His ghost is reportedly spotted at the property, especially near his 8th-floor suite. The victims of America's first serial killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes, are also regulars. To celebrate its haunted history, the Congress Plaza Hotel hosts a 3,000-person Halloween Ball every year. 

This historic hotel was formerly owned by Thomas Taggart, who was so devoted to the place that, the story goes, even death couldn’t stop him from watching over its operations. His spirit is thought to be roaming around the service elevator—even running the lift when it’s getting too busy. Staff members have also heard the voices of ghostly guests at parties Taggart used to throw through the ballroom’s closed doors. 

Any place with “murder house” in the name is a solid bet for horror fans, and the Villisca Axe Murder House lives up to its name. Eight people were found here, bludgeoned with an axe, in the early morning of June 10, 1912. More than a century later, the crime remains unsolved. Perhaps this is why paranormal experts and witnesses have seen and heard the victims’ ghosts hanging around the house.

The alleged haunting of the Sallie House was so blood-curdling that Tony and Debra Pickman, who lived in the house with their newborn son Taylor, actually wrote a book about their experiences. Visitors supposedly have been scratched and bitten by the “menacing entities” within, and many unexplained voices have been recorded by paranormal investigators.

In 1926, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was built to combat the outbreak of tuberculosis in the United States, though hundreds of patients died of consumption. Treatments included forcing patients outside for “fresh air,” even in the middle of winter, and surgically implanting balloons in the lungs and filling them with air. Ghost researchers now report particularly strong activity on the fifth floor, where they’ve seen shapes in the windows and heard voices telling them to leave. 

The only woman to have died in Louisana’s electric chair was Toni Jo McQuiston, who was sentenced to death for stealing a car and murdering the owner to break her lover out of jail. Locals say they can still hear her ghost whispering, walking around, and occasionally screaming. Some even detect the aroma of her perfume.

In this Victorian opera house, it's not uncommon to see an eye peering down at you from the ceiling, hear disembodied voices, or see lights flashing. Rumor has it that the phantom of this opera is Eva Gray, a singer who collapsed during her third encore of the song “Goodbye, Little Girl, Goodbye” and never had the heart to leave the building even after her death.

After assassin John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in the Ford Theater, he jumped off the balcony and broke his leg. He fled to Dr. Samuel A. Mudd’s house for three days. Many visitors to the house-turned-museum have reported feeling chills and tugs on their clothing and seeing shadow profiles and deep impressions in Booth's bed.

In the 19th century Lizzie Borden reportedly murdered her father and stepmother with a hatchet. Though the crime is still officially unsolved—and a century has passed—the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast is still a popular (morbid) attraction. The proprietors of the B&B say it’s relatively common for guests to run screaming out of the inn.

Detroit's neo-gothic Masonic Temple was built by architect George D. Mason. The world's largest Masonic Temple boasts more than 1,000 rooms, two ballrooms, and an unfinished theater—as well as supposed secret rooms and passageways. It's reported that the despaired architect jumped off the roof to his death. He didn't (he died in bed at age 92), but, still, security guards claim to see his despondent spirit going up the steps to the roof.

As many as 20 ghosts may reside in the James Gamble House, which is said to have once housed a prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement.

Also known as Bellevue, the Longfellow House has led many lives: as a girl's school, resort, and private residence. It was also rumored to be once owned by a slave trader and his wife. The story goes that slaves were beaten to death here, and their spirits linger for revenge. Visitors claim they've heard doors slam, seen glass smashed, and heard babies crying in empty rooms.

This house was the site of a staggering four suicides committed by members of the Lemp family in the 18th and 19th centuries. Though the mansion is currently a restaurant, it’s also known for regular hauntings by the Lemp ghosts. The owners host ghost tours, murder mystery parties, and Halloween events.

Marcus and Margaret Daly's mansion is now a museum, and staff members have reported a number of strange occurrences, like cigar smoke coming from Marcus' office despite strict no-smoking regulations. There’s also a painting that is found on the ground (and hung back up) every morning. 

The legend goes that a Civil War captain was poisoned by a neighbor in this seven-gabled house. Now a museum on the National Register of Historic Places, museum staff and locals suspect Captain Bailey may be haunting his former residence. They've reported piano music playing at night, and doors refusing to stay shut. 

Legend has it that the Lady in Red haunts this saloon-turned-hotel, though few agree who this spirit is. Some suggest she was a prostitute who was murdered on the fifth floor, while others believe she was a woman whose husband killed her for cheating. 

In 1877, the chase House was founded as an orphanage. In recent decades, staff have reported lights and ceiling fans turning on and off, while others have heard disembodied screaming and footsteps. The spirit of a small girl has been seen in the hallways; when she’s approached, she runs away and disappears. 

Known informally as the Spy House, this Sandy Hook Bay building is one of the oldest buildings on this list, dating back to 1663. It was originally used as a tavern during the Revolutionary War, when innkeepers would listen to conversations between British soldiers and relay the information to the patriots. Specters seem to be drawn to this building, and have been spotted throughout the property. 

This mansion was built for the powerful Luna and Otero families in the 1800s, though Josefita Otero is said to have been particularly attached the property. She made massive improvements to the home, cared for the gardens, and produced many of the artworks still on display. Otero's ghost began appearing in the 1970s in bedrooms, the attic, and in her rocking chair. For a chance to see Otero, simply make a reservation at Luna Mansion, which is now a steakhouse. 

In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot six of his family members dead in this house. One year later, George and Kathy Lutz and their three kids bought the house for a bargain, and were reportedly tormented by the same ghosts that convinced DeFeo Jr. to murder his family. The nightmarish events have inspired the book series and films known as The Amityville Horror

This 178,926-square-foot estate was built at the height of the Gilded Age by George Vanderbilt. After George passed away in 1914, his daughter Cornelia and her husband John Cecil opened the estate to the public, making it one of the South's most visited attractions. Some tourists have reported seeing George Vanderbilt's shadowy figure in the library, or hearing the whispers of Edith Vanderbilt beckoning her husband.

Inside this 1876 brick farmhouse-turned-children's museum is an elevator rumored to work on its own, and the friendly ghost of the building's former owner, Elizabeth Yunker. She has been spotted upstairs, guarding the children in the second-story exhibits.

The Ridges, formerly known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum, was a mental hospital for over 100 years until its closing in 1993. Patients included violent criminals, Civil War veterans, and children, and it’s notorious for its use of lobotomy procedures, hydrotherapy, and electroshock. The asylum also has a cemetery where the deceased patients were buried; rumors indicate it’s now a hotbed for paranormal activity.

From 1945 until the 1980s, the Brothers of Mercy operated St. Vincent's as a mental hospital. Stories of staff members killing patients (and patients killing staff members) have led people to believe the abandoned property is haunted by tortured ghosts.

Sweeping views of Portland may make the 46-room estate even more enchanting, but visitors to the house-museum should also look out for ghostly apparitions. Georgiana and Henry Pittock passed away within a year of one another, but rumor has it they still call the mansion home.

Check into Room 6 for the best chances of a ghostly encounter. The legend is that more than eight spirits—including children—haunt this Revolutionary-era inn, and guests have felt pressure on their chests and seen misty shapes moving around the room.