Are you the type of person who lives for a good, scary movie? Or maybe you’re looking for scary places to go for Halloween? If so, this list of spooky vacation spots and creepy places is probably just what you’re looking for! We’re talking paranormal activities, haunted hotels, battlefields, lighthouses, and more all over the United States! So grab a comfy blanket to hide under and maybe a flashlight. We are sharing some of the scariest places to travel to in the U.S..
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Arizona
Hotel Monte Vista
Just off of Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona, is the Hotel Monte Vista, which opened on New Year’s Day 1927. There are many stories of paranormal activity here. Perhaps the story with the most notoriety is what happened in Room 306. A man staying in Room 306 picked up two female sex workers and brought them back to his hotel room. At some point in the middle of the night, someone brutally murdered them and threw their bodies out the window from three floors up. Since then, hotel guests have reported feeling uneasy and struggling to sleep in that room. Many men say they’ve woken up to the terrifying sensation of hands around their throats or covering their mouths.
The Bank Robbery
Then came the 1970 bank robbery. Three men robbed a nearby bank, but a bank guard shot one of them during the heist. The group escaped and headed to the bar at the Monte Vista to celebrate their score. But the injured man bled out in the bar soon after. Staff and guests believe his spirit never left. They often report barstools shifting and drinks sliding across the counter on their own.
ROOM 305
Paranormal shows have featured Room 305, making it a popular destination for ghost hunters. According to a story passed down throughout the decades, an older woman had stayed in this room as a long-term resident. She would sit in a rocking chair looking out the window day in and day out, until she finally died in that chair. Reports suggest that she was waiting for her son to come back from the war. The most common sightings in this room are those of an elderly woman in the rocking chair by the window, or the chair rocking or moving by itself. This room has scared people enough to flee in the middle of the night.
California
Queen Mary
A luxury ocean liner turned hotel, the Queen Mary has had a tragic history with MANY deaths. It is infamous for ghost sightings. reports of footsteps, children’s laughter, and even full apparitions in the ship’s pool and engine room.
One of the pools, in particular, is said to be haunted on the Queen Mary. Two women drowned in one of the first-class swimming pools on board. Many have seen apparition sightings of a woman in 1930s clothing and another woman in 1960s clothing. In addition to these two women, a little girl named Jackie died in the pool area, as well as a little boy who died near the pool when he fell overboard. Visitors often report seeing Jackie and the little boy haunting the pool area.
THE DEATH OF crew members
In addition to the drownings, there are numerous stories of staff members who died on board. The Queen Mary’s very first captain died from a stroke while on the ship. A senior second officer accidentally drank laundry detergent stored in a gin bottle and died shortly after. One story claims that someone shoved a cook into an oven. Guests and crew say they can still hear his screams echoing through the kitchen. Another crew member died after a heavy automatic door, known as Door #13, crushed him. Witnesses have reported seeing his ghost wandering the ship in white coveralls.
WORLD WAR II
During World War II, the Queen Mary served as a transportation vessel and carried over 800,000 troops. On October 2, 1942, a smaller vessel escorted the Queen Mary from New York to Glasgow, Scotland. The Queen Mary ended up colliding with this smaller vessel, killing 331 people. They say that you can hear the screams in the bow of the ship at times. The bow is where it made contact with the smaller vessel.
CABIN B340
Many consider Cabin B340 to be the most haunted room on the ship. There have been reports of voices, beds shaking, unexplained noises, and ghostly figures. Due to the paranormal activity, this room was shut down for 30 years. On Friday, the 13th, 2018, the Queen Mary reopened this room to the public for overnight stays at $499 per night. A Ouija board, tarot cards, and a crystal ball are provided in this room.
While I was too chicken to stay overnight here, I did not experience anything myself just walking around the ship. However, if you’re brave enough to check out some of the paranormal activities yourself, we recommend their daily Paranormal Ship Walk tours for an exclusive after-hours experience. You’ll have the opportunity to see areas that are rarely accessible to the public.
The Whaley House
On May 6, 1856, Thomas Whaley began construction on his new home in San Diego. This home was a pillar of the community. It had a general store, courthouse, and community theater all attached to it. Thomas Whaley lived here with his family until his youngest daughter, Violet (age 22), shot herself in the chest.
It is said that this home was doomed from the beginning, as it was built on former execution grounds. Mr. Whaley was part of the firing squad here for public executions of criminals. He would also boast about the parlour room in the home being built directly over the gallows where people were hanged. Many people say that they are unable to breathe in this room. There are reports of evil spirits throughout this entire home, with voices and footsteps heard, lights flickering, and a feeling of a very heavy presence. For exclusive access to rooms that are not available during daytime tours, book a reservation with Whaley House After Hours Paranormal Investigation. You’ll be led by an experienced guide and will be able to use ghost-hunting tools.
Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester House is a 24,000 square foot mansion in San Jose, California. Sarah Winchester created this 161-room mansion with its bizarre architecture. She was a grieving and wealthy widow who inherited a fortune from Winchester rifles. After losing both her six-week-old baby and her husband within a short period, Sarah fell into a depression and consulted a psychic. The psychic told her that spirits killed by Winchester rifles had cursed her and that she would stay alive as long as she kept building. Building of the mansion started in 1884 and continued until her death in 1922.
Ms. Winchester had the home built to confuse spirits with doors leading to nowhere, staircases going to the ceiling, and hallways that dead-end. People hear construction noises, see cabinets open by themselves, and listen to footsteps echoing through the house. For tour information, check out winchestermysteryhouse.com.
Colorado
Stanley Hotel
If you’ve ever watched the movie The Shining, you’ll recognize this one and know why it’s scary (RED RUM). The Stanley Hotel is located in Estes, Colorado, and it’s where Stephen King got the inspiration behind the well-known movie. He and his wife were told that they could stay at the Stanley Hotel alone. The hotel had no heat in the winter and. would be shutting down. The very first night, Stephen awoke from a vivid nightmare. Startled, he sat at the end of the bed to collect his thoughts, and the idea for The Shining was born.
Numerous guests have reported moving objects, lights turning on and off, and a feeling of a cold presence. The 4th floor, particularly, has had many reports of the sounds of children running up and down the halls. Guests know Room 428, the Cowboy Room, as one of the most haunted rooms at the hotel. Many reported noises of moving furniture, footsteps, and a ghostly cowboy manifesting at the end of the bed. Female guests have even reported phantom kisses on their foreheads.
Florida
St. Augustine Lighthouse
The St. Augustine Lighthouse (in St. Augustine, Florida) is the oldest lighthouse in America, with a reputation for being the most haunted one as well. There have been multiple deaths here, starting back to the construction of the lighthouse in 1871.
Hezekiah Pittee, who was in charge of overseeing the lighthouse construction, moved his family of six into the lighthouse keeper’s home. The Pittees’ children used rail carts that were on the construction site as a Victorian-era rollercoaster. What stopped them from plummeting into the ocean as they were on their joyride was a wooden board. One day, three of the Pittees’ daughters (along with a friend of theirs) got in the cart, and the wooden board collapsed. The children were sent into the ocean and were trapped upside down under the heavy cart. Only the youngest of the Pittees’ children made it due to help from a worker. The others drowned.
They say that the three girls who drowned still haunt the lighthouse today. Many claim that they hear children laughing and wet footprints on the stairs, and there have been apparitions of little girls. These ghosts are friendly and like to pull pranks. Tour guides say that they refuse to wear tennis shoes anymore, because they have had their shoes tied together.
Not long after the girls’ deaths. Major William Harns became the very first lighthouse keeper in 1876. He passed away in the lighthouse keeper’s home from a horrific bout of tuberculosis. People say that you can smell cherry tobacco and hear coughing, and that Major Harns appears at times rocking in his rocking chair.
Castillo de San Marcos
The Spanish built Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 in St. Augustine, Florida, to protect against pirates. Visitors report seeing apparitions walking around the fort, including a headless ghost. People say the headless spirit is Chief Osceola, a Native American leader of the Seminole tribe. In 1837, soldiers tricked him into custody with a false truce during the Second Seminole War and then transported him along with 200 of his men to Castillo de San Marcos.
During his incarceration, Dr. Weedon, a prominent doctor, befriended — and deceived — Osceola. After Osceola died, Dr. Weedon cut off his head and displayed it in his drugstore. At the time, Native American body parts, especially heads, held great value. Dr. Weedon even stole possessions belonging to the chief that should have been buried with him. Many believe that Chief Osceola still haunts the grounds of San Marcos.
Georgia
The Marshall House
The Marshall House, built in 1851, is the oldest operational hotel in Savannah, Georgia. It was used as a hospital during the Civil War and throughout two yellow fever epidemics. During a restoration project in the 1990s, construction workers found human remains hidden under damaged floorboards. Some incidents reported here are lights flickering, faucets turning on and off, and voices in hallways.
People believe the fourth floor is the most haunted. In the hall on the fourth floor, visitors often report strange occurrences. Guests mention loud noises in the early morning hours coming from the hallway, like thundering heavy objects crashing to the ground. There are many reports of children playing with marbles and bouncing a rubber ball. Also, the doorknobs to the rooms tend to wiggle as if someone is attempting to enter.
One of the more disturbing reports is the smell of flesh or sewer, or fish, especially in Room 414. The hotel has not been able to get rid of the smell despite trying every deodorizer out there. Brave enough to stay here? You CAN book a room and stay overnight. Me? Not so much.
Iowa
Villisca Axe Murder House
On June 9, 1912, the Moore family (along with two additional friends of their children) returned to their home in the small town of Villisca, Iowa, after attending a church service. That night, someone bludgeoned all six children to death with the blunt end of an axe. The attacker(s) also chopped the parents into pieces. To this day, the murders remain unsolved.
In the 1990s, the home was restored into a living museum and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and the doors were then opened to the public. Visitors report hearing children laugh, footprints, feelings of dread and sadness, and a ghostly fog moving from room to room. If you are daring enough to try staying overnight, you can rent out a room or the entire house by clicking here.
Louisiana
The Myrtles
Myrtles Plantation, located in Francisville, Louisiana (originally named Laurel Grove), was built in 1796. Although there are many stories of murder here, the story of Chloe, one of the house slaves, is probably most infamous. Allegedly, Chloe was abused by Mr. Woodruff, the homeowner. In an attempt to protect herself, she would eavesdrop on Mr. Woodruff’s conversations so she would know when to modify her behavior based on his moods. Eventually, Mr. Woodruff caught Chloe eavesdropping and had one of her ears cut off. This allegedly sent Chloe into revenge mode. On the Woodruffs’ daughter’s 9th birthday, Chloe made a cake with Oleander leaves, an extremely poisonous plant, killing Mrs. Woodruff and her two children. Hearing what she had done, the other slaves killed Chloe by hanging her.
Eventually, a new owner, Mr. Winter, moved in with his wife and five kids. One day, while Mr. Winter was teaching a Sunday school class in his home, a man on a horse rode up to the home demanding to see him. When Mr. Winter went outside to investigate, he was shot. He struggled to get up the stairs to see his wife before he died. She met him on the 17th stair, where Mr. Winter died in her arms. Visitors here say that they have heard loud, heavy thuds of footprints on these stairs.
Today’s owners say that they often see Chloe around the plantation and even have photographic evidence. Visitors claim to have seen Woodruff’s children appear in an antique mirror near the room where they were poisoned. The mirror shows a handprint and footprint that seem to belong to a child. Even though people have re-silvered the mirror multiple times, the same handprint and footprint always reappear. If you find this intriguing and want to learn more, be sure to look into the Myrtles’ Evening Mystery Tour.
Massachussets
Witch House
The Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts, was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, who presided over many of the Salem witch trials. Judge Corwin accused 19 people of witchcraft and caused their execution. Some believe the Witch House is haunted by the spirits of those executed. Visitors have reported voices, a feeling of a dark presence, drops in temperature, as well as apparitions in the house. If you’re looking for even more of a scare, we recommend checking out the History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour. It’s a fantastic tour!
Lizzie Borden House
Someone murdered Andrew and Abby Borden with an axe or hatchet in their Iowa home on August 4, 1892. Their daughter, Lizzie Borden, was the only other person in the house (other than the maid). Lizzie had the biggest motive as she stood to inherit a large sum of money. Authorities accused her of the murders, but later acquitted her. The case became a media sensation that remains unsolved.
Visitors here have reported being touched, having blankets ripped off of them, strange odors and voices, objects moving on their own, sounds of footsteps, and seeing full-body apparitions. Many faces have appeared in photos taken here, as shown on the Lizzie Borden website.
If you choose to, you can rent a room or the whole house here. Just know that many people flee in the middle of the night when staying here. Stay at your own peril!
Oregon
Heceta Head Lighthouse
The lightkeeper’s home at the Heceta Head Lighthouse has been widely considered to be haunted by Rue. Rue was the wife of a former assistant lighthouse keeper. They say that she died from heartbreak shortly after her young child passed away at the lighthouse. Staff and visitors have reported a feeling of a presence, hearing a child laugh, and a woman screaming.
Pennsylvania
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is known for being the world’s first true penitentiary. It held criminals like Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton. As a prisoner, this was some of the toughest time that you could serve. The guards here were known to use extremely abusive practices.
Numerous paranormal activities have been reported here, such as hearing voices and laughter, seeing apparitions like ghosts darting through cell blocks, and the feelings of unexplained cold spots and being touched. We recommend taking a tour here to get a better idea of what life was like for the prisoners between 1829 and 1971. And if you really want a treat, they go all out for Halloween with haunted houses, tours, bars, and live entertainment.
Gettysburg
Gettysburg is by far one of the most haunted areas in the United States. There are so many stories about Gettysburg that it’s hard to know where to even begin, but let’s start with the haunted battlefield. Within three days, 7,000 soldiers died on the battlefield. There are reports of soldiers appearing here, sometimes on horseback or marching, still believing that they are at war. There are also reports that you can hear gunshots, voices, drums, and footsteps here at night. Visitors say that their cameras and electronics have malfunctioned or stopped working altogether. Despite that, many photographers have caught evidence of a very disheveled man with no shoes and long hair wearing a floppy-brimmed hat. Many have said this man has spoken before disappearing. For tour information, check out the bus tour at the Gettysburg Tour Center.
Jennie Wade House
The Jennie Wade House is another area in Gettysburg that is said to be extremely haunted. It has been featured on TV programs such as Ghost Lab and Ghost Adventures and has been visited by many ghost hunters due to paranormal activity. Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed as a result of the Battle of Gettysburg. Jennie was casually kneading dough in her kitchen on the morning of July 3rd, 1863, when a stray bullet passed through two wooden doors before hitting her and taking her life. The bullet holes are still in both doors to this day.
Reportedly, James Wade, Jennie’s father, is a very angry spirit here. He spent a lot of time in jail, including Eastern State Penitentiary. By the time he was released, he had gone completely insane, and it is said that his spirit is also here. Visitors report feeling touched, hearing footsteps, unexplained movements, and voices. For a fun evening tour, check out the highly recommended Spirits of Jennie Wade Ghost Night Tour in Gettysburg.
Farnsworth House Inn
Farnsworth House Inn is said to have 16 spirits, including an 8-year-old boy named Jeremy. Jeremy lived here in this home until he was run over by a carriage. He was brought upstairs to the Sara Black Room, where it took him 3 days to die. He often appears to be in this room playing with marbles.
Another spirit believed to be in the home is that of a Confederate sharpshooter named Walt. He is thought to be the cause of the stray bullet killing Jennie Wade. Sounds of breathing and voices are often heard here.
National Soldiers’ Orphans’ Homestead
Once a private home, this building became a field hospital used to treat soldiers from the Battle of Gettysburg. Dying soldiers were brought to the basement of this building and stacked up with the dead, left to suffer until they finally died. They are said to have made deals with the devil to save themselves or escape their misery. The cellar is considered to be evil and possessed.
After the Battle of Gettysburg, the makeshift hospital became an orphanage. While the original intention to take care of the children was good, in the end, the children were tortured. A woman by the name of Miss Rosa allegedly starved and overmedicated some of the orphans. She would place very young children into a barrel full of water and almost drown them. There was a dungeon in the cellar where she would shackle the children to the walls for up to a week with minimal food, in total darkness. Miss Rosa worked there for seven years, and there are reports of people seeing a woman here in a black Victorian dress.
For the best tour guides and storytellers ever, we recommend the Haunted Orphanage Ghostly Encounter Tour in Gettysburg. These tickets sell out fast, especially around Halloween, so don’t wait.
West Virginia
Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Formerly known as Weston State Hospital, Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was a 242,000 square foot facility used to treat the mentally ill from 1864 to 1994. In 2007, it became a historic spot and a favorite for ghost hunters.
Despite its huge size, the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum grew to hold 10 times the number of people than originally intended. The unspeakable acts that happened here included over 3,000 lobotomies (even to children), electroshock therapy, and water therapy with straitjackets. Some patients were put into cages, and some were induced into fake comas. People could be admitted for any reason, even being too religious or too jealous. In addition to the horrendous atrocities committed here, there were hundreds of murders by the staff, as well as several murders committed by the patients themselves.
The creeper
There have been countless sightings here of “shadowy figures.” The show Ghost Hunters even caught proof of what is referred to as “the creeper.” “The creeper” is a crawling, shadowy, demonic figure, and it has been captured on film multiple times. Visitors have experienced hearing sounds like voices, whispers, and footsteps. Some people have experienced mysterious burn marks, welts, and scratches showing up on their bodies. I don’t know about you, but this one scares me, and I don’t scare that easily.
If you truly love to Travel The Unexpected, these spooky vacation spots offer a thrilling way to mix travel and the paranormal. From ghostly whispers in haunted hotels to shadowy figures in famous battlefields, we think that each destination holds its own fascinating story if you dare to go.
Have you ever stayed in a haunted hotel or visited one of these spooky vacation spots? Share your experience in the comments below! We’d love to hear your stories! And if you enjoyed these spooky U.S. destinations, check out our blog on Cage of Death: Australia’s Most Thrilling Wildlife Encounter for a different kind of scare!
