Haunted Places in History You Can Explore with Google Maps
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Happy Halloween, everyone! Have you ever wanted to play paranormal investigator? Would you like to explore America’s most frightening haunted locations, both near and far? Maybe you’re looking for inspiration for some creepy curricula based around historical fact-finding? Have no fear, Google’s got your back.
Plan the ultimate road trip — or mind trip if you’re more into research than creeping around in the dark — with Google Map’s list of the 31 Most Haunted Places in America. Or just check to see which nearby neighborhoods to avoid at night if you prefer your adventures to be a little less…spirited.
Alleged ghost sightings abound in this abandoned cemetery in Cook County, Illinois. The land surrounding Bachelors Grove Cemetery was originally settled by English homesteaders, who relocated to the area from New England around 1833. The site saw its first known burials between 1834-1836 and contains 200 graves.
This famous Texan battle site is also renown for the ghosts that still inhabit the area, including a Mexican soldier, a little boy, and a father and son duo that haunt the rooftops.
Although this Missourian property has now been transformed into a commercial space, it is the site of several tragedies and is supposedly haunted by the Lemp family.
Old Slave House “Hickory Hill”
Formerly known as the Crenshaw House, the Old Slave House in Gallatin Country, Illinois has an ominous history that included kidnapping free slaves to return them to a life of forced servitude.
Known as one of the most haunted houses in America, the Whaley House was built in 1857 on a former graveyard — and that never ends well. Strange sounds, sights, and sightings of the Whaley family have been reported at this haunted house in San Diego, California.
Known as one of the most haunted places in the world, Sarah Winchester spent her days in this grand Californian estate building elaborate rooms, staircases, and labyrinth-like hallways to elude the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles.
This former slave plantation was built on a Native American burial ground, making it a horror movie waiting to happen. Surrounded by centuries-old live oak trees, the Louisiana mansion and its inhabitants endured numerous tragedies, including a fire, one owner being killed on the porch, and many more rumored deaths on the premises.
This pub used to be a hotel and is full of horrifying stories. It’s allegedly haunted by the ghost of a child who died there after a train accident. Stories of bloody dresses, deadly poker games and a hastily buried body under the basement floor are the kind that may typically be heard over a round at the famed Stone’s Public House.
In 1912, a massive ax murder took place in this home that still remains unsolved. Perhaps the creepiest detail? The killer covered every mirror in the house on his way out. The property has now been turned into a bed and breakfast, but rumor has it that the victims never moved out.
An unexplained light inhabits this space in Oklahoma, and theories about its origin story include the ghost of a Civil War soldier and a Native American searching for his missing head. It’s a lushly wooded road in an area where wanderers flock to seek possible redemption, or just to escape the boredom and darkness of ordinary rural life.
This museum in Riverside, Ohio is said to be home of many haunted objects, with sightings of a little ghost boy and claims of moving objects and unexplained sounds.
Home of the hysteria that led to the Salem Witch Trials, many sites in this spooky town are said to be haunted, including The Old Salem Jail and Salem State University. Visiting this place in person is even better, lending you the opportunity to maximize learning with a wide variety of educational museums and guided tours.
Thousands of Civil War soldiers died at this historical Pennsylvania site, and there’s no shortage of reported ghost sightings. Many of the soldiers never received a proper burial. Now, more than 14 decades later, these unsettled spirits may still linger in Gettysburg.
Many slaves were mistreated and tortured at the LaLaurie House in New Orleans, Louisiana, by the evil Madame LaLaurie. Their remains were only discovered after a devastating fire, and legend says that some now remain on the property as ghosts.
Cemeteries are eerie by their very nature, but this one is reported to have mysterious mists and fog appear in photographs. The oldest marked grave in the cemetery was there before the cemetery was even incorporated in 1834.
From slaughterhouse to speakeasy to meeting place of a Satanic cult, Bobby Mackey’s Music World has a colorful history — and, supposedly, a portal to hell in the basement.
Once home to Al Capone, this national historic landmark was open from 1829 to 1971 and the tortured souls of those who lived their lives in solitary confinement or lost their lives to murder are reportedly still there.
Frank Stranahan was a businessman during the Great Depression, and sadly drowned himself in a nearby river after falling on hard times. Strange apparitions, including the ghost of his wife and other families, have been reported at this residence in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
While this historic Providence, Rhode Island cinema has been renovated and is back to playing films on the big screen, it’s also still rumored to be haunted. The stories of restless ghosts at the Avon go back many years, even to the early days of the theater.
Formerly a hospital for Tuberculosis patients, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky comes complete with a body chute for corpses and a haunted fifth floor.
Want to hang out with dead presidents? Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt are reportedly still residing at the most historical house in America.
Formerly an education and help center for immigrants and working-class, this current museum is allegedly home to a lady in white and a “devil baby” ghost.
Home of the infamous Amityville Horror house, this was the scene of a mass murder committed by Ronald DeFeo in 1974. Its next inhabitants were reportedly the victims of a haunting that inspired the famous horror movie.
Formerly the Lincoln Square Theater, this location in Decatur, Illinois caught fire twice and claimed the lives of two people, who are said to still haunt this space.
This famous prison was recently the star of a History channel show which recorded unexplained drops in temperature and voices that acted as evidence that some inmates may still be present in spirit.
The Stanley Hotel is famous–or perhaps infamous would be the better word. Many people have disappeared and died on the Colorado property. Stephen King also used this hotel as inspiration for The Overlook Hotel featured in his spooky classic, “The Shining.”
The Crescent Hotel is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and is billed as “America’s most haunted hotel.” Their claim to fame includes several spirits, including the ghosts of a construction worker, a cancer patient, and even a cat.
Legend has it that a murdered minister’s head continued to scream after his death until the killers buried it; the “Cambridge Skull” can reportedly still be heard screaming. This haunted Maryland location is also the burial ground of famous poet Edgar Allen Poe.
Christ Church Cemetery on St. Simons Island
Sad, romantic, and spooky — legend has it that a young woman who was afraid of the dark was buried at this cemetery in Georgia, so her lover left a lit candle at her grave every night. Some say the flickering light can still be seen at night.
The Bell Witch is a legend from Southern United States folklore, centered on the 19th-century Bell family of northwest Robertson County, Tennessee. After a series of strange sightings and occurrences, the Bell family identified a force that claimed to be a witch named Kate that tormented the family for years.
As one of the oldest private cemeteries in Southern California, El Campo Santo contains the remains of many prominent pioneer families. Streets and sidewalks were built over an abandoned cemetery that was home to 477 gravesites, creating a virtual village of walking dead.
You can find more haunted places to visit with Google Maps here.