Haunted hotels. Ghostly encounters. Eerie legends. These may not be everyone’s idea of a great vacation, but if you’re the kind of person who embraces the kooky and the creepy in all its ghoulish glory, you already know that spooky season is your time. What you may not know is that all across the country, some of America’s favorite destinations boast chilling histories and spirited secrets just waiting to be uncovered. Here are some of my favorite haunted destinations in the U.S., along with how they earned their reputation.
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1. Hudson Valley, New York
When you think about haunts in the Hudson Valley, Sleepy Hollow likely comes to mind. The setting for Washington Irving’s tale of the Headless Horseman pays homage to its literary fame with the annual Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Attractions event. (It proudly proclaims to have “frightened well over one million guests” in its 30 years.) Lantern tours of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery are offered throughout the year, spotlighting the final resting places of folks like Andrew Carnegie and Irving himself.
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The circa-1885 Tarrytown Music Hall has been said to be the site of paranormal activity, and each fall storyteller Jonathan Kruk leads ghost tours of the venue. And for a spooky meal, request table 24 at Silvio’s Villa in Warwick.
Where to stay: Resident ghost Sybil Harris is said to walk the halls of the King House Mansion at the Tarrytown House Estate, lingering near room 293 where she died in 1959. Guests at The Borland House Bed & Breakfast in Montgomery have reported footsteps, flickering TVs, and shadowy figures while staying at the 1780s home.
2. Key West, Florida
Say the words “Key West” and a tropical getaway might come to mind. But the Florida island is also one of the most haunted places in America. It’s home, after all, to the ultra-creepy Robert the Doll, a supernatural legend of sorts who’s on display at the Fort East Martello Museum.
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Take a tour to learn more about him and other island intrigue from outfitters like Ghosts & Gravestones of Key West and Island Tales. Lots of sites are said to be haunted in the city, including the Hemingway Home, Key West Lighthouse, Alex Vega Key West Firehouse Museum (where you can become a paranormal investigator for a night), and Harry S. Truman Little White House.
Where to stay: You can sleep in the former home of Robert the Doll at The Artist House if you’re brave enough. Ridley House, La Concha Key West, and Curry Mansion Inn are also good options if you’re looking for a spirited stay.
3. Macon, Georgia
This city 85 miles southeast of Atlanta has plenty of spooky spots to visit. The circa-1859 Hay House has been called one of the “13 Most Beautiful Haunted Destinations Around the World” by Architectural Digest, thanks to mysterious sightings like an elderly woman dressed in mid-1800s attire wandering through the hallways. During spooky season the Legends and Lore Tour delves into those ghostly sightings and unexplained noises at the site.
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Rose Hill Cemetery is the resting place of rockers Duane and Gregg Allman. But the 182-year-old spot is also said to be haunted by the ghosts of Civil War soldiers. The Piedmont Grand Opera House has also been the site of spooky activity, including apparitions of “a lady in white” whose soprano vocals have been heard echoing through the halls. Playing up its spooky rep, the city hosts an annual Witches Float on the Ocmulgee River and Thriller Parade of zombie dancers through the downtown, which is also the site of Rock Candy Tours’ Macon Macabre Walking Tour every Friday in October.
Where to stay: Past guests at Burke Mansion have reported seeing the spirits of former employees roaming the halls at the circa-1887 bed-and-breakfast. The 1842 Inn is said to be haunted by the ghost of John Gresham, a mayor of Macon who built the house, as well as the spirits of a woman and little girl.
4. Crystal Coast, North Carolina
Also known as the Southern Outer Banks, North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is located along the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” More than 2,000 vessels have been lost in this stretch, including Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge just off the coast of Beaufort. Divers have told tales of muffled voices, phantom lights and shadows, and other eerie encounters during their time beneath the sea.
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The Old Burying Ground is one of the oldest cemeteries in North Carolina, and guides lead tours amid the historic gravestones under live oaks. (Don’t miss the gravesite of a girl buried in a rum barrel by her father after her death sailing from England, which is often adorned with toys and flowers.) The cemetery is a stop on Port City Tours’ Beaufort Ghost Walk, which includes stories about Blackbeard, ghosts of the Civil War, and haunted houses in the area. Fort Macon State Park is also said to be haunted by Civil War soldiers.
Where to stay: A ghost of a heartbroken young woman is said to wander around the Langdon House Bed & Breakfast. Inn on Turner is located near the Old Burying Ground in Beaufort’s Historic Waterfront District.
5. Alton, Illinois
Considered one of the most haunted small towns in America, Alton is an ideal destination for spooky season. More than a dozen spirits are said to inhabit McPike Mansion, built in the 1800s but unoccupied by any living people since the 1950s. Monthly tours held throughout the year include a dark room session in the basement wine cellar, and additional tours are added for the month of October.
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The town’s First Unitarian Church and Milton School House are also said to be haunted, and tours offered by Alton Hauntings and Alton Odyssey Tours take participants to these and other sites. Keep the creepy vibe going by navigating the Great Godfrey Maze or Demange Farm Corn Maze by flashlight.
Where to stay: Beall Mansion has a rich history and is open for tours (which are free with a stay). Or stay at the Alton Cracker Factory for a unique twist on local history.
6. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City might be associated with cattle and cowboys, but it’s a lot creeper than you realize. Two sisters with a tragic story are said to linger upstairs at Langston’s Western Wear, and unexplained voices and rattling glassware have been heard at Gabriella’s Italian Grill, a Prohibition-era building with a gangsters and gambling history. At Kitchen Lake Bridge, drivers have told stories about headlights flickering and cars stalling.
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You can learn more about stories like these on a Haunted History Cruise along the Bricktown Canal or an Oklahoma City Ghost Tour that uncovers spooky tales from the city’s past. Lean into the Halloween season even more at Oklahoma City Zoo’s kid-friendly Haunt the Zoo event or at Fright Fest at Six Flags Frontier City.
Where to stay: Located in a circa-1911 building, The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma is said to be haunted by a Prohibition-era chambermaid.
7. Newport, Rhode Island
This coastal New England city known for sailing and Gilded Age mansions has plenty of ghost stories to tell. Like the tales of the elderly man in colonial dress said to haunt White Horse Tavern, which dates from 1673. Or the spirits said to inhabit Belcourt of Newport, which you can try to experience for yourself on a candlelight tour of the Louis XIII-style mansion.
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Other sites around the city are rumored to be haunted like Rose Island Lighthouse, where a former lighthouse keeper is said to still walk the grounds. Learn more about Newport’s centuries-old spooky side on a lantern-lit stroll around the city with Ghost Tours of Newport.
Where to stay: Guests and staff at Hotel Viking have reported strange experiences like noises from a party at odd hours of the night. Castle Hill Inn is said to be haunted by a female ghost, and whispers have been heard and presences have been felt at The Jailhouse Inn, which served its namesake purpose from 1772 to 1986.
8. Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is known as America’s Most Haunted City, and it’s got hundreds of years of history filled with eerie stories. Ghost tours are a popular way to search for specters and spirits, and they range from walking and trolley tours to a ride in a hearse. Or you can roam spots like Bonaventure and Colonial Park Cemeteries and Wright Square yourself and see if anything supernatural occurs.
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A number of the city’s restaurants are also said to be haunted, including The Olde Pink House, The Pirate’s House, and Vic’s on the River. So if you’re lucky, you could get dinner and a spirited show.
Where to stay: Haunted hotels abound in Savannah, like The Marshall House (said to be inhabited by Civil War–era ghosts) and Kehoe House (rumored to be haunted by children who once got trapped in the chimney!). And at least three ghosts are believed to be in residence at The 17hundred90 Inn and Restaurant.
9. Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital might be known for its halls of power. But if those halls could talk, they’d likely have tales to tell. After all, ghosts of presidents past have been said to appear at the White House, and former First Lady Dolley Madison is rumored to host ghostly receptions at the Octagon House. There are even tales of a “demon cat” among the spirits haunting the U.S. Capitol Building.
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So it should be no surprise that the city is home to an abundance of ghost tours led by outfits like D.C. Ghosts and National Nightmares. Take the Ghosts of Georgetown walking tour and you’ll end at the “Exorcist Steps” featured in the 1973 film. When it’s time to eat head to Old Ebbitt Grill, the city’s oldest saloon that just might have a spirited side.
Where to stay: The teenage son of President Calvin Coolidge is said to be responsible for the paranormal occurrences that occur at The Mayflower Hotel, and a female spirit is said to haunt The Hay-Adams. At the Omni Shoreham Hotel, the presidential suite is also known as the “ghost suite” for the rooms’ spooky past.
10. New Orleans, Louisiana
You can’t have a list of haunted destinations in the U.S. without including New Orleans. In the French Quarter alone, spooky spots include Le Petit Theatre, Faulkner House Books, and St. Louis Cathedral. The founder of Antonie’s Restaurant is said to return to check up on things, and the Séance Lounge at Muriel’s Jackson Square is a truly spirited spot for a cocktail.
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There are lots of options for both ghost tours and cemetery tours sharing eerie stories from the city’s more than 300 years of history. Strange True Tours also offers an Anne Rice–themed tour around Halloween time.
Where to stay: A Confederate soldier, children and nuns from the former convent and orphanage, and a lonely ghost dancer are among the spirits roaming the halls at the Bourbon Orleans. The footsteps of child ghost Maurice Begere have been heard at Hotel Monteleone, and guests have been woken up with laughter or had items in their rooms moved around by the spirits at the Andrew Jackson Hotel.
11. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The site of a seminal Civil War battle in July 1863, Gettysburg is a destination with a rich history and a reputation as one of the most haunted places in the country. The Jennie Wade House is said to be haunted by the only civilian killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Soldier’s Orphans’ Homestead has a dark history that can be explored on tours.
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Creepy happenings have also taken place at Sachs Covered Bridge, so be warned if you venture there at night. If you want to take a ghost tour of the destination, you have lots of options, from Gettysburg Ghost Tours and Civil War Ghosts to the Haunted Cellar Tour at Farnsworth House.
Where to stay: Haunted lodging options abound in Gettysburg. Former hospital Balderry Inn, onetime school Federal Pointe Inn, and former field hospital Battlefield Bed & Breakfast are all said to offer highly spirited stays.
12. Eureka Springs, Arkansas
This Arkansas city is known for its preserved Victorian buildings—and its creepy side. Spots said to be haunted include Melonlight Theater, and Haunted Eureka Springs leads guided walking tours of downtown, including a visit to the city’s underground tunnels. Haunted Grounds Coffee leans into the spooky vibe by serving “hauntingly good coffee.”
Where to stay: Crescent Hotel & Spa is considered America’s Most Haunted Hotel and offers regular ghost tours (including one geared for kids). Not to be outdone, Basin Park Hotel’s Paranormal Investigation explores the site’s most haunted spaces.
13. Atchison, Kansas
Atchison is known as the most haunted place in Kansas. The northeastern Kansas city about 60 miles northwest of Kansas City was a major transportation hub and launching point for westward migration in the late 1800s, and it seems some of those folks traveling through never left. The Sallie House is the city’s most well-known spooky spot, and you can book a self-guided tour or overnight stay if you dare.
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The 1889 McInteer Villa and Dilgert House are two other creepy sites that are sometimes open for tours. Learn about all of these spine-tingling tales on Haunted Trolley Tours of the city, or go ghost hunting at Atchison’s haunted locales. Atchison also has ties to another kind of mystery as the birthplace of Amelia Earhart, and you can visit the house the aviation pioneer grew up in.
Where to stay: If you don’t want to brave an overnight at Sallie House, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atchison is a safe choice. If you want a haunted hotel, both the Hotel Savoy Kansas City and The Elms Hotel & Spa are said to be home to resident ghosts.
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