13 Haunted Places You Can Visit in the U.S.
By AAA Travel Editor Katie Broome | April 19, 2023
Here are our picks for the most haunted places to visit in the U.S., including haunted hotels, ghost tours and creepy former prisons.
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The Blue Anchor
Delray Beach, Florida
With a centuries-old façade and interior details shipped straight from London, this British pub is a favorite local watering hole. It’s also said to be haunted by the ghost of Bertha Starkey, a Londoner who lived above the bar at its original location in England. According to the story, Bertha met an untimely death at the hands of her husband. The owners of The Blue Anchor report hearing her footsteps and the sounds of banging pots and pans after hours.![]()
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Eastern State Penitentiary
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This former prison housed more than 75,000 inmates over a period of 142 years, from 1829 to 1971. Though no executions ever happened at the Eastern State Penitentiary, eerie noises are sometimes heard in the hallways. You can explore the castlelike structure for yourself on a daytime tour.If you're looking for spooky things to do in Philadelphia during Halloween, a trip to this penitentiary may be a good option.Read More![]()
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The Historic Bullock Hotel
Deadwood, South Dakota
Built in 1895 by the first sheriff of Deadwood, Seth Bullock, this historic hotel is said to be frequented by the ghost of the sheriff himself.According to 's website, things sometimes move without explanation thanks to the resident ghost. The second and third floors are where Seth’s presence is said to be the strongest.
Stay a night or two and see for yourself. Even if you don’t get a visit from Seth roaming the halls, you may be visited by Lady Luck in the hotel’s on-site casino.![]()
Lmunjone / Wikimedia Commons
Historic Hotel Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Guests of the Historic Hotel Bethlehem have reported seeing flickering lights and strange reflections in mirrors inside this 1920s hotel. Most hauntings occur in Room 932, the property’s so-called “room with a boo.” Other spots around the hotel — including the lobby, the kitchen and the restaurant — are rumored to be inhabited by a handful of friendly ghosts.Reserve a night or two at this AAA Three Diamond hotel and you’ll join the likes of famous guests Henry Ford, Winston Churchill and Amelia Earhart.Book Now![]()
flickr / CC BY SA/Jeff Kubina
Jean Bonnet Tavern
Bedford, Pennsylvania
You’ll sense the history of the Jean Bonnet Tavern as soon as you walk in — from the exposed chestnut beams to the stone walls and fireplace. But you may also sense something else.The circa 1760s tavern, once owned by a scout of George Washington, is said to be home to a friendly ghost who sometimes makes its presence known. Guests and staff have reported feeling an unexplained touch while at the bar. They've also caught glimpses of patrons wearing pioneer-era clothing.Read More![]()
Courtesy of The Kehoe House
Kehoe House
Savannah, Georgia
Located in historic downtown Savannah, this 13-room inn is a stop on many local ghost tours. Tour guides often tell tales of nighttime apparitions and noises that happen inside the Kehoe House. Some say the strange goings-on are related to the inn’s former life as a mortuary.Book an overnight stay at this AAA Four Diamond bed-and-breakfast to investigate the situation for yourself. Savannah is a spook-filled city in its own right, so you're in the perfect place to explore other haunted happenings around town.Book Now![]()
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY/Zamburak
McRaven
Vicksburg, Mississippi
If you’re into both Civil War history and the paranormal, the McRaven house deserves a spot on your travel list. Said to be the “creepiest place in Mississippi,” the 1797 home served as a Confederate field hospital during the Civil War. It has also been the place where many former residents have died.Haunted tours are led by costumed guides who explain the history of the home and the stories of the many spirits (up to 14!) who are rumored to inhabit the property.Read More![]()
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Courtesy of West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission
The Myrtles Plantation
St. Francisville, Louisiana
This 1796 plantation home, nestled under a thick canopy of live oaks, is said to be “one of America's most haunted homes.” Strange apparitions have been spotted in photographs and during paranormal investigations.Guided mystery tours of The Myrtles Plantation take place on Friday and Saturday nights and offer the chance to hear ghost stories and learn the history of the mansion. Private group tours are also available.Read More![]()
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Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, District Of Columbia
Restored to its former splendor, this luxury 1930s hotel — today a AAA Three Diamond property — boasts a history of mysterious happenings. The appropriately named “Ghost Suite” is where the hotel’s original owner once lived with his daughter and housekeeper. The daughter and housekeeper are said to have died in the suite, and guests will often see lights turn on and off in the room and feel unexplained breezes.Book NowAAA/Sherry Mims
Sorrel-Weed House
Savannah, Georgia
Featured on many TV shows about the paranormal, the Sorrel-Weed House offers the chance to experience what is said to be “one of the most actively haunted locations in the country.” On nightly tours, you’ll hear about the history of the property as well as the strange experiences and sightings that have happened inside. Book an after-hours investigation to explore the property on your own with the use of ghost-hunting equipment.Read MoreWikimedia Commons / CC BY SA/Hustvedt
The Stanley Hotel
Estes Park, Colorado
A stay at this 1909 hotel near Rocky Mountain National Park is allegedly what inspired Stephen King’s famous horror novel “The Shining.” You can stay the night in the Stephen King Suite (Room 217), or opt to stay in another of The Stanley Hotel's “spirited” rooms. These rooms are said to have high paranormal activity. Guests have reported items being moved, lights turning on and off and the sounds of children playing and laughing.If you’d rather not stay overnight, book a Stanley Hotel ghost tour. The Stanley Hotel Tours offers walking tours that will explain the history and folklore of the hotel.Book NowCourtesy of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Weston, West Virginia
Formerly known as the Weston State Hospital, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum housed more than 2,400 patients at its peak in the 1950s. It was also used as a psychiatric institution in the Civil War-era.While the facility closed down in 1994, today it is open for history tours as well as ghost tours and overnight paranormal investigations. Apparitions and unexplained voices are sometimes detected in the halls of the form asylum.Read More![]()
NoDerog/iStockphoto.com
West Virginia Penitentiary
Moundsville, West Virginia
Rusty doors, peeling paint, damp corners and dark hallways — the inside of the Gothic-style West Virginia Penitentiary sets the scene for a spooky experience. Guided tours introduce visitors to the retired prison, which closed down in 1995 after a court said its small cells were “cruel and unusual punishment.”Nearly 100 men were executed in the facility, leading many to believe the prison is haunted. Nighttime tours allow you to explore on your own with investigative equipment.Read More![]()
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