27. Poveglia Island, Italy
When most people go to Italy, they don’t think of visiting one of the most haunted places in the world. Instead, they are more interested in the famous food and culture. Yet Poveglia Island is that place. However, you should see all of it when you visit because Poveglia Island is supposedly home to over 10,000 ghosts.
How did this ghost story start? During the early 1900s, thousands of people became affected by the bubonic plague. Doctors and others tried to contain the epidemic by sending those affected to an island. But they had to bring in even more creepiness by building an asylum for everyone to stay and die in.
26. Poenari Castle, Transylvania
Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is known for his cruelty and love for blood. Vlad didn’t live in Poenari Castle but wanted to repair it, but he also knew that his townspeople wouldn’t support his plan. Therefore, he took dozens of men down to the castle and impaled them. After their death, he carried them all to the castle. For fear of death, the rest of the town quickly gathered supplies to help repair the castle.
The story claims that over 1,500 lost souls walk around the castle, attached to their blood that was used to help the stones stick together. Of course, you can’t forget about the human sacrifice of women and children.
25. Casa Loma, Canada
Canada is home to a place known as “castle on the hill.” This Toronto location is well-known for its ghostly activity and is home to many ghosts such as the Lady in White, who is believed to be a maid that worked in the castle during the early 1900s.
But don’t automatically assume that it might be the Lady in White making any noises that you hear. Other ghosts include Lady Mary Pellatt and her husband, Sir Henry, who built the castle. Then, there is the chance that you are hearing children playing a joke on you or the stableman who lived long, long ago.
24. Tower of London, England
If you want to travel around the world to see the most haunted places, you need to stop at the Tower of London in England. Known as the most haunted place in London, the tower has over 1,000 years worth of history which helps create the scary stories.
Some of the history that brings about ghost stories include executions, murders, and torture. However, nothing beats the most famous tale, which features Anne Bolyn and how she walks around with her severed head.
23. The Forbidden City, China
The name “The Forbidden City” is one to remember. It doesn’t need stories of ghosts, but it does, have them, and this makes the city more mysterious. Like many other haunted tales, this one starts with several murders and tortured souls.
Even though the city remained closed for a long time, it opened during the 1940s so people could view a piece of China’s history. Since that time, tourists discuss the strange things they see and hear during their visits, such as a woman without a face dressed in all black and a woman dressed in white crying.
22. The Stanley Hotel, Colorado
If you are a Stephen King fan, you know everything you can about The Stanley Hotel. It is the inspiration for King’s novel The Shining. F.O. and Flora Stanley opened the hotel in 1909 with the dream to create the most beautiful hotel in the mountainous region. But, the hotel’s reputation started creeping into paranormal territory within the first few decades and King’s novel skyrocketed it into a firestorm.
There is more common ground between The Shining and The Stanley Hotel than people want to admit, especially staff. They claim to see and hear a variety of unexplained sounds and strange figures. In fact, the 4th floor brings laughter of children – maybe twins?
21. Lawang Sewu, Indonesia
In 1907, Lawang Sewu in Indonesia became the headquarters for the Dutch East Indies Railway Company in that area. Unfortunately, this all changed during World War II, when the Japanese took over the domain and turned it into a detention center.
It’s at this point, stories of murders, torture, suicides, and so many more horrible tales take control. One of the ghostly tales is the story of the headless woman who was executed by the Japanese. Like so many others, her severed head landed in a corner. Many people claim she still wanders the grounds looking for her head.
20. Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana
If you are a fan of Ghost Adventures, you’ve probably heard of Myrtles Plantation. Built in 1796, the former General David Bradford plantation home is known as one of the most haunted houses in the United States.
One of the most famous stories is that of a slave girl, whom people claim they captured in a photograph. Along with the little slave girl, there are at least 12 other ghosts, but people think there are more. The basis of the haunting? General Bradford built his plantation on top of a Native American burial ground.
19. Jazirat Al Hamra, United Arab Emirates
Jazirat Al Hamra is a town that is nearly abandoned not far from Ras Al Khaimah in northern UAE. Established during the 14th century, the city hit its peak population during the 1830s and then started to slowly decline until about the 1960s when people quickly began to leave.
Today, the town is known for its countless ghost stories, which many people feel is the reason so many left and never looked back. People who do visit usually get to see their share of paranormal activity from spirit sightings of those who once lived there to ghosts of animals.
18. One If By Land, Two If By Sea, New York
Imagine receiving a job waiting tables at the most romantic eatery in New York City. Once you receive your uniform, your supervisor tells you to give the ghosts their space. You laugh as you think this is a joke, but your supervisor is serious. As your smile fades, you learn that your new place of business is home to around 20 ghosts.
One of the first couples you take an order from disappears as you are bringing their order. You see, the same woman dressed in a black gown walking down the stairs, but never up. You hear strange noises and voices that come from nowhere.
17. The Paris Catacombs, France
Imagine the 1700s when people didn’t live long, disease was everywhere, and people continued to die one after another. The cemeteries started to fill up so quickly they ran out of room for the dead. Therefore, Paris officials established the catacombs of Paris in the early 1800s.
Millions of bodies reached the mine shaft and became buried amongst each other. Many people believe that this burial practice angered many spirits who now walk around the catacombs waiting for a more respectful resting place. The ghosts don’t let anyone forget about them as they continually bang walls, talk, and make other noises.
16. Winchester Mystery House, California
Sarah Winchester is a household name because of her famous house that she spent decades building. In fact, for many people, it’s the Winchester Mystery House they think about when looking at the Winchester rifles. Believing that the spirits of those killed by Winchester guns were haunting her home, she hired contractors to build and keep building around the clock.
By the time she died, contractors built over 160 rooms, two basements, and 40 bedrooms. They also installed over 10,000 windows and many doors that led to nowhere. You always need to be careful when opening a door because it might lead to a long fall. Don’t forget about the narrow and winding staircases, with many of them built to confuse the ghosts.
15. Aokigahara, Japan
Aokigahara seems like a calm and peaceful forest in the shadowlands of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Well, that is until you learn that people refer to these forests as “the perfect place to die.” Along with the Golden Gate Bridge, this is one of the top places people from all over the world pick to commit suicide.
Starting in the 1950s, over 500 people went into the forest and never planned on coming out. Even the trees that are filled with signs that read, “Your life is precious” and “Please call the police for help” don’t keep most people from ending their lives. Because of this, countless spirits roam the forest.
14. Castle of Good Hope, South Africa
The Castle of Good Hope is so well-known for its ghosts that people know the “ghost shift” is on duty every night. They don’t only protect the castle, but they also give visitors a lot of frightening tales to report to other people. For example, no one on the ghost shift can explain the footsteps they hear through the hallways or the voices that seem strange to the human ear.
For those who know of the castle’s history, which includes over 150 years of torture and executions, it’s no wonder that spirits are talking and walking around the grounds. Maybe you will stay and walk into a ghost party hosted by Lady Anne Barnard.
13. Burg Wolfsegg, Germany
Burg Wolfsegg is a castle in Germany with a ghost story that starts as a familiar tale. The husband leaves and his wife is unfaithful. While with her lover, people come in and kill the wife and lover by order of the husband. The wife’s body is found, but the lover runs into the woods, never seen or heard from again.
While the wife still wanders the halls of the castle, the real scary story is the cave behind the castle. Deep into the ground are bones scattered. It’s said that the spirits of these bones are still around and will make scratching and groaning noises that you can hear miles away.
12. Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania
Eastern State Penitentiary is one of the most haunted places in the United States. It’s no wonder it’s home to hundreds of ghosts because of all the torture, disease, madness, and suicide that happened within its walls. While no one knows how many ghosts haunt the building, they do know many inmates who spend their last days there wished for death.
Over 70,000 people spent their days inside the penitentiary, so you can fill a whole article with its ghost stories. For instance, the screams you hear coming from the hole where prisoners were sent to pay for their crimes.
11. Port Arthur, Australia
In the 1800s, Port Arthur in Australia came into existence because England needed a place to send its worst criminals. While the port is only open for tours now, by the time, it closed to the criminals, at least the human criminals, over 1,000 people died there.
The story goes that many of these criminals left their bodies but never left the port. Several tourists and employees talk about how they hear strange noises, and some even see a blue lady while others claim they listen to children laughing.
10. Leap Castle, Coolderry, Ireland
Ireland is known for its legendary castles that are thousands of years old. Therefore, it’s no surprise that a few of them, such as Leap Castle, have ghost stories attached. Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, Leap Castle is full of murders, suicides, and other dark histories.
One of the most haunting stories happened in the early 1900s when a woman discovered a dungeon with old blood splattered everywhere and dozens of human skulls. It’s believed many of these skulls belonged to prisoners who fell through a trapped door and landed on wooden spikes, puncturing their lungs and causing a slow and painful death.
9. Höfði House, Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland makes this list with one of the most haunted locations that are most well-known for its connection to former United States President Ronald Reagan. In 1986, Reagan met with Michael Gorbachev at the house to discuss the end of the Cold War.
Like so many other haunting tales, the Höfði House has its own Lady in White the haunts the grounds. Many people believe she is a victim of suicide and when she shows up, and visitors feel so much dread that they become panicked and leave.
8. Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts
You might have sung the following as a child, “Lizzie Borden took an ax/And gave her mother forty whacks/When she saw what she had done/She gave her father forty-one.” It’s a popular rhyme and a very haunting and true tale that took place in 1892. Today, the Borden home is a bed and breakfast for tourism.
Several guests of the bed and breakfast claim to hear strange noises throughout their stay. Some go to try and contact the spirits of Lizzie Borden, her father Andrew Borden, or her stepmother. Even though Lizzie never admitted to the killings, the mystery that surrounds these murders brings thousands of people to the house every year.
7. Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Some places become sights of paranormal activity because people claim they see a ghost. Other locations are thrown into the mix because there are different types of sights like a UFO hovering over the area. This is the reason why HoiaBaciu Forest in Romania makes the list.
A photograph of a UFO hovering over the forest came into existence in 1968 after a military technician snapped the picture. From that moment on, people started walking through the woods and coming out complaining of nausea, vomiting, rash, and feeling of panic and anxiety. There are also those stories where people went in and never came out.
6. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England
The 7000-acre Raynham Hall came into existence in the early 1600s and quickly became one of the most impressive homes in Norfolk. To this date, it remains one of the most extravagant estates, but also one of the most haunted in its area.
Most of the ghost stories surround Lady Dorothy Townshend, also known as Dolly. The story goes that her husband, Viscount “Turnip” Townshend, kept her locked up in their home. Because of this, she craved the social scene but rarely got to see anyone but their employees. People believe she is haunting the house because of a picture taken in the 1930s of a ghost who looks similar to Dolly.
5. Xunantunich, Belize
Xunantunich in Belize is an ancient Mayan ruin that is in the jungle and less than a mile from the Guatemala border. For nearly 1,000 years, the remains sat empty and waited for any soul to cross its path…well, any living soul.
Since its rediscovery in the late 1800s, people who visit the ruins claim that they not only hear strange noises but have also seen something out of this world. A lady with long black hair and glowing red eyes known as the “stone lady” is seen wandering around the location.
4. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Scotland is not only known as one of the biggest tourist areas but also holds claim to one of the most haunted locations in the world – Edinburgh Castle. There are parts of the castle that are close to 1,000 years old, giving it not only some of the earliest history in the world but enough tales of hauntings to fill your night.
Visitors claim to see soldiers from past wars, such as the Revolutionary War. Not only do people see ghosts, but they hear noises throughout the day and night. You can even see a ghost dog walking around the cemetery if you look closely.
3. Larnach Castle, New Zealand
New Zealand’s Larnach Castle makes the list because of the young woman who died at the age of 26 because of a disease. Her father, William Larnach, was a popular politician and built a large home with a 3,000 square foot ballroom, a room that his daughter, Kate, loved.
The story goes that if you enter the ballroom and feel a tap on your shoulder, you have met Kate. Larnach’s favorite daughter, whom he built the ballroom for, just asked you for a dance.
2. Hill of Crosses, Lithuania
Most people believe that if you come up to a cross, especially a large hill of crosses, there are no spirits that you need to worry about. The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania proves this myth is false.
People who visit the location to place a cross or just see a hill full of crosses say they feel a sense of something watching them. Some claim to hear noises when no one else is around. These sounds tend to get a bit louder every time the crosses are destroyed due to war or another reason.
1. Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
If you live in the United States, you’ve almost certainly heard about Gettysburg. It’s one of the most famous war battles in American History. Fought over three days during the Civil War, Gettysburg is known as one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on American soil. With this type of history, it’s no wonder that ghost stories followed.
Several tourists of Gettysburg claim they have smelled gunpowder, heard cannons, gunfire, and even seen shadows walking around the grounds. These apparitions are usually seen dressed in Civil War uniforms. You can go on one of the 10 ghost tours if you ever dare to enter the grounds.
Sources:
“A ‘perfect storm’ for the paranormal: touring America’s most haunted town.” Molly Fitzpatrick, The Guardian. October 2018.
“The Most Haunted Places To Travel To Around The World.” Michael Mann, Rough Maps. June 2018.
“The 32 Most Beautiful Haunted Destinations Around the World.” Mitchell Gilburne and Hannah Huber, Agricultural Digest. October 2018.
“43 Most Haunted Places in the World That Are Beautifully Scary.” Caitlin Morton, Conde Nast Traveler. October 2019.