Would you dare go in?
From Lincoln to Lizzie Borden: The 14 most haunted spots in America
Image: Sandy Flowers
We know—it’s one thing to watch a scary movie hidden behind a giant bag of popcorn, and a very different thing to step into a dark, allegedly haunted house while an eerie, chilly breeze brushes your neck. Here, we’ve made a list of houses, hotels, and mansions in America with the spookiest claims of paranormal activity . Which one would you be brave enough to visit?
1
The Whaley House in San Diego, California
Image: Ivan Borinschi
The Whaley House is one of the few homes officially deemed "haunted" by the US government. Visitors report footsteps echoing in empty hallways, cold spots that won’t go away, and spectral figures on the stairs. How did it come to this? Built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley, the house stands on the site of former gallows. Whaley installed San Diego’s first brick house, which included a courtroom, general store, and theater space.
Unfortunately, Whaley’s daughter died by suicide in the house, and other family members passed away under the same roof. Accumulated tragedies and a spooky old house were enough to turn this eerie spot into a museum.
2
The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California
Image: pure julia
Built in 1927, this glamorous hotel hosted the very first Academy Awards. Stars like Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, and Marilyn Monroe were among its esteemed guests. But, according to recent visitors, Monroe never really checked out.
She is said to appear in a mirror that once hung in her poolside suite. Guests have reported seeing the reflection of a blonde woman behind them, only to turn around and find no one there. How would you react?
3
The White House in Washington, D.C.
Image: Suzy Brooks
Did you expect to find America’s most powerful address on this list? As it turns out, presidents, first ladies, and staff have all reported eerie encounters over the years, with Abraham Lincoln’s presence as a recurring theme.
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands allegedly fainted after seeing his ghost, and Eleanor Roosevelt claimed to feel his presence. Even Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan contributed to the stories of a mysterious presence in the Lincoln Bedroom. Reagan famously reported that his dog, Rex, refused to enter the room.
4
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California
Image: Brett Wharton
When it comes to haunted mansions, Sara Winchester’s old Victorian-Gothic house will always sit in the podium.
After her wealthy husband and several family members died within months of each other , Sara began commissioning the construction of this puzzling house, which remained under continuous construction for 38 years. Naturally, it’s a bit of a labyrinth.
With staircases that lead nowhere, séance rooms, and flickers of shadowy figures here and there, the house stands as a monument to grief—and to ghosts.
5
The Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa
Image: Kevin Schmid
It might look like a quaint white farmhouse, but in 1912, it was the site of one of America’s most brutal unsolved murders. The Moore family and two guests were killed with an axe while they slept. There were no witnesses, and no real explanation was ever found.
Today, the house remains frozen in time, restored to its 1912 condition. Creaking floors, oil lamps, and a whole lot of uneasy silence.
6
Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts
Image: Bee Felten-Leidel
You know the rhyme: "Lizzie Borden took an axe…" This New England house was the scene of one of America’s most infamous double murders in 1892. Lizzie was acquitted, but many believe she was responsible for the deaths of her father and stepmother, who were found dead under violent and suspicious circumstances.
Today, the house operates as a B&B for the brave and the curious. Guests have reported hearing footsteps, whispers, and even muffled cries coming from empty rooms. Some even choose to sleep in the very bedroom where Abby Borden met her tragic end.
7
The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri
Image: Dhruv vishwakarma
Once home to the wealthy Lemp brewing dynasty, the mansion witnessed four family suicides between 1904 and 1949. That’s enough to make anyone who steps inside feel a bit… uncomfortable.
The family was cursed by misfortune: mental illness, failed fortunes, and mysterious deaths. Guests now report heavy footsteps in empty halls, strange knocking, and even ghostly apparitions—especially in the downstairs bathroom, where one Lemp took his own life. Today, it operates as a restaurant and inn.
8
Franklin Castle in Cleveland, Ohio
Image: Rob Potter
This Victorian mansion looks like it was designed to be haunted. Built in 1881 by Hannes Tiedemann, the home witnessed the deaths of several of his children and his wife within a short period.
Since then, tales of secret passageways, Nazi spies, and ghostly weeping have become forever attached to the castle. Owners have come and gone , but as the locals expected, none have chosen to stay.
9
The Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas
Image: Caroline Rogers
What began as a doctor’s residence in the 1800s took a dark turn when a young girl named Sallie allegedly died on the operating table . Her ghost, people say, began tormenting a later male resident, scratching, shoving, and even burning him.
Paranormal teams have confirmed that lights flicker, toys move on their own, and male visitors, especially, report sudden feelings of hostility.
10
The House of Death in New York, New York
Image: With Paul
Behind the brownstone elegance of 14 West 10th Street in Greenwich Village lies one of NYC’s darkest secrets: over 20 reported deaths have occurred there.
Mark Twain was its most famous tenant , living there briefly in 1900. He once recounted a story about a floating log inside the house, but insisted that a rodent must have been responsible. Paranormal enthusiasts, however, refuse to believe his explanation and now claim that Twain’s ghost also haunts the house.
11
The Joshua Ward House in Salem, Massachusetts
Image: Blake Cheek
This Georgian brick home sits under a dark curse in Salem. Its original land once held the jail of Sheriff George Corwin, infamous for torturing accused witches during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Known as the "Strangler," Corwin died of a heart attack at age 30 and was secretly buried in the basement.
Today’s residents and visitors report strangled sensations, cold drafts, and photographic anomalies—including a famous 1980s photo that appears to show a ghostly woman dressed in black with no eyes.
12
LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans, Louisiana
Image: Alain Pierre-Lys
Few stories are darker than that of Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite whose elegant French Quarter mansion concealed an appalling secret. In 1834, a fire revealed a hidden attic where enslaved individuals had been cruelly confined under horrific conditions.
LaLaurie fled to Paris, but the ghost stories remained. Visitors claim to hear moans and phantom footsteps and to see shadowy figures. Actor Nicolas Cage once purchased the property but quickly sold it, claiming bad luck followed him.
13
The Bell Witch Cabin in Adams, Tennessee
Image: Alex Vinogradov
This cabin marks the site of one of America’s oldest and most documented hauntings: that of the Bell Witch . This ghost received the nickname for haunting the Bell family in the 1800s. For years, the family endured a spirit that scratched walls, pulled hair, and even spoke in full sentences.
Legend has it that the entity killed patriarch John Bell. To this day, the rebuilt cabin and nearby cave remain popular destinations for ghost hunters.
14
The Riddle House in West Palm Beach, Florida
Image: Braden Wagner
Originally a funeral home (already a chilling start, right?), the Riddle House was later converted into a private residence. The story goes that it became haunted after an employee named Joseph hanged himself in the attic.
The house was eventually moved to Yesteryear Village to be preserved as a historical site, but it seems the ghosts made the trip too.
