1

Winchester House (San Jose, California)

Starting in 1884, Sarah Winchester, the heir to the rifle fortune, spent almost four decades expanding her Victorian mansion into a behemoth 160-room maze of doors to nowhere, staircases into ceilings, and windows facing walls .

Haunted (perhaps in more ways than one) by the deaths of those killed by Winchester rifles, it is said that she had the structure built nonstop day and night to thwart the spirits of those victims. Today, the house is a popular tourist attraction, with tours through secret passages included.

2

Whaley House (San Diego, California)

Built in 1857 on the site of San Diego’s old gallows, the Whaley House blended a family home, a store, and a courthouse under one roof. Soon after moving in, the Whaleys reported h eavy footsteps they believed belonged to James "Yankee Jim" Robinson, a tall outlaw hanged on the property years earlier .

Over time, the house became a museum and one of America´s most haunted homes, complete with official recognition as a historic site.

3

Amityville House (Amityville, New York)

This quiet Long Island house became infamous after a 1974 murder case in which the DeFeo family was killed by one of their own. A year later, new owners George and Kathy Lutz claimed they were driven out by violent paranormal activity , which, in turn, inspired the book The Amityville Horror and a popular movie that spawned a franchise.

Over time, lawyers and witnesses have called parts of the haunting story a hoax, and later, residents reported no supernatural trouble at all. But the fame of the house lives on.

4

Bissel Mansion (St. Louis, Missouri)

Built in the 1820s for Captain Lewis Bissel, this is believed to be the oldest brick house in St. Louis. Over the years, it has been a family home, a restaurant, and a murder-mystery dinner theater.

An episode of HGTV’s Scariest House in America highlighted its bricked-up cave entrance, which was once said to be a secret escape route, and its long history of odd happenings , such as ghostly children, a woman in white on the stairs, and items moving on their own.

5

William Westerfeld House (San Francisco, California)

Another Victorian building in our list, this house was built for a wealthy German baker in 1889. Over the years, it served as a Russian immigrant social club and brothel nicknamed "The Russian Embassy," a jazz-era boarding house, a 1960s hippie commune , and a rumored hub for occult-themed film shoots and rituals.

Today, this 28-room mansion is privately owned but remains a popular landmark, with a reputation as a haunted time capsule, surrounded by a mix of verified history and neighborhood lore about ghosts, secret rooms, and wild parties.

6

House of the Seven Gables (Salem, Massachusetts)

Captain John Turner built this waterfront house in 1668, and it was later owned by Susanna Ingersol, who welcomed her cousin Nathaniel Hawthorne. The legendary writer penned his famous novel, The House of the Seven Gables, inspired by the mansion .

In the early 1900s, the house was restored and reshaped as a museum, even adding a secret staircase to match the haunting mood of Hawthorne’s novel.

7

Biltmore Estate (Asheville, North Carolina)

Built between the years 1895 and 1898, George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore House is America’s largest private home, but its grand halls hide multiple secret doors and passageways. Concealed panels in the library and breakfast room allowed servants and guests to slip between rooms unseen .

Visitors on modern tours sometimes miss these disguised doors unless guides point them out. The effect is not unlike one of those mystery mansions where someone presses a bookshelf and a secret door opens.

8

Lizzie Borden House (Fall River, Massachusetts)

This modest home was the scene of a 1892 double murder in which Andrew and Abby Borden were killed with an axe. Their daughter Lizzie was tried and acquitted, but her notorious reputation lived on .

The house now functions as a museum and an overnight destination with carefully restored rooms and guides who walk tourists through evidence, theories, and reported ghost activity.

9

Octagon House (Washington, DC)

Despite its name, this mansion is not a perfect octagon, but its story is particularly unusual, to say the least. As it turns out, President James Madison and his wife briefly lived in it after the British burned down the White House in 1814.

Later, stories emerged of mysterious bells ringing long after the servant-call wires were cut, and ghostly figures appearing on the spiral staircase . The most famous legend claims that two girls died on those stairs, though there is no evidence that this actually happened.

10

Villa Montezuma (San Diego, California)

In 1887, spiritualist, pianist, and author Jesse Shepard moved into this mansion, filled with art glass, elaborate woodwork, and a music room specially designed for his dramatic concerts.

Over time, stories began to be told about Shepard’s performances, summoning more than just applause. The presence of ghosts in the towers and odd sounds in empty room s became common talk among the visitors. These days, the mansion can be visited, and the mysterious house can be explored by the curious and the fearless.

11

Montlake Spite House (Seattle, Washington)

So, "What is a spite house?" you might very reasonably ask. Wedged into Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood, this 1925 Spanish Revival cottage is about 15 feet wide at one end and just 55 inches at the other. The architectural equivalent of a wedge of cheese .

Local legend says that it was built by a scorned ex-wife who received a skinny strip of land in a divorce and used it to block her ex-husband’s view.

12

Alameda Spite House (Alameda, California)

Yes, another spite house. Around 1908, Charles Froling planned his dream home in Alameda, until the city used eminent domain to slice off most of his lot for a street, leaving a sliver of land .

Annoyed with both the city and an unhelpful neighbor, Charles responded by building a two-story house, only about 10 feet deep but 54 feet long along the remaining strip . The narrow revenge house still stands at Broadway and Crist, and its peculiar proportions can be viewed by anyone passing by.

1

The Cardiff Giant

In 1869, workers digging a well in Cardiff, New York, uncovered what appeared to be a 10-foot-tall petrified man. Locals rushed to see the "giant," paying admission to witness history in the soil.

But, as it turned out, it wasn’t ancient at all. A man named George Hull had buried the statue as a prank and made some quick money from the curious crowd.

2

War of the Worlds Broadcast

This very famous hoax took place on the eve of Halloween 1938. Orson Welles’s radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds aired as if it were breaking news . Many listeners tuning in late thought Martians had really landed in New Jersey.

Some packed up their cars or called the police in panic. Though no invasion occurred, the broadcast became a legend in media history.

3

The Balloon Boy

In 2009, Americans watched live TV coverage of a silver balloon drifting across the skies of Colorado , fearing that a six-year-old boy was trapped inside . The story gripped the nation for hours.

When the balloon finally landed empty, police discovered the child hiding safely at home. His parents later admitted it was a publicity stunt gone wrong.

4

The Feejee Mermaid

In 1842, showman P. T. Barnum unveiled a marvel: a preserved "mermaid" supposedly from the South Seas . Crowds lined up to see the half-fish, half-woman curiosity.

The truth was stranger still. It was the upper body of a monkey sewn onto a fish tail and covered in papier-mâché.

5

The Great Moon Hoax

Readers of The New York Sun in 1835 were astonished by reports claiming that scientists had spotted bat-like people and crystal palaces on the Moon through a powerful new telescope.

The story was pure invention, but circulation went up. By the time the truth came out, the paper’s readership had reportedly increased dramatically.

6

The Crop Circles Craze

When perfect circles began appearing overnight in wheat fields , people talked about UFO landings. The shapes seemed too precise to have been made by human hands.

But, in 1991, two Englishmen confessed they’d used boards and ropes to flatten the crops. While this revelation explained many of the formations, the mystery lives on in popular imagination.

7

Alien Autopsy Film

In 1995, a grainy black-and-white video surfaced, showing doctors dissecting what seemed to be an alien recovered from the 1947 Roswell crash. The footage spread quickly worldwide.

Years later, the filmmaker admitted that the film was staged, using latex models and fake organs.

8

The Manti Te’o girlfriend hoax

Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o captured hearts when he revealed that his girlfriend had died of leukemia . Sports fans wept over the tragic love story.

But reporters later learned that the woman never existed. It was an elaborate online catfishing scheme.

9

The Patterson–Gimlin Bigfoot film

In 1967, a short film shot in California showed a large, hairy creature striding through the woods . Many viewers thought this was real proof of Bigfoot´s existence.

Decades later, one participant claimed it was a man in a gorilla suit, but that claim failed to convince many people who prefer to believe in the existence of this creature.

10

The Drake’s Plate of Brass

In 1936, a shiny brass plate found in California seemed to confirm that explorer Sir Francis Drake had landed there in 1579. Historians called it a priceless relic.

For decades, the plate was displayed proudly, until metallurgical tests in 1977 proved it was modern . It had been made as a practical joke among historians that went too far.

11

Paul Is Dead

The final entry on our list might not be American per se, but it drew much attention on these shores. In 1969, rumors spread that Beatle Paul McCartney had died and been secretly replaced by a double . Fans scoured album covers for "clues" like hidden messages and backward songs.

Paul, very much alive, later joked about it. The bizarre theory became a lasting pop-culture phenomenon.

1

Dundas Castle, Roscoe, New York

Image: Annie Spratt

Also known as Craig-e-Clair, this castle was built by Ralph Dundas in the early 20th century. It is an architectural marvel of stone and copper.

Dundas died before the castle was completed, and his wife was reportedly committed to a sanitarium shortly after. Consequently, no member of the Dundas family ever actually lived in the mansion. This has led to the "Ghost of Dundas Castle" legends, with locals claiming to see a woman in white wandering the unfinished halls, waiting for a housewarming party that never happened.

2

Rockwell House, Milledgeville, Georgia

Image: Clem Geiss

Built in 1838, the Rockwell House is a stunning example of Federal-style architecture, but its beauty is shadowed by a dark past. It was originally built for Colonel Samuel Rockwell, a prominent lawyer.

Local lore whispers about the "Rockwell Ghost," believed to be a young girl who died during a yellow fever outbreak. However, the house’s most tangible secret lies in its survival; it has endured multiple fires and periods of extreme neglect. In recent years, it has become a focal point for preservationists who uncovered hidden structural reinforcements that suggest the house was built to be an impenetrable fortress of its era.

3

Elda Castle, Ossining, New York

Image: Nitrogel

If the name David Abercrombie sounds familiar, it’s because he co-founded the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch . But in the 1920s, he also built this granite castle, named Elda (an acronym of his children’s names), as a secluded retreat.

The castle features a network of spiral staircases and open-air porches designed to blend the indoors with the rugged wild. Its abandonment, however, is a sheer tragedy. After the family moved out, the castle was used as a research facility and later fell victim to vandals. Legend has it that a fire in the 1940s was started by squatters, leaving behind a charred stone husk that resembles a medieval ruin more than a 20th-century home.

4

Mongo's Castle, Memphis, Tennessee

Image: Denny Müller

A stark contrast to the classical mansions of the South, Mongo’s Castle was the passion project of Mongo Bebe, a man who built his home out of scrap stone, Ashlar blocks, and found materials.

The house is a maze of folk-art eccentricity. The builder intended it to be a community center and a symbol of African-American heritage and self-reliance. It stands today as a decaying puzzle, with many neighbors still unsure of the structural logic behind its towering, uneven walls.

5

Bannerman's Castle, Pollepel Island, New York

Image: Leonard G., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rising from the Hudson River, this castle was never intended to be a home; it was a giant advertisement and warehouse for Francis Bannerman VI’s military surplus empire.

In 1920, 200 tons of gunpowder and shells exploded in the castle’s powder house, blowing out a significant portion of the walls. The ground is still considered unstable due to the remnants of military munitions, and the inscriptions on the walls are actually warnings and advertisements for the Bannerman business. Do you dare visit this mansion?

6

Castle Mont Rouge, Rougemont, North Carolina

Image: Florian Delée

This whimsical, onion-domed castle looks like it belongs in the Russian countryside rather than the North Carolina woods. It was designed by sculptor Robert Mihaly, but he ended up abandoning the project in the early 2000s following a personal tragedy and financial hurdles.

The castle remains an "empty sculpture," filled with intricate marble work and unfinished turrets. The bizarre architectural fusion lacks a standard floor plan, making it nearly impossible to convert into a functional residence without destroying its artistic integrity.

7

Ha Ha Tonka Castle, Camdenton, Missouri

Image: Hannah McBride

Robert Snyder, a wealthy Kansas City businessman, began building this European-style castle in 1905. He wanted a retreat that overlooked the breathtaking Ha Ha Tonka Spring.

Yet, Snyder never got to see his dream finished; he was killed in one of Missouri’s first recorded automobile accidents just a year after construction began. His sons finished the castle, but it was gutted by a fire in 1942. There’s a hidden network of caves beneath the castle, which were rumored to be used by outlaws and later as a natural "refrigerator" for the estate’s kitchen.

8

Carleton Island Villa, Cape Vincent, New York

Image: Tama66

This once-magnificent villa was built for William Wyckoff, who made a fortune with the Remington Typewriter Company.

The Secret: Wyckoff’s dream turned into a nightmare on the very first night he stayed in the house. He suffered a massive heart attack and died in his sleep. His wife had passed away a month prior, leaving the villa to a son who had no interest in it. The house has stood empty for over 70 years, its secret being the tragic "cursed" timing that prevented it from ever functioning as a family home.

9

Dicksonia Plantation, Lowndesboro, Alabama

Image: Theo Bickel

Dicksonia was a quintessential antebellum mansion, featuring the massive columns and wrap-around porches synonymous with the Old South.

Unlike many plantations that were destroyed during the Civil War, Dicksonia survived the conflict only to be destroyed by a mysterious fire in 1939. Its "ghost pillars," however, remained standing long after the wooden house burned away. These towering brick columns became a haunting landmark , representing the structural skeletons of a forgotten social order.

10

Wyndcliffe, Rhinebeck, New York

Image: Peter Herrmann

This house is the literal origin of the phrase "Keeping up with the Joneses." Though often referred to as a "Mystery Mansion" by urban explorers, this is the ruin of Wyndcliffe, the estate of Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones.

Elizabeth’s mansion was so grand and intimidating that it prompted her neighbors—including the Astors—to build even larger homes to compete. The secret of Wyndcliffe is the psychological impact of its architecture; it was built to inspire envy, and its current state of absolute decay is a poetic commentary on the fleeting nature of social status.