While certain months are more conducive to having the living daylights scared out of you, America’s spookiest destinations are great destinations all year round. After all, ghosts don’t exactly care what day or month it is, do they?
Our list includes not only buildings said to be sites of supernatural happenings, but also a few of the country’s most haunted cities. Take a look at the destinations you need to add to your list, if otherworldly encounters are what you look for in a holiday.
Stanley Hotel, Colorado
Stephen King’s the Shining is a horror cult classic, and if you have seen the version made in the 1990s, the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, will look familiar. Not only was the 1997 miniseries filmed on location in the hotel, the establishment actually provided King with the inspiration for the story’s Overlook Hotel. There also are claims that the ghosts of former workers haunt the place.
Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana
Located in St. Francisville, Louisiana, Myrtles Plantation was built in 1796. The historic site is said to have been where at least 10 people, mostly slaves, were murdered – and rumour has it that their ghosts still haunt the property. The most high-profile of those rumours was that a National Geographic Explorer team visited the estate in 1992. One of the photographs taken on that visit is said to portray the ghost of a slave girl. The best way to see the place is to join one of the evening mystery tours.
The Alaskan Hotel, Alaska
Built in 1913, the Alaskan Hotel in Juneau is the oldest hotel in the state. It also is a perfect spot to do some ghost hunting. According to the local legend, the wife of a miner lived on the premises a long time ago. She dutifully waited for him to return from a stint at the mine, something that did not happen. Her hope turned to despair, and she turned to prostitution to survive. One day, the husband returned. Unhappy with his wife’s decision, he murdered her.
Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland’s biggest city, Baltimore has a long, proud history. However, its story also is a bloody one. The area witnessed the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the War of 1812 with its epic Battle of Baltimore. You can’t have a history like that, without making a few ghosts along the way. Most of the hauntings are said to take place in and around Fells Point.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Arguably the most haunted city in the USA, New Orleans is a must-visit destination for anyone with a love of the supernatural. Apart from old, deep links to Voodoo and other alternative spiritualities, the city boasts 42 cemeteries, in which the graves are above ground. The most famous graveyard is St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, which was opened in 1789. It is the final resting place of the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, and is said to be haunted by ghosts of those who died during the 1812 and Civil wars, and during yellow fever epidemics.
