Can you believe it’s already October? We sure can’t! Luckily, with October comes fun decorations, trick-or-treat, haunted houses, hayrides, pumpkin carving, and best of all – Halloween. To celebrate this spooky holiday this year, we wanted to seek out some of the most frightening places around the United States. You know, places that’ll send chills down your spine and will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the paranormal. With some extensive research, we found that though there are hundreds of scream-worthy haunts throughout the U.S., five of those haunts stuck out as not being for the faint of heart, and you should only visit them if you’re prepared for a massive scare.
If you’re someone who’s not afraid of to visit one of these so-called, “haunted locations”, and are looking to get into the Halloween spirit, here are five of the scariest places that you can visit throughout the United States (be sure to bring an extra pair of pants – just in case):
- Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast – Fall River, Massachusetts
The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts, hosts a horrifying tale of a gruesome murder. In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were going about their day just like any other. Abby was cleaning the guest room while Andrew was taking a nap on the couch downstairs. A short time later, Abby and Andrew were said to have been murdered with a hatchet by their daughter, Lizzie Borden. The story is best known by this infamous rhyme, “Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her mother forty whacks; when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.”
The legend has it that Andrew and Abby still haunt the home that they were murdered in, and roam the halls during the night. If you’re brave enough, you can rent out a room at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast that’s decorated to look just as it did in 1892, and still has some of the original flooring and hardware.
- Alcatraz Prison – San Francisco, California
Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco, California, was a maximum-security prison which hosted a vast number of dangerous criminals including the infamous gangster, Al Capone. Alcatraz is known for being located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, which made it extremely difficult for inmates to escape the prison due to the strong waves and dangerously cold water.
Nowadays, visitors can tour the prison, and many people have said to hear and see mysterious things while walking through Alcatraz. Some guests claim to have heard strange noises near the cell block where three inmates were shot and killed as they were trying to escape, while others say that they hear a banjo near the prison’s shower room – an activity Al Capone enjoyed doing in his downtime.
- The St. Louis Cemetery – New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana, is home to a lot of history and plenty of haunts, with one of the oldest and most terrifying spots being the St. Louis Cemetery. Established in 1789 by Spanish royals, the St. Louis Cemetery is home to over 700 tombs that hold more than 100,000 dead bodies. Though there are 100,000 dead who reside in the St. Louis Cemetery, it seems that a few specific spirits have been seen by visitors over and over again.
Some of the spirits guests have claimed to see throughout the years include:
- Marie Laveau: The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans
- Henry Vignes: A sailor whose plot in the cemetery was wrongfully sold
- William Claiborne: Louisiana’s first American Governor
- The Bell Witch Cave – Adams, Tennessee
The Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee has an eerie story behind it. The ghost that haunts the land is said to be the spirit of Kate Batts, otherwise known as, the Bell Witch. Legend has it that the original owner of the land, John Bell, was in talks to sell some of his land to Kate, but eventually cheated her out of the deal. Years later, while she was close to death, Kate stated that she would come back and haunt John and any of his children. Sure enough, John and his daughter, Betsy Bell, were said to have been haunted and tortured by the Bell Witch for many years, with Betsy even being physically abused by the witch.
It’s said that Kate now resides inside of the cave on the property. Many visitors say that they can feel Kate’s presence while walking through the cave, and some people have even claimed to have been physically touched by the witch.
- The RMS Queen Mary – Long Beach, California
Being rated one of the top ten most haunted places in America by Time magazine, the RMS Queen Mary located in Long Beach, California, may possibly be the spookiest haunt on our list.
The ship is a retired ocean liner that sailed from 1936 to 1967. Originally it was used to transport the rich and famous across the Atlantic Ocean, but eventually the ship was used to transport troops during World War II.
With thousands of soldiers being transported on the ship throughout the years, and with at least 49 confirmed deaths aboard the vessel, the RMS Queen Mary is said to have over 150 spirits currently haunting the ship. Guests have claimed to see sightings of soldiers walking about the ship, women dressed in swimming suits from the 1930’s near one of the ship’s pools, a child holding a teddy bear, and some have even heard laughter and voices, according to Legends of America. Let’s just say, the RMS Queen Mary is not like any other ship you’d find floating in the ocean.
Will you check out any of the haunts listed above? Or will you stick to a more tame Halloween this year? No matter what your plans are, stay safe, stay healthy, and have a spook-tacular Halloween!
