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These 20 places are among America’s best-known haunted destinations, but the list is an editorial roundup—not a measured ranking of paranormal activity. Their ghost stories are visitor reports and local lore; the documented histories behind them are often compelling in their own right.
The lineup follows ELLE Decor’s September 15, 2025 list. No cited source establishes that any location is objectively haunted. Treat “most” as a popular description, not a verified finding.
20 reportedly haunted places in America
The entries below follow ELLE Decor’s order. Historical events and buildings are distinguished from supernatural claims, which remain attributed stories or reported experiences.
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Castillo de San Marcos — St. Augustine, Florida
Construction on this Spanish-built masonry fortress began in 1672. Its history of battles, imprisonment, and executions has helped shape stories of restless spirits. Those accounts are legend, not evidence that the fort is haunted.
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Morris-Jumel Mansion — New York City, New York
Built in 1765, the mansion served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Stories associate the house with at least five spirits, including former owner Eliza Jumel. Tales about Jumel and her husband should be understood as lore, not established biography.
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Lizzie Borden House — Fall River, Massachusetts
Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in the house in 1892; Lizzie Borden was acquitted. Guests have reported whispers and an oppressive atmosphere, but those experiences do not prove a haunting. AAA describes the property as a museum and bed-and-breakfast with guided tours; check the venue’s current information before planning a visit.
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The Queen Mary — Long Beach, California
The retired ocean liner has been permanently docked in Long Beach since 1967 and is now described as a floating hotel and reported-haunting destination. ELLE Decor says more than 150 ghost sightings have been documented since it became a tourist destination. That is the article’s count of reported sightings, not independent verification of paranormal events.
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Winchester Mystery House — San Jose, California
The house is famous for its unusual architecture and a story that Sarah Winchester kept building to appease spirits killed by Winchester rifles. The alleged motive is part of the legend; it is not established fact.
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Hotel del Coronado — Coronado, California
Opened in the 1880s, the hotel is linked to the story of Kate Morgan, who checked in in 1892 and was later found dead under mysterious circumstances. The claim that her spirit remains at the hotel is legend.
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The Driskill — Austin, Texas
This hotel was built in 1886. Local reports connect it with founder Colonel Jesse Driskill and with a young girl said to have died on the property. These are reported hauntings, not confirmed events.
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Whaley House — San Diego, California
Built in 1857, the house has served as a home, courthouse, and theater. Reports of footsteps and former residents’ ghosts are part of its haunting lore. HISTORY also describes the story of James “Yankee Jim” Robinson as a legend connected to the site.
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The Alamo — San Antonio, Texas
The Alamo is associated with the 1836 battle, a historical event that provides the setting for stories of soldiers’ spirits. The reported hauntings are beliefs, distinct from the documented history.
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Bell Witch Cave — Adams, Tennessee
The cave is tied to the early-19th-century Bell Witch story, in which a spirit was said to torment the Bell family. It is a regional legend, not a verified account of supernatural activity.
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Villisca Axe Murder House — Villisca, Iowa
Eight people were murdered in the house in 1912, and the crime remains unsolved. Haunting stories are separate from that established history. ELLE Decor says overnight stays are offered, but access and arrangements should be confirmed directly before a trip.
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Gettysburg Battlefield — Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The battlefield is a major Civil War site. Stories of apparitions and sounds of battle are folklore; the historical casualties do not constitute evidence of a haunting.
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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum — Weston, West Virginia
The facility opened to patients in 1864. National Geographic reported that a building designed for 250 patients housed 2,400 by the 1950s—a historical figure, not a current count. Accounts of overnight experiences and ghosts are visitor reports.
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St. Augustine Lighthouse — St. Augustine, Florida
Built in 1874, the lighthouse is associated with reports about former keepers and two girls who drowned nearby. Stories of children’s laughter are reported experiences, not established proof of spirits.
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Waverly Hills Sanatorium — Louisville, Kentucky
Opened in 1910 as a tuberculosis treatment facility, Waverly Hills is linked to stories about patient deaths and a tunnel nicknamed the “body chute.” The roundup also repeats claims about mistreatment and experimentation; those claims are not independently established here and should not be treated as confirmed history.
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The Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, Colorado
Opened in 1909, the hotel inspired Stephen King’s novel The Shining. Visitors have reported laughter and piano music. The literary connection is documented; it does not verify the hotel’s ghost stories.
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The Witch House — Salem, Massachusetts
Known as the only remaining structure with direct ties to the Salem witch trials, the house was once home to Judge Jonathan Corwin. HISTORY reports that more than 200 people were accused during the trials, 19 were hanged, and Giles Corey was pressed to death. Those documented events are distinct from later ghost lore.
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West Virginia Penitentiary — Moundsville, West Virginia
The prison opened in 1876 and closed as a prison in 1995, according to ELLE Decor. Its roundup associates the site with executions and inmate violence, as well as stories of shadowy figures and unexplained noises. The haunting claims are reports, not verified events.
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Eastern State Penitentiary — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The prison operated from 1829 to 1971. AAA says it held more than 75,000 inmates over 142 years and that no executions took place there. Reports of eerie sounds and apparitions are folklore. AAA describes daytime tours, while a 2020 National Geographic article also mentions special events; check the site’s current visitor information for schedules.
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Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery — Bremen, Illinois
The cemetery is associated with reports of a ghostly woman appearing in a photograph, phantom cars, and glowing orbs. These are claimed sightings, not verified evidence of paranormal activity.
What the stories can—and cannot—tell you
These sites span forts, historic homes, hotels, battlefields, prisons, a cemetery, and a ship. In many cases, the legend draws on a consequential history: the Borden murders, the Salem witch trials, the Civil War, or the past of an institution or vessel. That context can explain why stories endure, but it cannot confirm that a place is haunted.
Some entries are also tourist destinations, but tour offerings, overnight stays, opening hours, prices, and access restrictions can change. Confirm current details with the venue before traveling. The list is useful as a guide to reported lore and history—not as a scientific comparison of paranormal activity.
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