Thank you for following us all month long as we counted down each state’s most interesting haunted location. Do you agree with your state’s pick? Do you have spooky stories from other places? Let’s explore all 50 of the stories part of Ghost to Coast. Happy Halloween!
Alabama: St. James Hotel
Originally called The Brantley when it opened in 1837, the hotel would be occupied by Union Soldiers during the Civil War. In the 1880s, the hotel would be run by a man named Benjamin Sterling Turner, who was the first African American to be elected to congress.A large claim of the hotel includes the famous ghosts of Jesse James and his girlfriend, Lucinda. Lucinda is a more constant presence in the hotel, as her love for the scent of lavender makes it easy to tell when sheās near. Learn more about this historic Hotel in Alabama, right here.
Alaska: The Golden North Hotel
In the great white north, one might expect to see the northern lights twinkling in the crystal clear sky. Residents of the Golden North Hotel might have another opinion about lights, one specifically with supernatural explanation. The most famous of the ghosts that haunt the Golden North hotel is known by the moniker āScary Mary.ā Mary was said to have been brought to Skagway by her prospector husband after he struck it rich in the mountains. Learn more about Mary and the Golden North Hotel here.
Arizona: The Jerome Grand Hotel
Built into the side of a mountain near a gold and copper mine, the Grand Jerome has overlooked the mining town for its entire life, but it wasnāt always a hotel. This striking hotel was once a hospital to service the local miners and their families. The hotel was restored to its 1930s splendor, complete with antiques lining the hallways and more than a few ghost sightings in the hallowed halls. Learn about the high elevation ghosts at this hotel in Arizona.
Arkansas: The Crescent Hotel
They call themselves the āMost Haunted Hotel in America.ā The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas may actually be able to back up that moniker. With dozens of reports of haunting activity and a bloody past, the hotel really will put even the bravest ghost hunter in a state of terror. Learn about the sinister scam that targeted those suffering with cancer and why the morgue is still avoided by employees and guests alike.
California: Hotel del Coranado
A grand and striking hotel on the San Diego coastline has a dark secret about room 302. The location only claims one ghost that wanders the grounds, a young woman who passed over 140 years prior, when the hotel was still a new and shiny construction. Read why this young woman still wanders the beach over a century later.
Colorado: The Brook Forest Inn
The insane story of this Inn in the Rocky Mountains includes death, tragedy, and the visit from some WWII German Spies, surveying the area for a potential invasion. The Brook Forest Inn is undoubtedly haunted, but the question remains if the hatred matches the tragedy of the location. Learn about the strange happenings of this isolated hotel here.
Connecticut: Penfield Reef Lighthouse
The Penfield Reef Lighthouse is not just a historic landmark, but it saved countless lives during its lifetime as a beacon of light in the fog. Constructed in 1874, this ancient lighthouse has stood on the shores of Connecticut, silently keeping the sailors safe in the churning and dangerous waters that surround its isolated location. A specter dressed in all white could be seen all over the two story home. The light would always behave strangely when the spirit was active in the area. Many have reported seeing the keeper, dressed in all white, wandering the rocky island that was his home for years. Learn why this lighthouse may have a guardian angel spirit still saving sailors today.
Delaware: The Cannonball House
Thereās a literal, actual, cannonball sticking out of the side of this house. While the historic home is now a maritime museum, it has a long and dark history, leading many to believe the building is haunted by forces from when America was at war on home turf against the British in 1812.One particularly famous ghost is that of a woman from 1917, perpetually walking the room where her life ended in a painful and tragic way. The womanās dress caught fire suddenly and the woman was consumed by the flames, succumbing to the flames and dying in the room before help could come. Learn more about this haunted museum here.
Florida: Robert the Doll
The legend says that Robert the Doll has the power to ruin your life through unlucky circumstances if you anger him. Taking a photo without his permission is considered a sleight, and dozens of guests have written back to Robert, begging for his forgiveness. A boyās former plaything, or the haunted doll that inspired the Childās Play horror movies, Robert is kept safely in a museum in Key West. Learn about the doll that moves by itself right here.
Georgia: The Olde Pink House Restaurant
Pink by accident, this restaurant gets its hue from the building materials used in its construction. Built in 1771-1789, the Olde Pink House restaurant is still going strong to this day, with examples of both southern cuisine and 18th century architecture in the beginning of our young nation.One of the local urban legends says that an early owner hung himself in the basement, but local historians have yet to find confirmation of this claim. Still, the ghost of James Habersham Jr. is said to haunt the home more in death than in life, as he passed in 1799. Learn more about this Georgia historic restaurant here.
Hawaii: The Iao Theatre
One might find the home of the former Queen of Hawaii before colonization from the US. You might also find a ghost or two on your vacation, especially if you make a stop at the Iao Theater. One spirit appears as a shimmery, ghostly apparition and tends to sit all over the theater for dress rehearsals. Sheās even been sighted standing on the stage alone, as if bowing to a crowd after a successful performance. Read more about the Iao Theatre in Hawaii here.
Idaho: Albion State Normal School
A ānormalā school is a teaching college, but this one hasnāt seen a class in decades, abandoned and in disrepair, part of it was renovated into a luxurious vacation rental. With disembodied voices and apparitions collected by the crew, this haunted campus in Idaho leads one to believe the voices never really stopped. Check out the history of the Albion State Normal School here.
Illinois: Mineral Springs Mall
Opened originally when a spring was discovered on the site with a mineral rich aquifer. Built in 1914, the mall is one of the oldest buildings in the small town, with several shops on the first floor and offices in the upper floors, and a few ghosts in the walls. One supposed haunting involved a 17 year old who drowned in the pool, verified by historical records. The young man was named Clarence, and he haunts the pool area with playful pranks and occasional full bodied apparitions in the pool, sometimes wearing a vintage brown suit. Learn more about Clarence and the Mineral Springs Mall here.
Indiana: The Athenaeum Building
Originally a haven for German-American immigrants in the Indianapolis area, this haunted building was once known as āDas Deutsche Haus.ā One of the spirits that haunts the Edwardian building is known as Henry, said to haunt the third floor and spend his time turning lights on and off, knocking on closed doors and closing open ones. Heās even been seen in full corporeal form, appearing like a young man from decades ago. Click here to learn about this haunted and beautiful building in Indiana.
Iowa: Black Angel Cemetery Statue
One headstone sculpture in the Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City, Iowa is reported to be not just haunted, but cursed. The legends surrounding the supposed cursed statue involve seeing the statue move out of the corner of your eye, or the most popular saying that alleges if you kiss the angel, you will die shortly afterward. Read more about this terrifying cursed statue here.
Kansas: The Sallie House
With a tragic and haunting backstory on the plains of Kansas, today we look at one of the most haunted places in the country. One day, a 6-year-old girl was brought into the examination room by her frantic mother. The girl complained of extreme stomach pain and as the doctor began his examination, she screamed as if being tortured by the physician. After a few minutes, the girl passed from what was assumed to be a burst appendix. This girl was Sallie, for whom the home is named today. Learn more about Sallie right here.
Kentucky: Waverly Hills Sanitarium
One of the most famous haunted locations in the US, Waverly Hills is known primarily for its haunting ābody chute,ā a tunnel built below the tuberculosis refuge, to keep current residents from knowing when a body was carted out of the hospital. Legend says a young boy will play ball with you on the third floor, or a strict nurse might tell you off in the nursing quarters for disturbing her. Abandoned decades ago, this location is still popular with paranormal enthusiasts. Read more about why right here.
Louisiana: Myrtles Plantation
Said to be the most haunted bed and breakfast in the contiguous US states, Myrtles Plantation tells a tale of enslavement, revenge, and terror. Find out why a woman in a green turban has been caught more than once in the background of photographs. Find out why the stairs still have heavy footsteps even without anyone on the second floor. Read about this antebellum horror story in Louisiana here.
Maine: 1932 Criterion Theatre
Still active as a beloved historic art deco theater, the Criterion has several haunting stories, from an actor meeting an untimely death to the caretakerās life ending in a devastating fire. You might feel like the empty auditorium is populated by one more figure than you expected, up on the balcony, watching the show. Read more about the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, Maine here.
Maryland: Jericho Covered Bridge
In crossing the bridge, you decide to turn your car off, because youāve heard the legends. If you turn your lights out and honk, behind you in the rear view mirror is said to appear the silhouette in the night of a swinging body from the rafters. Find out the haunted and tragic history of this covered bridge here.
Massachusetts: The Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac tunnel, as it was named, began its construction in 1851. The fully realized tunnel would not be completed until 1865, and in that time nearly 190 people lost their lives attempting to blast and drill a hole in the side of the mountain. Learn more about this devastating tunnel in Massachusetts.
Michigan: Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse
The name of the lighthouse, Seul Choix, means āLast Choice,ā harkening back to the days of ships in the night looking for a safe harbor to pull into in the storm. The strong scent of cigar smoke can still be found in the lighthouse, over a hundred years later. The good captain was said to be an avid cigar smoker, so the ethereal smell in the building seems to be the spirit of this former head lightkeeper, keeping his habit up in the afterlife. Read about this haunted lighthouse and those they couldnāt save here.
Minnesota: Schmidt Brewery
Deaths of employees and the specters of their remaining energy are rife throughout the haunted Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul, Minnesota. The hauntings of the building began to be noted pretty much immediately after it opened its doors. Several workers on the floor of the brewery met untimely ends, including a man who fell down an unmarked elevator shaft while working, meeting his death at the bottom of the shaft. Learn the haunted history of this brewery here.
Mississippi: King’s Tavern
The name of this building from the 1700s harkens back to when the United States was in its infancy and still shaking off the Kingās rule, a tavern fit for a king that no longer ruled the land it was built in. It was during a routine renovation that a grisly discovery happened behind the fireplace- Three skeletal bodies were found stuffed behind the walls, bricked in like a cask of amontillado. Find out why spirits from the 1700s stick around this tavern in Mississippi.
Missouri: Zombie Road
One of the most terrifying hikes in the south, you might run into more than fellow hikers on this trail if youāre not careful. The moniker of Zombie Road ābegan in the 1950s when young couples would use the road to find seclusion and instead, they found restless spirits. The road fell into disrepair and was later paved as a hiking and biking trail known as Rock Hollow Trail, but that didnāt stop the rumors of hauntings along the road. Learn why the ghost of a woman hit by a train still walks this lonely road.
Montana: Virginia City & Nevada City
Two ghost towns for the price of one, Virginia City and Nevada city are āliving ghost towns,ā with locals bringing the magic back for tourists in the Montana mountains and the towns built by a local gold strike and the resulting rush. Just be careful which room you stay in, or your car might be a more inviting place to sleep. Read more about Virginia City and its sister town a few miles away.
Nebraska: The Alliance Theatre
āIf the theater is haunted, theyāre friendly ghosts,ā said the owner of Alliance Theatre in Alliance, Nebraska. Today, the theater is a popular part of the community, with current and throwback movies playing regularly on the big screen. Lights flicker, sounds echo in the large theaters, items get moved or cleaned on their own when no one else is in the building, and some say theyāve seen the apparition of a woman dressed in the wedding dress sheād worn on stage in her final moments. Check out why this theater has ghostly thespians wandering the halls here.
Nevada: The Goldfield Hotel
This hotel has been abandoned an in disrepair for decades now, despite feeble attempts to renovate it. In its current form, itās a popular spot for paranormal investigators, even some famous ones from the Ghost Adventures crew. The hauntings began very shortly after the opening of the hotel. The spirit of a woman named Emily is commonly one being seen as a full bodied apparition, wandering the halls and crying for her lost child. Read more about this gold rush hotel here.
New Hampshire: Mount Washington Resort
It looks like another haunted hotel, the Stanley in Estes Park, CO, but the hauntings here are one of a kind. Lights in the resort are reported to go out at random moments, an unseen hand hitting the light switch and plunging rooms into darkness. If thatās not frightening enough, you could also stay in the most haunted room, 314. Learn why a night here might give you nightmares here.
New Jersey: The Devil’s Tree
A frightening tree surrounded by treeless meadows, the Devilās Tree has been called a portal to hell and many have suffered misfortune after attempting to cut it down. Snow does not stick to the tree or the base around it, suggesting an inner heat that might be the cause for the haunting stories about it. Learn why the Devilās Tree is so feared here.
New Mexico: Hotel Parq Central
Donāt take that left turn in Albuquerque, instead spend a night in a luxurious haunted hotel in the land of enchantment. You might even run into a couple of restless spirits. A former hospital, hauntings in this building began even before it was a hotel. Patients reported having their sheets violently pulled off their hospital beds with an unseen force. Read more about the Hotel Parq Central Hotel here.
New York: Belhurst Castle & Winery
When you hear about a haunted castle, your mind likely goes to the towering structures on the other side of the Atlantic. This castle, however, is a lot closer to home. The ghost of a literal princess can be found in this castle, adding even more to the haunted history of the Belhurst Castle and Winery. Learn why wine isnāt the only kind of spirit in this castle right here.
North Carolina: The Carolina Inn
Built in 1924, this gorgeous example of architecture sits nestled in in the hill that gave the town its name. A popular place for University graduates and tourists alike, catapulting it into its place as a treasured part of North Carolina. The Inn says that all of their resident ghosts are friendly and donāt mean any harm by their appearances in the hotel they enjoyed so much in life. Find out why this Inn is considered one of the most haunted places in North Carolina.
North Dakota: San Haven Sanatorium
Its doors havenāt been open since 1992, parts of the walls are coming down and the linoleum is cracked and shattered. Windows are boarded up but you can still see a little of the institution it once was. A child died by falling into an elevator shaft while searching for the ghosts. Read about this tragic tuberculosis hospital and the ghosts therein.
Ohio: Ohio State Reformatory
Youāve seen this building on the big screen, but you wouldnāt know it to look at it today. The former hospital turned movie set was the setting of the Shawshank Redemption. Full bodied apparitions have been reported, cold spots, and strange noises or footsteps throughout the hall. Itās a popular spot for ghost hunters, professional and amateur alike. Tragic tales tell of prisoners forced into solitary confinement with no food, leaving them on the brink of madness by the time they were released. Learn more about the Ohio State Reformatory here.
Oklahoma: Gilcrease Museum
This mansion wore many hats in its time. The land was originally owned by the Creek tribe, then it was a luxurious mansion in Tulsa. Itās been an orphanage for indigenous children from the local reservation, became a private abode again for a while, and finally was converted into a museum. Learn about the owner who loved the home so much, he donated it to the historical society upon his death.
Oregon: Tillamook Lighthouse
Isolated on an island off the Oregon coast, this lighthouse gives new meaning to the word ālonely,ā and many lightkeepers went mad while working at this remote location, with some being killed by the trip on a small boat into the churning water of the pacific ocean. Though the light was automated in the 1950s, renovations have been attempted for the historic lighthouse. Find out why the cremated remains of 30 people are interred in the lighthouse to this day.
Pennsylvania: Hotel Bethlehem
Tragic events and tales from the hotel give credence to the assertion that the hotel is haunted.Today, the Bethlehem Hotel is counted among the Historic Hotels of America and is very proud of its haunted status. Four ghosts are listed on the Bethlehem Hotelās website as āresidents,ā and hotel guests often request haunted rooms in the establishment. Learn about the friendly ghosts of the Hotel Bethlehem here.
Rhode Island: Providence City Hall
Itās been said that 12 workers on the building that would become the City Hall in Providence, Rhode Island would die during construction.One report of ghostly activity includes a very clear voice ringing out in the bathroom to say āNOT TODAY,ā but no source could be found for the voice. This experience caused an employee of the City Hall to call in experts: The Ghost Hunters from syfy. Read more about what they found here.
South Carolina: Charleston Exchange and Dungeon
A literal dungeon sits below this building in Charleston, where infamous pirates were held before the American revolution and beyond. The Exchange was used for entertaining General George Washington as he toured the colonies during the revolutionary war. Chains in the dungeon have been known to swing and move on their own, with ghostly cries of pain and moans of misery echoing through the dungeonās narrow hallways. Read about this frightening dungeon here.
South Dakota: The Bullock Hotel
Built by the famous Seth Bullock, sheriff of the rough and tumble gold town of Deadwood, this hotel is said to still have the spirit of its famous founder making sure the employees arenāt slacking in his establishment. You might just see Seth Bullock and his partner if you are there at the right time. With ghost tours in Deadwood a huge draw because of its bloody past as a lawless town makes this haunting a wild west special. Read more about the Bullock here.
Tennessee: Wheatlands Hotel
The bloodiest antebellum plantation has plenty of spirits looking to be heard, but the most powerful are those who were killed in an altercation with local indigenous tribes, a battle occurring on the grounds before the home was finished. Read more about this hotel that was once a plantation, and learn how the master of the house left land to his employees once they were freed of servitude and the community they built for themselves on that land. Check out the story of the Wheatlands Hotel here.
Texas: Littlefield House
A striking Victorian mansion sits on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, owned by the university but with a much longer and darker past. The eponymous Littlefields were an affluent couple, but George, the husband, was a former Confederate soldier who had become convinced the Yankees were coming to take his wife, thus locking her in the attic when he left the house. Alice is said to still haunt the halls of the historic mansion. Learn more about the Littlefields and their house right here.
Utah: Rio Grande Depot
Formerly an opulent train depot and cafe, this historic building has been touted as one of the most haunted places in Utah, with dozens of sightings of spirits wandering the halls, and poltergeist activity in the former Cafe. Dished and plates thrown across the room by an unseen hand and an elegant woman named the Purple Lady are sure to cause nightmares if you visit. Learn more about the Rio Grande Depot and the Purple Lady here.
Vermont: Gold Brook Covered Bridge
Known by the locals as āEmilyās Bridge,ā this historic covered bridge across the Gold Brook has been said to be a hotspot of ghostly activity, with the namesake of the bridge having thrown herself from the height in despair after her lover failed to appear for their elopement. If youāre not careful, Emily may leave scratches on your skin as you travel across the bridge, or you just might see her standing in the bridge, directly in traffic, but never being hit by oncoming traffic. Read more about Emilyās Bridge here.
Virginia: Martha Washington Inn & Spa
The Historic Martha Washington Hotel In Abingdon, Virginia has a long history and some say this beautiful hotel may be one of the most haunted places in Virginia. Originally a private home, the hotel wore many hats during her early years, being converted into a Girlās College, and later, a makeshift hospital for injured Civil War soldiers as the battles raged nearby. One ghostly figure you might find is a confederate officer who fell in love with his nurse, but died before she could return his affection. Learn more about the spooky Martha Washington Inn and Spa and its dark history here.
Washington: Pike Place Market
A popular tourist hotspot, this iconic market started as a replacement for farmerās markets, giving each vendor their own space to sell their products. Most famously, you might see fish being thrown through the air as the seafood stand continues the decades long tradition that tourists love. You might find a ghost or two wandering the market, some even helpful and giving directions to lost tourists. Just watch out for the indigenous woman who lived on the land before it was a bustling city market. Learn more about the ghosts of Pikes Place Market here.
West Virginia: Lake Shawnee Amusement Park
A former amusement park being taken back by the elements, this park was once the center of excitement for local coal mining families. Though it closed in the 1960s, stories tell of more than just patrons wandering the amusement park even before it was abandoned. Today, you might find the ghosts of children from a 1700s massacre, or the unfortunate kids that lost their life on the rides and in the swimming pool. Check out the story of the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park here.
Wisconsin: Pfister Hotel
This beautiful historic hotel in Milwaukee is home to a very loyal baseball fan who stuck around to help his team win even after death. The original owner haunts the grounds and dozens of MLB baseball players have experienced activity in their rooms the night before a game with the Milwaukee Brewers, obviously getting very little sleep with lights and TVs turning on by themselves. Read more about the iconic Pfister Hotel here.
Wyoming: Sweetwater County Library
The site for this local library was originally the growing townās cemetery. Itās said that there still are bodies buried below the library to this day, with landscaping on the area as recently as 1983 finding more unearthed graves still. Patrons have reported dozens of interactions from ghosts all over the library, with books falling on their own, lights flickering, and a few apparitions reported between the stacks. The library staff even keeps a ghost log for patrons to document their paranormal activities. Read more about Sweetwater County Public Library here.
Did we miss any of your favorites? Which state do you think has the most haunted location? Or do you have an experience in one of these haunted locations? Let us know below!
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Born in Death Valley and raised on the prairie, Deborah is a Wyoming-based paranormal researcher and University of Wyoming graduate. Her interests lie in folklore, history, symbolic interaction and research. She also researches the paranormal academically and is a graduate student studying sociology.