When was the last time you heard something go bump in the night that made you wake up from a sweet slumber? Did you go to investigate? Did you look in the attic? (Big mistake!) Although Halloween is the traditional time to think about ghosts, those apparitions can pop up any time. Just ask anyone who has visited these haunted destinations. If you’re up for a scare-fest road trip, here are 4 of the most haunted places in America to pay a visit… if you dare.
1. The Sultan’s Palace, New Orleans Louisiana
You can’t swing a black cat in New Orleans without hitting a ghost or two. The “dead” have always been big business down there as walking tours of haunted sites attract thousands of visitors each year. A popular stop is 716 Dauphine, home of the Sultan’s Place. Back in the 1800s, this large house was rented by a visiting Turkish man who moved in an entourage of beautiful women. Rumors began to swirl of decadent parties.
Then one morning, a passerby noticed a stream of blood pouring from under the front door. The police were summoned and inside they found the kind of carnage that was compared to a “butcher shop exploding.” Out in the back yard, were the buried remains of the Sultan with one hand poking out of the dirt. Apparently, he was buried alive and tried to claw his way out. To this day it remains an unsolved mystery and if that’s not a reason for a haunting, then nothing is.
2. Bell Witch Farm, Adams, Tennessee
As the legend goes, back in 1817, farmer John Bell had apparently ticked off his former neighbor Kate Batts. She passed onto the great beyond but she didn’t quite “board the white light train.” Instead, she stuck around and tormented the Bell family by breaking up daughter Betsy’s impending marriage and driving John nuts. Then the Bell Witch left the home and took up residence in a nearby cave. Today, you can tour that cave and a reproduction of the original farmhouse.
3. Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This is the only Revolutionary War battlefield that is still preserved as it was 200 years ago. It’s also a place chock-full of ghosts. You can take your pick from the screaming woman to the faceless man to the Revolutionary garbed tour guide. Or you can maintain your sanity and stay far away from this place.
4. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, West Virginia
If you’re going to haunt someplace it might as well be a former lunatic asylum. This institution first opened up in 1864 to house the insane. It was also the site of a Civil War military post. The place closed down in 1994 and that was plenty of time for all those who died there to take up residence as ghosts. Today, you can take a tour of the facility and even spend the night. Not a chance.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
