The Top 5 Most Haunted Places in the United States

The United States is home to lots of haunted places; each of these places has unique stories behind it. Lots of people who live near or have claimed to see or hear the spirits of the past. Some people even go to the sights to see if there are ghosts. Here are the top 5 most haunted places in the United States. 

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia 

The prison was opened in 1829 and introduced the idea of solitary confinement. The prisoners had almost no human contact at all, and they had hoods put on their heads if they were being moved. The place is thought to be controlled by the dead prisoners after it shut down in 1971, and visitors claim to see ghosts wandering the halls and hear whispers in cells.

R.M.S Queen Mary, California

The Queen Mary was originally a cruise ship, and lots of celebrities and wealthy people used the Queen Mary. However, when WWII started, the Queen Mary was turned into a troopship and got the new name “Grey Ghost.” At the end of the war, it was restored as a cruise ship and continued so for a couple of years until it pulled into a dock in Long Beach, California, where it still is today. The boat is thought to be haunted by the dead soldiers who were once aboard and fought in World War II.

Stanley Hotel, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel was opened in Colorado by the Stanley couple, but they have reportedly never come back. There are cases of bags being unpacked, lights turning on and off, sometimes hearing Ms. Stanley play her piano, and Mr. Stanley showing up in photos. The book “The Shining” by Stephen King was based on this hotel, and paranormal experts say it’s one of the most active ghost sites in the United States.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Construction began in 1858 and opened for patients in 1864. In the 1950s, the asylum was overcrowded, as it was designed for 250 people but housed 2,400 patients. Patients were often physically restrained and had inhuman treatments, and many people died during them. The asylum was forced to shut down in 1994. The people who lived at the asylum are believed to haunt the place to this day.

 Shanghai Tunnels, Oregon 

Portland is one of the most notorious ports in the United States, especially during the early 19th century, and was a highly popular place for human trafficking. Traffickers used an illegal technique called shanghaiing. According to local lore, people would find young men in saloons that had trapdoors that led straight to underground tunnels where people were drugged, held captive, and eventually transported to the waterfront and sold to boats as unpaid workers. Some people worked on the boats for years before going home. The tunnels are haunted by the spirits of those who were captured as laborers.

The United States is full of haunted locations, each one with a dark history and spooky tales from long ago. From the empty halls of the Eastern State Penitentiary to the haunted ship of The R.M.S Queen Mary.