The 10 most haunted places in the world

10 places across the world with the darkest reputations — ranked by how frightening they are said to be, and by how fully each story is recorded.

1. 🏥1 Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum West Virginia Mental hospital operating 1864-1994 — today a museum offering tours, the location of "Paranormal Lockdown".
2. ⚔️2 West Virginia Penitentiary West Virginia Built on an Adena burial mound — 94 executions and the notorious “Shadow Man”. 🛏 Book a night here
3. 🏯3 LaLaurie Mansion Louisiana The 1834 fire revealed enslaved people tortured in the attic — owner Delphine LaLaurie fled to France.
4. 🚇4 Mary King's Close Edinburgh, Scotland Underground Edinburgh — the streets that were abandoned during the 1645 plague and are now said to be haunted.
5. 👻5 Villisca Axe Murder House Iowa Eight people — six of them children — were axed to death in their sleep in 1912. The murder is still unsolved. 🛏 Book a night here
6. 🏗️6 Bell Witch Cave Tennessee The cave where the 'Bell Witch' is said to have fled in 1821 after haunting the Bell family for four years.
7. 👻7 Lizzie Borden House Massachusetts The site of the 1892 axe double murder — today a B&B where guests can sleep in the murder rooms. 🛏 Book a night here
8. 🕯️8 Borley Rectory England, Essex 'England's most haunted house' according to Harry Price — burned in 1939, demolished in 1944, but the stories live on.
9. 🏥9 Waverly Hills Sanatorium Kentucky Through the "death tunnel" thousands of bodies were lowered in secret — and in Room 502 a voice is said to scream "Get out!". 🛏 Book a night here
10. 👻10 Amityville Horror House (112 Ocean Avenue) New York In 1974 Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six family members — the following year the Lutz family fled after 28 days.

FAQ

The 10 most haunted places in the world?

10 places across the world with the darkest reputations — ranked by how frightening they are said to be, and by how fully each story is recorded. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, West Virginia Penitentiary, LaLaurie Mansion.

How is this list ranked?

By the frightfulness rating each place carries in our database, and where two places share a rating, by how fully its history is documented. Only places with a photograph and a written account of their own are included.

Browse by type

Browse by country

Popular collections

All haunted places →