The appeal of haunted places strikes the imagination of both thrill-seekers and skeptics. Around the world, there are many places filled with mystery, tragedy, and supernatural lore. Here, we take a look at five of the world’s most haunted places where chilling tales and spine-tingling experiences are plentiful.
1. The Tower of London, England
Haunting Highlights: Centuries of executions, torture, and imprisonment have cemented the Tower of London’s reputation as one of the most haunted places in the world. Built in 1066 by William the Conqueror, its dark history includes the deaths of Queen Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and the infamous “Princes in the Tower.”
Paranormal Activity: Visitors and guards have reported seeing the ghost of Anne Boleyn, headless and in white, wandering around the premises. The White Tower is said to be haunted by the shadowy figures of the two young princes, whom their uncle, Richard III, is said to have murdered.
2. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
Haunting Highlights: Situated at the bottom of Mount Fuji, the Aokigahara Forest, also referred to as the “Sea of Trees,” is notorious for the association with desperation and death. It has been the tragic location for hundreds of suicides, earning it the unflattering sobriquet “Suicide Forest.”
Paranormal Activity: Campers have claimed to have heard mysterious whispers, screams, and even seen ghostly apparitions. Many think the forest is full of yurei, which are restless spirits that haunt the place because of the tragic way they died. The eerie silence of the forest is magnified by the thick foliage.
3. The Stanley Hotel, USA
Haunting Highlights: Situated in Estes Park, Colorado, this luxury hotel is famous for inspiring Stephen King’s The Shining. The Stanley Hotel, opened in 1909, has been a haven of bizarre events and ghostly sightings.
Paranormal Activity: Guests have reported hearing piano music coming from the empty concert hall and ghostly laughter of children echoing in the corridors. Room 217 is infamous, with reports of objects moving on their own and unseen hands tucking guests into bed.
4. Poveglia Island, Italy
Haunting Highlights: Poveglia Island is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon, which is said to have an awful past. It used to be a quarantine station for the bubonic plague and later became a mental asylum. Thousands of plague victims and asylum patients died there, and many were buried in mass graves.
Paranormal Activity: Poveglia is so haunted that it’s closed to the public. Visitors who could step into the island claim to be overwhelmed by fear, haunted voices, and apparitions. The doctor of this asylum is believed to have still been around because, before going mad and throwing himself off a balcony into the sea, he was claimed to have experimented on patients.
5. Bhangarh Fort, India
Haunting Highlights: This 17th-century fort in Rajasthan comes with a dark legend: A spurned-love sorcerer cast doom over the land when one of the local princesses snubbed his amorous advances and the people within the castle mysteriously disappeared shortly thereafter.
Paranormal Activity: Visitors have reported hearing screams, whispers, and eerie music emanating from the ruins. The fort is so feared that entry is prohibited after sunset, and it is officially protected as one of the most haunted sites in India.
6. Château de Brissac, France
Spooky Points of Interest: Dubbed the “Giant of the Loire Valley,” this large castle in France dates back to the 11th century. Most famous is the legend of the “Green Lady” (La Dame Verte), the ghost of Charlotte de Brézé, who was murdered by her husband after he found out about her infidelity.
Paranormal Activity: The Green Lady appears roaming the castle in a green dress. People have also complained of hearing her moans at night, and of course, they have caught sight of her ghostly appearance in the tower rooms.
7. Eastern State Penitentiary, USA
Haunting Highlights: Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this historic prison is one of the most notorious places in the world. Erected in 1829, it was the site for infamous criminals such as Al Capone and extreme isolation – a recipe for insanity at times.
Paranormal Activity: Visitors and staff alike report shadowy figures crossing over cell blocks, ghostly whispers, and sudden drops in temperature. Cellblock 12 remains the most active of any, with loud cackling and eerie footsteps a common occurrence.
8. Myrtles Plantation, USA
Scariest Points: This is one of the most haunted historic antebellum mansions located in St. Francisville, Louisiana. This mansion is said to have seen at least 10 murders; however, historical reports show otherwise.
Paranormal Activity: The ghost of Chloe is said to appear in green turban as she’s a slave girl who got hanged for poisoning her plantation owner’s family. A lot of ghostly kids and shadowy figures are frequent visitors to the property; inexplicable handprints constantly appear on mirrors.
9. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Haunting Highlights: Edinburgh Castle sits atop Castle Rock, with a history dating back to the 12th century. Its bloody history includes battles, sieges, and even dungeons that were used to house prisoners of war.
Paranormal Activity: There are claims of ghostly drummers, disembodied voices, and shadowy figures. The castle’s most famous ghost is that of the Lone Piper, whose melancholic music can sometimes be heard echoing through the halls at night.
10. Old Changi Hospital, Singapore
Scary Attraction: Built in 1935, this former hospital was used as a prison and torture center during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II. Many prisoners and patients met untimely, violent deaths within its walls.
Paranormal Activity: People hear ghostly screams, footsteps, and whispers. Apparitions of Japanese soldiers, headless spirits, and a mysterious “lady in white” are often seen wandering the decaying halls of the hospital.
