You might want to tether your immortal soul with the realm of the living. It’s a good idea to do it somewhere spectacular.
Places that have seen many occupants over their lifetimes are characterized by a whimsical elegance. It’s as if they are hiding some kind of secret. These haunting places might be able to help you. There is a skeleton behind the opulent façades. These haunting tales are not limited to the creak of a floorboard, or the flickering of a lamp. The dark stories behind these locations are just as frightening as their beautiful exteriors. From the suicide brides who died in the same room as decades ago to the ghostly appearance of a prominent royal, they have a lot to tell. To see why people come back to these amazing houses, ocean liners and restaurants, as well as hotels, take a tour.
Casa Loma, Toronto
Henry Pellatt, a businessman, built the Gothic Revival castle in 1914. It includes secret passages as well as storage areas. The estate has been haunted during Halloween since there have been rumors about ghosts.
Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas
This historic Romanesque landmark was first opened by Jesse Driskill in 1886. It has been home to many celebrities and politicians over the years. There is also a history of paranormal activity at the hotel, which has been triggered by the deaths of many guests, including two “suicide brides”, two women on honeymoon who committed suicide in the same room twenty years apart.
One if on Land, Two if on Sea, New York City
The West Village restaurant has been consistently rated one of the most romantic in New York. It is located in the former carriage house of Aaron Burr. The restaurant is said to be haunted at least 20 ghosts, including Burr’s daughter, Theodosia.
Kehoe House, Savannah, Georgia
The Queen Anne brick mansion carnivalofhorrors is located in Savannah’s Columbia Square. It was built in May 1892 by William and Anne Kehoe, along with their ten children. In 1992, the building was transformed into a bed and breakfast. Guests have described hearing children’s voices.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
This 12th-century fortress is located at the Old Town of Edinburgh. It was an active military base for many years. If the stone walls could speak, they would tell dark tales about the piper who entered the castle’s tunnels and was never seen again. Visitors still hear music echoing in the fort’s empty chambers.
Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California
Sarah Winchester ordered a Victorian labyrinth to repel the evil spirits of her husband, the rifle magnate William Wirt Winchester. The Queen Anne-style home, which has four stories and 160 rooms, 10,000 windows panes and 47 stairways, is decorated with interesting elements such as staircases that lead directly to the ceiling or windows that open onto secret passages.
Poveglia Island, Venice, Italy
Poveglia Island is a short gondola ride away from Venice’s romantic canals. It houses the decaying remains a early-20th-century insane asylum. Poveglia was originally a quarantine area for bubonic plague victims. However, it was allegedly the site of brutal medical experiments. When a doctor fell from the highest tower of the asylum, it was closed.
Chateau de Brissac, Brissac-Quince, France
Chateau de Brissac, the tallest building in Loire Valley is best known for being the scene of the grisly murders of Charlotte of France. Legend has it that Charlotte was the unmarried daughter of King Charles VII and was murdered by her husband when he found out about her adulterous behaviour. According to legend, the Green Lady haunts the castle’s tower. Her name is derived from the color of her final dress.
Bhangarh Fort, India
The lush ruins at Bhangarh Fort, located less than 200 miles from Delhi, make for an interesting contrast to the Rajasthani desert. The curse of a local sorcerer who rejected his advances was repelled by a local princess, which led to the oasis being largely deserted today.
Hay House, Macon (Georgia)
The mid-19th-century Johnston-Felton-Hay House, also known as the Palace of the South was built by William Butler Johnston. Johnston’s travels inspired the construction of the property in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. It also featured unique amenities at that time such as hot and cool running water, central heating, and a speakertube. The third floor is open to the public and has been reported to have lingering spirits by visitors.
Ennis House, Los Feliz, California
Ennis House, constructed from 27,000 concrete blocks perforated, is the largest and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “textile-block” homes. The unique aesthetic of Ennis House has drawn filmmakers for decades. It was the inspiration environment for Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982), and the 1959 film House on Haunted Hill. Although there have not been any reported hauntings, many people notice how the home’s courtyards and hallways become silent, almost mausoleum-like after sunset.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Calgary, Alberta
The Fairmont Banff Springs, a stalwart among Canada’s historical railway hotels has been closely associated with the paranormal ever since it was built in 1888. A notable story is that of a bride-to be who self-immolated while descending the candlelit stairs wearing full wedding dress. According to legend, the Ghost Bride of Fairmont Banff Springs can still be seen in the hotel’s ballroom, waiting patiently for her first dance.
Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England
Raynham Hall was built in 1637 and is one of the most beautiful English country homes. Due to the Brown Lady at Raynham Hall, the estate has a storied reputation. The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall was believed to be Lady Dorothy Walpole’s spirit. A photograph purporting her essence was published by Country Life in December 1936.
St. Augustine Lighthouse in St. Augustine (Florida)
The St. Augustine lighthouse, the first in Florida, earned a dark place during Civil War history. It was taken out of service to disrupt Union shipping. Visitors report encounters with the friendly spirit of Union artillery-officer-cum-lightkeeper William A. Harn.
The Stanley Hotel, Estes park, Colorado
This neogeorgian mountain hideaway is most well-known as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining. Staff claims that it is only visited occasionally by “happy ghosts”, and that almost every room has a ghost story. Room 217’s maid is known to take guests’ clothes away when they’re not looking.
The Queen Mary, Long Beach (California)
After more than 30 years of sailing the Atlantic, the RMS Queen Mary made a permanent anchor at Long Beach, California in 1967. The ocean liner that was decommissioned, adorned with Art Deco finishings and gilded, is still available for reservations. There are many tales about the haunting of Queen Mary, with more than 50 deaths on board the vessel during her charter as luxury liner.
Ancient Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge, England
The Ancient Ram Inn in England boasts more spirits per head than any pub’s average liquor rack. The inn was built on the site of what is thought to have been an ancient pagan burial ground. It has received reports from at least 20 ghostly visitors. Ghostly children, high priestess and even an incubus wander the halls. Guests have been reported to have leapt out of the windows to escape.
Amityville Horror House, New York
Ronald Defeo Jr. killed six members of his family in the Amityville Horror House on November 13, 1974. However, the hauntings of 112 Ocean Avenue were not well-known until 1975 when the Lutz family purchased the house. From the moment they moved into the house, the Lutzes experienced paranormal activity, including the discovery of the Red Room, which was hidden from view, as well as doors that slammed by themselves and voices asking for a priest blessing it to “get out!” They stayed 26 days before moving on.
Bodie State Historic Park, California
The once bustling mining town of the area is now a barren wasteland with many beautiful buildings that are being maintained by the National Parks team. It is easy to lose your hair just by walking through the abandoned town. People who have been to the abandoned town have claimed that they have seen phantom miners, and heard the sound of mining in the long-retired shafts.
Akershus Fortress, Norway
Akershus Fortress, which was constructed in the 1290s to defend against foreign invasions, was instrumental in the Seven Year’s War. It is currently used for royal functions and can also be toured by the general public. However, the locals claim that the fortress’ war-torn past remains, and some have even seen ghosts of soldiers wandering through the halls.
Castle of Good Hope Cape Town, South Africa
The Dutch East India Company built the fort in bastion style in the middle of 1600s. It is now a historic monument in Cape Town and a hotbed of paranormal activity. According to legend, the castle houses Governor van Noodt’s ghost. He died from a heart attack after ordering a hanging. Common belief is that the governor was cursed by one of the men who were bound for the noose before he was executed, thus sealing his soul in the castle forever.
The Cavalier, Virginia Beach. Virginia
Adolph Coors (founder of Coors Beer) jumped from a window to his death in June 1929. There are many skeletons in a hotel as ancient as the Cavalier. But the death of Adolph Coors is the most famous and haunting. The Cavalier was the venue for a couple’s wedding. They claim that Mr. Coors appears in their photos. Others have reported ghostly activity at the sixth floor. There has been less activity since the Cavalier’s $80million renovation, but you can only find out by booking a room on sixth floor.
Leap Castle in Ireland
Leap Castle’s bloody legend dates back to the construction of it in the 13th century. These walls have been home to many violent Irish clans over the centuries, and they now hold the souls of their victims for all eternity. The hidden oubliette was one of the most alarming aspects of the castle’s construction. It held nearly 150 bodies and was only discovered in the 1920s. The most frequently sighted ghost is the Red Lady, who can be seen holding a dagger.
Isla de las Munecas, Mexico
Don Julian Santana Barrera was the sole resident and caretaker of Isla de los Munecas. He found a young girl who had drowned and left behind a floating doll while he was walking around the island. Julian took the doll, strung it high on a tree in tribute to the spirit of the girl. The island has seen many dolls placed on its trees over the years. Julian and others claim that the dolls were possessed by the spirits from girls who died too young. They report that the dolls could move and even communicate with passersby.
Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts
“Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and gave 40 whacks to her mother. She saw her mistake and gave her father 41.” This haunting nursery rhyme was inspired by the 1892 murders Abby Borden and Andrew Borden. The New England-style home blends seamlessly into the beautiful background of Massachusetts. It almost conceals the atrocities committed inside. For those who are brave enough to stay over night, the home has been turned into a museum and bed & breakfast. Guests and the proprietor have reported electric surges, shadowy figures and creaking floors overhead, even though no one is there.
Corvin Castle, Romania
Corvin Castle is best known for its home to Vlad III (or Vlad the Impaler), whose abominable acts of blood-thirsty torture inspired Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. It is believed that the ghosts of those who lived within the castle’s walls haunt the castle, which has a stunning Renaissance Gothic style design. Paranormal enthusiasts and documentarians have been investigating the estate in an attempt to determine if Dracula’s story is true.
Merchant’s House Museum in New York
This charming townhouse was built in 1832 and is a great example of late-Federal architecture. It was also one of the first New York City landmarked buildings. Since the Tredwell family’s occupation, which lasted almost 100 years, the interiors of the Greek Revival have remained relatively unchanged. Gertrude, the last Tredwell who lived in the home, died in the upstairs bedroom at the young age of 93. Visitors and staff alike report that Gertrude’s spirit is still present in the home, causing mischief.
Palacio de Linares, Madrid, Spain
This palace, which was once the home of Marquise and Marchioness from Linares, was built for Don Jose Murga, his wife Raimunda Osorio. Hidden beneath the palace’s opulent exterior, you will find disappearing staircases and trapped doors. A young girl can be heard singing in the palace when there are not more people in the building.
The Red Onion Saloon in Skagway (Alaska)
The Red Onion Saloon is located in Skagway’s gold mining town. It was originally a saloon and brothel on the ground floors when it opened in 1898. This saloon, a symbol of the town’s past and a local favourite, is a reminder of its origins. The building is now a restaurant. It also offers tours of the upstairs brothel. However, many restaurant staff believe that one of the working women never left. Patrons and staff alike are often visited by the ghost of Lydia, also known as Lydia.
Ruthin Castle in Wales
The castle’s red sandstone façade conceals a dark history. The most active ghost on the estate is the Grey Lady. Lady Grey, Reginald de Grey’s wife, is believed to be the mysterious woman. She was convicted of murdering a peasant girl she suspected to be having an affair with her husband.
Tower of London, England
Although the Tower of London, a former fortress, is now flooded with tourists every day, it is still one of Europe’s most bloody places. The sprawling fortress was built by William the Conqueror around 1070. It is best known for the many royal deaths there, including Anne Boleyn’s death. Her ghostly head is believed to haunt the hallowed halls.