From bells that ring by themselves to roaming dog spirits and a cursed Indian fort, these spots are a ghost hunter's dream (or nightmare).
LessDuring the 17th century, the Tower of London was used as a prison for those accused of treason. Some of the Tower's most famous residents include Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, and the "Nine-Day Queen" Lady Jane Grey. Both were beheaded on the Tower Green. It’s said their headless ghosts roam the halls to this day. Guy Fawkes is also said to haunt the Tower, as well as the ghost of Lady Arbella Stuart, and the young sons of King Edward IV, who were murdered here.
Built in 1857, San Diego’s Whaley House is reportedly home to multiple frightening ghosts. The earliest documented ghost, "Yankee Jim," was convicted of grand larceny and hung off a wagon on the exact spot where the house now exists. Today, museum visitors have seen windows mysteriously fly open, the spirit of family head Thomas Whaley wander around, and visions of a creepy little girl in the dining room. Urban legend has it she's the ghost of a friend of the Whaley children.
There have been hundreds of ghost sightings at Edinburgh Castle, including a headless drummer boy, French and American prisoners of war, and even phantom dogs. In 2001, as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, a team of scientists spent ten days investigating the castle, with many reporting sudden drops in temperature and the feeling of people tugging at their clothes. Consider exploring all of its spooky history as part of a special Edinburgh ghost tour.
This forest is called the “Bermuda Triangle” of Romania due to the rumored supernatural disappearances of visitors, subsequently earning the Hoia-Baciu Forest a reputation for being one of the most ghostly places on earth. Unexplainable headaches, rashes, and scratches, as well as feelings of being watched, are all commonalities here. Some people have even claimed to see ghostly apparitions of soldiers. If that wasn’t scary enough, the place is also known for UFO sightings.
Opened in 1829, Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous prison in the world. It was the first to throw inmates into solitary confinement and housed notorious criminals like Al Capone. About 1,200 prisoners died there, and when it opened to the public in 1994, many visitors reported hearing strange noises: footsteps in the yards, wails in the corridors, and disembodied laughter, and it is now considered one of the most terrifying places in America.
Located in France’s Loire Valley, Château de Brissac was originally built as a castle in the 11th century, destroyed and rebuilt several times, and (lastly) refurbished after the French Revolution. With its long and turbulent history, it’s no surprise there’s a wealth of ghost lore attached to it. Château de Brissac’s most famous spirit is the Green Lady, the former lady of the house who was murdered by her husband after he discovered she was having an affair.
Built in the 17th century as a refreshment base for Dutch East India Trading Company ships, the Castle of Good Hope is South Africa's oldest colonial building. Over the years, it has also served as a fortress and a prison, and it currently houses a history museum. Several specters have been seen roaming the castle, including a soldier who repeatedly leaps from its walls, a woman dressed in gray wandering the castle’s corridors, and a spectral canine or ghost dog seen roaming the grounds.
New Orleans is a famed hotbed of supernatural activity. Book a table at Muriel’s Jackson Square, a restaurant rumored to be haunted by the spirit of former Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan, who committed suicide after losing the restaurant in a poker game; he supposedly appears to visitors as a sparkling light. The restaurant even has a Seance Lounge upstairs, where you can sip spirits while you wait to see one.
This eerie underground attraction holds the remains of roughly six million Parisians, whose bones were moved here from overcrowded cemeteries in the 18th century. Visitors can visit one of the best subterranean attractions in the world, via 130 steps, into the chilly tunnels and crypts lined with human bones to explore what's just a small portion of the nearly 200 miles of haunted passageways beneath the city's streets.
Built in the 16th century in the Indian state of Rajasthan, Bhangarh Fort initially served as a residence for the son of local ruler Raja Bhagwant Das but is now known as one of the most haunted places in India. Multiple eerie stories have been attached to the fort, including one about a priest who was obsessed with black magic and cursed the area after being rejected by a Bhangarh princess. Some visitors have reported a heavy feeling when visiting the fort, while others have seen apparitions.