Top 15 Most Haunted Cities In The US

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From colonial cemeteries and battlefields to creaking hotels and foggy waterfronts, America’s spookiest cities are packed with places that mix deep history with restless lore. If you love walking tours after dark, old prisons that now echo with stories, and waterfronts lined with legends, these destinations deliver a steady stream of eerie stops and well documented local tales.

New Orleans, Louisiana

CNN

Haunted walks wind through the French Quarter and past St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where above ground tombs create a maze of lore. The LaLaurie Mansion draws curious crowds thanks to long standing stories tied to its 19th century residents. The Garden District adds stately homes with guides who share names and dates with precision. Many tours also include the Old Ursuline Convent and its centuries of records.

Savannah, Georgia

CNN

Bonaventure Cemetery’s live oaks and sculpted monuments set the scene for many guided night visits. The Sorrel Weed House offers structured tours that detail ownership records and reported occurrences room by room. Moon River Brewing Company includes a well briefed walkthrough of its basement and former uses. City squares like Wright and Madison add layers of military and medical history.

St. Augustine, Florida

News4

The Castillo de San Marcos anchors stories from sieges and colonial skirmishes. The St. Augustine Lighthouse features documented incidents from keepers and maritime rescues. Walking routes stop at the Old Jail and the Tolomato Cemetery for dates, names, and preserved artifacts. Many itineraries trace the original Spanish streets that still follow the 16th century plan.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

History

Park roads cross key points of the three day battle with marked monuments and unit positions. Sachs Covered Bridge and Devil’s Den show up on nearly every after hours itinerary. The Farnsworth House Inn includes displays and logs that note uniform types and regiments. Licensed battlefield guides reference official reports as they lead evening programs.

Salem, Massachusetts

WCVB

The Old Burying Point Cemetery and the Witch House present court era documents and family plots. The Salem Witch Trials Memorial lists victims by name and invites quiet reflection. The Old Town Hall and nearby homes host tours built around trial transcripts and property records. Many routes connect these sites with the harbor and its privateer past.

San Antonio, Texas

Yahoo

The Alamo preserves mission era timelines and personal accounts from the famous siege. The Menger Hotel keeps registers and a small museum that outline visits from notable figures. Tracks near the former rail crossing feature a local tale tied to a collision and its aftermath. Missions along the river add parish records and centuries of community history.

Charleston, South Carolina

Fayerweather Friend

The Old City Jail conducts guided entries that detail inmate logs and 19th century renovations. The Exchange and Provost Dungeon presents Revolutionary War era confinement stories with original brickwork. Churchyards on Meeting and Tradd Streets post burial registers and notable names. The Battery promenade connects these stops with forts and harbor defenses.

Galveston, Texas

Chron

The 1900 storm shapes much of the island’s lore, and walking tours cite street level changes from the grade raising project. Hotel Galvez and Ashton Villa structure their histories through guest books and family archives. The Strand District warehouses host guides who explain shipping records and storm survival. Cemeteries inland hold storm era markers and relocation notes.

Key West, Florida

Marc Averette

Fort East Martello Museum houses Robert the Doll with a documented collection of letters. Guides at the Ernest Hemingway Home recount staff logs and family timelines. The Key West Cemetery maps notable plots and quirky epitaphs that appear on day and night tours. Stops along Whitehead and Duval Streets tie lighthouse history to naval patrols.

Chicago, Illinois

ABC

Bachelors Grove Cemetery draws researchers who catalog stone dates and plot maps. The Congress Plaza Hotel organizes its stories by room numbers and early 20th century events. Riverfront tours cover the Eastland disaster site with passenger lists and memorial details. Neighborhood walks add theaters, stockyard sites, and preserved fire records.

Boston, Massachusetts

CNN

The Freedom Trail passes the Granary Burying Ground with markers for early statesmen. The Omni Parker House keeps a detailed timeline of ownership and notable guests. Guides ferry visitors to Fort Warren on Georges Island with Civil War era documentation. Beacon Hill and North End routes add churches and meeting houses with careful preservation.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

ABC

Eastern State Penitentiary offers cellblock tours with inmate files and warden notes. The Powel House and nearby residences maintain inventories that anchor their stories. Christ Church Burial Ground lists dates and names that appear on lantern lit walks. Old City lanes add printing shops and assembly sites with posted plaques.

Jerome, Arizona

Finetooth

This former mining town preserves headframes, assay offices, and hillside streets that tell its boom and bust cycle. The Jerome Grand Hotel displays hospital era equipment and staff photos. The sliding jail sits where it moved during ground shifts and remains a mapped stop. Museums compile payrolls and claims that show the town’s rapid changes.

Portland, Oregon

Lonely Planet

Old Town routes explore the Shanghai Tunnels with exhibits on waterfront labor and shipping. The Pittock Mansion catalogs family possessions and restoration projects. The city’s river history appears on plaques that mark wharf lines and early industry. Neighborhood tours add theaters and hotels with guest logs and renovation records.

New York City, New York

New York Times

The Merchant’s House Museum preserves one family’s furnishings and papers across generations. The Morris Jumel Mansion documents Revolutionary War visits and property transfers. Staten Island routes include the Kreischer Mansion with builder records and newspaper clippings. City cemetery walks in Queens and Brooklyn focus on mapped sections and notable interments.

Share the cities and specific spots you have explored in the comments so everyone can compare notes and add new stops.

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