No matter your belief system, visiting haunted places can make for an exhilarating journey. From castle ruins and prison cells to an island full of dolls – each place has a dark past which can give rise to goosebumps!
Near Mexico City lies the Island of Dolls – once home to hundreds of disfigured dolls placed there by its former owner to appease a girl’s spirit and appease its presence. Today, however, its dark atmosphere still reigns supreme.
1. Akershus Castle
Akershus Fortress (or Akershus Slott) is an architectural masterpiece located on Oslo’s skyline. But this historic fortress holds many secrets; according to popular paranormal shows like Ghost Adventures, Akershus Fortress may even be home to ghostly presence.
Margareta Hall at Akershus Castle is one of the most haunted areas, where a chamber maid perished due to starvation during the Black Plague; her ghost still lingers, often seen wearing her signature cloak, hence its name.
Another eerie spot is the main entrance. When castle guards heard noises outside, they threw their vicious guard dog through the gate – only for him to return as an angry ghost and even more vicious than before!
2. Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island was created as an incarceration facility for some of the nation’s most notorious criminals; but now visitors and staff report feeling uncomfortable around Alcatraz due to restless spirits that inhabit it. They report hearing footsteps, screaming voices, clanging metal doors and mysterious rally cries within its walls.
Cell 14D at Alcatraz Island is known to be haunted, where a gangster was murdered. Renown ghost hunter Richard Senate and psychic Ernie Glick once spent the night inside that cell where an evil spirit is said to reside; both reported feeling cold fingers on their necks as well as psychic impressions of dismembered bodies that left them feeling like they’d just survived an intense nightmare experience.
3. Eastern State Penitentiary
At the heart of Philadelphia lies Eastern State Penitentiary; within blocks, however, stands Rite Aid with bright fluorescent lighting and cheerful signage reminding customers to use their loyalty card.
Legend holds that it is haunted, with ghostly spirits still roaming its halls, making for one of the costliest prisons ever built and first to implement solitary confinement.
Prison tours of this site, including walking along its eerie hallways and peering into cramped cells, have become popular attractions among paranormal enthusiasts and have even been showcased on shows such as Ghost Hunters.
4. Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Louisville Kentucky is home to numerous haunted places, but none is more iconic than the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Constructed as a two-story wooden hospital in 1910 and expanded due to the tuberculosis epidemic in 1924.
Death at the sanatorium has been staggering and it is thought that their spirits still inhabit it today. Many visitors have reported strange incidents at the building such as doors slamming on their own or meeting Timmy, an invisible boy who likes playing catch with people entering.
5. Queen Mary
The Queen Mary is famed for its Art Deco architecture and glamorous history as an ocean liner, but she also harbors some dark secrets. According to local reports in Long Beach, California, this stately ship-turned-hotel is haunted by ghosts; many paranormal experiences have also been reported aboard its stately decks.
The Engine Room of our ship is one of the creepiest spots and has long been said to be haunted by multiple spirits. Engineer Pedder himself has even been seen wandering about wearing blue coveralls and asking guests if they have seen his wrench.
6. Bethnal Green Station
During World War Two it was common for Londoners to seek shelter in tube stations for safety during air raids. On 3 March 1943 when an air alarm went off things went tragically wrong when people started running down stairs quickly as wet steps gave way and caused people to fall over each other; ultimately 173 lives were taken in this tragedy.
Since that night, workers on the Underground have reported hearing children sobbing and women screaming in its tunnels as a poignant reminder of what transpired there.
7. Kloster Unterzell
Regina Postner currently works at Kloster Unterzell near Wurzburg’s city limit as a nurse, social pedagogue and environmental engineer. She enjoys its baroque architecture immensely and especially enjoys singing at Vespers or Eucharistiefeiern held within its beautifully restored Klosterkirche.
She loves exploring the dark and mysterious garden where she often encounters the ghost of a murdered nun who may be seeking vengeance for her demise.
Over its history, the tower has witnessed many deaths and murders – among them, Anne Boleyn being executed for treason in 1536.
