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USS Nightmare – Newport, Kentucky
The motto says it all: Prepare to have the ship scared out of you. America’s “Premiere Haunted Steamboat” has a reputation to live up to its claims, an elaborately staged river adventure on a retired steamboat. The ship’s history has given it a spooky modern face, which is of course amped up by a team of talented actors!
Schooner Hotel – Alnmouth, England
While technically still an operating hotel, the Schooner Hotel in Northumberland is a hotbed for alleged supernatural activity. It has been named Britain’s most haunted building by several bodies, and has embraced this identity warmly. Now, visitors can experience all the chills while staying in a genuinely luxurious hotel!
The Whaley House – San Diego, California
Constructed on the site of a former gallows, the famous Whaley House in California has been host to a series of troubled tenants, often ending their stay with suicide or some similar tragedy. Thankfully for the ghost-hunters out there, that means there’s another site to visit in pursuit of the elusive poltergeist. Thomas Whaley himself is said to walk the halls greeting visitors!
Bhangarh - Rajgarh, India
Bhangarh is technically a town rather than a house, but what the ruined old British fort lacks in enclosed space it more than makes up for in free-floating protoplasm – or so the legend goes. This historical colonial site has long been known to be a hotbed for unexplained activity. The roads to this old site have been kept up specifically to allow tourists to view the town’s old, haunted halls.
LaLaurie House – New Orleans, Louisiana
Hollywood actor Nick Cage thought the old LaLaurie mansion in New Orleans was worth buying, but it’s also worth checking out in a more affordable ways. Just walking by the old, thrice-restored building is said to be enough to raise the hairs on the back of the neck. Most ghost tours feature the LaLaurie estate as their walks, but a dedicated visit is worthwhile as well.
Asylum & Hotel Fear - Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is already known for its spectacular buildings and architectural wonders, from casinos to hotels, and so it’s no surprise that the city is home to possibly the most elaborate haunted house in the world. In the parking lot, you’ll pull in next to a hearse, walk through a fake-decayed doorway and into a fake-dilapidated foyer. From there, visitors are treated to several hours of custom-crafted terror.
Seven Floors of Hell – Cleveland, Ohio
Why not seven haunted houses for the price of one? Billing itself as the best entertainment value in Ohio, this single-ticket adventure lets visitors creep through the halls of fully seven distinctly themed poltergeist lairs. An array of beautifully made-up actors will harrow your journey, making you squeal with fear (or is it delight?) as you spend hours wandering this twisted, Ohio attraction.
Fright Dome – Las Vegas, Nevada
Fright Dome is another score for Las Vegas, an attraction from the mind of “hauntrepeneur” and horror filmmaker Jason Egan. At over five acres, Egan leverages the excesses of Vegas culture to the betterment of ghost hunters everywhere. The spooky theme park has featured a host of celebrities over the years, including David Copperfield and several live music acts.
Edinburgh Castle
Whether it’s the invading hordes of Oliver Cromwell or the more pedestrian assaults of ghostly apparitions, Edinburgh Castle has almost a thousand years of history muddying up its spectral waters. Wandering those old stone halls, the history tends to come rushing up without leave. Beware those who enter here – sometimes the frights of a real ancient castle can outstrip even the best in planned modern scare tactics.
Kolmanskop, Namibia
A refreshing change of pace from dank, zombie-filled manors, Kolmanskop is a city reclaimed by the desert. Abandoned decades ago, the city has been half-buried by the ever-shifting sand dunes of the Namib Desert. Tourists need a permit to enter, but it is readily accessible, and those who do go report terrifying experiences under the beating African sun. No need for shadows here – ghosts are as attracted to squinting travellers as night-blind thrill-seekers. This is one destination not for the faint of heart.