Some people willingly visit haunted locations either out of curiosity or to add some thrill to their lives. However, most trips to these destinations do not end well. If you want to know which spooky places you should avoid in America, keep reading!
In this blog post, we tell you why you should Never Visit These Top 5 Most Haunted Cities in America!
#5 The LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans
Not only is the Haunted LaLaurie Mansion famous for the unspeakable events that have occurred in the neighborhood, but it is also known for being the set for television productions such as American Horror Story. The owner of the haunted home was Marie Delphine Macarty or Madame LaLaurie. She was a socialite and serial killer in New Orleans, torturing and murdering slaves in her household.
When local authorities responded to a kitchen fire in 1834, they discovered the brutally mangled bodies of numerous enslaved individuals in the attic. Soon after LaLaurie vanished from New Orleans, witnesses claimed to hear her victims’ phantom screams streaming from the mansion in the dead of night. Furthermore, this mansion has been the site of allegations of paranormal activity for about 200 years.
#4 The Shanghai Tunnels, Portland
Portland is acknowledged as one of the most livable towns in America, but only a century and a half ago, it was infamous as one of the West Coast’s most deadly cities. Tourists swarm in stores and restaurants, blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking beneath their feet. A complex of 150-year-old tunnels runs beneath the ground, connecting the basements of the city’s oldest structures to the Willamette River and Portland’s Chinatown. Workers looking for extra cash would roam Portland’s pubs, saloons, and taverns, searching for young men who were alone.
These naïve men would awaken on a ship destined for Asia the following morning. They had been “Shanghaied,” as they put it. They would then be sold as slave labor to a ship’s captain, never to awaken until they reached the sea, with no chance to escape. Stories about the Shanghaiers quickly spread around Portland, and men became more cautious when drinking out at bars. When abducting men grew more difficult, Shanghai residents began kidnapping women. Because of this, the tunnels are claimed to be haunted by the enraged spirits of the captives who perished in the city’s dark bowels.
#3 Villisca Axe Murder House, Iowa
This place is as creepy and bone-chilling as it sounds. The old white frame house became a horrific crime scene on June 10, 1912, where the horrible murder of Josiah B. Moore, his wife, their four children, and two young girls who were staying overnight devastated the small community of Villisca, Iowa. The horrors did not seem to end for decades as the killer was never found. Some people believe the secret is still hidden within the house’s walls to this day.
Because of its dark and enigmatic past, the Moore Mansion rapidly sparked paranormal activity reports. Today, ghost hunters, curious folks, and journalists spend the night at the house to see if it is haunted or not. Furthermore, most people claim to have heard disembodied voices, footsteps, and other odd noises while staying in the area.
#2 Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia
Next, we have the Gothic-style prison in Philadelphia that opened in 1829 and was the first in the United States to use solitary confinement. During this time, a prisoner was not allowed to leave his cell without a guard covering his head with a hood to not see or be seen by others. Prisoners were also forced to live alone, exercise alone, and eat alone.
The penitentiary is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in the United States. The area contains enormous, foreboding high stone walls, crumbling passageways, and barren cells that were previously home to thousands of ruthless criminals. The 142-year history warped by suicide, insanity, disease, murder, and torture makes it easy to visualize tormented people’s spirits roaming its abandoned hallways.
Even without witnessing a ghost, the brutal punishments meted out to captives are enough to make you tremble. Since the 1940s, there have been substantiated accounts of unexplained events by visitors, personnel, guards, and convicts. Numerous witnesses claim to have seen a shadow of a guard in one of the towers. Particular cells have also been reported to have echoed sounds, shadowy figures, and ghostly faces.
#1 Moundsville Penitentiary, West Virginia
We have now reached the most haunted place on our list, which happens to be another infamous penitentiary. Throughout its more than 100-year history, the Moundsville Penitentiary in West Virginia was one of the most brutal correctional facilities in the United States, serving as the final destination for nearly 1,000 criminals.
A significant number of people were killed by their own kind: dozens were hung, several were electrocuted, and many more were slain by other people. Some inmates simply couldn’t handle prison life and took their own lives to avoid it. During the course of its operation, 36 people were killed, and 94 were put to death. Countless inmates have also perished of infectious ailments such as influenza and tuberculosis, some have gone insane, and at least one has set himself on fire.
Though the prisoners do no longer remain in the penitentiary, they have not been forgotten. According to various reports, the ghosts of some of the 998 men who perished here still wander free. Numerous accounts and tales have been told about the West Virginia Penitentiary, which is unsurprising given the institution’s violent history. A shadowy black figure has been frequently observed from various sections of the facility, including several Electronic Voice Phenomena. Residents have also reported unusual sounds, screams, and figures strolling through the hallways. Now, more and more people visit the area to find proof of ghosts, spirits, and other unexplainable phenomena.
