There are many creepy places in the US, most of which are well known and visited by many tourists or thrill seekers alike. But how about a few lesser known ones that not everyone and their dog knows about? Sounds exciting, right? We hope you will find at least one or more that you had never heard of.
Pfister Hotel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
This is one place you might not want to stay in. Why? Because it is said to be haunted by its founder who likes to stroll around the ninth floor and around the ballroom. There are many accounts from guests who stayed there and had a run-in with Mr. Pfister’s ghost. Some have said they saw furniture move in their room, radios or TVs turning on and off or hearing footsteps in the room.
St. Augustine Lighthouse (Florida)
A lighthouse with a dark history and many people claiming to have seen the ghost of a former keeper of the lighthouse. You can take the Dark of the Moon Ghost tour of the lighthouse which allows you to take a look at night! The 2 hour tour is enough to see everything and if you want to have a chance at seeing a ghost this is the tour you need.
Six Flags Park (New Orleans)
A theme park that has been more closed than opened. It was opened in 2000 and closed just 5 years later and has been deserted ever since. It was closed right when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area and never reopened. It’s a spooky, eerie place to visit, especially during the night.
Mütter Museum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
This is probably one of the creepiest museums you can visit, having many grotesque items like preserved human specimens or bones. It’s a good idea not to eat before going here and this is not a place for the faint at heart. But if you’re someone looking for weird things like deformities and other vomit-inducing things, this Pennsylvania museum is a must visit.
The Stanley Hotel (Colorado)
This is where in 1974, Stephen King spent a night. The author was inspired by the eerie desolation and remote location of the hotel and included it in one of his books, The Shining. The Colorado hotel is rumored to be inhabited by ghosts and it attracts people who want to spend the night in haunted rooms or just go on a ghost tour.
LaLaurie Mansion (New Orleans, Louisiana)
The mansion is where sadist Madame Delphine LaLaurie has tortured slaves back in the 1830s so it’s not a very happy place. People who visited said that you can hear screams coming from the house. There have been instances where ghost tour takers have fainted or became temporarily ill. As an interesting fact, Nicholas Cage owned the mansion but only stayed one night in it stating that he could hear ghostly sounds.
Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Once this was among the more famous prisons in the world. It now stands in ruin, with crumbling guard towers, cell blocks and rundown buildings. Among the over 84000 prisoners that were held here, Al Capone and “Slick Willie” Sutton are some of the more known ones. The penitentiary is a haunting sight and is open daily for visitors. There’s also an interesting online tour that you can take.
The Ruins of Detroit (Michigan)
Maybe a little unexpected but there’s a lot to see here. With Detroit being in decline for some time now, there are countless abandoned factories and buildings that can be visited. But you do need to pay close attention to the many safety hazards present so go well prepared. We also recommend reading The Ruins of Detroit by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre as it’s a very good entry point to this part of Detroit.
Winchester Mystery House (San Jose, California)
The mansion was built based on the fortune of the Winchester rifle. If you’ve never heard of it then you absolutely must visit it. With 160 rooms and 40 bedrooms, 10k windows (yes that many!) and 2k doors, this house has so many surprises in store that you won’t believe possible. Some staircases lead to ceilings and there are so many secret passages… This mansion is weird and mysterious and for someone that likes a crazy place, this is like heaven.
Bodie (Mono County, California)
Bodie is an abandoned town in California that has been deserted since 1940 after it was almost completely burned in 1932. Bodey is the person who first discovered the gold in the stream bed in 1859. The town’s name is different because of a mistake the sign painter made from Bodey to Bodie. Here you can find lots of buildings in different states of decay and there’s a certain eerie feeling present everywhere you go.
We hope you found a few creepy places in the US you’d like to go visit. If you know of any other lesser known ones share them in the comments.
Want more weird? How about the weirdest murders ever?
FAQ
What is the most abandoned place in the United States?
While it’s hard to pinpoint precisely which one is the most abandoned place, here are a few that fit the bill:
The Ohio State Reformatory from Mansfield, Ohio
Rhyolite from Rhyolite, Nevada
Lake Shawnee Amusement Park from Rock, West Virginia
Atlanta Prison Farm from Atlanta, Georgia
What is the most forgotten place in the world?
Probably Kolmanskop, Namibia but there’s also Villa Epecuén, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, Varosha, Cyprus or Kayakoy, Turkey. Or maybe Sanzhi, Taiwan.
Are there any abandoned towns in America?
More than one would think. There could be upwards of 3800 abandoned towns in the US. And most can be visited although it would take a while to see them all. Now that’s a cool bucket list idea!
