If you’re the kind of traveler who likes to mix a little mystery with your road trip plans, the US is full of eerie destinations ready to test your nerve. From abandoned mining towns to haunted hotels and long-forgotten prisons, these places are steeped in strange history and spine-tingling ghost stories.
Whether you’re a full-on believer or just ghost-curious, these 13 haunted places across the US are packed with paranormal energy, unexplained events, and chilling legends that just might leave you sleeping with the lights on.
The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado
Famous for inspiring Stephen King’s The Shining, The Stanley Hotel has been a hotspot for ghost sightings since it opened in 1909. Located in the Rocky Mountains, this grand hotel combines luxury with a long-standing reputation for ghostly activity.
What People Say: Guests report hearing children laughing in the halls, objects moving in empty rooms, and apparitions of the original owners, Freelan and Flora Stanley. Room 217 remains the center of many ghostly encounters.
How to Visit: It’s an easy day trip from Denver. Join a day or night tour, or stay overnight for a full experience.
Alcatraz Island – San Francisco, California
Once home to America’s most notorious criminals, Alcatraz sits alone in San Francisco Bay. Though it closed in 1963, some say its darkest residents never left.
What People Say: Cell Block D is known for cold spots, whispers, and strange noises. Visitors claim to hear crying, screaming, and even banjo music that might be linked to Al Capone.
How to Visit: Take a ferry from Pier 33. Night tours are especially eerie and include stories about the prison’s haunted past.
Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, California
Built by Sarah Winchester, this Victorian mansion is filled with staircases that lead nowhere, doors that open into walls, and rooms with no purpose.
What People Say: Sarah believed she had to build nonstop to escape spirits. Guests report feeling watched, hearing footsteps, and seeing shadowy figures roam the hallways.
How to Visit: Open year-round with day and evening tours, including candlelight options for brave souls.
Queen Mary – Long Beach, California
This ocean liner turned hotel once sailed the Atlantic but now sits docked in Long Beach. Beneath the polished decks lies a history full of unexplained activity.
What People Say: A young sailor haunts the engine room, while ghostly children play near the first-class pool. Unseen figures and footsteps echo through the ship’s hallways.
How to Visit: Join a haunted tour or book a night in one of the staterooms.
Goldfield Hotel – Goldfield, Nevada
Once a symbol of luxury during Nevada’s mining boom, the Goldfield Hotel now sits empty and unsettling.
What People Say: Room 109 is haunted by Elizabeth, a woman tied to the hotel’s dark past. Visitors report lights flickering, cold spots, and voices from nowhere.
How to Visit: Guided tours are offered seasonally, especially in October.
The Whaley House – San Diego, California
Built in 1857, this home has been a theater, courthouse, and family residence. It’s also considered one of the most haunted homes in America.
What People Say: Ghosts of the Whaley family are said to appear regularly, especially Thomas Whaley on the second-floor landing. Sounds of children laughing and phantom footsteps are common.
How to Visit: Located in Old Town San Diego, it offers both day and night tours.
Hotel Monte Vista – Flagstaff, Arizona
This historic Route 66 hotel has welcomed celebrities, outlaws, and plenty of unexplained visitors since 1927.
What People Say: Room 306 has a rocking chair that moves on its own. In Room 220, guests have heard phantom knocks. The ghost of a woman is often spotted in Room 305.
How to Visit: You can request to stay in one of the haunted rooms.
Virginia City – Nevada
A preserved Wild West mining town full of saloons, wooden boardwalks, and legends from the 1800s.
What People Say: The Silver Queen Hotel and Washoe Club are especially active, with stories of ghostly women, miners, and footsteps on empty floors.
How to Visit: Just outside of Reno, Virginia City hosts ghost tours year-round and ramps up during Halloween.
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – Los Angeles, California
Home to the first Academy Awards, this glamorous hotel is just as famous for its ghostly guests.
What People Say: Marilyn Monroe’s spirit reportedly appears in mirrors, and Montgomery Clift has been seen pacing the ninth floor. Cold spots and flickering lights are common.
How to Visit: Tours are available and guests can stay overnight in historically haunted rooms.
Bodie State Historic Park – Bodie, California
Once a booming gold town, Bodie is now a preserved ghost town where buildings remain untouched and spirits linger.
What People Say: Apparitions, especially of children, are often seen near the schoolhouse. A woman in red is spotted walking near her former home.
How to Visit: Located near Lake Tahoe, Bodie is open to visitors for self-guided and seasonal guided tours.
San Fernando Cathedral – San Antonio, Texas
Built in 1731, this cathedral has seen centuries of battles and burials and remains active in more ways than one.
What People Say: Shadowy monks and soldiers appear both inside and outside. Paranormal investigators have picked up unusual readings in the chapel.
How to Visit: Free to enter and part of many walking ghost tours in San Antonio.
Old Idaho Penitentiary – Boise, Idaho
This prison housed dangerous criminals from 1872 until 1973, and its walls hold more than just memories.
What People Say: Executed inmates like Raymond Snowden are believed to linger. Visitors have experienced disembodied voices, cell doors slamming, and cold gusts in locked areas.
How to Visit: Located near downtown Boise, the site offers daytime and seasonal nighttime paranormal tours.
Columbia Gorge Hotel – Hood River, Oregon
Perched on a cliff above the Columbia River, this historic hotel once catered to Hollywood’s elite.
What People Say: Cold spots, perfume smells, and a woman in 1930s clothing are commonly reported. Guests feel watched even in empty rooms.
How to Visit: Book a night or take a day tour if you’re in Hood River.
These 13 haunted locations mix fascinating history with seriously creepy vibes. Whether you’re road-tripping through the West or planning a ghost-focused getaway, visiting these spots might just send chills down your spine—and give you stories to tell for years.
