10 Spooky Cities Where You’re Most Likely To Encounter A Ghost

We've compiled a list of the top 10 American cities that report the highest numbers of ghost sightings. During our research, we looked at locations that were home to ghastly stories, monumental burial grounds and battlefields, haunted hotels, freaky asylums, and more. Scroll further to start your chilling journey…

Home to Ohio University, Athens has reportedly been the site of many haunting stories. The city has five major graveyards, which form the symbol of a pentagram. There have been stories of strange, satanic rituals, plundering murders of livestock, pagan cults, and even a headless train conductor.

Perhaps the most famous site is that of the former Athens Lunatic Asylum, which closed in 1993. Several hundreds of infamous lobotomies were carried out in the asylum, which is now owned by the university. Today, it is the students who keep alive the stories of these haunting spirits. The most famous ghost belongs someone known as Margaret, who was a patient at the asylum. She is said to have been trapped inside an abandoned ward, and died from exposure. Her body was found weeks later.

Furthermore, screams can be heard throughout the student dorms and Greek houses. There also appear to be unexplained blood stains throughout the asylum building.

Key West, a small beach community and seaport since colonial times, is said to have haunted morgues, homes, and saloons. There are sites today that have witnessed the lynching of pirates and criminals.

Perhaps most famous of all is where writer Ernest Hemingway kept one of his homes for 30 years. Now a museum, the home reportedly was the site of ghost sightings — among which was the apparition of Hemingway himself.  He is said to walk across the grounds of the home. Others have reportedly heard sounds from his typewriter coming from the house.

One of the most disturbing tales is of Robert the doll, an artifact that is said to be possessed. It was given to painter Robert Eugene Otto when he was a child, in the early 1900s. It was allegedly possessed by spirits, and was the inspiration for the horror movie Child's Play. At night, it would disturb the boy in his sleep, and throw furniture around. Even Otto's parents have claimed that the doll would come alive.

Salem is best known for being the site of the infamous witch trials. In 1692, three women were accused of casting spells on young girls and terrorizing them. Soon after, hysteria ensued, ending with 150 arrests and 20 executions.

Salem still carries its reputation as the nation's "Witch City," and boasts one of the country's largest Halloween celebrations. Most of the remaining ghost stories are related to the witch trials of the 17th century.

Gallows Hill, the site of the executions, is said to be deeply haunted by the tormented souls. Joshua Ward House is another haunted site. It is built on the remains of the home of George Corwin, who helped preside over the Salem witch trials. He was responsible for many deaths and for charging people with witchcraft.

The Old Burying Point Cemetery is said to be another heavily haunted site. One of the oldest graveyards in the state, it is also where one of the wrongfully accused victims, landowner Giles Corey, is buried.

Portland is known as the most haunted city of the Pacific Northwest. As mentioned before, the city hides winding "Shanghai Tunnels" beneath its cobblestoned streets. Poor souls were kidnapped, smuggled through these tunnels to the waterfront, and sold to sea captains to traffic.

One of the most famous haunted houses is the Pittock Mansion, a chateau located in the West Hills region. Built in 1914 by a wealthy businessman (who died shortly after), visitors have claimed to see apparitions and hear strange noises in the house. Windows would open by themselves, and, most eerily of all, a portrait of Mr. Pittock seemed to move itself from room to room.

Room 703, in the Benson Hotel, has been noted to have ghosts. In many instances, guests would check into a freshly cleaned room, and come back hours later to find objects removed or misplaced.

The Grove, a historic house located in Jefferson, is reportedly the most haunted place in Texas. It has been owned by six different families, and has witnessed many mysterious occurrences.

Patrick Hopkins, one of the most recent owners of the home, saw mirrors fall off the walls, heard loud wails coming from upstairs, and felt that he was constantly being watched. Legend tells us that many murders have taken place at the site, and that several unmarked graves lie beneath the house.

A female ghost reportedly haunts the grounds frequently. She has been spotted by Hopkins, and by other neighbors, and is said to be a "glowing white figure." It is believed that she is the home's original owner, Minerva Fox Stilley.

With its vivid history of notorious gangsters and criminals of the underworld, it's no wonder that Chicago has a reputation for being haunted.

One story tells of Resurrection Mary, who was killed in a hit-and-run on Archer Avenue after leaving a ballroom. She was buried in Resurrection cemetery. Today, people see her wander the streets in her white burial gown, trying to find a way home.

Bachelor Grove is another haunted site. It is said to have been home to devil worship, and was one of the gangsters' favorite places to dump bodies during the Prohibition era. It is said that the headstones in the cemetery seem to move at night, and that the spirits of the dead come alive to walk the grounds. There is a famous "White Lady," the ghost of a young woman who dresses in white and cradles a baby in her arms.

Yet another deadly site is 2122 North Clark Street, where mobster Al Capone gunned down seven men on Valentine's Day in 1929. Today, screams and gun shot sounds can be heard at night on that street…

Here, we have the site of the bloodiest clash of the Civil War. Over 50,000 soldiers perished here, and are said to frequently haunt the battlefields today.

These wandering, injured spirits are said to haunt downtown Gettysburg on Baltimore Street, Hospital Road, and in many churches and schools, which were used as makeshift hospitals during the battle.

After Dark Investigations is a famous paranormal tour, on which you can use EMF detectors, voice recorders, and temperature gauges to sense ghosts in various locations.

With its countless graveyards, gothic mansions, willowy trees, and colonial architecture, Savannah is perhaps the most picturesque haunted site. The city was built, quite literally, on its dead. Buildings sit atop Native American burial grounds and the graves of slaves and colonialists.

Throughout the centuries, the city has seen devastating battles, fires, natural disasters, and yellow fever epidemics. Unsettling spirits are said to haunt The Pirates' House, a pub dating back to the 17o0s. As we'll witness again later on in the city of Portland, OR, drunk customers were often kidnapped and dragged to the harbor via underground tunnels. They were then trafficked to the East to be slaves, in a practice called "Shanghaiing."

The ghosts of sailors and seamen are also said to haunt the Moon River Brewing Company. They approach the bar, throw around silverware, and creak up the stairs…

The second largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic, Baltimore has witnessed scenes from the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the bloody Battle of Baltimore in 1812. One of the most ghost-ridden regions is the historic neighborhood of Fell's Point, where many lives have been lost.

Westminster Church, the burial place of author Edgar Allan Poe, is also said to be dangerously haunted. Fort McHenry, now a national park, was the site of one of the country's most important battles. Security guards have reportedly sighted uniformed, rifle-wielding soldiers pacing on the grounds.

The Gardens of Faith, a cemetery plot, is also said to be haunted. At night, a lady in gray drifts across the grounds, ready to scare anyone off.

New Orleans, a port town and home to the state's festive French Quarter, is well known for its string of paranormal tales. Dotted with old mansions, cemeteries, and shadowy taverns, the city is said to be cursed with the spirits of pirates and Civil War soldiers.

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the LaLaurie mansion is said to house desperate, lingering souls. In the 1800s, owners Louis and Delphine LaLaurie had apparently terribly mistreated their servants. It was even rumored that Lady Delphine had murdered a 12-year-old girl.

Many have said that the servants in the house were physically tortured. One night, the owners fled after a fire broke out. The eerie mansion still stands today, and is said to emit howling, grotesque sounds at night.

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