It’s the haunting season, and what’s better than visiting a haunted city in the U.S. What makes a city haunted? It’s usually a tortured past, a natural disaster, a battlefield or the systematic torture of people. Since the hauntings are based on history, visit one of the cities and take a history-based tour. Not to granulate the haunted level of each; they are listed alphabetically. Here are the top haunted cities in the U.S.
9 Top Haunted Cities in the U.S.
Boston, Massachussetts
Galveston, Texas
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
New Orleans, Louisiana
Salem, Massachusetts
San Antonio, Texas
Savannah, Georgia
St. Augustine, Florida
Boston, Massachussetts
Travelers meander down the narrow streets and pass historic buildings that were integral to American History. With that history including war, sometimes departed don’t fully cross over and remain wandering the places they once knew.
Boston is full of haunted places, from the Lizzie Borden House to the Omni Parker House Hotel to the Burying Ground or cemeteries. If you want to learn more, ghost tours are popular in Boston, and most are based on history.
Top Things to Do in Boston
Galveston, Texas
The Hurricane of 1900 blew ashore during the night, leaving piles of destruction at the break of dawn. It is estimated that at least 6,000 people died. For this reason, Galveston remains one of the most haunted cities in Texas.
From its landmark hotels, guests can stay in haunted hotels. Galveston is rumored to have a forlorn lady looking for her love and a playful kid ghost, among others.
Top Haunted Hotels in Texas
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Home to a pivotal battleground in the U.S. Civil War, many visitors head straight to the Gettysburg National Military Park. Battlegrounds frequently harbor long-gone soldiers.
For those with an investigative eye, a paranormal tour is for you. There are also specialized tours, from bus tours to homes that are allegedly haunted.
New Orleans, Louisiana
From its spooky autumn light to the fog that rolls in, New Orleans exudes and relishes its spookiest during the fall. Its Halloween celebrations are legendary, and everyone is in costume.
Popular things to do in New Orleans are to attend one of its numerous ghost tours based on history. These tours walk the streets of the French Quarter. Or you can tour a historic cemetery like the Official St. Louis Cemetary No. 1 to see the graves of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau and the unused pyramid tomb of Nickolas Cage.
Top Things to Do in New Orleans
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a world away from its neighbor, Boston, just 14 miles to the south. This is the place to learn the history of the witch trials in the 1690s when the town went into a hysterical fit.
In all, 200 people were accused of witchcraft, with 30 people found guilty, and 19 of those were executed by hanging. One man died while he was being tortured, and five people died while in jail.
Top Things to Do in Salem this Fall
San Antonio, Texas
Routinely named one of the most haunted cities in the U.S., ghosts linger at street corners, and some live in the hotels of San Antonio. With the Alamo anchoring the downtown, some claim spirits still linger nightly in the oldest part of the city.
Another city where the hotels let the ghosts stay for free. In 1898, Theodore Roosevelt recruited men for his Rough Riders between drinks. Over the years, the Menger’s bartenders claim Teddy Roosevelt still sits at the bar beckoning them for a drink.
Top Things to Do in San Antonio
San Francisco, California
With the infamous prison, Alcatraz feels haunted, especially if you take the evening tour with its eerie light. This is a National Park site, so it remains much like the days all the prisoners left.
San Francisco also offers other haunted sites, from the Presidio to City Hall to mansions. If you dare, book a night at the Queen Anne Hotel. It is rumored to have a ghostly school marm.
How to Tour Alcatraz Island
Savannah, Georgia
This town is one of the most haunted in the U.S. Different factors lead to Savannah’s haunting, like servant abuse and nearby Civil War battlefields.
One of the best ways to see the top haunted sights is a ghost tour. There, you will learn all the gruesome details.
Top Things to Do in Savannah
St. Augustine, Florida
As the oldest city in the U.S., St. Augustine is located on the northeast coast of Florida, south of Jacksonville. The Spanish founded it in the 1500s, so surely spirits still roam, especially in the autumn.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is said to be harboring spirits. Unfortunately, two sisters and a friend died in the area. They have been spotted playing hide-and-seek.
If you are looking for a more ghoulish place to visit, then the Old Jail Museum is the spot. Several prisoners died here under mysterious circumstances over the years and are said to still hold hard feelings.
