Odd Places to Visit in Haunted America

Lover of the strange like us? We have some places that just might be within driving distance of your location that are worth the investigation. These are in no particular order, just 15 places we think are worth visiting. More to come too!

15. LaLaurie Mansion New Orleans

A socialite and wealthy woman who threw lavish parties, Marie Delphine LaLaurie held some of the most heralded parties in the French Quarter. What no one knew was she was a sadistic SOB who had tortured many of her slaves to death. An accidental kitchen fire led to the gruesome discovery in her attic. Public outcry forced Marie to return to France. They say the screams of her victims fill the night air of the French Quarter.

14. The Shanghai Tunnels of Portland Oregon. The act of kidnapping men to serve on ships was prominent in the 19th century, the term was known as being 'shanghaied'. These men were forced to work as unpaid labor aboard these ships. The tunnels under Portland were used to transport these men unseen to their waiting fates. The voices of those who died linger there still.

13. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philly Pennsylvania. One of many Gothic-style prisons opened in the US, Philadelphia is this one's home. It opened 1829 and was the first penitentiary in the U.S. to use solitary confinement. This area was know as Cellblock 13. Solitary confinement is still a hotly contested topic to this day. Prisoners languished at Eastern State, kept in dark cells with little to no human contact, often with hoods placed over their heads if they were moved anywhere inside the prison. The so-called “Pennsylvania system” was put into play in several other states and in Europe. With popularity of the shows like Ghost Hunters, it now has a tourist division where you can take a tour of the facility.

12. Gallow's Hill, Salem Massachusetts. While not the most haunted or scary place in America, it certainly is tragic. 200 people were accused of witchcraft. 19 were executed. Others died during imprisonment. Many believe the ghost of Bridget Bishop haunts the Hawthorne grave site, one of the trial magistrates. Salem is full of rich history, worth the trip. Go in the off season though. At Halloween, as one could imagine, the city is packed to the brimstone...

11.The infamous Stanley Hotel Colorado Springs Colorado. Made famous by filming the Shining there. Mr Stanley plays the piano frequently despite being long gone from this world. He and his wife sometimes show up in random photographs. Children laugh and play. Singing can be heard. Luggage unpacks itself. They have a special Halloween Ball called either the Shining Ball or the Redrum Mystery Dinner. It's listed as the one of the most active paranormal sites in the US.

10. The Corpse Farm in Knoxville Tennessee. Not the place you want to visit, well, we understand. Could you just imagine wandering around in the woods and suddenly you're staring at countless corpses in various states of decay, 'killed' by different means. It's a forensic studies lab hosted by the University. Still... that's just weird.

9.Nutshell Studies in Baltimore Maryland. Francis Glessner Lee was a forensic scientist that made miniatures of unsolved murders. Detail to the tiniest item, these are near works of creepy death scenes preserved in miniatures. Unfortunately, you can't visit them because they are on display in the coroner's office, but they are worth looking up online.

8. Museum of Death Hollywood California. Not for the faint of heart, that's for sure!

Exhibits from high profile murders are the theme. If you want to to check them out, be sure to look at their operation hours before going.

7. Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca Iowa. Stay at this quaint house where 8 people were murdered in 1912. Strangely enough, this case appears to be connected to several others during that time period in the US in different locations and possibly to a case in Germany. The Hinterkaifeck murders are still unsolved to this day and are a near mirror example of the ones that happened in the states. Maybe the ghosts at Vilisca will give a few clues to you... if you're lucky.

6. Winchester Mystery House San Jose California. Sarah Winchester believed the spirits of those killed with the Winchester Repeater stalked her family and exacted revenge. A medium told her to never stop building on the house. The rest is history. Construction continued to the day she died. Stairs that go nowhere. Doors that open to walls. Rooms where crawling in a window is the only entrance in or out. While it sounds like she was crazy, those who work there say she wasn't. Things happen in the house that cannot be explained, including seeing Sarah, who apparently has stayed on to keep the others in line.

5. Mutter Museum Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Full of preserved medical corpses, slides of the human body, and other medical oddities, along with other strange things like mummies that were created when their bodies 'waxed' like the soap lady. Creepy and educational.

4. Roosevelt Island New York. Home of the Roosevelt Island Small Pox hospital is considered a state monument. It's just a creepy, old place to visit. But we love creepy architecture, so it made the list.

3. The Witch Castles Portland Oregon.

Too Cool not to include a picture!

The home of a murderer, not a very bright one, it is just a neat place with a creepy feel to it. Not many places like this are left in the US. They are all worth seeing, especially when you might just see a ghost, like Anna Balch roaming the woods.

2. Court of Mysteries Santa Cruz California. Built only at night by a brick layer from Pennsylvania in the 1930's. Once called the “Gate of Prophesy” it held windows where the sun would stream in creating images on the floors and then were lit at night. Unfortunately, the windows are long gone. But it does still hold a mysterious triangular relief. Some visitors believe this is meant to align with the temple’s chimney just before a great catastrophe or even the apocalypse. The well house on the property is crypt-like. It once was surrounded by four minarets. But someone smashed those with a sledge in the 90's. There are tales that the house once held shells decorated with astrological symbols. Sadly now it is covered in graffiti. Hidden symbols, messages all meant for someone to decipher are on the outside and inside of the main building. They are also on the well building and main entrance. There are many such as triangles and morse-code styled dashes and dots. What's the meaning of it, no one knows for certain.

1. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park Rock West Virginia. Built on a Native American Burial Ground, the park only existed for 40 years from 1926 - 1966 when it was closed after two little girls died on a ride. They have Halloween tours. It was built on the site of the Clay Family Massacre, where a family was killed and then countless Native Americans died in retaliation. Seriously, how could you think this place would succeed? Burial Grounds are serious business!