The Spookiest Cities In The U.S. Including Haunted Salem, Massachusetts

America has a dark side filled with ghost stories, haunted houses, and mysterious legends that send shivers down your spine. From colonial towns where witches were once tried to battlefields where soldiers still roam, certain cities across the United States have earned reputations as truly spooky destinations.

Whether you love ghost tours, creepy history, or just want to experience something thrilling, these haunted cities offer unforgettable adventures that will make your hair stand on end.

1. Salem, Massachusetts

When people think of haunted American cities, Salem immediately comes to mind. This coastal Massachusetts town became infamous in 1692 when mass hysteria led to the wrongful execution of twenty people accused of witchcraft.

Today, Salem embraces its dark past with numerous museums, monuments, and walking tours dedicated to the witch trials. The Witch House, home of Judge Jonathan Corwin who examined many of the accused, still stands as a chilling reminder of those tragic events.

Visitors flock here every October when the entire city transforms into a Halloween wonderland with parades, haunted houses, and special events. The Salem Witch Museum offers educational exhibits explaining how fear and superstition can destroy communities.

Ghost tours wind through candlelit streets after dark, stopping at reportedly haunted locations like the Old Burying Point Cemetery. Whether you believe in ghosts or just appreciate spooky history, Salem delivers an authentically eerie experience that educates while it entertains.

2. Savannah, Georgia

Savannah ranks among America’s most haunted cities, and one visit to this beautiful Southern town explains why. Founded in 1733, Savannah has survived wars, yellow fever epidemics, and devastating fires that claimed countless lives.

The city built itself literally on top of its dead, with many historic squares constructed over old burial grounds. Bonaventure Cemetery has become famous for its haunting beauty, featuring elaborate Victorian monuments draped in Spanish moss.

Ghost tours here are wildly popular, taking visitors past Colonial Park Cemetery where vandals once rearranged headstones, creating confusion about who actually rests where. The Sorrel-Weed House offers paranormal investigations where guests can use ghost-hunting equipment in one of Savannah’s most actively haunted locations.

Many visitors report strange encounters in the historic district, from phantom footsteps to apparitions in period clothing. The combination of tragic history, atmospheric architecture, and Southern Gothic charm makes Savannah irresistibly spooky for paranormal enthusiasts.

3. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans pulses with supernatural energy unlike anywhere else in America. This culturally rich city blends French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences, creating a unique atmosphere where voodoo traditions mix with Catholic mysticism.

The French Quarter contains some of the most haunted buildings in the nation, including the LaLaurie Mansion where horrific cruelty occurred in the 1830s. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 features above-ground tombs that look like miniature cities, including the supposed resting place of voodoo queen Marie Laveau.

Ghost tours operate nightly, sharing tales of vampires, voodoo curses, and restless spirits wandering the narrow streets. Jackson Square attracts fortune tellers and tarot card readers who continue centuries-old mystical traditions.

The city’s tragic history includes yellow fever outbreaks, fires, and devastating floods that add layers to its haunted reputation. Between the mysterious cemeteries, haunted hotels, and voodoo shops, New Orleans offers supernatural experiences around every corner.

4. St. Augustine, Florida

As the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States, St. Augustine has accumulated over 450 years of ghostly tales. Spanish explorers founded this coastal city in 1565, and centuries of conflict have left their mark.

The Castillo de San Marcos, a massive stone fortress, reportedly hosts several ghosts including Spanish soldiers still guarding their posts. The St. Augustine Lighthouse stands 165 feet tall, and many visitors report seeing the spirits of two young girls who tragically died there in 1873.

Downtown’s cobblestone streets wind past ancient buildings where ghost tours reveal stories of pirates, prisoners, and plague victims. The Old Jail operated from 1891 to 1953 and now offers spooky tours through cells where dangerous criminals once lived in harsh conditions.

St. Augustine’s combination of Spanish colonial architecture, military history, and seaside atmosphere creates a uniquely haunting environment that attracts paranormal investigators from around the world.

5. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg witnessed one of the bloodiest battles in American history when over 50,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing during three days in July 1863. That terrible violence left an imprint that many believe still haunts these Pennsylvania fields.

The Gettysburg National Military Park preserves the battlefield where visitors can explore monuments, cannons, and the spots where desperate fighting occurred. Many tourists and park rangers report seeing ghostly soldiers, hearing phantom gunfire, and smelling gunpowder where no weapons have fired in over 150 years.

Devil’s Den, a rocky area where Confederate sharpshooters hid, is considered especially active with paranormal phenomena. The Jennie Wade House tells the story of the only civilian killed during the battle, and visitors often report cold spots and strange feelings.

Ghost tours operate year-round, combining historical education with spine-tingling tales of supernatural encounters that continue to this day across these hallowed grounds.

6. San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio blends Spanish colonial history with Wild West legends, creating a uniquely Texan haunted atmosphere. The Alamo stands as the city’s most famous landmark, where 189 defenders died during a 13-day siege in 1836.

Many visitors and guards report seeing ghostly figures near the Alamo, particularly around the Long Barrack and the old church building. The Spanish Governor’s Palace, built in 1722, offers tours through rooms where colonial officials once ruled and where strange occurrences still happen today.

San Antonio’s River Walk winds through the heart of downtown, passing hotels and restaurants with their own ghost stories. The Menger Hotel, opened in 1859, has hosted famous guests and reportedly several ghosts who never checked out.

The San Fernando Cathedral, founded in 1731, contains the remains of Alamo defenders and features beautiful architecture alongside tales of supernatural sightings. Ghost tours here combine Texas history with spine-chilling stories that bring the past frighteningly close to the present.

7. Portland, Oregon

Portland hides a dark secret beneath its quirky, modern streets. An extensive network of underground tunnels once connected basements throughout downtown, and these passages have a sinister history tied to shanghaiing.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, unsuspecting men were kidnapped through trapdoors in saloons, dragged through the tunnels, and forced onto ships as unpaid crew members. The Shanghai Tunnels tour takes brave visitors underground to explore these creepy passages where desperate captives once awaited their fates.

Above ground, the White Eagle Saloon operates as one of Portland’s most haunted buildings, with reports of ghostly apparitions and unexplained sounds. The city’s historic Lone Fir Cemetery contains over 25,000 graves, including an area called the Chinese Reconciliation Garden honoring early Chinese immigrants.

Portland combines its progressive present with a surprisingly spooky past, offering ghost tours and paranormal investigations that reveal a much darker side to this Pacific Northwest city than most visitors expect to find.

8. Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston charms visitors with its Southern hospitality and stunning architecture, but this coastal city harbors numerous ghost stories accumulated over more than 300 years. Founded in 1670, Charleston survived wars, pirates, earthquakes, and hurricanes that claimed many lives.

The Old City Jail operated from 1802 to 1939, housing pirates, Civil War prisoners, and notorious criminals in harsh conditions. Tours through this crumbling building reveal execution sites and cells where prisoners died from disease and violence.

The Battery features beautiful mansions overlooking Charleston Harbor, and many of these elegant homes reportedly host ghosts from centuries past. St. Philip’s Church graveyard contains the remains of notable Charlestonians, and visitors often report seeing shadowy figures moving among the old headstones.

Ghost tours wind through the historic district’s gas-lit streets, sharing tales of dueling grounds, haunted theaters, and residences where tragedy struck. Charleston’s combination of beauty and darkness creates an atmosphere where the past feels remarkably present and occasionally visible.

9. Sleepy Hollow, New York

Washington Irving made this Hudson Valley village famous with his 1820 tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. While the story is fiction, the real Sleepy Hollow embraces its spooky reputation with enthusiasm.

The Old Dutch Church and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery provide the perfect Gothic atmosphere, with Irving himself buried there alongside other notable figures. During October, the village hosts special events including the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze featuring thousands of carved pumpkins arranged in spectacular displays.

The Horseman’s Hollow haunted attraction transforms Philipsburg Manor into a terrifying experience each Halloween season. Visitors can also take ghost tours that explore the real legends and folklore that inspired Irving’s famous story.

The village’s rolling hills, ancient trees, and colonial-era buildings create an authentically eerie atmosphere even without the fictional Headless Horseman. History and legend blend seamlessly here, making Sleepy Hollow a must-visit destination for anyone who loves ghost stories and American literature brought frighteningly to life.

10. Bisbee, Arizona

Tucked into the Mule Mountains of southern Arizona, Bisbee thrived as a copper mining town from the 1880s through the 1970s. Mining is dangerous work, and many men died in accidents deep underground, leaving behind stories that still circulate today.

The Copper Queen Hotel, opened in 1902, remains Bisbee’s most famous haunted location. Guests report encounters with several ghosts, including a woman in a long black dress who wanders the hallways and a playful boy who moves objects in certain rooms.

The Old Bisbee Brewing Company occupies a building where a violent argument once ended in tragedy, and staff members report strange occurrences regularly. Underground mine tours take visitors into the actual tunnels where miners worked in darkness and danger, often sharing stories of accidents and mysterious happenings.

Bisbee’s Victorian architecture, mountain setting, and mining heritage create a unique atmosphere. This quirky artistic community welcomes visitors interested in both its colorful past and its reportedly active present-day paranormal phenomena.

11. Key West, Florida

Key West may be known for beaches and sunshine, but this tropical island has a surprisingly dark side. As Florida’s southernmost city, Key West attracted pirates, wreckers, and adventurers throughout its colorful history.

Fort Zachary Taylor, built in the 1840s, served as a military installation through the Spanish-American War and reportedly hosts several ghosts. The Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters Museum shares stories of shipwrecks and the dangerous work of keeping ships safe along the treacherous reef.

The island’s old cemeteries contain above-ground tombs similar to New Orleans, with humorous epitaphs alongside tragic stories of yellow fever victims and drowning victims. Robert the Doll resides at the Fort East Martello Museum and has become famous as one of America’s most haunted objects.

Ghost tours explore the narrow streets of Old Town, stopping at haunted hotels, theaters, and historic homes where paranormal activity continues. Key West proves that even paradise can have plenty of ghosts lurking in the shadows.

12. Alton, Illinois

This Mississippi River town might not be as famous as other haunted cities, but Alton has earned recognition as one of America’s most haunted small towns. Its dark history includes a brutal Civil War prison, deadly epidemics, and numerous tragic accidents.

The Confederate Cemetery contains the graves of over 1,300 soldiers who died at the Alton Prison, where conditions were notoriously harsh. McPike Mansion, built in 1869, stands abandoned and reportedly extremely haunted, with paranormal investigators documenting strange phenomena throughout the decaying rooms.

The First Unitarian Church occupies the site of the former Alton Prison, and visitors often report feeling overwhelmed by sadness and sensing unseen presences. The Mineral Springs Hotel operated as a spa and later a bottling plant, and now offers ghost tours through its reportedly haunted underground passages.

Alton embraces its haunted reputation with multiple ghost tour companies operating year-round. For such a small city, Alton packs an impressive number of haunted locations and spine-tingling stories into its historic riverfront setting.