Spooky season is the perfect time of year to visit one of these supposedly haunted destinations around the US.
1) Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia
Featured in the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the Savannah cemetery has a Southern Gothic atmosphere with Spanish moss and Victorian monuments. Though many notable figures are buried here, including singer Johnny Mercer and poet Conrad Aiken, the site is said to be haunted by the ghost of Gracie Watson. Six years old at the time of her passing, many travelers have reported seeing the ghost of Gracie near her grave which is marked by a life-sized marble statue. Other spooky accounts have reported hearing inexplicable sounds like crying babies, barking dogs, and statues suddenly smiling as they were approached.
2) Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
The site of the Crescent Hotel has served many functions throughout the years since its construction in 1886, including a conservatory for young women, a junior college, and a luxury resort. In 1937, however, a millionaire inventor named Norman G. Baker purchased the property, turned the building into a hospital, and posed as a doctor despite having no medical training. He was eventually exposed and run out of town, though reports say that his spirit still haunts the site along with other ghostly specters. Crescent Hotel is allegedly haunted by eight ghosts, ranging from a five-year-old girl to a bearded Victorian man.
3) Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina
Among the oldest theaters in America, the building possesses a unique history. The original theater was burned down in a fire and the Planters Inn was erected in its place until it was converted back to a theater in the 1930s. The building is said to be haunted by a few ghosts, among them being Nettie Dickerson who, according to legend, was struck by lightning while standing on the balcony of the hotel. Travelers have reported sitting her shadow gliding along the second floor of the theater dressed in a red gown. The site is also allegedly haunted by Junius Brutus Booth, 19th-century actor and father of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, who used to stay at the inn.
4) The Driskill, Austin, Texas
This Romanesque hotel with modern rooms and a brick facade has been drawing in travelers since 1886. And, according to some, it’s also a hot spot for ghosts with travelers reporting hearing abnormal sounds throughout the corridors. There have also allegedly been phantom sightings of the hotel’s namesake, Jesse Driskill, whose portrait hangs in the lobby of the building. According to legend, Driskill never recovered from the heartbreak of losing his hotel in a high-stakes poker game and his spirit still haunts the building.
5) House of the Seven Gables, Salem, Massachusetts
Aside from being the site of the famous witch trials, Salem is also the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne. The author used this 17th-century house as inspiration for his famous 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables. In addition to the building’s spooky facade, the house is also reportedly surrounded by paranormal activity and ghost sitings according to personal experiences of the guests and staff.
6) The Mark Twain House, Hartford, Connecticut
Author Mark Twain lived in this Hartford House from 1874 to 1891. During this time, he wrote both The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The landmark currently serves as a museum that showcases the author’s life and work. And, according to some visitors, it’s also the site of some paranormal activity. Travelers have reported hearing odd noises and spotting a woman in white. The billiard room, where Twain used to sit and smoke cigars, is considered the most haunted spot in the house where some guests have allegedly smelled smoke wafting through the air.
