The most haunted spot in every state

The Sloss Furnaces are now a historic national landmark, but in the late 19th century they produced iron, which was then turned into steel. James "Slag" Wormwood was the boss at the furnaces, and it's said that he put his employees through some pretty inhumane conditions.

Labor laws didn't exist at the time, and temperatures in the furnaces often reached above 100 degrees. A total of 47 men died with Wormwood as their boss, and even Wormwood himself lost his life in the furnaces when he slipped and fell into the iron ore, causing his body to melt.

Wormwood and his workers are believed to haunt the furnaces to this day.

If that's not spooky enough, every fall — except for this year — the site hosts the Sloss Fright Furnace, a haunted house attraction with ghost tours.

Kennecott is a remote Alaskan town that's been completely abandoned since 1950. The town was a hub for copper mining from 1911 to 1938, but after the area's copper supply was diminished, Kennecott's population dwindled.

Today, many rickety wooden buildings still stand in Kennecott, and many people believe that they are haunted by former miners and railroad workers.

The Lost Dutchman gold mine is believed to be situated in a state park in Apache Junction, Arizona, although its exact location is unclear. The park is said to be haunted by the spirits of people who died over the years searching for the mine.

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, prides itself on its status as a haunted hotel. Guests can participate in ghost tours and potentially catch a glimpse of several ghosts who reportedly frequent the property, including one who's known as "the girl in the mist."

Bodie, California, is a ghost town turned state park that offers a taste of life during the gold rush of the late 1800s.

Many homes and other buildings are still standing in the town today. Some people believe that the town is haunted by former residents.

St. Elmo, Colorado, was a thriving mining town in the late 1800s, though it was abandoned as soon as the mines in the area shut down.

The ghost town has been well maintained, so visitors can get a sense of life in the late 19th century. They might even catch a glimpse of ghosts of former residents.

There's a particularly popular ghost story of Annabelle Stark, a woman from St. Elmo who continued to live there even after the town was entirely abandoned.

The Old Newgate Prison was the first prison in the state of Connecticut, operating from 1773 to 1827. Most notably, it used to hold prisoners of war during the Revolutionary War.

Many people believe that the site is haunted by soldiers and prisoners who died while trying to escape from the prison.

Fort Delaware is located on its own island, which is only accessible by ferry. It was built as a Union fortress during the Civil War and was later used as a prison for Confederate soldiers. Many prisoners died while held captive, and their ghosts are believed to haunt the property today.

The Old St. Johns County Jail no longer houses inmates, although the spirits of many of St. Augustine's violent criminals reportedly still haunt the historic jail.

The jail is now a museum, and visitors can go on nighttime "Ghost and Gravestones" tours to try to spot the ghosts for themselves.

Aside from being a beautiful Southern city with tons of history, Savannah, Georgia, is also known to be haunted.

The Lucas Theatre is just one of the city's haunted locales. Visitors to the historic theater have reported ghost sightings, including shadowy figures and sounds of applause even when there's no one around.

The 'Iolani Palace was once home to Hawaii's royalty, although today it serves as a museum of Hawaiian history. It is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Queen Lili'uokalani and other Hawaiian royals are believed to haunt the palace. One room in the museum is notorious for supernatural activity — visitors have reported hearing mysterious music and chanting.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary housed some of the area's most dangerous criminals for over 100 years until it closed in 1973.

Visitors can now explore the expansive property in Boise, including jail cells that are reportedly haunted by former inmates.

The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, almost has too many ghost stories to count. The hotel was built for the World's Fair in 1893, and there have been tales of paranormal activity ever since.

For example, the serial killer H.H. Holmes is said to have lured his victims to the hotel. Hotel guests have also reported seeing the ghosts of Al Capone and President Theodore Roosevelt around the property.

And if all that isn't spooky enough, the hotel is reportedly the inspiration behind Stephen King's short story, "1408."

The Indiana Medical History Museum is located in the oldest surviving pathology building in the country. It is also reportedly haunted by the spirits of former patients of Central State Hospital.

The museum, located in Indianapolis, is home to recreations of amphitheaters and laboratories that were once used by the hospital, which treated a variety of different mental health-related illnesses from 1848 until the late 1990s.

June 9, 1912, was a tragic day for the Moore family. Six of its members plus two houseguests were brutally killed by an ax murderer who was never identified. Their restless spirits are said to still haunt the grounds to this day.

Guests can visit the house during the daytime, but to experience it in its full creepiness, you can make a reservation to spend the night.

A haunted cemetery? No surprise there, however, Stull Cemetery in Kansas is known to be particularly spooky.

The cemetery is located in a tiny, nearly abandoned town outside of Lawrence. It has allegedly been the site of witchcraft and other supernatural activity over the years. There's even a local legend that claims that one of the seven gateways to hell is located in the cemetery.

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium started off as a one-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospital later purchased the land and built the sanatorium, which opened in 1910 as a small quarantine for tuberculosis patients. The large building that now sits abandoned was built in 1926 in response to the need for a larger facility; the sanatorium could house over 400 patients.

Waverly Hills was its own community complete with a zip code, post office, and water treatment facility. Everyone in the sanatorium — patients, nurses, doctors — were cut off from the outside world. It closed in 1961 after an antibiotic that cured tuberculosis was discovered.

However, it's believed that some patients never left and still haunt the grounds. Visitors can participate in ghost tours and visit haunted houses during the fall season on the hospital grounds.

One of the most notable people buried at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana, is Marie Laveau, a voodoo priestess. She died in 1881.

Given her unique profession, many people believe Laveau's spirit remains present in the cemetery to this day.

Actor Nicholas Cage has reportedly bought a burial tomb in the cemetery, so there's no telling about the cemetery's haunted future.

The Wood Island Lighthouse is one of the many beautiful lighthouses on Maine's coastline. It differs, however, in that it's said to be haunted.

In fact, the television show "Ghost Hunters" visited the lighthouse in 2006 to investigate paranormal activity in the area.

Many people visit the Antietam National Battlefield in Washington County, Maryland, to learn about the history of the Civil War. Others visit to explore the supernatural activity at the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

Given the site's history, it's understandable why many people believe the battlefield is full of spirits. The area is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the soldiers who were killed there in 1862.

The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts, is a historic estate that was once home to the writer Edith Wharton. Aside from being a beautifully restored architectural masterpiece, the estate also has a haunted history.

When she was alive, Wharton herself often wrote about ghosts, so it's no surprise that her former home may be haunted. Visitors can see for themselves on one of the ghost tours that the estate sponsors, both online and hopefully in person later this season.

Cold spots, doors slamming, odd shadows ... the Detroit Masonic Temple has it all. And it's not surprising, given that the massive building has over 12 million square feet and hundreds of rooms.

One ghost, in particular, that is said to haunt the giant building is that of George D. Mason, one of its architects.

The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, is the oldest operating theater in the city, despite being temporarily closed right now, and its long history carries some ghost stories with it.

The theater is perhaps best known for its production of Garrison Keillor's variety show "A Prairie Home Companion" beginning in 1974. Over the years, visitors to the theater have reported sightings of a ghost named Ben who apparently used to work on the site as a stagehand.

King's Tavern in Natchez, Mississippi, has many stories to go along with its hundreds of years of history (it's the oldest standing building in the area, according to its website), including some that involve ghosts.

The ghost of the mistress of the tavern's first owner — who is said to have been murdered there — reportedly haunts the restaurant.

The Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City, Missouri, is one of the state's most beautiful historic buildings, dating all the way back to 1871.

In 1882, the governor's family experienced a tragedy when their 9-year-old daughter, Carrie, died from diphtheria. Years later, a construction worker who was renovating the mansion reported seeing a young girl playing in the attic. Some people believe that he saw the ghost of Carrie, who still remains in the home.

Now a popular wedding and event venue, the Daly Mansion has a haunted history.

Over the years, the staff at the estate have reported occurrences of paranormal activity, including a gold picture frame that is frequently found removed from the wall and placed on the ground.

The oldest gravestone in Ball Cemetery is reported to be dated 1869, making this historic cemetery one of the oldest in the state. Multiple spirits have been sighted here, including a tall, angry man who has been spotted kicking over gravestones and a woman named Mary Mumford who has been said to tug at visitors' clothes.

The Bowers Mansion is a stately home in Washoe City, Nevada, with a slightly spooky history. The home once belonged to local millionaires Eilley and Sandy Bowers, and, as legend has it, after Sandy died his wife held seances to try to conjure his spirit.

It's unclear if she was ever able to get through to her husband, although visitors report seeing mysterious figures around the property to this day.

This historic government building in Alton, New Hampshire, is not only a beautiful landmark, it is also the site of reported paranormal activity.

Locals have reported seeing furniture that moves, doors that open and close on their own, and hearing mysterious voices.

There's not one single landmark in Pine Barrens, New Jersey, that hosts spirits and mysterious creatures — the forest spans seven counties and contains ghost towns galore.

During the colonial era, the area was bustling with sawmills, paper mills, and towns to accompany them, but they were all abandoned when coal was discovered in Pennsylvania.

It's also said to be home to the infamous Jersey Devil, a beast that the Pinelands Preservation Alliance describes as "a kangaroo-like creature with the face of a horse, the head of a dog, bat-like wings, horns and a tail."

According to folklore, it was the 13th child of a woman named Deborah Leeds, who offered it to the devil while pregnant with it in 1735. Upon its birth, the newborn sprouted talons, hooves, and wings, and killed its mother, siblings, and the midwife before disappearing. Sightings persist today, as it continues to terrorize livestock (and humans).

The Luna Mansion is a beautiful estate turned restaurant near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Diners, however, might get a little more than they bargained for when they sit down for their meal once the mansion reopens after the pandemic.

Visitors have reported seeing ghosts from the estate's past, including a woman by the name of Josefita.

Letchworth Village is a former mental institution that has fallen into a state of complete disrepair.

Located in Thiells, New York, the campus sits on 2,000 acres and includes various medical buildings, dormitories, and a synagogue. Like many hospitals and institutions, Letchworth Village is allegedly haunted by the spirits of former patients.

The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is an iconic fixture on the North Carolina coastline said to be haunted by a woman named Theodosia Burr. Burr, the daughter of Founding Father Aaron Burr, was killed as a result of a shipwreck in 1812. She is believed to haunt the lighthouse and the surrounding shore to this day.

Fort Abraham Lincoln's history dates all the way back to 1872. George Armstrong Custer, a lieutenant colonel for the Union Army during the Civil War, built the fort but died just four years after construction was complete.

People who visit the fort today often report seeing the ghost of Custer and his wife on the property.

Now overgrown and covered in graffiti, the Moonville Tunnel is a favorite spot among urban explorers and ghost hunters in Ohio.

The tunnel was once used by the local railroad, although it has been in disrepair for years. According to local legend, some of the ghosts that haunt the tunnel include an old engineer and railway brakeman.

The unique architecture of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel is striking, especially considering that the hotel dates back to 1911. The hotel reportedly even offered a private room where guests could drink alcohol during Prohibition, according to Historic Hotels of America.

Opposing NBA teams often stay at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel when they visit the city to play the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over the years, many players have reported ghost sightings, specifically of a woman named Effie who died at the hotel.

The Shanghai Tunnels in Portland get their name from the practice that became known as "Shanghaiing" — kidnapping and selling men as workers on ships headed to East Asia.

Restless, agitated spirits of men who were drugged and trafficked in the city's ports during the early 19th century are said to haunt the underground tunnels through which they were reportedly sold. Legend has it that the local saloons contained entrances to the tunnels, enabling swindlers to prey on unsuspecting patrons and bring them directly underground before they even knew what was going on.

Visitors can usually take walking tours to learn more about the dark history of the tunnels, but tours have been temporarily halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During its heyday, Eastern State Penitentiary was one of the most expensive and well-known prisons in the world. It was built in 1829 and housed big-name criminals like Al Capone and bank robber "Slick Willie."

Up until overcrowding became a problem in 1913, prisoners were kept in complete solitude at all times. Even when prisoners left their cell, a guard would cover their head so they couldn't see and no one could see them.

Today, the decaying penitentiary offers ghost tours and a museum. Shadowy figures, laughter, and footsteps have all been reported as paranormal activity within the prison walls.

The Breakers Mansion is a popular museum for tourists in Newport, Rhode Island, but is said to have paranormal activity.

Alice Vanderbilt, the matriarch of the wealthy Vanderbilt family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lived in the mansion for many years after her husband Cornelius died. Her ghost is said to still roam the giant home.

Besides bearing the distinction of South Carolina's oldest bridge, Poinsett is also believed by many to be a particularly spooky spot. The bridge, which was built completely out of stone in 1820, is rumored to be home to multiple ghosts.

There's the story of the mason who died while building the bridge; his body is allegedly entombed inside of it. There's also the story of a man who died here in a car accident in the '50s and a slave who was lynched near the bridge.

The Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota, is reportedly haunted by its original owner, Seth Bullock. According to the hotel's website, many guests feel a ghostly presence in the hallways on the second and third floors of the hotel.

The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis has survived bankruptcies, a fire, and a threat of demolition since it opened in 1928. Furnished with 2,000-pound chandeliers and gold leafing, its stunning interior seats 2,000 people, but also leaves plenty of room for spirits.

A little girl named Mary is one of six ghosts that have been spotted in the theater, according to Haunted Houses. Performers onstage have spotted her in the audience of their shows, and theatergoers have seen her dancing in the lobby.

The Alamo is one of the most iconic monuments in the US. Since it has such an extensive history, it's understandable why many people think the site is haunted.

History buffs interested in paranormal activity can go on ghost tours of the site in hopes of catching a glimpse of the spirits of those who died there during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo.

The Fort Douglas Military Museum, which is now temporarily closed, used to simply be called Fort Douglas. Located near the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, the military fort dates back to 1862.

Visitors to the museum today have reported sightings of a ghost named Clem, a soldier who died at the fort. Reports of paranormal activity include seeing a figure in Civil War military garb and people feeling something — or someone — breathing down their necks.

New England is known for its beautiful covered bridges.

However, Emily's Bridge in Stowe, Vermont, is said to be haunted. Local legend has it that a young woman named Emily killed herself on the bridge and that her spirit has haunted the area ever since.

This cemetery is named after Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate general who is buried on the site. Located in Lexington, Virginia, the cemetery is said to be haunted by Jackson and other soldiers from the Civil War.

Located in northern Washington, this defunct hospital was once an entirely self-sustained asylum.

The Northern State Mental Hospital operated from 1912 to 1976, and although it has been closed for many years, many buildings on the property still stand today. It's said that thousands of patients may have died here, and a graveyard behind the old gymnasium has many unmarked graves.

Some of the hospital's expansive property now operates as a recreational area, although it's allegedly haunted by former patients.

Originally built as a place of healing, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum welcomed its first patients in 1864. The building, which is the largest hand-cut stone masonry building in North America, was built to house 250 people. At its peak in 1950, the asylum was home to 2,400 patients, many of whom endured lobotomies and electroshock therapy.

Mental health reforms and the building's poor condition caused the asylum to close in 1994. However, many patients died during the facility's 130 functioning years. Some are believed to haunt the building's halls, which is why the asylum attracts visitors and ghost hunters.

Visitors interested in scoping out paranormal activity can participate in ghost tours on the site.

The Pfister Hotel is popular among professional athletes who visit Milwaukee for games, although the hotel's haunted history has made many guests skeptical about staying there.

Guests have reported hearing mysterious knocking sounds and voices. Adrián Beltré of the Los Angeles Dodgers, for example, reported that he couldn't sleep during his stay at the Pfister because of all the strange noises.

A stay at the Historic Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, Wyoming, is like taking a step back in time to the Old West. Famous figures from the era, like Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and even President Theodore Roosevelt, have visited the hotel over the years.

Since the hotel has such a historic past, it's no surprise that some people believe that it is haunted by former guests.

• Read more:
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• The most haunted hotel in every state
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• The history behind 40 of the most haunted places in America