5 Spooky Haunted Houses to Visit in the US

It’s a spooky season! If you’re in the US this autumn, you’re in luck. The US has a never-ending supply of haunted houses and bizarre attractions for ghost hunters, paranormal seekers, and the spiritually curious. Here are five creepy haunted houses to visit in the US this year.

The Maryland Inn – Annapolis, Maryland

The Maryland Inn – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

The Maryland Inn in Annapolis holds the distinction of being America’s longest continually operating hotel. Consequentially, it’s also one of the country’s most frightening haunted houses.

Over the years, it has served as a popular lodging choice for politicians, statesmen, and other famous figures. Annapolis served briefly as the capital of the US from 1783-1784. While many of their ghosts continue to return sporadically to meet up with old friends, the inn’s most well-known ghoulish resident is that of “The Bride.”

The Bride came to Annapolis with her fiancé, a certain Mr. Charles Campell, but he sailed off to sea searching for money. He instructed his bride to stay and wait for him at The Maryland Inn. After many months, Charles earned enough money to come back. After arriving in Annapolis, he headed to the inn by foot, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see his beloved.

Unfortunately, a horse-drawn carriage came speeding down the hill, crashing into Charles and crushing him under its weight just as he was approaching the hotel. Upon hearing the commotion, the bride came out to the balcony to see what was going on. When she realized that the love of her life had returned only to die, she threw herself from the balcony in her grief.

The Middleton Tavern – Annapolis, Maryland

The Middleton Tavern – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

With Annapolis’s long and rich history, it’s no surprise that it’s home to numerous haunted houses. Another grisly place in Annapolis worth visiting is the Middleton Tavern, established in 1750 by Horatio Middleton as a lodging for ferrygoers. Luminous figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington have passed through this tavern. Over the years, it has attracted quite a few ghosts and spirits as well.

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of faucets turning on by themselves and lamps flickering on and off. Guests report seeing glasses being tipped over and even thrown with force, in some cases, without any apparent reason. Alcohol has gone missing, and the cash register seems to open by itself.

The mystery of the Middleton Tavern has perplexed many for years—until the 1990s when a visiting Medium revealed that the phantom torturing the patrons belonged to Roland Johnstone. Roland frequented the tavern often in the 1700s. He was a misfit who reveled in being a nuisance to fellow customers, playing pranks, and picking fights.

Others have theorized that the ghost belongs to the former owner of the tavern, George Schmidt, who was shot and killed during a quarrel with another hotelier. He bled to death in his own tavern. Regardless of who the ghost belongs to, there’s no doubt that the place is unearthly.

Boston

Boston Common – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Boston Common is a seemingly tranquil park in the heart of Boston. This lush green park is a popular place for people to relax, walk their dogs, and get some fresh air. However, it has a sordid history, and at night, it becomes ridden with spirits.

Established in 1634, the park covers 50 acres, with more than enough hideout spots for the ethereal beings that call it home. The park was originally a grazing site for cows until the mayor banned grazing at the site in 1830. Despite its idyllic appearance, The Common, as it is often called, was the site of several executions.

In 1660, Quaker Mary Dyer was executed by hanging in the park for acts considered major crimes against Puritans. Other people who were hung here include pirates and others who were typically sentenced in kangaroo courts.

The park has seen some tough times, with the Charles Street side serving as a dumping site for a while until it was cleaned up. However, it was impossible to clear the spirits out of the park, and shadowy figures are still seen at night. The Old Granary Burial Ground was also once part of the park before it became a separate place, and the skeletons of those buried there join the apparitions of executed pirates and Quakers.

DC

The White House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Lafayette Park, just north of the White House, is a seven-acre park that is located within President’s Park. It is named after Gilbert Du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, a French Revolutionary War hero who led American troops into war, including in decisive battles such as the Siege of Yorktown.

On a cold winter morning in 1859, a US representative gunned down the son of Francis Scott Key (the author of The Star Spangled Banner) in cold blood in Lafayette Park. Philip Barton Key II was headed to the park for a clandestine meeting with the wife of the congressman, who was cheating on her husband as revenge for her husband’s own extramarital affairs.

The worst part is that the congressman, Daniel Sickles, claimed temporary insanity as a legal defense. In fact, this was the first case in the US in which temporary insanity was used successfully as a legal defense. The ghost of Philip Barton Key II still returns to the park, seeking the justice he never got in his lifetime.

Nashville

Ryman Auditorium – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

The Ryman Auditorium, also known as the Grand Ole Opry, is one of the most visited places in Nashville. It is popular for its live performances, particularly country music. However, paranormal hunters also flock to this auditorium due to reports of supernatural activity.

When the stage lights are turned off, and darkness falls on the auditorium, mysterious things start to happen. A shadowy figure is often seen in the balcony, in section 11, according to a WKRN special report. Some people think that he is the ghost of a Confederate Soldier who once came to the building for a Confederate Veterans reunion five years before the balcony was constructed, earning this ghost the nickname of the “Old Gray Soldier,” partly because he is always dressed in all gray.

There have also been reports of mysterious sounds coming from the auditorium at night when it is closed, and nobody is supposed to be there.

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