It doesn’t matter where you’re from, the culture you live in or the religion you follow there’s something about the supernatural that gets everyone’s heart racing. Ghost stories can be found across all cultures and countries however not all of them are a lighthearted tale told around a campfire. We still don’t know what happens after someone dies. Does the soul exist and can it linger for decades or even centuries after someone passes away. Documented reports of the supernatural go back centuries in many places around the world. Is it all one big coincidence or does the supernatural actually exist?
There are lots of far fetched haunted house stories which can quickly be dismissed but some haunted houses can make even the most hardline non believer stop and reconsider. Listed here are 30 of the most haunted houses in the world. Many of the houses have histories involving horrific and traumatic deaths, either due to murder or the effects of long term imprisonment and experimentations within dungeons or mental institutions. It seems the more gruesome the persons passing the more restless the persons soul is in the afterlife. The haunted places described below have been well documented by paranormal researchers so they have more than just a “spooky” vibe. If you’re easily scared, this may not be the list for you. For those who like to live a little more on the wild side sit back and enjoy the list of the worlds most haunted houses.
The 30 Most Haunted Houses On Earth
Just being spooky looking is not enough to make this list. The haunted places have seen shocking deaths, gruesome murders mysterious or housed clinically insane people. Which of these places would you least want to spend the night?
1. Monte Cristo Homestead, New South Wales, Australia
When it comes to deaths this homestead just about has them all. There’s been two murders and a number of sudden accidental deaths. The house has very high paranormal activity with a number of apparitions been seen. The estate is considered the most haunted in Australia and is also one of the most haunted places on Earth.
2. Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa
For a number of years this Castle was frequented by an apparition of a woman running through the complex crying. Her identity was never known however during some excavations a woman’s body was found and the apparition has not been seen since. On top of that mystery the castle also has a man and quite an aggressive dog who are often seen walking the ramparts.
3. The Tower of London, London, England
This royal fortress dating back to 1078 has seen plenty of bloodshed and betrayal over its lifetime so it’s no surprise that it has high levels of paranormal activity. Some of the most famous ghosts here include King Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn (who he executed) and Lady Jane Gray a girl of just 15 who was crowned Queen of England before being executed 9 days later. There have also been reports of two young prices who were murdered by their uncle Richard III in 1483 (so he could become king).
4. The Ancient Ram Inn, Gloucestershire, England
Don’t let this quaint old pub fool you. Operating since the 12th century and having taken part in satanic sacrifices malevolent entities are a common occurrence here. The current owner of the inn remarks that the first night he spent at the inn he was violently pulled out of bed and dragged across the floor by an invisible specter. Head in for a drink but don’t stay the night is our recommendation.
5. Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada
An old and historic hotel like the Banff Springs is sure to have experienced some paranormal activities. The rare change about this hotel is that most of the apparitions are quite good natured. There’s a former bellman who attempts to help with your luggage, or a bride often seen dancing in the ballroom. For Batman fans out there, you may recognize the building, Arkham Asylum was designed with this hotel in mind.
6. Chateau de Brissac, Maine-et-Loire, France
Wearing a green dress and featuring the face of a rotting corpse the Lady in Green is one of the most terrifying apparitions on this list. I guess that what happens when you cross an 11th century chateaux with a brutal double murder.
7. Island of the Dolls, Xochimilco, Mexico
This spooky island should scare the pants off you. In the 50’s a man decided to give up on the hustle and bustle and moved to the island for some well-earned peace and quite. The problem was the island was already inhabited by the ghost of a girl who drowned swimming there decades before. In an attempt to appease the girl he bought hundreds of dolls and hung them from the trees for her to enjoy. The dolls did not seem to do the trick and the man sent a letter to his relative fearing she wanted him to be a ghost with her. The man was found dead several days later having drowned in the same section of water as the little girl. Both ghosts can now be seen wandering the island and whispering to the dolls as you pass nearby.
8. The Sallie House, Kansas, USA
This Kansas house is frequented by two apparitions. The first is a little girl who likes pulling pranks on guests. The other is the ghost of a woman who can be violent to men in the house. One owner moved himself and his family out of the house fearing that the ghost would take his life.
9. McMenamin’s White Eagle Saloon, Oregon, USA
This century old hotel in Oregon has had so many reports of the supernatural it needed a closer study. Many guests at the hotel report being unable to move or leave their beds in the morning as well as being shoved down the stairs or tripped while walking.
10. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
An old castle with a colorful (bloody) history it’s no surprise that Edinburgh Castle has made the list. Some commonly seen apparitions include a headless drummer boy, former servants and a man who perished in the castle tunnels. From beheaded kings to red weddings this castle that dates back to the Iron Age has seen it all.
11. Akershus Castle, Oslo, Norway
Originally built as a fortress, later used as a prison and then the site of a number of Nazi ordered executions it’s no wonder this castle is a hotbed for paranormal activity. If you decide to visit this castle pray that you don’t see a demonic dog (named Malcanisen) as most people who do die within a few months. Other well-known sightings include a robed woman who wanders the grounds.
12. Old Changi Hospital, Changi, Singapore
Originally used as a hospital this building was seized by the Japanese during WW2 and used by their secret police as a prison and torture facility. Now closed down and derelict the building is frequented by a number of apparitions including blood covered soldiers and unidentified men, women and children.
13. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland
The Close is a series of underground streets, tunnels and storage rooms between businesses and homes through historic Edinburgh. Built in the 16th and 17th century these streets and tunnels were abandoned after the plague swept through the city killing thousands. Many spirits of plague victims still remain through The Close. People who venture in often hear footsteps following them, disembodies voices and occasionally an apparition (often a little girl called Annie). Reports of hauntings in The Close date back to the 17th century.
14. Highgate Cemetery, London, England
The first cemetery on the list is Highgate in London, England. Built in 1839 and containing over 170’000 tombs this cemetery has numerous supernatural reports. One of the most famous sightings is that of the Highgate Vampire. Seen as a tall man in a long dark coat this figure has a terrifying gaze to match his ominous appearance. Other people reports seeing a crazed old woman, glowing eyes or the feeling you’re being watched.
15. Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland
Sir George Mackenzie was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in 1691. After his mausoleum was broken into and slept in by a homeless man extreme supernatural occurrences have taken place leading to the tale of the Mackenzie Poltergeist. Visitors to the graveyard have been known to leave with bruises, scratches and even a broken finger. A common tourist attraction for those seeking the paranormal over 200 people have blacked out from entering Mackenzie’s mausoleum.
16. The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
This imperial complex has been home to the Chinese royal family for centuries and like all royal dynasties there’s always backstories involving murder, assassinations and crimes of passion. A number of tourists, staff, and royal guards have reported seeing apparitions normally in the form of royal concubines (affairs) that were discovered and executed.
17. Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, Hong Kong
Built in the 19th century with changes made in the 21st century this building has a number of haunts. Originally operated as a nurse’s facility and later converted into a mental asylum some common sights for ghost hunters include a devil in Chinese clothing that bursts into flames and a number of headless specters that roam the halls at night.
18. Aokigahara, Mount Fuji, Japan
Aokigahara or the Sea of Trees as it’s also known is a particularly grim place to visit. For some unknown reason it is one of the most popular places for people in Japan to commit suicide (sometimes over 100 people per year). Those who enter the forest have encountered the spirits of the dead and Japanese folklore talks about it as a place of demons.
19. The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana,USA
A number of plantations throughout the United States have rough histories that may lead to the supernatural but the Myrtles Plantation’s history may be the worst of the lot. With rumors of a slave being lynched for poisoning the family as well as numerous deaths to occupants of the house through murder and disease it’s not surprise that paranormal activity is high here. Apparitions have repeatedly been seen here walking through the house and grounds.
20. Hell Fire Club (Montpelier Hill), County Dublin, Ireland
A ruined building on top of Montpelier Hill has also made the list of the most haunted houses in the world. This old hunting lodge has seen animal sacrifices, black masses and other satanic rituals. After being burnt down it stopped being used but apparitions of deceased members of the club can still be seen from time to time.
21. The Skirrid Inn, Llanfihangel Crucorney, Wales
Don’t let this small Welsh inn deceive you, it was the site of numerous public hangings over the centuries. Patrons in the bar have observed random objects being thrown across the room, extreme drops in temperature, the feeling of a noose being placed around their neck and occasionally apparitions can be seen. Duck in for a pint and see if anything supernatural shows itself to you.
22. Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica
The former owners of this Jamaican plantation practiced in voodoo rituals. A crazed wife who killed several husbands over the course of her life as well as killing a number of slaves she later blamed her actions on being possessed by the devil. The spirits of those she killed reportedly still haunt the house and grounds.
23. St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida, USA
Here’s a surprising one on the list. Built in 1874 and still operating today on the Florida coast this lighthouse is home to a number of apparitions. Some of the more common ones include two little girls who wander the lighthouse, a woman who is often heard crying and asking for help, and a lighthouse keep who is often seen patrolling the basement. It is not known who the small girls of the woman may be.
24. The Queen Mary Hotel, California, USA
The Queen Mary use to sail across the Atlantic but is now permanently moored in California where it operates as a hotel. It is considered by many to be the most haunted hotel in the world. There have been reports of a number of ghosts seen throughout the ship. Two women once drowned in the ships pool and their ghosts are often seen. Other apparitions are also seen in the bar and lounge areas wearing old style clothing. The room B340 has shown so much paranormal activity that the hotel no longer rents it out to guests due to the number of chilling stories that have been told about it.
25. Beechwood Lunatic Asylum, Victoria, Australia
When it was first opened in 1876 this insane asylum was host to a large number of patients. Some were admitted by family members, others found wandering the streets or were sent from the courts if someone was deemed criminally insane. Once you were entered into this asylum it was very hard to leave and many peoples lives ended while living in this facility. There are reports of several different apparitions being seen here from random ghosts patrolling the hallways to disembodied screams and heavy doors that open and slam shut on their own.
26. Aradale Mental Hospital, Victoria, Australia
Housing some of the British Empires worst mental cases this facility practiced in a number of inhumane experiments and treatments which we now know did nothing to help people suffering from psychiatric symptoms. Thousands of people died at this facility over the course of its 130 years of operation and a number of different apparitions have been seen. The feeling of being touched and sharp sensations of pain have been reported by a number of people visiting as well.
27. Bhangarh Fort, Bhangarh, India
Built by King Sawai Madho Singh in the early 1600’s this building served as a royal palace and fort for a nearby town of roughly 10’000 people. According to myth, a sorcerer fell madly in love with the King’s daughter and died while trying to win her heart. His death put a course on the town and condemned it to be destroyed. Soon after an invading army butchered the town and destroyed the fort. 400 years later and locals still refuse to live anywhere near the ruins. There have been so many reports of apparitions that the complex is completely closed at night to visitors.
28. Chateau de Chateaubriant, France
This castle like a number of others featured on the list has a past filled with murder and in this case war. In the early 16th century, the wife of the castles owner was found dead in her bed. Rumors ran through the town that she was murdered by her husband due to an affair she was having with Francis I who was King of France at the time. It is said that on October 16th every year a procession of ghosts walk through the chateaux and a bloodstain appears in her bedroom.
29. The Catacombs, Paris, France
The catacombs under Paris still hold the bones of thousands of people. They were never designed to house human remains but overcrowding in the 18th century and not enough room in cemeteries means that the tunnels under the city began to be utilized. The bones are often carefully laid out (not simply dumped into the tunnels) by people have seen apparitions of discontented spirits moving through the tunnels. Other people have reported being touched or shoved while moving through the bone filled tunnels.
30. Moosham Castle, Salzburg, Austria
Moosham Castle was the site of countless executions through the Middle Ages of women believed to practicing in Witchcraft. Many women have been reported haunting this castle in spirit form. Many of them are sad while others appear angry or are even headless. Screams and voices are also often hear through the castle and one spirit is particularly keen to chase visitors away from the castle.
What is the Most Haunted Place in the World?
It’s impossible to say which of these 30 is the most haunted building in the world. Each has their own claim and the worst for one person may be different for another. Are you more afraid of a poltergeist that has broken bones and caused hundreds of people to black out or a demonic dog that foretells the coming of your death? If you’ve ever been to any of these places and have experienced or have experienced a supernatural event we’d love to hear from you.
