13 Haunted Historical Sites Around the Globe
One of the main reasons that people travel is to learn about the history of the place they are visiting. You can travel to Germany or Poland and learn about the atrocities of World War 2, or maybe you want to see the burial site of millions of Parisians in the catacombs of Paris.
No matter where you travel, there’s so much you can learn, but did you know that some of the most famous landmarks in the world are haunted?
That’s right, there have been ghost sightings around the globe in some of the most famous places that you’ve most likely visited or will soon want to visit (or not, depending on how scared of ghosts you are).
So if you like history and also want a creepy ghost story to go along with it, then you love these 13 most hunted historical sites around the globe.
1. Catacombs, France
When it comes to haunted places, this one is a winner. With over 6 million people buried in the Paris Catacombs and hundreds of miles of underground caves and tunnels, how could this place not be haunted?
The Catacombs first started in 1786 when they ran out of space in the cemeteries, and the smell of rotting flesh permeated the streets of Paris. They started bringing the bodies down into the abandoned water quarries just outside of Paris (which are now within the Paris city limits) and stacking them there for about 120 years.
One of the most terrifying movies I’ve ever seen is “As Above, So Below,” which takes place in the actual Paris Catacombs. It’s the only movie filmed in the catacombs and is everything you would expect from a movie set in this horrific place.
There are lots of videos you can find online of ghost encounters in the Paris Catacombs, one of the most famous beings “Lost in the Paris Catacombs”. It’s real footage of a man who gets lost when wandering the unmarked secret tunnels of the catacombs.
The footage ends with him dropping his camera and running down a tunnel, almost as if he were being chased by something…
2. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
This massive castle towers above Edinburgh is the most haunted castle in Scotland. Unlike the catacombs, this location has specific ghosts that multiple people have seen and encountered. Some of these include a Headless Drummer Body and The Grey Lady.
The Headless Drummer’s identity is unknown, but it’s believed that if the drummer is seen or heard, it means that the castle will soon be attacked.
The last time he was seen was in 1650, and a few months after this sighting, the castle was attacked. If you listen closely, you can hear the beat of the drum during the night. I hope you don’t see the ghost or are in trouble!
The Grey Lady is considered Janet Douglas or the Lady Of Glamis. In 1537, she was burned at the stake on Castle Hill after she was falsely accused of being a witch. Her ghost is seen wandering the castle halls at night, seeking revenge on the servants who wrongly accused her.
3. The Stanley Hotel, USA
Ever wonder where the movie The Shining took place? It was here, at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, and man is this place creepy. It’s been open since 1909 and is located in one of the most beautiful spots in Colorado.
However, by the 1970s, the hotel was run down and outdated and would soon be demolished.
That was until the famous author Steven King came and stayed in room 217 and had a horrible nightmare that became the storyline for one of his most famous books “The Shining”.
The story is based on the hotel and was later filmed there. Many people don’t know that Steven’s dream in room 217 may have been caused by something more sinister.
In the year 1911, just two years after the hotel opened, a huge explosion happened in room 217 that killed one woman who’s said to haunt the room to this day.
4. Isla de las Munecas, Mexico
Fans of Chuckie and other doll-related horror films will love this location. Isla de las Munecas is an island near Mexico’s capital city, Mexico City. Legend has it that the island’s owner came across a girl lying face down in the water surrounding the island.
It’s unsure if she was already dead or if the owner of the island was unable to save her, but either way, a few days later, he found her doll in the water and hung it up in remembrance of the little girl who lost her life. More and more dolls continued appearing in the water, and he continued to hang them around the island to honor the girl and hopefully ward off evil spirits.
After the owner of the island passed away, the island became a tourist attraction, and it’s said that if you pay close attention, you can see the dolls’ heads moving, eyes opening, arms opening and closing, you get it, creepy stuff. The dolls are also said to whisper to each other; you can hear them if you listen.
5. The Forbidden City, China
This is one of the most haunted places in China, and for a good reason. This city was the center of the Imperial City of Beijing for hundreds of years. It was responsible for assassinations, the massacre of thousands, and a lot of other dark things.
Many visitors to the city have said that even during the light of day, they have overwhelmingly sad and anxious feelings that they didn’t experience before entering.
Then, at night, the ghosts come out. Some of the recurring sightings that have happened here are a woman running from a guard, piles of bodies on the ground, and, most terrifying of all, pools and orbs of blood either on the ground or hovering in the air. Terrifying.
6. Poveglia Island, Italy
This island off the coast of Venice, Italy, was used for quarantining boats that came in with people who had the plague. It’s estimated that over 100,000 who were quarantined here ended up losing their lives. Legend has it that 50% of the soil on the island is the ash of human remains.
Then, the island was used as a mental hospital where the head doctor would perform human experiments on his patients. The doctor eventually took his life by jumping off the lighthouse on the island because “the ghosts of his patients wouldn’t leave him alone.”
People say that this is the most haunted island on earth. You can tour it for yourself and see if you feel anything sinister.
7. Castle of Good Hope, South Africa
This castle was built in 1679 by slaves, soldiers, and sailors and is the oldest in South Africa. In the castle, there’s a windowless dungeon where workers have said that they can hear voices and footsteps coming from inside that echo throughout the castle at night.
It’s also said that the bell sometimes rings independently, which should be impossible because it was sealed with bricks centuries ago. Legend has it that the ringing is from one soldier who hung themselves from the bell many centuries ago.
8. Larnach Castle, New Zealand
This place is known as New Zealand’s only castle and was built in the late 1800s by William Larnach. After the castle was completed, tragedy after tragedy struck his family. First, his daughter died of illness in her 20s.
Then his wife died at age 38. He then married his wife’s half-sister, but she also died at age 38. His third wife was much younger than him and was accused by many of having cheated on William with his own son. So, in 1898, he decided to take his own life.
After his death, the castle was sold many times and had many owners. In 1906, it became an asylum for the mentally unwell, and then, after 1918, it was left abandoned.
Finally, in 1967, it was bought for a final time and has since become a tourist attraction. It’s said that William and the rest of the Larnach family still haunt the castle.
9. La Recoleta Cemetery, Argentina
This cemetery in Argentina has more scary stories and tall tales than any other place on earth. There are thousands buried here, and it seems like they each have their own haunting story.
One of the most famous stories is of Rufina Cambaceres, a teenager whose epilepsy would leave her unconscious for hours at a time. One night, after a bad episode, she lost her life and was buried in the cemetery.
It turns out she was still alive, and visitors to the cemetery could hear her muffled screams and scratching at the lid of her coffin. Workers at the cemetery noticed that the lid of her cement coffin was left slightly ajar, and upon further investigation, they found scratch marks inside the heavy lid.
After an autopsy, it was found that she died of a heart attack while in the coffin and was most likely literally scared to death. She now has a nice, roomy coffin with a door, so she will never feel trapped again.
There are hundreds of other spooky stories about the people buried here, but those will have to wait for another day.
10. Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Canada
Here, we have another story of a haunted hotel, but this time in Canada. The hotel was opened to the public in 1888 and is still open to this day. One of the most popular stories here is of a bride who died on her wedding day from slipping on the marble stairs.
She died on the steps and has been seen by many hotel guests near or on the stairs. There’s also the ghost of the helpful hotel employee, Sam the Bellman.
He has been seen helping around the hotel and letting guests into their rooms when locked out. There are also haunted rooms and halls; this entire hotel is a haunted mess. You can stay here and see for yourself or book a ghost tour.
11. Haw Par Villa, Singapore
This statue park in Singapore is known as the Theme Park from Hell. It’s open until 10 p.m., allowing visitors to wander the park and see the unique statues.
It’s said that the “Ten Courts of Hell” exhibit contains a portal to hell, and if you step inside it after dark, you’ll be transported there. The rest of the theme park is creepy, especially at night when fewer people and the statues are dimly lit.
12. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
The Aokigahara Forest in Japan is known as the “Suicide Forest.” It’s located right outside of Tokyo, where the depressed and overworked go to end it all. It’s estimated that about 30 people come to this serene little forest to spend their last moments somewhere peaceful and beautiful.
The ghosts of the dead have been seen wandering the forest, and if you go off the trail here, you might find a body or become the next victim of the forest.
This place was put on the map when YouTuber Logan Paul visited and discovered a dead body. He joked about the body and filmed it. When he posted it on YouTube, he received a lot of backlash for posting the video and disrespecting this poor person.
13. Frankenstein Castle, Germany
This medieval castle in Germany is believed to be the inspiration for Mary Shelley when she wrote her 1818 classic, “Frankenstein.” Legend has it that in the early 1700s, Johann Konrad Dippel performed experiments on many dead bodies that he exhumed from the local cemetery.
He thought he could bring them back to life but had no success (obviously). He finally decided that if he couldn’t bring them back to life, he could use their remains to create “the elixir of life,” which he said would make him live to 135 years old. He boiled their bones, blood, and hair together and drank the “elixir.” It killed him instantly.
The ghosts of this mad scientist and his experiments are said to haunt the crumbling ruins of this castle. You can visit the castle ruins, but there’s not much to see unless you happen to stumble across one of the ghosts that haunt this place.
