Scary Places to Visit
Edited by Kathy McGraw, Maria Quinney
If you are a thrill-seeker, or just someone who loves a good scare, the world is filled with places where tragic happenings have spawned legends that grow larger with each telling. Even if you don't believe in anything supernatural, it's hard not to get creeped out at some of the locations on this list. From haunted sanitoriums to abandoned villages, there are some truly spooky places in which to get freaked out.
32 of the Scariest Places Around the World
- 1Ah, those good-natured Aussies! You'd think that when you buy a house and learn that it's haunted that you might high-tail it out of there faster than you can say the word "boo." Not the owners of this haunted house called the most haunted location in Australia. Nope, the owners have turned it into a tourist attraction. You might see the home's friendly ghosts: a pregnant maid, a stable boy, and a few others.Monte Cristo Homestead, New South Wales, Australia.
- 2Dolls are creepy. Dolls that allegedly wash up on the shores of an island after a little girl died there are megatons creepier. Apparently, the guy that lived on the island hung the dolls up the trees and buses as a tribute to the little girl. He's since passed on, too, but the dolls remain, and some say they whisper to youIsland of the Dolls, Xochimilco, Mexico.
- 3If you like skeletons and mummies, there are about 8,000 skeletons and 1,000 mummies within the catacombs for you to commune with. Some of them are even posed together, like some deranged serial killer of old was having his fun down there.Capuchin Catacombs, Palermo, Italy.
- 4This castle dates back all the way to 1666, a rather ominous year. You might see the former governor, Pieter van Noodt roaming the grounds, and a large black dog might greet you before evaporating away.Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa.
- 5Nagoro is populated by just 40 living souls and 350 life-sized dolls. The freaking things are everywhere in the little town. Nah, that's not creepy at all!Nagoro, Japan.
- 6This deserted coal mine is home to nothing but the wind rustling through the overgrown grass and the spirits of those that used to live and work there long ago.Hashima Island, Japan.
- 7No, it's not literally a door to hell, but you might feel like it is when you stand close to it. The endlessly burning crater came into existence when some Soviet clod decided that it would be a good idea to ignite a field of natural gas. Smooth move, dude. The thing has been burning for the past 40 years and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.Door to Hell, Derweze, Turkmenistan.
- 8With the number of people who were executed over the years, it's pretty safe to say that the Tower is haunted by some peeved spirits, including that of an unfortunate bear!Tower of London, England.
- 9Called the most haunted town in England, the living residents have become a little tired of the wannabe ghost hunters that invade their peaceful little town every year. If you visit, you might find that spirits are more convivial to your presence than are the living.Pluckley, Britain.
- 10The Hill of Crosses is where Lithuanians go to mourn those they lost in the wars and it has become a pilgrimage site for people the world over. It's still creepy, though. I wouldn't hang around there at night if you know what I mean!The Hill of Crosses, Lithuania.
- 11This forest at the foot of Mount Fuji is known as the Suicide Forest for the number of people who kill themselves there. Some say that it's demon-haunted while others say it's just really secluded. Either way, it's freaky.Aokigahara, Japan.
- 12The Ridges was a lunatic asylum back in the day, and as with most places like it, the inmates were treated horrendously. Now abandoned, strong emotions permeate its walls and the mournful cries of wailing ghosts echo in its corridors.The Ridges, Ohio, USA.
- 13A victim of the Chernobyl disaster, the town of Pripyat had to be evacuated in the wake of the nuclear disaster. Everything in the town has been left exactly as it was more than thirty years ago.Pripyat, Ukraine.
- 14Like many failed mining towns, the once bustling Humberstone and LaNoria now stand deserted. There are persistent rumors of ghosts from the nearby cemetery wandering the roads and deserted buildings there, so beware.Humberstone and LaNoria, Chile.
- 15Known as the "Bone Church," its décor is quite literally made up of the bones of the people buried there. It's a unique answer to an overcrowded cemetery, I guess.Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic.
- 16Said to be one of the Seven Gates of Hell, Stull Cemetery is one evil place, according to legend. It's also in the middle of nowhere, so if you decide to go, help will be a long time in coming!Stull Cemetery, Kansas, USA.
- 17There's some bad mojo afoot at the former prison that housed the victims of the Khmer Rouge. Over 17,000 people were killed there, and it's no stretch of the imagination to consider that some might be wandering around looking for the vengeance they can never have.Tuol Sleng, Cambodia.
- 18Stay a night at this chateau and perhaps you'll be treated to screams of the doomed lady of the castle and her lover, murdered by the lady's husband after they were caught en flagrante dellicto.Chateau de Brissac, Maine-et-Loire, France.
- 19Best known for its appearance as the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's "The Shining," this old hotel is a creepy place even without the novel or the movie. Apparently, King got the idea for his book while staying in room 418, supposedly haunted by Lord Dunraven's ghost. Oh, and staff has reported hearing the sounds of children playing in the hallways. Could it be those creepy twin girls on their tricycles? Book a room and find out!Stanley Hotel, Colorado, USA.
- 20Not a soul has lived in this French village since the Nazis slaughtered all 642 of its inhabitants in 1944. All that's left are ruins, and perhaps a ghost or three.Oradour-sur Glane, France.
- 21It is said that people who have stayed in this house have been killed by vengeful or evils spirits. Some say that they have seen a woman with long hair wandering around while others have seen this same woman hanging from a tree in the yard.Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana, USA.
- 22The Paris Catacombs were once quarry tunnels, but have since been used as a final resting place for the dead. More than 6 million people are rumored to be entombed there.Paris Catacombs, France.
- 23Back in the 70's the townspeople who were living in what was then Boston, Ohio, were evicted from their land to make room for a park, but the park never happened, and the area remains deserted to this day. The road into the town is now a dead end and some say that if you linger there for too long, the freaks of Helltown will get you.Helltown, Ohio, USA.
- 24Cemeteries are ever popular as haunted spots, but apparently, the one at Bachelor's Grove seems to be particularly well-populated with ghosts, from a farmer on his horse to a mother weeping for her dead baby.Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Illinois, USA.
- 25Edinburg Castle has long been associating with paranormal happenings: the first ghostly sighting occurred in 1650 and was a headless drummer banging away on his drum.Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.
- 26You can try to stay the night at Leap Castle, but I wouldn't recommend it. You see, while you may only encounter the ghost of Emily and her sister Charlotte, there is something much darker lurking there: a half-human, half sheep creature with black eyes, and you'll smell it before you see it because it stinks of rotting meat.Leap Castle, Ireland.
- 27So, this road in New Jersey is called Shades of Death. Officially. Like, that's its name. No one knows why it's called that, but some surmise that it's because of the highwaymen that used to roam in that area, while others point to a series of murders back in the 1920's and 1930's. It's creepy any way you look at it.Shades of Death Road, New Jersey, USA.
- 28Originally a hospital for tuberculosis patients, some 8,000 have died there over 50 years, and not from their disease. The decrepit, abandoned hospital is a popular site for thrill seekers and Halloween parties.Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky, USA.
- 29Winding its way out of La Paz, this road has been nicknamed "the Death Road" because of the 200 to 300 deaths that occur every year there.North Yungas Road, Bolivia.
- 30Standing off the English coast in the North Sea are these peculiar boxes on stilts. They were apparently meant to protect England from the Nazis, but today stand abandoned and decrepit, home to just the wind and whatever ghosts might find a home in them.Maunsel Sea Forts, North Sea, England.
- 31Back in 1912, the Moore family were murdered by an unknown assailant wielding an ax in this house. Couldn't you guess by the title? Well, you can stay there, but beware, the last dude who spent the night ended killing himself...with a knife. Ouch.Villisca Axe Murder House, Iowa.
- 32Although you might think the only thing you have to fear in Romania is wannabe bloodsuckers, stay away from the Hoia Baciiu Forest. There have been rumors of people going in…and never coming back out.Hoia Baciu Forest, Romania.
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Categories : Travel & Leisure
Recent edits by: Kathy McGraw
