13 Spooky Destinations That Add Adventure to Your Travels

Have you ever felt a chill run down your spine while exploring a place that looked a little too quiet, a little too still? Some destinations around the world aren’t just eerie—they’re filled with legends, local stories, and strange happenings that turn a trip into an experience you won’t soon forget. These spooky spots offer more than thrills; they’re steeped in history and atmosphere that lingers. If you’re ready for a getaway with a side of goosebumps, this list might just tempt your adventurous side.

1. Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Once the most expensive prison in the world, Eastern State Penitentiary now stands in eerie silence, its crumbling halls echoing with stories from the past. Walking through the long, decaying corridors, you’ll find yourself imagining the lives of inmates like Al Capone, who served time here. Some visitors say they’ve heard whispers, footsteps, or seen shadows dart across the stone walls. Beyond the ghost tales, the architecture alone is hauntingly beautiful. For those who love a mix of history and spine-tingling mystery, this abandoned prison delivers both.

2. The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado

You might recognize The Stanley Hotel as the inspiration behind Stephen King’s “The Shining,” but seeing it in person is something else. The grand structure sits against the Rockies like it belongs in another era. Inside, staff and guests often mention unexplained piano music, flickering lights, and sudden temperature drops. Room 217, in particular, has its own chilling reputation. Despite the spooky stories, the hotel is welcoming, polished, and oddly peaceful—until nightfall. Staying here feels like stepping into a novel, with just the right amount of edge.

3. The Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, California

This sprawling Victorian mansion is filled with twisting hallways, staircases that lead nowhere, and doors that open into walls. Built under the guidance of Sarah Winchester, who believed spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles haunted her, the house was under nonstop construction for 38 years. Visitors walk through over 160 rooms, many designed to confuse or trap ghosts. It’s strange, beautiful, and unnerving all at once. The deeper you explore, the more it feels like the house has a mind—and maybe a spirit—of its own.

4. St. Augustine Lighthouse – St. Augustine, Florida

From the outside, the black-and-white striped lighthouse looks like a postcard-perfect spot. But climb its 219 steps and you might feel something else entirely. Ghost hunters flock here, drawn by reports of shadow figures and ghostly laughter—often attributed to former keepers or two young girls who tragically drowned nearby. The lighthouse museum leans into its haunted reputation without being cheesy. You’ll learn about shipwrecks, storms, and strange disappearances. As the sun sets and the sea wind rises, the chill in the air isn’t always from the breeze.

5. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum – Weston, West Virginia

This massive, empty asylum stretches over 240,000 square feet—and the silence is deafening. Opened in the 1800s to treat the mentally ill, it quickly became overcrowded and under-resourced, with tragic consequences. Visitors now walk through abandoned patient rooms, dark corridors, and even the old morgue. Ghost tours and paranormal investigations are common here, with tales of former patients making their presence known. The energy feels heavy, like the walls remember every story. It’s equal parts heartbreaking and horrifying, and definitely not your typical museum stop.

6. The Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, Louisiana

Often called one of America’s most haunted homes, The Myrtles Plantation is beautiful by day and bone-chilling by night. Legend has it that a formerly enslaved woman named Chloe still roams the grounds, often seen in photos or near the old mirror where handprints mysteriously appear. The house, surrounded by moss-draped oaks, creaks with every breeze. Whether you’re staying the night or just taking the tour, you’ll likely feel watched. It’s not just a ghost story—it’s a place wrapped in real Southern history and sorrow.

7. Salem, Massachusetts

The entire town of Salem carries a weight that’s impossible to ignore. Known for the infamous witch trials of 1692, the town blends history and hauntings at nearly every turn. The Witch House, once home to Judge Jonathan Corwin, feels frozen in time, and cemeteries like the Old Burying Point are filled with eerie silence. Despite the spooky reputation, Salem welcomes visitors with walking tours, museums, and reenactments. Still, when the fog rolls in over cobblestone streets, you’ll understand why it’s earned its haunted reputation.

8. Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Louisville, Kentucky

Waverly Hills once served as a tuberculosis hospital during a time when little was known about the disease. Over 60,000 people are believed to have died here, and many say not all of them left. Walking through the dark, crumbling wards is chilling, but it’s the “death tunnel” that truly rattles nerves—it was used to transport bodies discreetly. Today, the building offers guided ghost tours and overnight investigations. The heavy atmosphere and unexplained noises make it a favorite for thrill-seekers who don’t scare easily.

9. Bannack Ghost Town – Bannack, Montana

Tucked into the Montana wilderness, Bannack looks like a perfectly preserved frontier town until you notice the silence. Once a thriving gold rush settlement, it was slowly abandoned, and today, over 60 structures remain standing. Visitors can roam the wooden boardwalks and peek inside the old saloon, schoolhouse, and jail. Stories of gunfights, hangings, and unsolved deaths hang in the air, especially around the old hotel, where ghost sightings are frequent. Bannack is beautiful in its own right, but there’s something unsettling in the way time stopped here.

10. Jerome Grand Hotel – Jerome, Arizona

Perched high on a mountainside, the Jerome Grand Hotel was once a hospital for miners in this rugged copper town. The building’s creaky elevators and long hallways are classic horror film material. Some say they hear coughing from empty rooms or see figures near the old operating room. Even staff members share stories of flickering lights and sudden cold spots. The town itself, full of winding roads and cliff top views, adds to the strange atmosphere. If you’re looking to sleep with one eye open, this is the place.

11. Lizzie Borden House – Fall River, Massachusetts

You can spend the night in the very home where one of America’s most famous unsolved murders happened. In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally killed, and their daughter Lizzie was accused—then acquitted. The house is now a bed-and-breakfast, complete with period furnishings and guided tours that recount the grisly details. Guests report hearing footsteps, doors opening on their own, and voices in the night. The eerie calm inside feels almost staged—until you realize it isn’t. This is one spooky sleepover you won’t forget.

12. Poveglia Island – Venice, Italy

Although not in the U.S., this island just off the coast of Venice deserves mention for its deeply disturbing past. Used as a quarantine zone during plague outbreaks and later as a mental hospital, it’s said that over 100,000 people died here. Locals refuse to visit, and the island has been closed to the public for years. Those who’ve snuck ashore report bones in the soil, strange noises, and overwhelming dread. Even from the water, the sight of crumbling buildings overtaken by nature sends a chill.

13. The Riddle House – West Palm Beach, Florida

Originally a funeral parlor, the Riddle House later became a private home and a hotspot for ghost activity. Now located in Yesteryear Village, it’s part of a historical park, but its paranormal reputation hasn’t faded. Visitors describe objects moving on their own and unseen hands brushing against them. The attic is said to be especially haunted by the spirit of a former employee who died by suicide. Unlike other haunted spots, the Riddle House looks cheerful from the outside, making the dark stories inside even more unsettling.