We Value Your Privacy

This site uses cookies to improve user experience. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies.

I UNDERSTAND
LEARN MORE

Beware: You won’t be able to escape these haunted houses.

Haunting is one of the most common paranormal beliefs around the world. Almost every town and city has at least one reportedly haunted house. The rumor that a house is haunted occurs after a violent tragedy like a murder or suicide. The ghosts of past inhabitants are not yet finished with their time on Earth and are said to be stuck in limbo, forced to roam the halls of their old homes due to unfinished business. Sometimes these spirits can become aggressive, turning on the visitors and new owners of their homes and wreaking chaos.

There’s something eerie about a haunted house story that keeps us coming back for more. Maybe it's because it's about a place that's supposed to keep you safe but has turned against you. Or maybe, because we’ve all experienced the creaks and moans at night, we secretly think is the work of ghosts.

Haunted houses have inspired literary works and films for decades, furthering our fears and fascination with them. Shirley Jackson’s 1959 horror novel and its Netflix adaptation, The Haunting of Hill House, is a perfect example. Jackson uses terror to highlight the complex relationships between her character's psyches and the mysterious events that haunt the house.

Stories of ghosts and demons living in the walls of hotels, mansions, and homes are just as popular as ever and perfect for all horror lovers.

If you’re a fan of haunted house lore and tales, check out the frightening stories below:

And once you’ve escaped those haunted halls, visit the stories below for even more spooky stories.

d84646bb48fd-tlu-tag-image.png

The Lineup is Going on a Ghost Hunt … and You Can Watch Live

On October 1—National Ghost Hunting Day—our staff will be joining a ghost hunt at NYC's The Merchant's House and streaming it live on Facebook.

A Haunting in Georgia: The Curse of the Barnsley Gardens

Are Godfrey and Julia Barnsley still cursed, even in death?

The 20 Best Scary Movies of the Last 25 Years

We haven’t caught a wink since 1991—here’s why.

Monte Cristo Homestead: Australia’s Most Haunted House

They say the original owner's troubled spirit still wanders the halls, haunting all those who enter.

Manhattan’s Morris-Jumel Mansion and the Angry Ghost of Eliza Jumel

Her body may be buried in the family tomb, but Eliza's troubled spirit never left her stately home.

The Haunted Grounds of New Orleans’ Beauregard-Keyes House

Some report the phantom sounds of musket fire, others the pungent smell of blood.

Blood in Brazil’s Little Castle of Apa Street

This ruined castle in Sao Paulo was once a luxurious mansion ... until it became the site of a grisly murder mystery.

You Can Now Own the Amityville Horror House … If You Dare

For sale: five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a chilling history of murder.

Honky Tonk of Horrors: The Bloody Past of Bobby Mackey’s Music World

This Kentucky nightclub's grisly history includes murder, suicide, and rumors of Satanic sacrifice.

A Sinister Haunting in San Antonio

As a young girl, Gretchen Upshaw was plagued by a hateful spirit that hurt her pets and appeared in the night as a ghostly version of her brother.

Nightmare on Chase Street: The Smurl Family Haunting

Soon after moving into their West Pittson duplex, life for the Smurls became a waking nightmare.

Franklin Castle: The Most Haunted House in Ohio

Haunting this Cleveland mansion are tales of secret passages, brutal murder, and restless spirits lingering in its halls.

9 Haunted Plantations You Need to Visit

These tragic tales refuse to stay buried.

The Tortured Ghost of Philadelphia’s Blue Bell Inn

As he lay dying, he muttered his last words: “I’ll never leave this accursed place.”

A Ghost in the Room: The Haunted History of Rocky Hill Castle

Multiple spirits were said to have wandered this eerie Alabama estate, including one spectral figure who may have been caught on camera.

The Eternal Guests of General Wayne Inn

The restless spirits of fallen soldiers still linger in the halls of this historic, Pennsylvania inn from the Revolutionary War.

The Mudhouse Mansion Mystery

On a hill in Ohio stood a stately brick mansion with a sinister reputation.

Zak Bagans’ Demon House Demolished After Hellish Incidents

The terrifying home was said to be the lair of “200 demons.”