Planning your next vacation? You might want to think twice before booking a trip to certain American cities. While they look picture-perfect on travel brochures, some places hide dark and disturbing secrets. From tragic histories and paranormal activity to eerie vibes that leave visitors feeling watched, these cities are not for the faint of heart. Here’s our rundown of the creepiest American cities you might want to cross off your travel bucket list.
New Orleans has a dark past that still haunts its streets
New Orleans might top tourist lists for its jazz and jambalaya, but there’s a reason it competes with Savannah for the title of America’s most haunted city. The Big Easy’s troubled history of wars, slavery, and voodoo practices has created what paranormal experts call “a perfect elixir for the spirit world.” The city’s limestone geography and underground water are thought to amplify paranormal energy, making ghosts as common as tourists in the French Quarter.
The city’s oldest cemetery, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, is reportedly home to hundreds of restless spirits, including the infamous Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, whose crypt still receives offerings from visitors seeking favors. Don’t plan on eating at Antoine’s Restaurant without company—the founder, Antoine Alciatore, is said to still supervise the dining rooms, while the LaLaurie Mansion holds disturbing secrets of torture that have left some tourists feeling physically ill after visiting. Many visitors have reported being touched by unseen hands or feeling sudden, unexplained cold spots throughout the French Quarter.
Salem’s witch trial legacy continues to cast a dark shadow
Salem, Massachusetts has embraced its notorious past as the site of the 1692 witch trials, turning its dark history into a tourist attraction. But many visitors report genuine unease when touring this coastal town. The panic that led to 19 innocent people being hanged for witchcraft has left an emotional imprint that sensitive visitors can feel centuries later. The spirits of these victims are said to linger, particularly at execution sites like Gallows Hill and at buildings connected to the trials.
Many visitors to the Howard Street Cemetery report encountering the ghost of Giles Corey, who was pressed to death with stones when he refused to enter a plea during his witchcraft trial. Meanwhile, the ghost of Bridget Bishop, the first execution victim, is said to haunt the site of her former apple orchard, now Turner’s Seafood restaurant. Visitors have also described overwhelming feelings of sadness and anger when visiting the House of Seven Gables, which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel about the witch trials. Paranormal investigators consider Salem’s haunting to be unique because the ghosts aren’t just seen—they’re felt emotionally.
Savannah is literally built on its dead
Savannah’s picturesque squares and Spanish moss-draped trees hide a disturbing truth: this Georgia city is literally built on top of its dead. With an estimated 20,000 bodies buried beneath the Historic Downtown District, it’s no wonder paranormal experts call Savannah America’s most haunted city. The city’s early construction over unmarked graves, particularly those of enslaved people beneath Calhoun and Whitfield squares, has created what many believe is a perfect storm for paranormal activity.
Colonial Park Cemetery officially holds 700 gravestones but actually contains the remains of approximately 12,000 people, many victims of the devastating yellow fever that once ravaged the city. The Moon River Brewing Company ranks among America’s most haunted buildings, with numerous guests reporting encounters with a woman in white who plays tricks on staff. The Marshall House hotel, once a Civil War hospital where amputations were performed, still echoes with phantom footsteps and children’s laughter in the hallways at night. Even skeptical visitors often leave Savannah with stories of unexplained experiences that changed their beliefs about the supernatural.
Gettysburg battlefield never lets you forget its bloody past
Gettysburg might be the only place in America that can haunt you in broad daylight under a clear blue sky. The site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles, with over 50,000 casualties, the 40-mile battlefield is considered by many paranormal researchers to be completely saturated with spiritual energy. Visitors and residents alike report encountering soldiers in tattered uniforms, hearing phantom cannon fire, and witnessing strange fog that forms into human shapes before disappearing.
One of the most chilling tales comes from two administrators at Gettysburg College. While leaving around midnight, they pressed “1” on the elevator, but were taken to the basement instead. When the doors opened, they reportedly saw a Civil War field hospital with doctors performing amputations. One orderly looked directly at them before the doors closed. Many local inns report paranormal activity, including the Farnsworth House, where guests have been awakened by soldiers sitting on their beds. Even skeptical history buffs sometimes leave town shaken after unexplained personal experiences at places like Devil’s Den and the Wheatfield.
St. Augustine’s centuries of history hide numerous restless spirits
As America’s oldest continuously occupied European settlement (founded 1565), St. Augustine has had centuries to accumulate ghosts. This Florida city looks charming with its Spanish colonial architecture and beaches, but after dark, a different side emerges. The Castillo de San Marcos fortress is a hotspot for paranormal investigators who report apparitions, strange lights, and mysterious sounds coming from the stone walls that once protected the city from invaders but also witnessed countless deaths.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is allegedly haunted by the spirits of two young girls who drowned there in the 1870s. Visitors report hearing children’s laughter when no children are present and seeing small shadowy figures moving through the property. The city’s Spanish Military Hospital Museum was built atop an Indian burial ground, and construction workers discovered thousands of human bones when replacing water lines. Visitors now report hearing agonizing screams and feeling cold spots throughout the building. The city capitalizes on its haunted reputation with numerous ghost tours, but local guides warn that some locations can trigger genuine fear responses even in skeptics.
Portland has underground secrets that will chill your blood
Portland, Oregon’s hipster reputation and craft beer scene hide a sinister underground history. The Shanghai Tunnels, a network of passages beneath the Chinatown district, were allegedly used in the late 1800s to kidnap unsuspecting men who were then forced into maritime service. According to local lore, bar patrons were drugged, dropped through trapdoors, and transported through the tunnels to waiting ships. Many never returned home, and their confused spirits are said to still wander the tunnels and the establishments above.
What makes Portland particularly unsettling is that its haunted locations are often places where people gather to socialize. Old Town Pizza, built in the former lobby of the Merchant Hotel, is reportedly haunted by a prostitute named Nina who was pushed down an elevator shaft after informing on local criminals. Patrons report seeing her watching them in a black dress as they dine. Geological features contribute to Portland’s paranormal reputation – the city sits on several fault lines and the Columbia River, conditions that paranormal researchers say can amplify spiritual energy and make hauntings more likely to occur.
Colorado City makes visitors feel unwelcome in disturbing ways
Not all creepy cities are haunted by ghosts—some are unsettling because of their living residents. Colorado City, Arizona, stands out as a place where visitors universally report feeling unwelcome and watched. This small town near the Utah border was established by a fundamentalist Mormon sect that broke away from the mainstream church over the practice of polygamy. The isolated community has developed in ways that many outsiders find deeply disturbing, with reports of forced marriages and strict control over residents.
Travelers passing through Colorado City describe being followed by white SUVs throughout their visit and experiencing hostile stares from residents. The town’s landscape of half-built compounds and unfinished structures adds to the eerie atmosphere. Unlike other entries on this list that capitalize on their spooky reputations for tourism, Colorado City actively discourages outside visitors. Many who’ve driven through report feeling a palpable sense of dread that they can’t explain rationally. Law enforcement has investigated the community multiple times over allegations of child abuse and trafficking, adding a layer of very real horror to the town’s unsettling vibe.
Key West’s sunny beaches hide centuries of dark secrets
Key West’s reputation as a tropical paradise with beautiful sunsets and Jimmy Buffett vibes masks its long history of shipwrecks, pirates, and tragic deaths. This island at the southern tip of Florida has a haunted past that surfaces after the party crowds go home. Captain Tony’s Saloon, one of the island’s most popular bars, has a particularly disturbing history. The building previously served as the city morgue, and during a devastating hurricane, bodies washed out into the street. Renovations later revealed human remains built into the walls.
The Chelsea House Hotel, dating back to the early 1900s, is reportedly haunted by a murder victim whose pipe smoke smell drifts through the corridors. But Key West’s most famous supernatural resident is Robert the Doll, housed at the Fort East Martello Museum. This creepy handmade doll, once owned by artist Robert Eugene Otto, is said to change facial expressions, move on its own, and curse those who mock or photograph him without permission. The museum receives numerous letters from visitors apologizing to Robert after experiencing bad luck. Even in paradise, it seems, the dead don’t always rest peacefully.
America’s haunted cities offer fascinating glimpses into our dark history, but they’re not for everyone. If you’re sensitive to paranormal energy or easily spooked, you might want to stick to destinations with less baggage from beyond the grave. For the brave souls who do visit these places, remember to be respectful—you never know who (or what) might be listening to your comments about their eternal home.
