Allstar/Cinetext/UNIVERSALEveryone loves a good ghost story and, although Derek Acorah sort of ruined it for everyone, people also enjoy visiting haunted houses.
So, if you’re into spooky stuff, here are 13 of the most haunted places in the world (not that we believe in that sort of thing, of course…)
1) Satan’s Hollow – Blue Ash, Ohio
Tucked away in the woods in Ohio are a series of underground tunnels which, according to urban legend, used to be the meeting place for a group of satanists who would perform rituals and sacrifice humans and animals. Apparently they were so successful that they even summoned the devil himself and many believe the place is now crawling with a demonic presence.
2) Franklin Castle – Cleveland, Ohio
Also in Ohio (must be a really spooky place!), Franklin Castle is a historical house purported to be one of the most haunted houses in the world due to rumours of crimes committed in the house by its former owner. It was built in the 1800s by Hans Tiedemann for him and his family. After the death of his mother and four children in the house, many speculated that there was more to the deaths than met the eye.
Now, some claim they can hear crying noises coming from the walls, there have been reports of conversations from a group of people who were machine-gunned down inside the building, and some say Tiedemann’s illegitimate daughter (who he supposedly hanged in a secret passageway within the house) haunts the building.
3) Humberstone and LaNoria, Chile
Residents abandoned these two mining towns in 1960 when business collapsed. There are reports that the cemeteries in each town are riddled with open graves, and people claim to have seen ghostly figures walking about at night. So nobody’s visiting these towns again anytime soon!
4) Chateau de Brissac – Maine-et-Loire, France
Jacques de Breze was the son of King Charles VII’s chief minister and he inherited the chateau. He married King Charles’ daughter Charlotte, but he strangled her to death when he discovered she was cheating on him. Guests have reported hearing her moans to this day and ‘The Green Lady’ supposedly wanders the halls and apparently she has holes where her eyes and nose should be. Grim.
5) London Underground – London, England
This one’s much closer to home! 173 people died in the tunnels attempting to take shelter during an air raid in World War II, while many more have committed suicide on the lines. Some believe that the tunnels are haunted by the ghosts of the hundreds of people who have died there.
6) Beechworth Asylum – Victoria, Australia
The asylum was built in 1867 and over 3,000 people died within its walls over the years. The building is now part of La Trobe University and people claim to see the ghost of Matron Sharpe walking the halls.
7) Old Changi Hospital, Changi, Singapore
In 1942 this hospital and barracks was captured by Japanese soldiers and converted into a prison for British soldiers and their allies. The Japanese soldiers brutally tortured and killed their prisoners of war. Today the building is no longer used, but visitors claim to hear screams and moans throughout the building and there have even been reports of the ghost of a young boy who stares into space.
8) The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado
The hotel which was the inspiration for ‘The Shining’ (author Stephen King stayed in the hotel before he wrote the book). In 1911 there was a massive explosion in room 217 that sent the chambermaid through the floor. She actually survived the accident and worked at the hotel until her death. Now, people say they see her haunting the hotel, especially room 217.
9) Aokigahara Forest, Mount Fuji, Japan
The forest at the base of Mt Fuji is the second most popular place in the world to commit suicide (the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco is first) and is associated with death and a demonic presence.
10) Mary King’s Close – Edinburgh, Scotland
The Close is a series of underground tunnels that were used to get around town during the 17th century. When the plague erupted, the tunnels were abandoned and people say the only inhabitants that remain are the ghosts of the victims which are said to follow you through the tunnels.
11) The Skirrid Mountain Inn – Llanfihangel Crucorney, Wales
It is believed that the first floor of the inn was once used as a Court of Law and, over the years, as many as 180 prisoners were sentenced to death by hanging, the act of which was then actually carried out at the inn itself. Now the spirits of the dead are said to reside within the inn.
12) Eyam, Derbyshire, England
The “plague village” – so called because in 1665, when the bubonic plague spread, the villagers chose to isolate themselves rather than let the disease spread. 273 residents died and just 83 reportedly survived out of the entire population. Nowadays, there are many reports of ghost sightings in Eyam, purported to be plague victims haunting the village.
13) Rose Hall – Montego Bay, Jamaica
The plantation was built in 1780 and owned by John Palmer and his wife, Annie. According to legend, Annie practiced voodoo and witchcraft and murdered Palmer along with two subsequent husbands and numerous male plantation slaves. Now Annie Palmer, aka “the white witch”, is said to haunt the property.
