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First of
all, many people don't believe in ghosts. If you're one of them, then
consider this a list of the places that are often reported as haunted by
visitors, employees, and/or ghost hunters. Whether or not you actually
buy into it all, some of these tales are truly creepy.
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ALABAMA: SLOSS FURNACES, BIRMINGHAM
Sloss Furnaces is a National Historic Landmark - the only blast furnace
ever turned into a museum - and it's pretty damn haunted. The 50-acre
industrial plant operated from 1882 until 1970, and was notorious for
its high number of worker deaths via steam explosions, burns, and falls
in underground tunnels. One specific ghost known to haunt the premises
is that of James “Slag” Wormwood, a cruel and unpleasant graveyard shift
foreman from the early 1900s, who was in charge when a total of 47 crew
members lost their lives. In 1906, Wormwood fell into an enormous pool
of melted iron ore and died. From that point on, workers felt a strange
presence at Sloss, and in 1926, a night watchman was mysteriously pushed
from behind and injured. In 1947, three supervisors were found
unconscious in a locked boiler room. According to the men, a badly
burned worker had approached them just prior to the incident and told
them to get back to work.
A paranormal team from Syfy's Ghost Hunters (along with Meat Loaf)
investigated the site in 2010. |
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ARKANSAS: CRESCENT HOTEL, EUREKA SPRINGS
Not only is Eureka Springs' Crescent Hotel a haunted hotel, but an
entire website is devoted to it being “America's Most Haunted Hotel.” It
was once a hospital where patients would rarely leave alive due to
faulty medical practices, and some of their spirits still linger around
the property. Common ghost sightings include that of a worker who fell
to his death during the initial construction in 1885, a cancer patient
who needs help finding his room key, a man in a white suit, a patient in
a white nightgown, and even a cat named Morris. The hotel offers ghost
tours that are so popular, this year they suspended late-night theater
performances during the month of October in favor of additional “Late,
Late Ghost Tours.” |
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COLORADO: STRATER HOTEL, DURANGO
Generally, employees of so-called “haunted hotels” are probably amused
by the local ghost stories - especially when they come from current
guests. But when the hotel workers themselves fear the ghosts, that's
when you know you're in trouble. Such is the case at the Strater Hotel
in Durango, Colorado, where staffers often refuse to work alone on the
upper floors due to constant harassment by menacing, shadowy
apparitions, as well as a transparent lady in white. People have also
seen the figure of a man standing on the adjacent railroad tracks (who
suddenly vanishes), a little girl, a bar maid, and an old-timey railway
engineer who can be spotted in the hotel lobby. Each room even comes
with a “ghost diary”! |
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DELAWARE: FORT DELAWARE, DELAWARE CITY
Not only does Fort Delaware have year-round ghost tours - it's so
haunted that people on these tours routinely claim to see ghosts, and a
few have even been captured in tourists' photos. Apparently, most of the
spirits belong to dead Confederate soldiers who were once imprisoned at
the fort, and who now spend their time creating cold spots, cannon
explosion sounds, and disembodied voices. |
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FLORIDA: STRANAHAN HOUSE, FT. LAUDERDALE
After the former owner of Stranahan House, Frank Stranahan, drowned
himself in the river outside of his home during the Great Depression,
people have claimed to see his ghost wandering around the property.
Years later, the sister of Frank's widow also passed away in the house
due to bleeding from prematurely giving birth to a stillborn baby. In
all, six entities are said to haunt the house. Now open for public
tours, this home gives unique insight into the history and culture of
the early 1900s, as well as the chance to spot one of the ghosts, which
are often seen moving about, randomly changing temperatures of the
rooms, and rearranging objects and furniture.
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IDAHO: OLD IDAHO STATE PENITENTIARY, BOISE
Also known as “Old Pen,” this former jail - which operated from 1872 to
1973 - is now the home of numerous apparitions (likely former inmates)
stirring up all kinds of trouble. Visitors have reported feeling
touches, sudden emotions of dread or despair, hearing whispers in the
hallways, and seeing unexplainable flashing lights. The Travel Channel's
Ghost Adventures team investigated Old Pen a few years ago, and not only
did they hear mysterious bangs and voices, but they photographed what
appeared to be a male apparition.
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