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The terrifying true stories that inspired your favorite horror movies

16 October 2026 at 21:08
the exorcist
"The Exorcist."

Warner Bros.

  • Horror films have produced some of the most iconic figures in pop culture.
  • But not all scary movies are completely fictional; some are actually based on real life.
  • "The Conjuring" was based on the real-life Perron family in Rhode Island.

Horror movies are reliably successful at the box office — just look at "Obsession" and "Backrooms" this year.

They often have relatively low budgets, deliver strong box-office returns, and can create IP that leads to sequels and spin-offs for years to come. Plus, when Halloween rolls around, costumes and masks provide another bump to a studio's bottom line.

But creating a completely original, compelling, and terrifying horror story can be challenging. That's why some of the most iconic and successful scary movies are based on real-world events.

For example, "The Conjuring" franchise is based on the case files of real paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. In total, the films have made almost $3 billion at the box office.

These are the real stories and crimes that influenced some of the most classic horror films of all time, including "The Exorcist," "Nightmare on Elm Street," and "Jaws."

"The Conjuring" is about the Perron family and the traumatic experiences they're having in their new Rhode Island home.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Warner Bros.

The Perrons (husband Roger, wife Carolyn, and their five daughters) moved into what was known as the Old Arnold Estate in 1971, The Providence Journal reported.

Almost immediately, the family reported paranormal activity, such as floating or moving furniture, doors opening and closing, disembodied sounds, and even being pushed, pulled, and hurt by unseen spirits.

Upon calling in paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, they found that the property was haunted by various ghosts, but that one particularly malevolent spirit, Bathsheba, was preying on them.

Bathsheba Sherman, who lived on the property in the 1800s, has been described as a suspected Satanist who was charged with the violent murder of her first child, though historians say she was never convicted of a crime or accused of witchcraft.

The property sold for $1.5 million in 2022. It has since been acquired by "Ghost Hunters" star Jason Hawes for $1.3 million, according to land records.

"The Conjuring 2" is about a girl being possessed by a demon in London.
the conjuring 2 nun image

New Line Cinema

The Hodgson family reported experiencing unusual phenomena in their London home in August 1977, such as furniture flying through the air, and objects hurling toward witnesses, The Daily Mail reported.

Most famously, however, Janet, one of four Hodgson children, claimed she was being possessed by a man named Bill Wilkins — it was later confirmed that a man by that name did, in fact, live in the house and died there of a brain hemorrhage, People reported.

While Janet later said that around "2%" of the haunting was made up, she maintains that the Enfield Poltergeist was real.

You can listen to audio of her while she claimed she was possessed to make up your own mind.

The third film is "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It," which is about the real trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson.
the conjuring the devil made me do it

Warner Bros.

In the third "Conjuring" film, Ed and Lorraine are tasked with helping a young man, Arne, who murdered his landlord after getting possessed by a demon, which Ed witnessed. In his trial, the Warrens supported Arne using the defense of demonic possession, a first in the United States.

This is based on the real case of 19-year-old Johnson, who really did murder his landlord in 1981 and subsequently claimed he was innocent because he'd been possessed, as reported at the time by The New York Times.

Johnson (and the Warrens) claimed that a demon was exorcised from the body of 11-year-old David Glatzel and then moved to Johnson. His girlfriend claimed she heard Johnson challenge the demon itself to leave Glatzel and possess him instead.

Several months after Johnson's encounter with Warrens and the Glatzels, he stabbed his landlord to death, and then claimed he had no memory of the crime and was possessed.

In reality, this defense was rejected; his lawyers then pivoted toward the self-defense strategy, and he was convicted of manslaughter. He served five years in prison.

The fourth main film, "The Conjuring: Last Rites," is based on the Smurl haunting in the '70s and '80s.
the conjuring last rites
"The Conjuring: Last Rites."

Warner Bros. Pictures

In what's supposed to be the final cinematic appearance of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens, "Last Rites" is a loose adaptation of the alleged Smurl haunting, which took place in West Pittson, Pennsylvania.

Per The Times Leader, Jack and Janet Smurl, played by Elliot Cowan and Rebecca Calder, respectively, called the Warrens to their home in 1986 to address claims that a demon had slammed their 75-pound German shepherd into a wall, threw one of their children down the stairs, and even bitten Jack's ear.

"The Smurls are truly a family coming under a visual attack," Ed Warren said at the time. "The ghost, devil, demon — or whatever you call it — is in that home."

An exorcism was performed in that year, but it was, apparently, unsuccessful.

Of course, the Smurls had plenty of doubters, including a priest who stayed in their home for two nights and reported nothing suspicious. The Smurls eventually left West Pittson and moved to Wilkes-Barre, about 10 miles away.

The film dramatizes this story, but is mainly focused on passing the demon-hunting torch from Ed and Lorraine to their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson).

"Annabelle," "Annabelle: Creation," and "Annabelle Comes Home" tell the story of an evil doll that terrorizes her owner.
annabelle

New Line Cinema

Annabelle is a doll believed to be imbued with an evil spirit. While the real-life Raggedy Ann doll (viewable at The Haunted Warren Museum in Salem, Massachusetts) is much less creepy-looking than her movie counterpart, she is said to have terrorized her owner.

According to The New Haven Register, the story of the doll begins in 1970, when a nurse received it as a birthday gift from her mother. She soon began to notice that the doll would change positions by itself. She then started finding creepy notes with messages like "Help me" written on them. And she claimed she once found the doll leaking blood.

Once again, the Warrens were contacted for help. According to them, the doll wasn't possessed, but it was being manipulated by a spirit. They cleansed the home and took the doll to their museum, where it remains to this day.

"The Amityville Horror" connects the murders of the DeFeo family with a demonic presence in the house.
amityville horror home

Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

On November 13, 1974, at 3:15 a.m., Ronald DeFeo Jr. stole his father's gun and murdered his family in their home in Amityville, New York, claiming that voices in the house made him do it, according to PIX11.

He was later convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He died in 2021.

A year after the murders, in 1975, the Lutz family moved into the home and claimed to experience paranormal activity almost immediately, per ABC News.

George — the patriarch of the Lutz family — claimed to wake up frequently at 3:15 a.m. (the time of the murders) and hear gunshots. His daughter Missy gained an imaginary friend named Jodie. Missy says she did not know anything about the murders at the time.

The Lutz family fled their home only 28 days after moving in, sparking one of the greatest debates in paranormal history: Is the Amityville home haunted?

"The Haunting in Connecticut" is about a family that moves into a former funeral home, which turns out to be haunted.
haunting in connecticut

Lionsgate

"The Haunting in Connecticut" is based on the plight of the Snedeker family. Their name was changed to Campbell in the movie.

NBC Connecticut reported the Snedekers moved into a new home in the '80s to be closer to the University of Connecticut's hospital, since their son Phillip was undergoing treatment for cancer. The family soon realized that the house they had moved into used to be a funeral home.

According to his mother, Carmen, Phillip quickly became withdrawn and angry and started seeing a ghostly man who would tell him to lash out.

He was later committed due to a schizophrenia diagnosis. But after Phillip left, things reportedly got a lot worse for the rest of the family.

They eventually called in a priest — as well as the Warrens — to perform an exorcism.

"Veronica" is about a Spanish teenager who used an Ouija board to contact a dead loved one with disastrous consequences.
Veronica movie school Netflix

Sony Pictures

The film is based on a real Spanish teenager whose death was never solved, as Business Insider previously wrote.

In 1992, a student named Estefania Gutierrez performed a "makeshift séance" at her high school. A few months later, she died in the hospital after experiencing seizures and claiming to see shadowy figures.

The story gets even stranger: A year after Gutierrez died, her parents called the police because they were experiencing paranormal activity, similar to the shadowy figures their daughter had reported.

The police were skeptical until they, too, heard disembodied noises. According to Newsweek, the official report called the home "a situation of mystery and rarity."

"The Strangers" is a terrifying look into the mindset of monsters who commit crimes just because they can.
the strangers

Rogue Pictures

The poster for "The Strangers" claims that the film was "inspired by true events," though it's more of an amalgam of a few terrifying true tales.

Director Bryan Bertino said he drew his main inspiration from an experience from his childhood, according to the film's production notes.

"As a kid, I lived in a house on a street in the middle of nowhere. One night, while our parents were out, somebody knocked on the front door and my little sister answered it. At the door were some people asking for somebody that didn't live there. We later found out that these people were knocking on doors in the area and, if no one was home, breaking into the houses," said Bertino.

Fans of the film have also compared it to the Manson murders and the unsolved murders of the Sharp family, known as the Keddie Cabin Murders.

"The Exorcist," one of the most beloved horror films of all time, is about a preteen girl who becomes possessed by a demon.
the exorcist

Warner Bros.

"The Exorcist," is based on the story of a 14-year-old boy known as Roland Doe, who began exhibiting strange behavior in 1949, according to The New York Post. His family reported furniture moving on its own, scratches all over Doe's body, and loud, disembodied voices.

After a cross-country move and no change in Doe's strange behavior, his family enlisted the help of the Catholic church. One of the priests involved in the Doe case, Father Raymond Bishop, kept a diary, per The Daily Mail.

One of his entries stated, "At midnight, the Fathers planned to give (Roland) Holy Communion, but Satan would have no part of it. Even while the institution of the Blessed Sacrament was explained, his body was badly scratched and branded. The word 'HELLO' was printed on his chest and thigh."

Eventually, after multiple attempts, the "demon" was exorcised, and Doe returned to normal. He never spoke of the incident publicly.

His real identity was revealed by The Skeptical Inquirer in 2021: Ronald E. Hunkeler. Hunkeler died in 2020 at the age of 86. Before that, he'd been an engineer at NASA and, according to The New York Post, was always afraid his colleagues would find out about his past.

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is also about a girl possessed by a demon.
the exorcism of emily rose

Sony Pictures Releasing

The story of Anneliese Michel, a young German woman — renamed Emily Rose in the film — is tragic.

When Michel was a teenager, she experienced the first symptoms of her alleged possession. She was diagnosed with epilepsy, and given medication to help treat the disease, according to The Washington Post.

But the meds didn't help. Michel continued to have seizures, and she began to claim she was having visions and hearing voices telling her she was a sinner. She became depressed and turned to religion: At her peak, she was genuflecting (kneeling) 600 times a day, eventually rupturing her knee ligaments.

By the time Michel was 23, she had been treated with dozens of different medications (nothing helped), and had undergone 67 exorcisms in 10 months, the Post reported.

She eventually stopped eating and died of starvation in 1976. She weighed 68 pounds.

Her parents and two of her priests were later found guilty of negligent homicide for allowing her to starve, per the German outlet DW.

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is about a group of hitchhikers who pick the wrong family to catch a ride from — they end up being cannibals.
texas chainsaw massacre

Bryanston Distributing

The main villain of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is Leatherface, who was based on real-life killer Ed Gein.

Gein, who grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the early 1900s, was obsessed with his mother; he rarely interacted with anyone besides her, and when she died, he spiraled, per Encyclopedia  Britannica.

Known as "the Butcher of Plainfield," he confessed to killing two women, but, more disturbingly, he took to robbing the graves of recently buried women.

He used their body parts to create something like a woman suit that he wore, pretending to be his mother, according to the book "Deviant." He also had lamps, belts, and bowls made out of human body parts.

Gein's story also partly inspired "Psycho" and "The Silence of the Lambs."

"Poltergeist" tells the story of a family who buys a haunted house built on top of a Native American burial ground.
poltergeist clown doll

MGM/UA Entertainment Company

The plot of 1982 classic "Poltergeist" was based on the Hermann family of Long Island, New York, who claimed to be haunted by a poltergeist that made objects fly through their home, according to Life Magazine.

The Hermann family eventually moved away, but they maintained that the house was haunted.

"When a Stranger Calls" is about a babysitter who's being terrorized by a mysterious caller inside the house with her.
when a stranger calls

Screen Gems

The film is based on the real unsolved murder of 13-year-old Janett Christman in 1950.

As the Columbia Daily Tribune wrote, Christman was babysitting 3-year-old Greg Romack when she called the Columbia Police Department and told them to "come quick," but she hung up before the police could trace her call.

When the Romacks returned home, they discovered Christman's body in a pool of blood. She had been raped and strangled with a cord. The police eventually ruled that it had been an "inside job" — the killer knew the house and its layout well.

"Dead Ringers" explores the mysterious deaths of a pair of co-dependent twin brothers.
dead ringers

Twentieth Century Fox

The Marcus twins shared a gynecology practice, an apartment in New York City, a house in the Hamptons — and eventually their deaths.

Apparently, 45-year-old Stewart and Cyril Marcus were addicted to barbiturates; when their decomposing bodies were found, their mysterious deaths were first ruled as being caused by an overdose, then by withdrawal (they may have been attempting to wean themselves off the drugs), The New York Times wrote.

The medical examiner told The New York Times that Cyril outlived his brother by a couple of days, and continued to live in the apartment before eventually dying himself. 

The film received a TV reboot on Prime Video in 2023, starring Rachel Weisz.

"Jaws" is the story of a small beachside town that's being terrorized by a vengeful shark.
jaws

Jaws/IMDB

The terrifying tale of the most famous great white shark ever is based upon a string of shark attacks on the Jersey Shore in 1916.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, 25-year-old Charles Vansant bled to death from a bite in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Five days later — and 45 miles north — a bellhop from Spring Lake also bled to death from a shark bite. 

The story only gets more terrifying. The same shark then swam 30 miles north and 10 miles inland, killing both a boy and a man trying to save the boy in a creek, NJ.com wrote.

Finally, the fifth victim was attacked 30 minutes later in the same creek — he survived.

According to NJ.com, George Burgess, an ichthyologist (a scientist who concentrates on the study of fish), called it the "most unique set of shark attacks that have ever occurred. "

"The Girl Next Door" is about a boy who tries to save his neighbor from her twisted adopted family.
the girl next door

Modern Distributors

The murder of Sylvia Likens is known as the "worst crime in Indiana history," the Indy Star reported. Likens was just 16 when she was found dead in the basement of her temporary home.

Her carnival-worker parents left Sylvia and her sister in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, a mother of seven, paying Baniszewski by the week.

Three months later, on October 26, 1965, police found Sylvia's emaciated corpse, apparently covered in hundreds of wounds, Indianapolis Monthly wrote. Baniszewski — with the help of some of her children and a few neighborhood kids — had tortured the girl to death.

Baniszewski was sentenced to 21 years in prison, but she was eventually released on parole. The rest of the children who were involved served between two and seven years.

"The Possession" is the tale of a family being tortured by a demon inside a dybbuk box.
the possession

Lionsgate

Jason Haxton bought the dybbuk box on eBay after an earlier owner posted a chilling account of the events that allegedly befell him after he bought it at an estate sale, My San Antonio reported.

He claimed that he bought the box for his mom's birthday and that she almost instantaneously had a stroke upon receiving it, Riverfront Times reported.

He also claimed that the final straw that inspired him to get rid of the box was when his sister, brother, and brother's wife all stayed over, and each one reported having the same exact nightmare, according to a reposting of the original eBay listing.

You might be wondering what exactly a dybbuk is. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it's a "disembodied human spirit that, because of former sins, wanders restlessly until it finds a haven in the body of a living person," originating in Jewish folklore.

"The Rite" is based upon the life of a real priest, Father Gary Thomas, and his time at the Vatican while training to become an exorcist.
the rite

Warner Bros.

"The Rite" is based on the life of Father Gary Thomas, a priest who is one of 14 Vatican-certified exorcists who works in the US, the Los Angeles Times reported. Thomas told the Times he's exorcised the demons from five people, and that he receives multiple requests for exorcisms daily.

Father Thomas trained for three months in Rome to become a certified exorcist, completing his training in 2005, The Telegraph wrote.

Similarly, the 2023 film "The Pope's Exorcist" is based on the life of real-life priest Father Gabriele Amorth.
Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth stands in the foreground while another priest and a lamp are in the background.
Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in a scene from Screen Gems' "The Pope's Exorcist."

Jonathan Hession/Sony Pictures via AP

Russell Crowe played Amorth in the 2023 film "The Pope's Exorcist," which was based on Amorth's memoirs, "An Exorcist Tells His Story" and "An Exorcist: More Stories."

Smithsonian Magazine wrote that Amorth said he'd performed over 100,000 exorcisms before his death in 2016. He was still performing them that year — and he even let "The Exorcist" director William Friedkin observe one.

Friedkin, who died just a few months after the film's release, wrote about the experience in Vanity Fair. "Out of a hundred people who seek my help," Amorth told Friedkin, "one or two at the most may be possessed."

"Wolf Creek" is about three backpackers in the Australian Outback who unknowingly hitch a ride from a sadistic murderer.
wolf creek

Dimension Films

The horrifying tale of the backpackers in "Wolf Creek" is based on a real string of murders in Australia's Belanglo State Forest in the '90s at the hands of Ivan Milat, aka "the Backpacker Killer."

Milat maintained that he was innocent until his death in 2019, The Daily Mail wrote, but was convicted for torturing and killing at least seven people, all backpackers and hitchhikers. Some think that he killed even more.

"Eaten Alive" is about the owner of a Texas hotel who feeds people to his pet crocodile.
eaten alive

Motion Picture Marketing (MPM)

Eccentric bootlegger Joe Ball owned a Texas bar called the Sociable Inn in the early 1900s. He also kept multiple alligators in an enclosure near the saloon.

A known ladies' man, Ball had relations with various waitresses, bartenders, and hostesses — three of whom went missing. Turns out, Ball had murdered two of them, reported Texas Monthly.

Many believe he then fed them to his pet alligators, though there was never any evidence — his keeping them as pets was enough to cause concern and create rumors.

When the police came around for questioning in 1938, however, he shot himself in the heart, the San Antonio Express-News wrote.

"Open Water" tells the harrowing tale of a couple fighting to stay alive after their boat leaves them behind in the middle of the ocean.
open water

Lions Gate Films

Tom and Eileen Lonergan were scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1998 when they were left behind by their boat after someone messed up the head count. They were never heard from again, The Independent wrote.

According to the outlet, the diving company didn't even realize they were missing until two days later, when their passports and other personal effects were found on the boat.

Months after their disappearance, Tom's dive slate was found 100 miles north of their original disappearance. He had written "We have been abandoned" by the diving company, adding "Help!"

Their dive jackets and one of Eileen's fins eventually washed ashore, but there were no signs of a shark attack or any other violent activity.

Some believe they were eaten by sharks, while others maintain that it was a murder-suicide pact.

Their bodies were never found.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" is best known for bringing Freddy Krueger, a serial killer who murders people in their dreams, into the mainstream.
nightmare on elm street freddy kruger

New Line Cinema

The idea for this iconic franchise came from a Los Angeles Times article that Wes Craven, the film's writer and director, read about a boy who was too terrified to sleep after surviving the Killing Fields in Cambodia.

Here's what Craven said to Vulture about his inspiration: "He told his parents he was afraid that if he slept, the thing chasing him would get him, so he tried to stay awake for days at a time."

Craven continued, "When he finally fell asleep, his parents thought this crisis was over. Then they heard screams in the middle of the night. By the time they got to him, he was dead. He died in the middle of a nightmare. Here was a youngster having a vision of a horror that everyone older was denying. That became the central line of 'Nightmare on Elm Street.'"

Read the original article on Business Insider

The most haunted place in every state

16 October 2026 at 17:58
Northern State Mental Hospital
From homes and hotels to churches and cemeteries, there are places all over the country that are said to be haunted.

Nomad_Photo/Shutterstock

  • There are places all over the country that are said to be haunted.
  • The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, now a museum, is said to be haunted by ex-inmates.
  • NBA players have also reported seeing ghosts at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City.

From homes and hotels to churches, theaters, and cemeteries, there's no shortage of supposedly haunted places across the US.

Nearly every state has its own eerie legends — stories of restless spirits, mysterious footsteps in empty hallways, and unexplained flickering lights that locals swear attest to these spots being haunted.

Many of these sites are also steeped in history, with tragic pasts or notorious events.

Business Insider examined local legends and historic sites to determine the most reportedly haunted locations in every state, with many having reported ghost sightings, strange occurrences, or bloody histories. 

Whether you believe in ghosts or just love a good scare, these haunted places across the US have earned spooky reputations.

Madeline Diamond contributed to an earlier version of this story.

ALABAMA: Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham
Sloss Furnaces in Alabama.
Sloss Furnaces is reportedly haunted.

Stephen Reeves/Shutterstock

The Sloss Furnaces are now a historic national landmark, but in the late 19th century, they produced iron, which was then turned into steel.

James "Slag" Wormwood was the boss at the furnaces, and it's said that he subjected his employees to some inhumane working conditions.

Labor laws didn't exist at the time, and furnace temperatures often exceeded 100 degrees. A total of 47 men died with Wormwood as their boss, and even Wormwood himself lost his life in the furnaces when he slipped and fell into the iron ore, causing his body to melt, Travel South USA reported.

Wormwood and his workers are believed to haunt the furnaces to this day.

ALASKA: Kennecott
Kennecott alaska

cybercrisi/Shutterstock

Kennecott is a remote Alaskan town that's been mostly abandoned since 1950.

The town was a hub for copper mining from 1911 to 1938, but after the area's copper supply was diminished, Kennecott's population dwindled.

Today, many rickety wooden buildings still stand in Kennecott, and many people believe that they are haunted by former miners and railroad workers, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

ARIZONA: Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction
A rainbow over Lost Dutchman State Park
Lost Dutchman State Park

EdwinM/Shutterstock

The Lost Dutchman gold mine is believed to be situated in a state park in Apache Junction, Arizona, although its exact location is unclear.

The park is said to be haunted by the spirits of people who died over the years searching for the mine, the Phoenix New Times reported.

ARKANSAS: Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs
Crescent Hotel Arkansas
Crescent Hotel in Arkansas.

RaksyBH/Shutterstock

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, takes pride in its reputation as a haunted hotel.

Guests can join ghost tours and catch a glimpse of several ghosts who reportedly haunt the property, including one known as "the girl in the mist."

CALIFORNIA: Bodie
Abandoned buildings in bodie, california
Bodie, CA

UTBP/Shutterstock

According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Bodie, California, is a ghost town turned state park that offers a taste of life during the gold rush of the late 1800s.

Many homes and other buildings are still standing in the town today. Some people believe that the town is haunted by former residents, Legends of America reported.

COLORADO: St. Elmo
st elmo colorado

Nadja Rider/Shutterstock

St. Elmo, Colorado, was a thriving mining town in the late 1800s, though it was abandoned as soon as the area's mines shut down, History Colorado reported.

The ghost town has been well-maintained, allowing visitors to get a sense of life in the late 19th century. They might even catch a glimpse of ghosts of former residents.

There's a particularly popular ghost story about Annabelle Stark, a woman from St. Elmo who is said to have continued living there even after the town was entirely abandoned.

CONNECTICUT: Old Newgate Prison, East Granby
Old Newgate Prison
The remains of Old Newgate Prison.

Shanshan0312/Shutterstock

Connecticut History reported that the Old Newgate Prison was the first prison in the state of Connecticut, operating from 1773 to 1827. Most notably, it once held prisoners of war during the Revolutionary War.

Many people believe that the site is haunted by soldiers and prisoners who died while trying to escape from the prison. 

DELAWARE: Fort Delaware, Delaware City
Fort Delaware

T.J. H./Yelp

Fort Delaware is situated on its own island, accessible only by ferry. It was built as a Union fortress during the Civil War and was later used as a prison for Confederate soldiers.

Many prisoners died while held captive, and their ghosts are believed to haunt the property today, the Delaware News Journal reported.

Paranormal tours are currently being offered on Friday and Saturday nights, but visitors need to make a reservation.

FLORIDA: Old St. Johns County Jail, St. Augustine
Old St. Johns County Jail
Old St. Johns County Jail.

Cindy P./Yelp

The Old St. Johns County Jail no longer houses inmates, although the spirits of many of St. Augustine's violent criminals reportedly still haunt the historic jail.

The jail is now a museum, and visitors can go on nighttime "Old Jail After Dark" tours to try to spot the ghosts for themselves. 

GEORGIA: Lucas Theatre, Savannah
lucas theater georgia

Noah Densmore/Shutterstock

Aside from being a beautiful Southern city with tons of history, Savannah, Georgia, is also said to be haunted.

The Lucas Theatre is just one of the city's haunted locales.

According to a local tour company, visitors to the historic theater have reported ghost sightings, including shadowy figures and sounds of applause, even when there's no one around.

HAWAII: 'Iolani Palace, Honolulu
Iolani Palace Hawaii

Shutterstock

The 'Iolani Palace was once home to Hawaii's royalty, although today it serves as a museum of Hawaiian history.

Queen Lili'uokalani and other Hawaiian royals are said to haunt the palace. One room in the museum is notorious for supernatural activity — visitors have reported hearing mysterious music and chanting, Honolulu Magazine reported.

IDAHO: Old Idaho Penitentiary, Boise
old idaho penitentiary
Old Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, Idaho.

Frank L Junior/Shutterstock

According to the Idaho State Historical Society, the Old Idaho Penitentiary housed some of the area's most dangerous criminals for over 100 years until it closed in 1973.

Visitors can now explore the expansive property in Boise, including jail cells that are reportedly haunted by former inmates.

ILLINOIS: Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago
The Congress Plaza Hotel
The Congress Plaza Hotel.

Felix Lipov/Shutterstock

The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, has almost too many ghost stories to count. The hotel was built for the World's Fair in 1893, and there have been tales of paranormal activity ever since.

For example, the serial killer H.H. Holmes is said to have lured his victims to the hotel. Hotel guests have also reported seeing the ghosts of Al Capone and a ghost called Peg Leg Johnny around the property, Choose Chicago reported.

And if all that isn't spooky enough, the hotel is reportedly the inspiration behind Stephen King's short story, "1408."

INDIANA: Indiana Medical History Museum, Indianapolis
indiana medical history museum

Lauren W./Yelp

The Indiana Medical History Museum is situated in the oldest surviving pathology building in the United States. It is also said to be haunted by the spirits of former patients of Central State Hospital.

The museum, located in Indianapolis, is home to recreations of amphitheaters and laboratories that were once used by the hospital, which treated a variety of different mental-health-related illnesses from 1848 until the late 1990s, according to the museum.

IOWA: Villisca Ax Murder House, Villisca, Iowa
Villisca Ax Murder House

Mike P./Yelp

According to the house's official website, six members of the Moore family, plus two houseguests, were brutally killed by an ax murderer who was never identified on June 10, 1912. Their restless spirits are said to still haunt the grounds.

Guests can visit the house during the daytime, but to experience it in its full creepiness, you can make a reservation to spend the night.

KANSAS: Stull Cemetery, Stull
Stull Cemetery Kansas

Ayleen Gaspar/Yelp

A haunted cemetery? No surprise there. However, Stull Cemetery in Kansas is known to be particularly spooky. 

The cemetery is located in a tiny, nearly abandoned town outside of Lawrence. It has reportedly been the site of witchcraft and other supernatural activity over the years.

KENTUCKY: Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville
Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Dylan Lovan/AP

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium started as a one-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospital later purchased the land and built the sanatorium, which opened in 1910 as a small quarantine for tuberculosis patients.

The large building that now stands abandoned was built in 1926 to meet the need for a larger facility; the sanatorium could house over 400 patients, according to its website.

Waverly Hills was its own community, complete with a ZIP code, post office, and water treatment facility. Everyone in the sanatorium — patients, nurses, doctors — was cut off from the outside world. It closed in 1961 after the discovery of an antibiotic that cured tuberculosis.

However, it's believed that some patients never left and still haunt the grounds. Visitors can participate in ghost tours on the hospital grounds during the fall season.

LOUISIANA: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 new orleans
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Page Light Studios/Shutterstock

One of the most notable people buried at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans is Marie Laveau, a voodoo priestess who died in 1881, according to the New Orleans Historical Society.

Given her unique profession, many people believe Laveau's spirit remains present in the cemetery to this day.

Atlas Obscura reported that actor Nicolas Cage bought a burial tomb in the cemetery, so there's no telling about the cemetery's haunted future.

MAINE: Wood Island Lighthouse, Saco
wood island lighthouse

Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

The Wood Island Lighthouse is one of the many beautiful lighthouses on Maine's coastline. It differs, however, in that it's said to be haunted.

In fact, the television show "Ghost Hunters" visited the lighthouse in 2006 to investigate paranormal activity in the area, according to the official Wood Island Lighthouse website.

MARYLAND: Antietam National Battlefield, Washington County
Antietam Battlefield
Antietam Battlefield.

EsqPro Creative Group/Shutterstock

Many people visit the Antietam National Battlefield in Washington County, Maryland, to learn about the history of the Civil War.

However, others visit to explore the supernatural activity at the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

Given the site's history, it's understandable why many people believe the battlefield is full of spirits. The area is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the soldiers who were killed there in 1862, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

MASSACHUSETTS: The Mount, Lenox
The Mount
The decorative study room inside The Mount historic museum that is a country house in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Shanshan0312/Shutterstock

The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts, is a historic estate that was once home to the writer Edith Wharton. Aside from being a beautifully restored architectural masterpiece, the estate also has a haunted history.

When she was alive, Wharton herself often wrote about ghosts, so it's no surprise that her former home may be haunted.

Visitors can see for themselves on one of the estate's ghost tours, both online and, hopefully, in person later this season. 

MICHIGAN: Detroit Masonic Temple, Detroit
detroit masonic temple

summersetretrievers/iStock

From cold spots and doors slamming to odd shadows, the Detroit Masonic Temple reportedly has it all.

One ghost in particular said to haunt the 1,037-room building is that of George D. Mason, one of its architects, according to the Detroit Historical Society.

However, while legend goes that Mason, distraught over financial losses and the death of his wife, died by suicide by jumping off the top of the 210-foot building, the historical society says this isn't true. 

"While the story makes for a great Halloween horror tale, it is not true," the Detroit Historical Society states on its website. "George Mason died in 1948 at 91 years old in his home in the Wilshire Apartment building on Grand Boulevard."

MINNESOTA: Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul
Fitzgerald Theater
Fitzgerald Theater.

Karl W./Yelp

The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, is the oldest surviving theater in the city, and its rich history is accompanied by some ghost stories.

The theater is perhaps best known for its production of Garrison Keillor's variety show, "A Prairie Home Companion," which began in 1974.

Over the years, visitors to the theater have reported sightings of a ghost named Ben, who apparently used to work on the site as a stagehand, Minnesota Haunted Houses reported.

MISSISSIPPI: King's Tavern, Natchez
King’s Tavern

Shantel M./Yelp

King's Tavern in Natchez, Mississippi, now operates as a cooking school where Chef Regina Charboneau hosts cooking classes and dinners, although it once had many stories to accompany its hundreds of years of history, including some that involve ghosts.

According to one blog, the ghost of the mistress of the tavern's first owner — who is said to have been murdered there — reportedly haunted the restaurant.

MISSOURI: Governor's Mansion, Jefferson City
Missouri Governor's Mansion
Missouri Governor's Mansion.

Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock

The Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City, Missouri, is one of the state's most beautiful historic buildings, dating back to 1871.

In 1882, the governor's family experienced a tragedy when their 9-year-old daughter, Carrie, died from diphtheria.

Years later, a construction worker who was renovating the mansion reported seeing a young girl playing in the attic, the News Tribune reported in 2014.

Some people believe that he saw the ghost of Carrie.

MONTANA: Daly Mansion, Hamilton
daly mansion

Mark H./Yelp

Now a popular wedding and event venue, the Daly Mansion has a reportedly haunted history.

Over the years, the staff at the estate have reported occurrences of paranormal activity, including a gold picture frame that is frequently found removed from the wall and placed on the ground, the Billings Gazette reported.

NEBRASKA: Ball Cemetery, Springfield
Tombstones In Cemetery (file photo).
Tombstones In Cemetery (file photo).

Credit: Brais Seara Fernandez/EyeEm/Getty Images

With gravestones in Ball Cemetery dating back to the late 1860s, this historic cemetery is one of the oldest in the state.

Multiple spirits have reportedly been sighted here, including a tall, angry man who has been seen kicking over gravestones and a woman named Mary Mumford, who is said to tug at visitors' clothes, according to Nebraska Haunted Houses.

NEVADA: Bowers Mansion, Washoe City
bowers mansion
Bowers Mansion.

Hank Shiffman/Shutterstock

The Bowers Mansion is a stately home in Washoe City, Nevada, with a spooky history.

The home once belonged to local millionaires Eilley and Sandy Bowers, and, as legend has it, after Sandy died, his wife held seances to try to conjure his spirit, Nevada Ghost Towns and Beyond reported.

It's unclear whether she ever managed to reach her husband, although visitors report seeing mysterious figures around the property to this day. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Alton Town Hall, Alton
alton town hall

Google Maps

This historic government building in Alton, New Hampshire, is not only a beautiful landmark but also the site of reported paranormal activity, as New Hampshire Magazine reported in 2020.

Locals have reported seeing furniture that moves, doors that open and close on their own, and hearing mysterious voices. 

NEW JERSEY: Pine Barrens
Pine Barrens
Forests of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Jorge Moro/Shutterstock

The Pine Barrens in New Jersey are one of the state's spookiest locations.

Condé Nast Traveler reported that the forest spans seven counties and is home to numerous ghost towns.

During the colonial era, the area was bustling with sawmills, paper mills, and towns to accompany them; however, these industries were all abandoned when coal was discovered in Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that it's also said to be home to the infamous Jersey Devil, a beast that the Pinelands Preservation Alliance describes as "a kangaroo-like creature with the face of a horse, the head of a dog, bat-like wings, horns, and a tail."

NEW MEXICO: The Luna Mansion, Los Lunas
luna mansion in New Mexico
Luna Mansion in New Mexico

The Luna Mansion

The Luna Mansion, a historic 19th-century estate near Albuquerque, New Mexico, operated as a restaurant until closing in 2020. In 2026, the property began preparing to reopen as an event venue under new ownership, with a haunted-house experience planned for October, according to a local news website.

When the site operated as a restaurant, visitors reported seeing ghosts from the estate's past, including a woman named Josefina, who was the home's interior decorator.

Legends of America reported that one sighting included a rocking chair — placed under her portrait — rocking without anyone in it.

"I hear things," general manager Farid Himeur told KOAT in 2017. "I see things that aren't supposed to happen."

NEW YORK: Letchworth Village, Thiells
Letchworth Village
Abandoned building from Letchworth Village.

littlenySTOCK/Shutterstock

Letchworth Village is a former psychiatric hospital that has fallen into a state of complete disrepair, Hudson Valley Magazine reported in 2020.

Located in Thiells, New York, the campus spans 2,000 acres and features various medical buildings, dormitories, and a synagogue.

Like many hospitals and institutions, Letchworth Village is allegedly haunted by the spirits of former patients, and was even featured on the Travel Channel's popular series "Ghost Adventures."

NORTH CAROLINA: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Hatteras Island
cape hatteras lighthouse

Hale Kell/Shutterstock

The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is an iconic fixture on the North Carolina coastline, said to be haunted by a woman named Theodosia Burr, according to a local travel website.

Burr, the daughter of Founding Father Aaron Burr and a character mentioned in the hit musical "Hamilton," was killed in a shipwreck in 1812.

She is believed to haunt the lighthouse and the surrounding shore.

The lighthouse is closed for climbing through at least the end of 2026, with plans to potentially reopen in the summer of 2027.

NORTH DAKOTA: Fort Abraham Lincoln, Mandan
Fort Abraham Lincoln
Fort Abraham Lincoln.

Bob Pool/Shutterstock

Fort Abraham Lincoln's history dates back to 1872.

George Armstrong Custer, a lieutenant colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War, built the fort but died just four years after its completion. 

People who visit the fort today have reported seeing the ghost of Custer and his wife on the property, local news station KX News.

OHIO: Moonville Tunnel, Vinton County
Moonville Tunnel
Entrance of the Moonville Tunnel.

CreativEdge/Shutterstock

Now overgrown and covered in graffiti, the Moonville Tunnel is a favorite spot among urban explorers and ghost hunters in Ohio.

The tunnel was once used by the local railroad, although it has been in disrepair for years. According to a local legend, some of the ghosts that haunt the tunnel include an old engineer and a railway brakeman.

OKLAHOMA: The Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City
The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City
This hotel is a unique landmark in Oklahoma City's skyline.

The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City/Yelp

The unique architecture of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel, which dates back to 1911, is striking. The hotel reportedly even offered a private room where guests could drink alcohol during Prohibition, Historic Hotels of America reported.

Opposing NBA teams often stay at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel when they visit the city to play the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over the years, many players have reported ghost sightings, specifically of a woman named Effie who died at the hotel, The New York Times reported.

OREGON: The Shanghai Tunnels, Portland
Shanghai Tunnels
A stairway to the Shanghai Tunnels.

Brooke B./Yelp

Travel Portland reported that the Shanghai Tunnels in Portland get their name from the practice of kidnapping and selling men as workers on ships headed to East Asia.

Restless, agitated spirits of men who were drugged and trafficked in the city's ports during the early 19th century are said to haunt the underground tunnels through which they were reportedly sold.

Legend has it that the local saloons had entrances to the tunnels, enabling swindlers to prey on unsuspecting patrons and bring them directly underground before they even knew what was happening.

Visitors can take walking tours to learn more about the dark history of the tunnels.

PENNSYLVANIA: Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia
eastern state penitentiary

Paul Marotta/ Getty

During its heyday, Eastern State Penitentiary was one of the most expensive and well-known prisons in the world. According to the official Eastern State Penitentiary website, it was built in 1829 and housed notable criminals, including Al Capone and the bank robber known as "Slick Willie."

Up until overcrowding became a problem in 1913, prisoners were kept in complete solitude at all times. Even when prisoners left their cell, a guard would cover their heads so they couldn't see and no one could see them.

Today, the decaying penitentiary offers ghost tours and a museum. Condé Nast Traveler reported that shadowy figures, laughter, and footsteps have all been reported as paranormal activity within the prison walls.

RHODE ISLAND: The Breakers, Newport
the breakers

Felix Lipov/Shutterstock

The Breakers Mansion is a popular museum for tourists in Newport, Rhode Island, but is said to have paranormal activity.

Alice Vanderbilt, the matriarch of the wealthy Vanderbilt family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lived in the mansion for many years after her husband, Cornelius, died.

Her ghost is said to still roam the giant home, Nostalgia Providence reported.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Poinsett Bridge, Greenville
point bridge

Agent-007/Shutterstock

Besides bearing the distinction of South Carolina's oldest bridge, Poinsett is also believed by many to be a particularly spooky spot, Condé Nast Traveler reported.

The bridge, which was built entirely out of stone in 1820, is rumored to be haunted by multiple ghosts.

There's the story of the mason who died while building the bridge; his body is said to be entombed inside it. There's also the story of a man who died here in a car accident in the '50s and an enslaved person who was lynched near the bridge.

SOUTH DAKOTA: The Historic Bullock Hotel, Deadwood
bullock hotel south dakota

Jess Kraft/Shutterstock

The Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota, is reportedly haunted by Deadwood's first Sheriff, Seth Bullock.

According to the hotel's website, guests and staff have seen items "inexplicably moved by unseen hands," and showers turn on out of nowhere.

TENNESSEE: The Orpheum Theatre, Memphis
Orpheum Theater
The Orpheum Theater.

Harold Stiver/Shutterstock

The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis has survived bankruptcies, a fire, and a threat of demolition since it opened in 1928, according to the theater's website.

Furnished with 2,000-pound chandeliers and gold leafing, its stunning interior seats 2,000 people, but there's also plenty of room for spirits.

A little girl named Mary is one of six ghosts that have been spotted in the theater, according to The Tennessee State Museum. Performers onstage have spotted her in the audience of their shows, and theatergoers have seen her dancing in the lobby.

TEXAS: The Alamo, San Antonio
The Alamo

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

The Alamo is one of the most iconic monuments in the US.

Given its extensive history, it's understandable why many people believe the site is haunted.

History buffs interested in paranormal activity can go on ghost tours of the site in hopes of catching a glimpse of the spirits of those who died there during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. 

UTAH: Fort Douglas Military Museum, Salt Lake City
Fort Douglas Military Museum
Fort Douglas Military Museum.

Lori I./Yelp

The Fort Douglas Military Museum was formerly known simply as Fort Douglas. Located near the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, the military fort dates back to 1862.

The Daily Utah Chronicle reported in 2014 that visitors to the museum spoke of sightings of a ghost named Clem, a soldier who died at the fort.

Reports of paranormal activity include seeing a figure in Civil War military garb and people feeling something — or someone — breathing down their necks. 

The museum is temporarily closed but will reopen on November 14th.

VERMONT: Emily's Bridge, Stowe
Emily's Bridge
Emily's Bridge.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

New England is known for its beautiful covered bridges.

However, Emily's Bridge in Stowe, Vermont, is said to be haunted.

According to the Vermont Historical Society, local legend has it that sometime between 1849 and 1949, a young woman named Emily killed herself on the bridge after she was jilted by her lover.

Local lore holds that her spirit has haunted the area ever since, although the historical society claims there is no evidence to suggest that anyone died at the site.

VIRGINIA: Oak Grove Cemetery, Lexington
stonewall jackson cemetery

Chuck M./Yelp

This cemetery was originally named after Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate general who is buried on the site, but was renamed to Oak Grove Cemetery in 2020.

Located in Lexington, Virginia, the cemetery is said to be haunted by Jackson and other Civil War soldiers, according to the official Visit Virginia website.

WASHINGTON: Northern State Mental Hospital, Sedro-Woolley
Northern State Mental Hospital
Northern State Mental Hospital.

Nomad_Photo/Shutterstock

Located in northern Washington, this former hospital was once a fully self-sustaining psychiatric facility.

The Northern State Mental Hospital operated from 1912 to 1976, and although it has been closed for many years, many of its buildings still stand today.

It's said that thousands of patients may have died here, and a graveyard behind the old gymnasium has many unmarked graves.

However, the Seattle Times reported in 2023 that two never-before-released death registers contain information on patients who died at Northern State Hospital between 1911 and 1963.

Some of the hospital's expansive property now operates as a recreational area, although it's said to be haunted by former patients. 

WEST VIRGINIA: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston
Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum West Virginia

David Smith/AP

Originally built as a place of healing, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum welcomed its first patients in 1864.

According to the hospital's official website, it hit its peak in 1950 when the psychiatric hospital was home to 2,400 patients, many of whom endured lobotomies and electroshock therapy.

Mental health reforms and the building's poor condition led to the hospital's closure in 1994. However, many patients died there during the facility's 130 years of operation. Some are believed to haunt the building's halls, which is why it attracts visitors and ghost hunters.

Visitors interested in exploring paranormal activity can join ghost tours on the site.

WISCONSIN: The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee
Pfister Hotel
The interior of the famous Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.

Jeff Bukowski/Shutterstock

The Pfister Hotel is popular among professional athletes who visit Milwaukee for games, although the hotel's haunted history has made many guests skeptical about staying there.

Guests have reported hearing mysterious knocking sounds and voices.

The Los Angeles Times reported in 2005 that Adrián Beltré of the Los Angeles Dodgers said he couldn't sleep during his stay at the Pfister because of the strange noises. 

WYOMING: The Historic Occidental Hotel, Buffalo
The Occidental Hotel

MtPleasantChica/Yelp

A stay at the Historic Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, Wyoming, is like taking a step back in time to the Old West.

Famous figures from the era, like Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, and even President Theodore Roosevelt, have visited the hotel over the years.

Given the hotel's rich history, it's no surprise that some people believe it is haunted by former guests, and it was even featured on the Travel Channel's "Dead Files."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Associação de Jovens do Algoz apresenta a Vila Halloween com concurso de máscaras

16 October 2026 at 17:19

A AJA – Associação de Jovens do Algoz organiza o evento ‘Vila Halloween’ no próximo dia 31 de outubro, cuja iniciativa tem início às 19h00 e decorre no Salão do Centro Cultural Luís Augusto Mascarenhas, em Algoz.

O objetivo da associação passa por assinalar a data festiva e fomentar o convívio entre os residentes e visitantes da freguesia numa festa temática.

O programa do evento integra um concurso de máscaras com prémios para os três primeiros classificados, sendo que o vencedor recebe uma garrafa e um desconto de 1.000 euros na aquisição de uma viatura na TS Autodream, o 2.º classificado obtém um bilhete de uma hora no Quantum Park e o 3.º classificado garante dez imperiais.

A animação musical conta com um baile conduzido por Marco Filipe e com a atuação do DJ Diogo Gigante. O recinto dispõe de uma zona de comes e bebes, onde haverá venda de caldo verde a partir da meia-noite. As entradas são livres.

A realização do evento conta com o apoio do Município de Silves e da Junta de Freguesia de Algoz, a parceria do Moto Clube de Algoz e o patrocínio da TS Autodream.

“Esta iniciativa espelha aquilo que pretendemos trazer para a nossa terra. Proporcionar momentos de encontro, envolver a comunidade local e trazer entretenimento diversificado para o Algoz. A imaginação e a criatividade desta associação não tem limites“, afirma a Direção da AJA.

Sobre a AJA – Associação de Jovens do Algoz

A AJA – Associação de Jovens do Algoz é uma associação local dedicada ao desenvolvimento de iniciativas no setor desportivo, pedagógico, cultural e recreativo. A sua missão centra-se na alavancagem dos jovens para a vida em comunidade.

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