The World's Most Haunted Places

When it comes to the supernatural there are believers and skeptics; however, after one night at one of the world’s most haunted locations it is entirely possible that those skeptics will be made in to believers. What prompts people to visit these locations that are shrouded in death, mystery and deception? For the believers there is a desire to communicate and seek physical evidence of the supernatural, but for the nonbelievers there is a desire to debunk the possibility of life after death. Despite the intent of believers and nonbelievers both, it seems that just one experience in any one of these creepy locations can steal the courage of even the bravest skeptic.

Throughout the world there are a variety of haunted locations that make the list of haunted locations around the world, but when it comes to the world’s most haunted locales? The competition is tough but below is some of the places that top the list!

Poveglia

Poveglia is a small island that belongs to Italy but spent the majority of its life serving as a location of confinement for victims of the black plague. Anyone suspected of having the plague either through symptoms or due to a family member having the plague was shipped out to the island and left to die. Sure, the island had its uses after the plague victims had long been forgotten, it even served as a retirement home at one point, but it seems that nothing could shake free from the grip of those who succumbed to the Black Death. Only tourists and ghost hunters dare step foot on the island where 160,000 souls found no rest in their mass burial and cremation sites, locals won’t step anywhere near the island of the living dead.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium stands in Louisville, Kentucky and has long stood empty except for the souls of those who just can’t leave. At the time of its construction the sanatorium was best known for its advanced treatment for tuberculosis, but ask any historian these days and you’ll find out that this haunted institution is known for much more than that. Experimental treatments of tuberculosis patients at the sanatorium consisted of removal of ribs and application of experimental procedures which often led to retardation or death. What is the star attraction of the sanatorium these days? Ghost hunters’ flock to the body chute, a tunnel built to transport the multitude of dead bodies daily from the hospital to an awaiting hearse so that other patients would not see their fate. The doors of this haunted locale closed in 1962 but ask anyone who has dared to step foot in to this spiritual abode and they will tell you that there is nothing silent about this abandoned institution.

The Tower Of London

A hop over the water to London, England will reveal a popular haunt for ghosts of all classes – the tower of London. It is said that Ann Boleyn who was beheaded after being imprisoned in the tower by her husband Henry VIII, walks the tower with her head under her arm at night, she isn’t the only spirit to inhabit this famous location though. As the tower served as a holding cell for those condemned to beheading it seems to draw back the spirits of the dead who spent their last hours locked within its cold stone walls. Believers in the paranormal state that those who died in turmoil have trouble passing to the other side, if that is the case it’s no wonder that the tower echoes with the cries of the dearly departed.

Unit 731 Experimentation Camp

Unit 731 Experimentation Camp is a well kept secret among world historians but any ghost hunter that knows their stuff can tell you that the camp, located in Manchuria, China is a pit of spiritual unrest. Similar to Nazi concentration camps, Unit 731 saw the torture and killing of thousands of Manchurians who were taken by the Japanese during the first years of World War II. The torturous experiments that brought the end to many innocents also left plenty of others seriously deformed and critically ill and according to paranormal experts the halls still echo with the pain of the dead. If the haunting history of the location doesn’t give you goose bumps, the voices of the long departed surely will.

Aokigahara Forest

Aokigahara forest is often referred to as the sea of trees and is located in Japan at the base of Mount Fuji. Tales of the spirits that roam the forest center upon the use of this haunted location as a final resting place for suicidal lovers everywhere. Others claim that the abandoning of the dying elderly in the forest is the reason for its haunted history.  As if the forest seeing so much death has soaked in to the very soil, there is no wildlife to be found inside this pitch black forest. Whatever the reason for the attraction of death to Aokigahara Forest ghost hunters flock from all over the globe to investigate the whispering voices that filter through the tightly packed trees.

The Stanley Hotel

Built by Freelan Oscar Stanley in the Colorado Rockies the Stanley Hotel is most commonly recognized as the inspiration behind Steven King’s novel “The Shining,” what many people won’t tell you is that the novel is based upon King’s experiences with the ghosts residing in the hotel. The halls and rooms of the hotel are said to echo with the voices of the dead including Mr. Stanley himself. The most frequently seen ghosts of the hotel include the haunting twins of room 418, the same twins that feature in the novel “The Shining.” Not sure you buy in to the spirits of the Stanley Hotel? One night in room 418 might just change your mind.

Devil’s Den

Devil’s Den in Gettysburg Pennsylvania is a craggy location surrounded by shrubs that saw so much blood and battle from the battle of Gettysburg that many of the spirits that found their end among those rocks never left. The battle of Gettysburg saw the death of more than 50,000 American soldiers, many of whom are believed to still haunt the scene of their final moments today. Ghost hunters worldwide flock to Devil’s Den to communicate with the long departed soldiers and many claim to have spotted spirit soldiers still roaming the often used high ground.

The Myrtles Plantation

Ask anyone who has lived in Louisiana and they will tell you that the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is one of the most haunted locations in the world. Standing since 1776 the plantation saw the hanging of slaves as well as the murdering of two children who were believed to have been poisoned by one of the family’s slaves who was hung for her offence. All of these individuals are said to still haunt the plantation looking for justice for their untimely ends.

Rookwood Cemetery

When it comes to cemeteries it takes quite a bit to be named the world’s most haunted cemetery; however, Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney, Australia has earned that honor. Over one million souls claim the cemetery as their final resting spot and as local believers will tell you, there is very little resting taking place. As if having so many departed souls in one location isn’t enough to prompt paranormal activity, the fact that large portions of the cemetery have been left to fall in to disarray probably is. Visitors to the cemetery claim to have caught more paranormal activity on camera in Rookwood than in any other cemetery in the world.

The Proof Is In the Pudding

The locations above are only a few of the world’s most haunted locations but if you are a skeptic looking for a reason to believe any one of these locales is a good place to start. If, however, you are a believer looking for evidence to back up your beliefs, grab your camera and book yourself in for a night at the Myrtles Plantation or perhaps take a solitary walk through Unit 731 and listen to the voices of those long departed. Whichever camp you fall in to there is one fact that remains, after a visit to any of these world’s most haunted places, you will leave a believer.