Ghosts and paranormal activity has always been a subject of interest. Some are curious to know about the existence of the ghosts whereas some go through terrors, some love to visit such haunted places and investigate on the paranormal activities while some have chills run down their spine just by listening to the stories. Whatever one may feel, but there is always a deserted house, a hotel, a hill, a tree or even just a dried well in every locality in every country as adults as well as children are restricted to go to those places.
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Most haunted places in the world :
Eastern State Penitentiary
It is a famous prison in Philadelphia, popular for imprisoning infamous convicts like Al Capone and Willie Sutton. Its dark reputation has been solidified by the reports of paranormal activities since the ‘40s. The prisoners went through a dark time when solitary confinement was followed in the prison i.e. placing a black hood over a prisoner’s head to make sure that the prisoner wasn’t exposed to any other human face. This made the prisoners go insane, and the spirits of these prisoners now haunt the jail. Reports depict the presence of shadowy figures that disappeared on approach, a ghost in the guard tower, some evil laughter in cell block 12, appearance of faces from the dark in cell block 4, a swing of voices, and empty rooms and hallways echo with footsteps.
The Old Changi Hospital (Changi, Singapore)
The Old Changi Hospital was opened in 1935. But the hospital was more like a prison as it was used by the Japanese Secret police as a torture camp, during WWII. After the end of the war, the building operated as a hospital. It was shut down in 1997. Now it is a decaying haunted building with the ghosts of executes Japanese soldiers and by the patients that died. An old man fades in and out of sight and haunts the corridors by wandering aimlessly; also a woman in various rooms has been observed. The spirits of children wander in the old children’s ward. Bloodied and broken Japanese soldiers are seen. Some other occurrence is loud bangs, crashes, and screams.
Akershus Castle (Oslo, Norway)
Akershus Castle in Oslo, Norway has a spine-chilling history with aiding as a prison and Nazi occupation. The castle is a dwelling to a plethora of bizarre residents. One of the popular stories is that the castle gate is guarded by a demon-hellhound named Malcanisen, who appears as a huge black dog and fades away into the shadow. Another ghostly sighting is where the sound of a horse is heard and is believed to be an omen of death for whoever hears them. Another sighting traveling in the castle is the scariest dweller that fades in and out of the darkness. She is often in her long robe and the woman has no face.
La Isla de la Muñecas/Island of the Dolls (Xochimilco, Mexico)
Located in Mexico, La Isla de la Muñecas is often referred to as The Island of Dolls. The island is adorned by thousands of dolls and their eyes seem to be following one. The story of the island goes that one day; a man named Don Julian Santana, left his family and came to the island to live a solitary life. On his arrival, he tripped on the dead body of a young girl faced down in the canal. She had drowned in the canal and her doll floated near her. Don holds a memorial which soon became an obsession to bring in more and more dolls on the island. It is believed that decorating the island with dolls was the dead girl’s ghost demand. Today thousands of dolls are seen in the island hanging from the trees from a noose, some with spikes stuffed into their heads. Don Julian Santana lived on the island till 2001 insanely decking the island with thousands of dolls. His body was found in the same position and the same spot as the girl’s dead body, body floating with face down in the canal.
Poveglia islands (Italy)
Poveglia islands, a terrifying island lays in the Lagoon of Venice. The island was a quarantine are in the 14th-century, where the Venetians ridden with the bubonic plague were sent to die. A number of dead bodies stacked up in the island. In 14th C and two centuries later, Europe’s population was decimated due to the Black Death. So a need arose to dispose-off the bodies. The pile of corpses was burned on massive funeral pyres. In the 1800’s the island’s building was transformed into a mental asylum where brutal experimental procedures were conducted on the patients. The island was later a point of torture and suicide. Eventually, it was used as an old age home before shutting down in 1975 and then abandoned. At present, the island practically is a home of those that have died here. Ghostly voices and screams, a glimpse of shadow out of the corner of an eye, and sudden occurrence of homicidal thoughts have been reported. If not homicidal thoughts, the visitors have often reported a feeling of evil vibe that scares the terror out of them till then run away from the island.
Lawang Sewu (Semarang, Indonesia)
Lawang Sewu, Indonesia was built in 1971 by the Dutch East Indian Railway Company. It was occupied by the Japanese forces during WWII. The basement of Building B was a site of torture and many other ferocious executions. It was used as a prison especially for the Dutch people. Lawang Sewu is now the most haunted place in Indonesia, an international hotspot for ghost hunters. A number of headless spirits roam the grounds and the most well-known menace is a Dutch woman’s ghost who committed suicide here. Some visitors have also encountered with a vampire spirit named Pontianak, a red-eyed woman in white dress smeared in blood with long black hair waiting to tear into the stomach of her victims to devour their internal organs.
Banff Springs Hotel (Alberta, Canada)
The Banff Springs Hotel, Canada, is beautiful and terrifying. This hotel has some residents that have never checked out. This 129-year-old hotel has more than one haunting story. One such story is of a newly-wed bride who died tripped on the stairs when her heel was caught in the hem of her dress and broke her neck. Some say that her wedding dress brushed against candlesticks and her dress went ablaze. She haunts the hotel’s the ballroom waiting for her first dance and flames burst out from her dress. Some have also seen a veiled woman walking up and down the stairs.
Another spirit haunting the hotel belongs to Sam McCauley the bell boy. Sam is a helpful spirit that has often helped the guests in the chores and is seen in his old office. The most terrifying ghost encountered is the family that was murdered in Room 873 for unknown reasons.
The Castle of Good Hope (Cape Town, South Africa)
South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope built in the 17th century is the oldest colonial building and a home to several phantoms. It was in 1915 when the first official haunting was seen. A tall man is repeatedly seen flinging himself from the castle a number of times over the last decade. Other stories include the ghost of a big black dog that leaps on visitors before disappearing into thin air.
A guard committed suicide byhanging his neck from the bell rope in the bell tower. Centuries ago the bell tower was sealed and yet the sound of the bells ringing from the bell tower is regularly heard. Also,a panic-stricken old Lady haunts the castle by crying and running in its corridors.
Monte Cristo Homestead (New South Wales, Australia)
Constructed in 1848 in Australia, this house has been a host to several tragedies. The tragedies include a pregnant maid committed suicide by throwing herself from the balcony allegedly knocked-up by the master of that house, a tragic death of a baby dropped down the stairs, a servant-boy died burning in the stables, and a caretaker chained up his son in a shed for 30 years. The current owners of the house have experienced bumps in the night and ghostly hand on the shoulder etc.
The woods of Aokigahara (Mount Fuji, Japan)
Japan’s Aokigahara forest is better known as the Suicide Forest. It is a final resting place for over 500 people that have ended their lives here. The forest itself is unusually silent, with twisted trees and disoriented landscape. The spirits left from the suicides have imbued the soil. Another fact is that in ancient times when famine struck, the weaker and older people would be abandoned and sent to starve in the forest.
Catacombs of Paris
The appearance of these spider-webbing underpasses underneath the French capital is enough to scare the hell out of anyone. Due to over-crowding of the cemeteries in the 18th century, several corpses and the remains were laid artistically in the tunnels. The people have witnessed ghosts and spirits in these tunnels, there are also reports of people disappearing completely within these tunnels.
Bhangarh Fort (Rajasthan, India)
The spooky Bhangarh fort is located in India. The locals call it “Bhoot Bangla” meaning “a palace of ghosts”. Bhangarh Fort sits at the foot of a mountain with a number of temples, gates, and palaces. It was abandoned around 1783. The story goes that a sorcerer named Singhia was repulsed by a princess named Ratnavati. Legend says that he presented a charm-oil hoping it would make her fall in love with him. She threw the oil away and turned into a boulder. This crushed him and he cursed the palace, cursing the dwellers to death, without any hope of rebirth. The locals believe that anybody that spends the night in the fort is never seen again.
If you love adventure and horror, must read this article on top 10 haunted places in India that will run a shiver down your spines.
Ancient Ram Inn (Gloucestershire, England)
This 12th-century inn located in Wotton-under-Edge, England is one of the oldest inns in the western world. It was once a pagan burial ground so ghostly appearances of more than 20 spirits that include apparitions of children, a high priestess are seen.
Rose Hall (St.Bran’s Burg, Jamaica)
Rose Hall in Jamaica was earlier a plantation residence at Montego Bay. It is believed that one of its female owners practiced voodoo and used it to kill a number of her husbands and slaves. The Rose Hall is haunted by her dead husbands and her slaves.
Dragsholm Slot (Denmark)
Dragsholm Slot or Dragsholm Castle, Denmark, was built in 1215. In 16th and 17th-century certain parts of the castle were used as a prison for convicts belonging toa noble and religious class. Dragsholm castle is haunted by at least three ghosts that include a grey lady, a white lady, and the spirit of one of its prisoners.
