Cemeteries, haunted mansions, insane asylums, and murder scenes; when it comes to truly terrifying travel destinations, Group Tours has got you covered!
We know the scariest places to visit from coast to coast and want to take you to them all, from the grave of Marie Laveau to the halls of the Stanley Hotel.
Don't spend this Halloween bundled under covers with a scary movie or trick-or-treating around your neighborhood in hopes of a full-sized candy bar, head to any of these 13 locations and get truly tricked, treated, and scared, instead.
- St. Louis Cemetery - New Orleans, LA
A city decorated with legends of witches, voodoo queens, and vampires, New Orleans will provide your group with enough thrills and chills to last all year! Head to St. Louis Cemetery, the absolute oldest in the city, and see crumbling above-ground tombs and mausoleums, one of them belonging to the voodoo queen of New Orleans herself, Marie Laveau. - Mutter Museum - Philadelphia, PA
This is certainly one of the most unique options on our list, as well as one of the most unique museums in the U.S. At Mutter Museum your group will explore two floors filled with human specimens, experimental medical methods from the past, and surgical tools that you'd swear were torture devices. Talk about bone-chilling! - Winchester Mystery House - San Jose, CAThe biggest mystery about this house may just be how to make your way through it! With mile-long hallways, doors that open into walls, and staircases to nowhere, this maze-like Victorian house holds over 160 rooms and belonged to the Winchester family (popular rifle brand). The widow of the company owner's son believed the family had a curse placed on them by all those killed by their rifles, and that the only way to ward it off was to continue to build on her house. And that is exactly what she did, for the last 38 years of her life.
- Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Louisville, KY
Of course, any sanatorium from the past is probably a bit spooky in general, but this is especially true in Louisville's Waverly Hills Sanatorium, the spot with one of the highest death rates of patients due to tuberculosis. The hospital was built in 1910 during the peak of the disease outbreak and closed in 1962 when the sickness fizzled out, but not before taking 8,500 lives. It is said the patient's ghosts still roam the halls regularly, with tours given nightly to prove it. - Lemp Mansion - St. Louis, MO
With a seriously strong history of residential suicide, Lemp Mansion in St. Louis couldn't be left off of our list. This home belonged to William J Lemp, owner of Lemp Brewing Company, a highly successful brew business in the area in the early 1900's. After William's son died mysteriously in 1901, the family slowly tapered off after his brother, sister, mother and eventually William himself each shot themselves in the home. - Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum - Weston, WVThis West Virginia asylum held an average of around 2,500 patients, and for a certain period of time Civil War soldiers, at any given time during its extremely long run (1858-1994) giving it yet another one of the highest residential death rates of its kind. There are 25 total miles of hallways said to be haunted by the patients of the past, guided tours of this massive stone building available nightly.
- Stepp Cemetery - Benton, IN
In Benton Indiana, you will find a very small cemetery that probably wouldn't stand out to you upon passing it, with a mere two dozen markers remaining if that. The thing that attracts happy haunters to this spot is the history it has with the religious cult the Crabbites, a predominant group of people from the area's past that commonly committed animal sacrifices and other unmentionable common cult acts. This one will creep you out in a more subtle way. - Moundsville Penitentiary - Moundsville, WV
Over 1,000 inmates have died within the walls of Moundsville Penitentiary, the gothic style prison that opened in 1866. 94 men were executed here before 1899, these men believed to be the ghosts still roaming the halls. One of the most well-known entities here, however, is Shadow Man, a maintenance man from the penitentiary's past who got stabbed to death by inmates, the men angry at his close relationship with the guards. - Gettysburg Battlefield - Gettysburg, PA
Of course, you already know all about this infamous Civil War battleground, the site known to be the spot of one of the bloodiest battles in Civil War history. Over 50,000 soldiers from both sides perished in this field, making it one of the most reportedly haunted sites in the United States. Cannons, gunfire, and screams of agony are still said to be heard by tourists, especially around Devil's Den, the onsite rock formation in which several body remains were found not long after the battle. - Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, CoJack Nicholson may have made this place famous in the entertainment world, but did you know that the Stanley Hotel had rumors of being haunted well before The Shining brought it to life? This massive hotel in Estes Park is known to host the long-gone Mr. Stanley himself, oftentimes in the lobby and billiards room, as well as Mrs. Stanley, in the lobby playing the piano for guests. These mysterious appearances have been covered on almost every ghost tour and tv show possible, though nothing quite beats an in-person tour.
- St. Augustine Lighthouse - St. Augustine, FL
The St. Augustine Lighthouse may not be one of the most well-known haunted sites in America, but it certainly is one of the most unsettling. At this lighthouse it is said you can see the daughters of the Superintendent of Lighthouse Construction nightly, the girls said to have drowned right off the shore. There have been numerous Lighthouse Keeper deaths within, as well as several reports of shadows and giggling at night. - Villisca Axe Murder House - Villisca, IA
There's nothing quite as scary as an actual murder scene, which is exactly what you will find at the Villisca Axe Murder House. In June of 1912 the Moore family, a family of 6 including 4 children, and their 2 houseguests, also children, were all murdered in their sleep. It is reported that only one child was awake for the attack, with defense wounds on her arms from the ax. - Myrtles Plantation - St. Francisville, LA
Being built on top of an ancient First Nations burial ground didn't really start this plantation off on a good foot, but the 10 deaths seen within the grounds certainly didn't help either. The most well-known entity here is Chloe, a slave who was killed by her peers after trying to poison the house mistress. She is said to still roam the property today.
Too spooky for your blood? How about you take your group to a pumpkin patch instead? See the very best choices across the nation with our 'Best Pumpkin Patches Across America blog!
