15 Most Haunted Cities in the U.S.

Forget haunted houses — in these U.S. cities, the ghosts are real.

Hunting for paranormal activity is a great American pastime, and you don’t have to wait until Halloween for ghosts to make their appearance. Many cities across the U.S. have a reputation for being haunted year-round.

Cities steeped in centuries of history, cities with traumatic pasts and cities with strong magnetic fields (or a combination of all three) are prime real estate for ghostly inhabitants. Many of America’s haunted cities are in the South, but you’ll find haunted destinations all across the continental United States.

If you’re curious about the most haunted cities in the U.S., read on to discover what we’ve uncovered.

15. Portland, Oregon

Pacific Northwest Neighborhood And Homes in Portland Oregon

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Year founded: 1851

Population: 641,000

Why Portland is Considered Haunted

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Before Portland was a capital of cool, it had a dark and sordid past. A web of tunnels underneath the city streets, known as the Shanghai Tunnels, are some of the most haunted areas in the city. During the 19th century, the tunnels were used to transport illegal goods throughout the city.

The tunnels were also (allegedly) used to kidnap locals from bars and transport them to ships waiting to sail them off for human trafficking. Many say the souls still haunt the bars that sit above the old tunnels.

14. Pawley’s Island, South Carolina

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Year founded: 1711

Population: 132

Why Pawley’s Island is Considered Haunted

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South Carolina has its fair share of ghostly haunts but Pawley’s Island off the coast of Myrtle Beach may be one of the most haunted of them all. The most famous ghost on the island is that of the Grey Man, who appears to warn people of impending hurricanes. If you spot him walking on the beach, or if a man dressed in grey approaches you, you know it’s time to get off the island.

13. San Francisco, California

panorama of the golden gate bridge in san francisco during foggy weather; California, USA

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Year founded: 1776

Population: 815,000

Why San Francisco is Considered Haunted

Brodway, the main corridor of the cellhouse dividing B and C Blocks of Alcatraz Prison at Alcatraz Island.

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San Francisco’s mist-covered hills and centuries-old streets tell the stories of a spooky past. But perhaps one of the most famous haunted sites in the city is the former prison grounds of Alcatraz. It is long believed that a few ghosts are still roaming the hallways and abandoned jail cells of the island prison, Al Capone being the most famous.

12. Bodie, California

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Year founded: 1859

Population: 0 (Ghost town)

Why Bodie is Considered Haunted

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A ‘ghost town’ refers to a town that has been abandoned and is frozen in time. But for some ghost towns, like Bodie, California, the term “ghost” is much more literal. The former mining town in the Sierra Nevada mountains is one of the most haunted in the country.

The J.S. Cain House is said to be haunted by the ghost of a maid, while the Mendocino House has several resident ghosts. In the cemetery, the ghost of a three-year-old child who met an untimely death is said to come out and play with living children who wander near the grave.

11. Chicago, Illinois

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Year founded: 1837

Population: 2.6 million

Why Chicago is Considered Haunted

Old Memorial Statue in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago

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A city as famous for the grim and ghoulish as it is for art, music and culture, Chicago has quite a ghostly history. Oak Woods Cemetery has the graves of 6,000 Confederate soldiers, some of whom are said to come out and about. Some say they can still hear the screams of victims from Al Capone’s Valentine’s Day Massacre at the Clark Street Bridge. And if you’re driving along Archer Avenue, keep a lookout for the “Vanishing hitchhiker” who has been hitching rides since the 1930s.

10. Cahawba, Alabama

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Year founded: 1819

Population: 0 (Ghost town)

Why Cahawba is Considered Haunted

Ruins of the historic St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal Church at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park

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Cahawba was originally founded to be the original capital of Alabama. The town was abandoned after the Civil War, but some residents have remained indefinitely. Colonel C.C. Pegues, a Civil War colonel who was mortally wounded, is said to still occupy the town. He takes the shape of a peculiar ball of white floating light that appears in the woods at his former home.

9. Charleston, South Carolina

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Year founded: 1670

Population: 151,000

Why Charleston is Considered Haunted

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With nearly 400 years of history, and much of that history laden with pirate lore, a Civil War and a little bit of voodoo magic, it’s no wonder Charleston is a breeding ground for haunted tales. Charleston’s downtown, also known as The Battery, was used for artillery during the Civil War.

Today, the Battery Carriage House Inn is known for some rather long-term guests, like a couple of ghosts who don’t like to share the bed. The Dock Street Theatre also has a particularly spooky audience, notably the spirit of John Wilkes Booth, as well as that of a local sex worker named “Nettie.”

8. Shoshone Ice Caves, Idaho

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Year founded: 1864

Population: 1,678

Why the Shoshone Ice Caves are Considered Haunted

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Shoshone is a small mining town in Idaho, but it’s the ice caves of the area that are most known for their haunted happenings. The ice caves were built into the state’s longest lava tube and were used as a source of ice for the town of Shoshone in the 19th century.

Paranormal activity has long been reported in these caves, including ghostly footsteps and whispers in the dark.

7. St., Augustine, Florida

Old home illuminated by street light in old town Saint Augustine Florida

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Year founded: 1565

Population: 14,581

Why St. Augustine is Considered Haunted

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St. Augustine’s claim to fame is that it is the oldest city in the United States. With so much history, you’d imagine a few residents may have stuck around over the centuries. Allegedly, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is one of the most haunted spots in the city, thanks to resident girl ghosts who drowned there in the 19th century.

6. Pine Barrens, New Jersey

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Year founded: N/A

Population: 400,000

Why the Pine Barrens is Considered Haunted

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Many mysteries hide between the trees of southern New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. This vast swath of deep forest is best known for the legend of the Jersey Devil, a demon said to be born to a local woman in the 18th century.

The hundreds of square miles of forest have many abandoned towns and factories tucked within them, all of which are said to have their own ghostly goings on.

5. San Antonio, Texas

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Year founded: 1718

Population: 1.45 million

Why San Antonio is Considered Haunted

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It’s easy to “remember the Alamo” when many of its victims are still seen and heard patrolling the historic site. A city with a long history, San Antonio is the site of some major hauntings. A stroll along the river walk will reveal many eerie establishments, including the Alamo Street Restaurant and Theater.

4. Savannah, Georgia

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Year founded: 1733

Population: 147,000

Why Savannah is Considered Haunted

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Savannah is one of the oldest cities in the U.S. and one with a high count of paranormal activity. From the Bonaventure Cemetery to Fort Pulaski, the Pirate’s House restaurant and The Mercer House, it has no shortage of addresses known for long-dead guests.

3. New Orleans, Louisiana

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Year founded: 1718

Population: 377,000

Why New Orleans is Considered Haunted

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A tragic past of slavery, mysterious threads of voodoo and hundreds of years of history have brewed up quite the recipe for hauntings across New Orleans. Many spots across the city have reported spirit activity.

Antoine’s Restaurant, for one, is said to still be haunted by its original proprietor, Antoine Alciatore. But the most famous ghost in the Crescent City is Marie Laveau, “The Voodoo Queen.” Residents of New Orleans will visit her crypt at the St. Louis Cemetery and leave her offerings, hoping she’ll grant them favors.

2. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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Year founded: 1806

Population: 7,400

Why Gettysburg is Considered Haunted

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One of the greatest tragedies on American soil happened at Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War and, as such, the battle site is considered to be one of the world’s most haunted places.

1. Salem, Massachusetts

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Year founded: 1626

Population: 44,800

Why Salem is Considered Haunted

View of historic House of Seven Gables seen from Salem, MA

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Salem, Massachusetts has one of the most tragic histories in the country. The village is best known for the horrific 17th-century witch trials that resulted in the execution of 19 people. That tarnished past stays with it, as some say the alleged witches still linger in Salem to this day.