Everyone says they don’t believe in ghosts. If that’s so, then we’d like know why so many people go to see haunted houses like these ones…but we’re afraid to ask. (This story was published in our newest release, Strange History.)
Alcatraz
If you were to stay overnight on this island prison off San Francisco—which hasn’t housed a living prisoner since 1963—you might be in for a long night. Park employees, guides, and even visitors have reported hearing the screams of long-dead inmates, footsteps of jackbooted guards, and the slamming of jail doors…that don’t move.
Old School House
The old high school in Brunswick, Maine, is full of tales about a drama student who died there many years ago. She was rehearsing a play on a balcony when she slipped and fell to her death. The building is now used for school board meetings…which are sometimes interrupted by slamming doors and books that fly off the shelves.
Big Bay Point Lighthouse
Big Bay Point Lighthouse in Michigan is said to be haunted by the ghost of its first keeper, Will Prior. (In fact, pretty much every lighthouse in America is said to be haunted.) If you visit Big Bay and see a red-haired ghost, that’s Will Prior. Locals say he’s harmless.
Huntress Hall
Huntress Hall at Keene State College in New Hampshire is a freshman class dorm. Who else lives there? The college’s benefactress (and the building’s namesake), Harriet Huntress. Her wheelchair is stored in the attic. Students say it can be heard rolling around in the middle of the night.
Balcourt Castle
Belcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island, is famous for its ghosts, the spookiest of which is a spectral monk who appears in front of a lion statue, walks away from it, then disappears. Then he comes back and repeats the whole process all over again.
Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, is the haunt of former WWF wrestler Owen Hart. During a 1999 match, Hart was being lowered from the ceiling to the ring when the cable holding his harness snapped. He fell to the floor and died instantly. Hart’s ghost has been seen floating near the ceiling…still wearing his mask and harness.
