Fall is a great time; the leaves are changing, and the air is crisp. It is also the time of year for a haunted house, hayrides, and all things spooky. While haunted houses can be fun, for some, they are not as real as they would like.
There are a lot of haunted or spooky cities in America. We have put together a list of some of the spookiest cities in America for travel nurses to visit. We have also included a little bit of information on why each city is considered a haunted or spooky city.
Salem, MA
Salem being on this list probably doesn’t come as a surprise, given the town’s history. The history of witchcraft in the city has led to many haunting stories—one of the most prominent of these being the story of Bridget Bishop. Bridget was the first person to be executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692. Altogether, roughly 200 people were tried, and 18 others were executed (20 total: 14 women, five men, and a six-year-old girl). Many have claimed to see Bridget at the Lyceum Bar and Grill. Bridget owned an apple orchard on the site where the bar and grill now sit.
Sleepy Hollow, NY
Best know as the infamous headless horseman’s town, a tale written by a local, Washington Irving. Irving is now buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery. There are still claims of the sitings of the headless horseman in Sleepy Hollow. In the summer of 2005, a British ghost investigator, Dean James Maynard, called the area of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown “the most haunted place in the world.”
Boston, MA
Boston is a great place to visit in the fall, anyway. The changing colors make for a great place to visit. Many locations in the city are considered haunted. However, 2 locations in the city made the list of the 30 most haunted places in America. These 2 places are The House of the Seven Gables in Salem and the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum in Fall River.
The House of the Seven Gables made a list because “Aside from its beautiful-yet-spooky facade, the house is surrounded by tales of paranormal activity and ghost sightings (all based on personal experiences of staff),” the publication wrote.
The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum was put on the list for many reasons, including, “Guests and employees have reported all kinds of strange activity in the house, including weeping and footstep sounds, an apparition in Victorian-era clothing wandering the halls, doors opening and closing, and muffled conversations coming from vacant rooms,” CNT wrote.
Savannah, GA
Savannah is almost always included on the list of the spookiest or haunted cities. Savannah.com put together a list of the reasons why Savannah seems always to make these lists and a “ few of the most chilling reasons Savannah’s supernatural side makes it one of the most haunting cities in the United States.”
- Bloody battles – numerous battles have taken place in the city, and with those come many deaths.
- Deadly diseases- Many believe victims of the 1820 Yellow Fever epidemic are bound to this earthly realm. In 1820, this disease decimated a tenth of Savannah’s population, and nine more epidemics followed.
- Fires- Fires of the past ravished the city. One in 1796 and another in 1820. With these fires came destruction to buildings and homes and the loss of many lives as well.
These are just a few of the reasons Savannah seems to be a very spooky and haunted city.
New Orleans,
New Orleans’ French Quarter has a long history of being haunted. There are a couple of reasons people believe this area to be haunted. The first reason people believe the city to be haunted is due to all the lives lost during the Yellow Fever pandemic that plagued the city for almost 100 years. The other major reason the city is thought to be haunted is all of the horrific events that took place over the years at The LaLaurie Mansion.
This is just a shortlist of haunted or spooky cities in the United States. This is definitely a series that we plan to add to each year. If you have any cities, you have lived in or visited that you feel should make the list of spooky or haunted cities, comment on them below.
If you want to read some spooky stories from fellow travel nurses, click here!
