As Halloween approaches, many people start planning trips to visit some of America's most famously haunted small towns. While big cities have their fair share of ghost stories, some of the creepiest tales come from small, historic towns where ghosts are said to still roam the streets and buildings centuries later. Here are some of the most haunted small towns across the country that are perfect destinations for a haunting Halloween getaway.
St. Augustine, Florida
One of the oldest European settlements in North America, St. Augustine oozes history and hauntings. Founded in 1565, the cobblestone streets and historic sites are ripe with age and the spirits said to come with it. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is a must-visit, with reports of ghostly children playing and disembodied voices in its tower. Other hotspots include the Davenport House Museum, where the spirit of former owner Frank H. Davenport Sr. is seen, and the Colonial Quarters Inn, rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in the country. Make sure to check out St. Augustine's annual Nightmare on Riberia Street haunted house event for extra chills this year.
Bodie, California
A true ghost town, Bodie, California was once a booming gold mining camp with over 10,000 residents in the late 1800s. Now a preserved ghost town and state historic park, only old building foundations and boardwalks remain—along with its unsettled spirits. Visitors have reported sightings of ghosts from the town's prosperous heyday wandering the deserted streets and buildings. The creepiest spot is reportedly the miners' bunkhouse, where figures have been seen in the windows. Take a tour of this remarkably well-preserved ghost town for a dose of Wild West nostalgia and paranormal activity rolled into one.
Shallotte, North Carolina
This small coastal town along North Carolina's Cape Fear region dates back to the early 1700s. Unsolved murders and shipwrecks add to Shallotte's chilling past, and spirits are said to have lingered among the live oaks and Spanish moss draped landscapes. Shallotte's historic downtown district is home to supernatural sightings, with one popular attraction being the Shallotte Cemetery where ghostly apparitions have been spotted. For a Halloween trip with scares both historical and paranormal, Shallotte's unsolved mysteries and legendary haunted sites are worth exploring.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Perhaps unsurprisingly for one of the bloodiest and most important battles of the Civil War, Gettysburg is considered extremely haunted. Over 51,000 soldiers lost their lives during the three-day battle in 1863, leaving behind restless spirits among the battlefields and town. Figures in uniforms and ghostly mists have been seen roaming amongst the monuments and cannons. The most famous spots include Devil's Den rock formations, where the unexplained sound of clashing armies have been heard, and Gettysburg College, where apparitions and unexplained events occur frequently. Walk the battlefields and haunted sites where history and hauntings intersect.
Marshall, Texas
Located in the Piney Woods region of East Texas, Marshall became nationally known in the 1850s as the haunting location of the Mystery Window. Stared at through a window of the Marshall House hotel, witnesses reported seeing haunting apparitions appear including Native American chiefs and figures hanging from nooses. While the hotel burned down in the early 1900s, its reputation as one of the most noticeably haunted sites in America lives on. Other spots like Old Harrison County Courthouse and Courthouse-on-the-Square are thought to house spirits tied to its ghostly past. With its roots in the paranormal, Marshall still enchants ghost hunters today.
Savannah, Georgia
Famous for its Spanish-moss draped architecture and antebellum elegance, Savannah in October takes on an extra creepy air. With over 22 official haunted spots, anywhere you turn seems to harbor ghostly residents. Top attractions include the Bonaventure Cemetery, full of spooky landmarks like the weeping cherry tree where mourners swore they saw ghosts, and Madame Marie's Voodoo shop, rumored to practice real conjuring and spellwork. And of course, no visit is complete without a stay at the haunted Marshall House or Pirate's House Hotel restaurant, where apparitions have been known to make themselves quite at home. Wander Savannah's atmospheric historic districts and you're sure to cross paths with restless spirits.
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Independence, Missouri
This town at the crossroads of the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails saw its fair share of tragedy as settlers and Forty-Niners passed through in wagon trains. Murder was sadly common, and legends say spirits never left the scene of their deadly ends. One of the most haunted sites is the 1838 Jail where a ghostly outlaw is said to still roam his old cell. The town's oldest structure, the 1839 Hall-Fausz House contains spirits believed to be members of the original family. And let's not forget the town's cemetery, where an apparition resembling an accident victim haunts a specific gravesite. Check out Independence this Halloween and feel the wild frontier ghosts who never rode on.
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield lays claim to being the first planned colonial settlement in Connecticut and dates back to the 1720s. With its spectacularly preserved 18th-century infrastructure, ghosts from centuries past seem right at home. The Tapping Reeve House and Law School contains the spirit of founder Tapping Reeve, often heard pacing and clearing his throat. Also notorious is the Litchfield White house, where the echoes of children's voices and phantom rocking chairs have left visitors concerned for their safety. And let's not forget about Prospect Hill Cemetery, final resting place of many town founders—whose spirits may not stay put even in death. Step back in colonial Connecticut's most haunted town.
Bisbee, Arizona
Mining boomtown turned arts colony, Bisbee's reputation was cemented after a late 19th-century payroll heist and murder that turned the mining town upside down in real life, and perhaps in death as well. Ghostly apparitions thought to be linked to the crime are said to haunt the historic district to this day. Favorite haunted spots include the beautifully preserved 1800s housing of Brewery Gulch and the creepy Copper Queen hotel, where guests report seeing shadow figures and apparitions in period dress. For a small-town ghost tour with Wild West flavor, haunted Bisbee is a sure bet this Halloween season.
Leland, North Carolina
This coastal Brunswick County town dates back to the 1700s and harbors dark secrets from its Confederate past during the Civil War. Legends tell of a witch doctor who conducted rituals on what is now known as Witches' Well, and Confederate soldiers still keeping watch over the town they once tried to defend. The 1840 Brunswick Inn is supposedly one of the most paranormally active sites, with apparitions of soldiers seen marching in the halls. And Oak Island Lighthouse, erected in 1857, has reported sightings of ghosts shining its light as if still on duty decades later. Take a trip back in time by wandering Leland's colonial streets rumored to house spirits from a much creepier era.
There you have some of the scariest and most historic small towns ideal for visiting this Halloween season. Wander their haunted streets and sites where ghostly forces are said to linger from eras gone by. These lesser-known locales offer a frightfully good time far from the mainstream haunted attractions of bigger cities. Are you brave enough to spend Halloween night in one of America's most famously haunted small towns?
