Horror lovers get ready. We’ve combed through the most haunted locations in the world to find the top five. From spooky forests to creepy castles, these locations are known for having unexplainable activity that is chalked up to paranormal. Many visit these locations and capture strange sounds or images that are unexplainable. For paranormal and ghost lovers, these are five of the most haunted locations to give you a thrill.
5. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
Also known as the “suicide forest”, Aokigahara Forest is one of the most haunted locations in the world, home to the yūrei, a type of ghost. The forest is located at the base of Mount Fuji where urban legends surround it. But for many visitors, this forest is a beautiful landscape filled with serenity as well as thick trees to provide challenges for hikers.
That doesn’t mean that it isn’t haunted though. According to the Yamanashi government, there were more than 100 suicides committed in Aokigahara Forest between 2013 and 2015 alone, with many of the victims still remaining deep in the forest.
While so many Japanese are frightened to enter the forest, the trekkers that go in easily lose their way out. It’s common to bring plastic tape along with them so they can easily navigate the forest. Due to the magnetic iron in the volcanic soil nearby, compasses or mobile phones often are interfered with. Visitors often see phantoms around during their treks into the forest.
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4. Missouri State Penitentiary, United States
Referred to as the “bloodiest 47 acres in America”, Jefferson City Penitentiary is one of the most haunted locations in the world and resides in Missouri. The prison opened in 1836 and was the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi River until it closed in 2004.
Its nickname was earned by the countless injuries, deaths, and a major riot in 1954. Ghost tours attest to the apparitions, unusual sounds, and eerie vibes filling the halls. The paranormal tours even go overnight, where people receive pokes in the back with no one nearby, the clink of invisible coins that fall to the floor, and more.
The inmates were often subjects of intense abuse, with many guards whipping inmates simply by giving wrong looks. Several inmates still walk the halls, like Charles “Sonny” Liston, notorious bank robber Charles Arthur Pretty “Boy Floyd”, and assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. James Earl Ray.
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3. Castle of Good Hope, South Africa
The Castle of Good Hope is one of the oldest existing buildings in South Africa, built between 1666 and 1679 by slaves, soldiers, and sailors. A merchant known as Jan va Riebeeck constructed the original fortress in 1652 consisting of clay and timber, built to supply the ships passing the treacherous coast around the Capt Town on long voyages between the Netherlands and Indonesia, or East India. Because of its lengthy history, it’s one of the most haunted locations in the world.
Workers and visitors report hearing voices and footsteps in the windowless dungeon and in the building’s narrow corridors. The bell in the bell tower even rings sometimes on its own accord, which should be impossible as it was bricked up centuries ago. Many speculate that the bell is rung by the soldier who hung himself by the bell rope.
Another apparition is a black dog that is said to haunt the grounds. It often lunges at people before suddenly disappearing. There are even sightings of a tall man who leaps from castle walls but disappears before hitting the ground. A man and woman are often heard arguing near the guard’s room, but there is only a single figure when someone looks. Lady Anne Bernard is another figure who haunts the castle, who only comes out when important people come to visit.
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2. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
One of the most haunted locations in Scotland in Edinburgh Castle with several reports of ghosts and paranormal activity through the hundreds of years. Edinburgh is one of the oldest fortifications in Europe and has withstood wars and plague outbreaks.
There has been a defensive fort on this particular site since the Iron Age. The first stronghold was around 638 AD and was first overthrown in 1296 by Edward I of the Scots, and then again by Robert Bruce. The castle that currently stands has remained undamaged since James VII of Scotland lost his throne to William of Orange in 1688.
Several claims by visitors and staff members claim they saw apparitions, being touches and pulled, being watched, seeing shadowy figures or mists, feeling sudden temperature drops, and feeling a sudden over-run of emotions. The most common apparition is the headless drummer boy and the Grey Lady, also known as Janet Douglas, or Lady of Glamis, who was burned at the stake outside of the castle.
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1. Tower of London, England
The Tower of London in England is famous for its dark history with stories of ghosts and paranormal encounters, making it one of the most haunted locations in the world. With over 10 ghosts that reside in the Tower, it’s one of the best spots to visit if you’re looking for a fright. Sitting on the north bank of the River Thames in London, the Tower houses centuries of stories.
It was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century to defend and secure his status as King of England and was home to so many deaths. In Tudor times, three executions happened of three English Queens: Anne Boleyn, Cathrin Howard, and Lady Jane Grey. It was also the setting for more mysterious and deadly events, making it a haunted attraction.
Some ghosts that you might see wandering the stone halls of the Tower include the three executed Queens, Henry VI, who was imprisoned in the Wakefield Tower and then murdered at the altar in the King’s Private Chapel in 1471, and even a faceless young woman who is presumed to be one of the many women who suffered a terrible fate at the Tower. There’s even a haunting creature named the “nameless thing”, which occasionally follows guards as they walk their beat.
