posted on August 14, 2026
Looking for a spine-tingling road trip that covers some of the most haunted locations in the US? From Civil War battlefields to Gilded Age mansions, America is packed with tourist attractions promising ghostly encounters.
With some of these haunted spots spread across multiple cities and states, renting a car and hitting the road is the best way to turn a single spooky site into an epic haunted road trip. Below, we break down the standout landmarks by region, plus curated lists, suggested driving itineraries, and practical tips to help you plan your route.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Northeast and Mid-Atlantic haunts
- Southern haunts
- Midwest haunts
- West Coast and Mountain haunts
- Best haunted hotels in the US
- Most famous ghost story locations in the US
- Historical hauntings: America’s darkest chapters
- Suggested haunted landmark road trips
- Tips for visiting haunted landmarks
- Frequently asked questions
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic haunts
From massive gothic prisons that housed notorious criminals like Al Capone to the site of the bloodiest battlefield in the American Civil War, this region is a hot spot for haunted history and dark folklore. Rent a car in Pennsylvania or Massachusetts to turn these sites into stops on a longer Northeast road trip.
- Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA: One of the most cited “most haunted places in America,” tied to the Civil War’s bloodiest battle; multiple ghost tour operators run nightly walks through the battlefield and town.
- Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA: A former prison known for solitary confinement wings and reported ghost sightings; now a museum offering both daytime tours and a haunted house event each fall.
- Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, MA: The site of the infamous 1892 axe murders, now operating as a bed and breakfast where guests can stay in the rooms tied to the case.
Southern haunts
Looking to get up close to the supernatural? The South is home to some of the most haunted residences in all of the US. Rent a car in Louisiana for a chance to experience the dark history of these Southern haunts.
- The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, LA: A former antebellum plantation billed as “one of America’s most haunted homes,” offering both daytime historical tours and evening mystery tours.
- LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans, LA: A private residence (viewable from the exterior only) tied to one of the city’s darkest documented histories; a regular stop on New Orleans ghost tours.
- Savannah’s Historic District: Savannah is often called the ghost tour capital of the South, boasting spooky properties brimming with historical significance (such as The Marshall House, which served as a hospital during the Civil War).
Midwest haunts
From old prisons to haunted hospitals and asylums, experience the Midwest’s deep-rooted local folklore at these must-see haunted locations. Rent a car in St. Louis and make the road trip over to Louisville to hit both of these Midwest haunts in one trip.
- Lemp Mansion, St. Louis, MO: Once home to beer baron William J. Lemp; now a restaurant and inn offering haunted history tours covering the family’s documented tragic history.
- Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, KY: A former tuberculosis hospital, now one of the most visited “haunted asylum” attractions in the country, offering both historical and overnight ghost hunt tours.
West Coast and Mountain haunts
The West Coast has no shortage of abandoned ghost towns, haunted mansions, and infamous prisons with alleged paranormal activity.
- The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO: The hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining; offers dedicated ghost tours alongside standard stays.
- Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, CA: The sprawling, deliberately labyrinthine mansion built by Sarah Winchester, widely covered in “most haunted” lists and open for daily tours.
- The Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA: The retired RMS Queen Mary ocean liner, now a hotel known for reported ghost sightings, particularly around the engine room and former swimming pool.
Best haunted hotels in the US
From untimely deaths to whispers from restless spirits, America’s best haunted hotels are well worth a stay. While some hotels now only offer day tours, these four haunted hotels let you book a room (and many guests report a spooky encounter or two during the night).
- The Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA: The retired ocean liner had an estimated 49 reported deaths during its decades of service, though exact counts vary by source because wartime records are incomplete. Stateroom B340 has the ship’s most consistently reported paranormal activity, and the hotel runs dedicated ghost tours alongside standard overnight stays.
- Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, AZ: A Route 66 landmark built in 1927, best known for Room 220’s “Meat Man”, a long-term boarder in the 1980s who reportedly hung raw meat from the chandelier and was later found dead in the room.
- La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, Santa Fe, NM: Built in 1882 as a private mansion for merchant Abraham Staab, the historic Staab House still stands on the resort grounds and is said to be haunted by Staab’s wife, Julia. Today it’s a luxury resort featuring modern spa amenities.
- Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, MA: The six-room Victorian home where the 1892 axe murders took place now operates as a bed and breakfast, letting guests book the rooms tied to the case.
Most famous ghost story locations in the US
Want to experience America’s thrilling folklore firsthand? These four spooky sites offer a mix of ghoulish stories and haunted spots that need to be seen to be believed.
- Bodie, CA: A well-preserved Gold Rush–era ghost town, now a California State Historic Park; long associated with reports of unexplained sounds and sightings, and popularly described as cursed for visitors who remove artifacts.
- Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, GA: Home to the “Little Gracie” Watson grave, a marble statue marking the resting place of a child who died in 1889; visitors have reported the statue crying and other paranormal activity, and it remains one of the cemetery’s most visited gravesites.
- Emily’s Bridge (Gold Brook Bridge), Stowe, VT: A 19th-century covered bridge tied to a local legend of a jilted bride named Emily. While historians have found no documented evidence that anyone died at the bridge, it’s the site of a well-known ghost story worth experiencing firsthand.
- Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA: Abandoned in 1971 after over 1,400 prisoner deaths occurred on-site, the prison is a famed ghost story location and serves as a haunted landmark offering daily tours. Many visitors report hearing unexplained footsteps in empty corridors along with shadowy figures pacing along the catwalks of Cell Block 12.
Historical hauntings: America’s darkest chapters
From haunted hotels to abandoned ghost towns, these four historical sites capture parts of America’s troubled past.
- Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA: The Battle of Gettysburg produced roughly 50,000 total casualties over three days in July 1863, among the highest of any single battle in American history; it’s consistently ranked among the most-visited haunted sites in the country.
- The Exchange Hotel, Gordonsville, VA: A former hotel converted into a Confederate receiving hospital during the Civil War, treating an estimated 70,000 soldiers from both sides; now a Civil War medical museum with a reputation for paranormal activity.
- Old Cahawba, Dallas County, AL: Alabama’s first state capital (1820–1825), later abandoned after the Civil War due to flooding and the loss of rail access; now a ghost town and archaeological park.
- Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA: Opened in 1829 and closed in 1971 after 142 years in operation; the pioneering solitary-confinement prison is a National Historic Landmark and now runs both historical tours and a haunted house each fall.
Suggested haunted landmark road trips
Want to turn a single haunted site into a multi-city road trip? These five curated itineraries string together some of the best haunted landmarks featured above. Rent a car on Turo, hit the road, and see America’s haunted hotels, prisons, and ghost towns at your own pace.
Louisiana haunted history route (2–3 days)
- New Orleans, LA: Start with a French Quarter ghost tour and a stop at the LaLaurie Mansion exterior.
- New Orleans → St. Francisville, LA: ~108 miles, roughly 2 hours. Spend an afternoon or evening at The Myrtles Plantation.
- Best for: First-time road-trippers who want maximum haunted atmosphere without a long drive; this is the shortest route of the five.
- Fun fact: The Myrtles Plantation has been the subject of multiple paranormal TV specials and is regularly ranked among the most haunted homes in America.
- Add-on stop: Stay at Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter; its famous Carousel Bar rotates guests past reported sightings of Maurice, a young boy said to still wander the 14th floor.
Midwest haunted history route (2–3 days)
- St. Louis, MO: Start at the Lemp Mansion for a tour and dinner.
- St. Louis → Louisville, KY: Roughly 4.5 hours. Visit Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
- Best for: Travelers who like their hauntings tied to real medical and family history rather than pure folklore; both stops are grounded in well-documented 19th/20th-century events.
- Add-on stop: Mammoth Cave National Park sits roughly between St. Louis and Louisville, making it a natural stopover; it’s also considered one of the most paranormally reported national parks in the country.
West Coast haunted history route (4–5 days)
- San Jose, CA: Winchester Mystery House.
- San Jose → San Francisco, CA: Roughly 1 hour. Explore the city’s haunted-history stops if desired (from Alcatraz Island to the Queen Anne Hotel).
- San Francisco → Long Beach, CA: Roughly 6 hours. Visit The Queen Mary.
- Best for: Travelers with the most time and driving stamina; this is the longest and most demanding route of the five, but covers the widest range of landscapes. Consider breaking up the drive from San Francisco to Long Beach over a couple of days.
- Fun fact: The Winchester Mystery House has staircases that lead to ceilings and doors that open onto walls; Sarah Winchester reportedly kept building for decades out of superstition.
- Add-on stop: Break up the long SF–Long Beach leg at the Paso Robles Inn, roughly the halfway point on Highway 101; guests say the ghost of a man who died there in a 1940 fire still calls the front desk.
Mid-Atlantic haunted history route (2 days)
- Philadelphia, PA: Eastern State Penitentiary.
- Philadelphia → Gettysburg, PA: Roughly 2.5 hours. Spend an evening on a Gettysburg ghost tour.
- Best for: A quick weekend trip for history buffs; the shortest route by driving time, with two of the most historically significant stops on this list.
- Fun fact: Eastern State Penitentiary pioneered solitary confinement as a prison model; a system so controversial it drew criticism from Charles Dickens after his 1842 visit.
- Add-on stop: Fort Mifflin, just 20 minutes from Philadelphia, is tied to both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and is said to be haunted by a Union soldier executed there in 1864.
Southwest haunted history route (1–2 days)
- Flagstaff, AZ: Hotel Monte Vista, with an overnight stay and optional ghost tour.
- Flagstaff → Santa Fe, NM: Roughly 5.5 hours. Overnight at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa.
- Best for: Travelers who want haunted history without the crowds; this route sees far fewer tourists than the coasts, with dramatic high-desert scenery along the way.
- Add-on stop: Hotel Weatherford sits directly across the street from Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, so you can visit both without any extra driving; it has its own resident ghosts, including a honeymoon couple said to haunt the former Room 54.
Tips for visiting haunted landmarks
Before you hit the road, keep these top tips in mind to maximize your time and ensure a smooth, stress-free haunted landmarks driving experience:
- Book ghost tours in advance, especially around peak spooky season in Halloween/October, when many sell out well ahead of time.
- Check whether a site is a private residence (like the LaLaurie Mansion) before planning a visit; some haunted landmarks are only viewable from outside.
- Combine history with the spooky angle; most of these sites have genuine historical significance beyond the ghost stories, and tours often cover both.
- Build flexibility into your itinerary; several of these routes involve a full day of driving between stops, so build in buffer time.
- Visit off-peak season: Consider visiting outside peak October crowds if you’d rather have a site (and its ghost stories) to yourself. Most of these locations run tours year-round, and spring or fall shoulder-season visits mean shorter lines and easier overnight bookings at the haunted hotels above.
Frequently asked questions about haunted landmarks in America
What is the most haunted place in America?
Several locations are commonly cited as the most haunted place in America, including Gettysburg, PA and the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana. While the “most haunted” rankings vary by source, these two locations consistently appear near the top.
Can you visit the Winchester Mystery House?
Yes, the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, offers daily guided tours of the mansion and grounds.
What’s the best time of year to visit haunted landmarks?
October is the most popular season to visit haunted landmarks given the Halloween tie-in, though many of these sites offer tours year-round. Visiting outside peak season often means smaller crowds and easier tour bookings.
Are haunted landmarks family-friendly?
It varies by site; historical tours (like daytime plantation or battlefield tours) tend to be family-friendly, while dedicated evening “ghost hunt” experiences are generally better suited to older visitors.
Can I actually book a haunted room at a haunted hotel?
Yes; several of the country’s most famous haunted landmarks, including the Queen Mary, Hotel Monte Vista, La Posada de Santa Fe, and the Lizzie Borden House, operate as working hotels or bed and breakfasts today, so you can stay the night rather than just take a tour.
Plan your haunted attractions road trip with Turo
Five spooky road trips, one obvious way to tick them all off: a rental car built for the miles ahead.
Whether you’re chasing Civil War ghosts through the Mid-Atlantic or making the long haul down the California coast to the Queen Mary, these routes cover serious ground, and having your own car means you set the pace, stick around at the stops that give you chills, and skip the ones that don’t.
Turo makes it easy to find the right vehicle for the trip, whether that’s something fuel-efficient for a quick weekend loop or a bit more spacious for hauling gear (and nerves) across multiple states. Rent a car on Turo and turn your next haunted landmark into a full-blown road trip.
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Lucinda Starr
Lucinda Starr is a travel and automotive writer with 5+ years of firsthand experience road-tripping across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. She writes road trip guides for Turo, drawing on her experience behind the wheel to share practical insights on long-distance drives, destinations, and vehicles. Her travels have taken her across Australia’s East Coast, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, the Northern Rivers, Byron Bay, and both islands of New Zealand. One of her most memorable journeys was an 11-day, 2,600+ km route from Auckland to Punakaiki and Queenstown. Lucinda has a particular passion for classic, rugged 4WD vehicles and the freedom they bring to exploring new places.
