Route 66 - Ghost Towns and Desert Spirits
Route 66 is the stuff of legend. Established in 1926, it came to symbolize America’s wanderlust and dreams of mobility and freedom, to the point of inspiring a hit song by the same name in 1946. Today, parts of Route 66 are still intact, parts of the old Route 66 are now I-40 and other parts are decommissioned and abandoned. The old Route 66 is now a popular tourist route with many old businesses and motels that have been preserved, and others that have gone silent and are being reclaimed by nature.
Towns like Amboy, California; Two Guns, Arizona and Glenrio, Texas are ghostly reminders of what Route 66 used to be like, and what the promise of the open road once held for travelers. Among those decaying structures and forgotten road signs are stories of hitchhikers who disappeared, drivers who vanished and were never seen again, devils at crossroads and other strange phenomena, such as the ghosts of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard who reportedly still haunt the honeymoon suite of the Oatman Hotel in Arizona.
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, West Virginia
Just the name “Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum” evokes images of a Gothic hellhole, and this long-deserted mental institution certainly delivers on that. Built in the 1850s,Trans-Allegheny was home to hundreds of patients until 1994; it was turned into a tourist attraction in 2008. This facility has been featured as a haunted location on numerous documentaries and TV shows, where paranormal investigators hunt for ghosts and weird happenings. Its imposing exterior is enough by itself to send shivers down your spine when you drive up!
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - Where History Still Whispers
The battle of Gettysburg was one of the pivotal engagements of the American Civil War, claiming over 50,000 casualties in 3 days, making it the most deadly battle in American history. Today, it’s been memorialized as Gettysburg National Military Park, located at the Pennsylvania/Maryland border. Gettysburg National Military Park is a somber and solemn place where you can reflect on the bloody history that marks it, and is accessible from US 15 and US 30. Visitors to Gettysburg have reported phantom footsteps and rifle fire, drumbeats, sudden blasts of cold, apparitions of Civil War soldiers and other unexplained phenomena.
Highway 666 (a.k.a. U.S. Route 491), New Mexico to Utah
Everyone knows about Route 66, but Highway 666 had to be renamed as “US Route 491” due to the route number’s biblical association with the Antichrist. Unsurprisingly, there was a high incidence of road sign theft along 666 over the years, but that route also became known for its high rate of accidents and deaths. The Arizona stretch of this road is known as the Coronado Trail, and its hilly, curvy track might account for some of those highway fatalities.
Savannah, Georgia - America’s Most Haunted City
With a history of battles, deadly epidemics and slave auctions, it’s not surprising that Savannah is considered a haunted city. Its spooky nature is well known enough that there are numerous ghost tours for visitors, with popular destinations that include the Sorrell-Weed House, the Marshall House (former Union Army hospital and yellow fever hospital) and Moon River Brewing Company. Visitors regularly report disembodied voices, apparitions and other inexplicable goings-on. Colonial Park Cemetery and Union Square are reported to be hotspots for paranormal activity in Savannah.
Salem, Massachusetts - Witches, History, and Halloween Magic
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are the stuff of legend (inspiring the Arthur Miller play “The Crucible” centuries later), and today destinations like the Hawthorne Hotel, Proctor’s Ledge, the Joshua Ward House, the Witch House and Burying Point Cemetery are all said to be be haunted and tied to the city’s dark history. Those lingering spirits still make their presence known to visitors, and Rooms 325 and 612 of the Hawthorne Hotel are said to be especially spooked with disembodied voices and objects moving on their own.
The Stanley Hotel, Colorado (Inspiration for The Shining)
Made famous by the Stephen King novel and the subsequent Stanley Kubrick movie, the Stanley Hotel of Estes Park,Colorado is reputed to be the home of ghostly children' s laughter, a cowboy apparition, the wife of the hotel’s founder playing the piano, and the ghost of a girl named Lucy in the basement, who has an affinity for Dum Dum lollipops. A visit to the Stanley is even better after a repeat viewing of “The Shining"
The Queen Mary Ship, Long Beach, California
Now preserved as a museum ship, the S.S. Queen Mary is so renowned for the paranormal that it’s host to ghost tours and a yearly Dark Harbor Halloween event, with mazes and attractions. Hotspots for ghosts are reportedly the ship’s engine room, various staterooms and lounges, and Hatch 13, a spot where a crewman was crushed to death by a watertight door in 1966.
New Orleans, Louisiana - Voodoo, Vampires, and Victorian Mystique
New Orleans is right up there with Savannah as one of the most haunted cities in America. Spots like the Andrew Jackson Hotel, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, Old Ursuline Convent, Muriel’s Jackson Square and Hotel Monteleone are all featured on paranormal tours of the city. If you like spooky voices of laughing children, ghostly screams, apparitions and unexplained footsteps, you definitely need to check out New Orleans.
St. Augustine, Florida - America’s Oldest (and Most Haunted) City
St Augustine was founded in 1565, making it the oldest settlement in the United States. It’s home to a violent and dark past, and hosts several ghost tours and other events around Halloween. Spots like the Old Jail, the lighthouse and Castillo de San Marcos fort are reputedly home to many ghosts and apparitions. Visitors love the Ghosts & Graveyards tour, the Ancient City tour and the family-friendly After Dark Ghost Hunt in St Augustine.
