Top 10 Most Haunted Houses In The U.S With The Ghost Story

Rosemary April 15, 2023 | 15:02

Are you curious to know what houses are the most haunted in the US? KnowInsidershas suggested a list of top 10 most haunted and ghost houses in the US.

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Top 10 Most Haunted Houses In The US. Photo :KnowInsiders.com

It's easy to accuse a house of being haunted. However, as the number of eerie incidents increases, the possibility that some houses are cursed becomes less implausible. In the United States, there are haunted and ghost houses with gruesome histories (murders, suicides, sometimes both) that have spawned films, countless documentaries, and a serious cult following.

From the most well-known sites of murder and mayhem (ahem, like the house where Lizzie Borden, the little axe murderer from Massachusetts, lived) to lesser-known haunts across the country, these dwellings are evil from their lofty upper levels to their dank lower levels.

Top 10 Most Haunted and Ghost Houses In The US

(Compiled and introduced by KnowInsiders)

1.The Whaley House Museum: San Diego, California

Photo iStock

Most people envision gorgeous beaches, pleasant weather, and cultural and artistic attractions when they think of San Diego. San Diego, however, beckons paranormal investigators with its rich and sinister history, haunted locations, spiritual encounters, and strange occurrences. The Whaley House is without a doubt the most eerie location in San Diego. Learn more about this well-known home and its reputation as "The Most Haunted House in America" by reading on.

The First Death

Shortly after the Whaley family had moved into the house, they were confronted with sadness and hopelessness. First, their 18-month-old son Thomas passed away from scarlet fever inside the home.

A fire broke out inside the house a short time later, destroying the general store. Thomas quickly made the decision to relocate the family to San Francisco.

The Whaley Family eventually moved back into the house in 1868, this time with Thomas, his wife, and their five children.

When the family arrived home, the Whaley House was once more a hive of activity. It was used as the location for the city courthouse, the first theater company in San Diego, a general store, and other things. However, local business owners started leaving Old Town in 1870 and moving to the brand-new New Town, which is now the Gaslamp Quarter, leaving it deserted and ghostly quiet.

Thomas Whaley persisted in staying in his house because he wasn't ready to give up.

When Thomas was away on a business trip in 1871, a group of armed men took the court records from the house while holding Anna Whaley at gunpoint. Many claim that this marked a turning point for the household and the family.

The Suicide

Two of the Whaley daughters were married inside the house a few years later. The younger of the two, Violet, married George Bertolacci, and despite her best efforts, the marriage proved to be intolerable, leaving Violet divorced and dejected. She was so overcome with depression that on August 18, 1885, she shot herself in the chest because she could no longer bear the shame.

The Spirits

Many descendants of the Whaley family over the years, including Thomas, Anna, and their children Lillian, Thomas, Violet, and Francis, lived and passed away in the home. Workers and visitors started to experience strange and eerie encounters during the home's restoration periods, which occurred several times throughout its history. Yankee Jim Robinson was the first and best-known ghost to haunt the house and its surroundings because he had passed away on the very spot where the house was constructed.

2.House of Death: New York City, New York

Photo FrightFind

With up to twenty-two ghosts residing there, this lovely townhouse on peaceful West 10th has been dubbed the most haunted structure in New York, earning it the moniker "The House of Death." During his residence from 1900 to 1901, Mark Twain asserted that he had personally experienced paranormal occurrences.

Several horrific incidents occurred at 14 West 10th throughout the 20th century, including a murder-suicide and the beating death of six-year-old Lisa Steinberg by her adoptive father, renowned lawyer Joel Steinberg, in 1987. The ghost of Mark Twain has been observed walking up the stairs, complete with white suit.

3.Winchester Mystery House: San Jose, California

The sprawling Victorian mansion on a busy street in San Jose, California, is said to be haunted by the specters of every person who was killed by a Winchester rifle. There must be a lot of ghosts in that house because Sarah Winchester, the widow of the Winchester rifle founder and the heir to his fortune, added room after room to the house to make more room for the dead.

But Winchester didn't just add rooms; she also built a maze of dead ends, sloped floors, and a maze of chambers that made the place feel like a rabbit warren. The home has, per ABC News, "10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 47 fireplaces, 40 staircases, 13 bathrooms, and nine kitchens." Since Winchester passed away in 1922, the house has allowed visitors who want to experience the Winchester ghosts to take tours.

New health and safety regulations are in place, and tours of the house are now available.

4.Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast: Fall River, Massachusetts

Photo Country Living Magazine

One of the most notorious crimes in the nation was committed at the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts. You've probably heard the rhyme about the ax and the forty whacks even if you don't know much about New England history. In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were killed with an ax; Lizzie, Andrew's daughter (and Abby's stepdaughter), was accused of the murders but was found not guilty.

Even though Lizzie was freed, the public never truly forgave her because they believed she was the real murderer. The trial ended up being one of the most widely read news stories of the day.

5.Villisca Axe Murder House: Villisca, Iowa

Photo HorrowObsessive

The Villisca Ax Murder House offers overnight accommodations for visitors, but only if the ghost stories don't terrify them.

The brutal 1912 killings of two adults, six children, and other family members at J.B. and Sarah Moore's residence went unsolved. There was very little other evidence ever discovered, and all three Moore family members and their two guests were discovered in bed with an ax wound to the head. Even today, both experienced and novice paranormal researchers have described hearing children crying, lamps falling, ladders moving, and doors slamming by themselves.

A state senator from Iowa was among the suspects, but no one was ever put on trial for the heinous crime. Their ghosts are said to still be in the house more than a century later, wishing for justice. Visitors seeking a taste of the paranormal can schedule tours of the location, and the most daring can stay the night and experience what goes bump in the night.

With health and safety precautions in place, the house is currently open and even offers overnight stays.

6.Bell Witch Cave: Adams, Tennessee

John Bell acquired a piece of farmland near Tennessee's Red River in the early 1800s. Up until they began to notice strange-looking animals around the property, most notably a dog with a rabbit's head, Bell and his family prospered on the farm.

The family began to experience attacks from unknown forces after that, who primarily targeted Bell and his daughter Betsy. They were subjected to physical assaults, heard unexplained noises, and even had conversations with the "entity," who, according to at least one account, identified herself as the Bells' former neighbor Kate Batts and claimed she was seeking retribution from beyond the grave for an unspecified slight.

The entity is thought to have killed John and is said to have stopped Betsy from getting married to a local boy. Many pieces of evidence, including "eyewitness accounts, affidavits, and manuscripts written by those who experienced the haunting first hand," support the haunting, claims one Bell Witch website.

The farm and cave are once again accessible and provide frequent tours.

7.The White House: Washington, D.C.

Photo White House

The White House may be the residence of the president, but legend has it that it is also home to a number of famous ghosts. With tales of his dog barking at phantom specters and his daughter Maureen waking up to a transparent figure peering out the window of the Lincoln Bedroom, President Ronald Reagan reportedly delighted dinner party guests. It might have been Abraham Lincoln himself, going back to his old house in an effort to reunite with his son or wife. Winston Churchill, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, is said to have also seen the ghost of Abraham Lincoln as he was getting out of the bathtub.

According to Mental Floss, Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd conducted seances in the White House in an effort to communicate with their son Willie, who passed away from typhoid after likely drinking contaminated water that was pumped into the building. They claimed to have gotten in touch with President Andrew Jackson, who was hanging out in his old bedroom, but they never got in touch with their son.

President William Henry Harrison, the first president to pass away in the White House, is still residing there, according to The White House Historical Association. Former presidents aren't the only ones who linger in the corridors of the American presidency. Abigail Adams, the wife of President John Adams, is rumored to wash her clothes in the East Room, while Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, is said to visit the gardens she helped plant.

The President's private movie theater can now be seen during tours of the White House, which are once again available.

8.The Sallie House: Atchison, Kansas

An appendectomy gone wrong is thought to be the source of the bad energy at one of America's most haunted homes; the girl who haunts the house passed away during a house call at the turn of the century. The Sallie House was the subject of a family's account on the television program Sightings in the 1990s. They described flying objects, frequent apparitions, and a combination of scratching, gouging, and shoving that was primarily directed at the male owner.

The house is currently empty, but paranormal researchers still frequently stay there, and even regular people can reserve it for a night for about $100 per person.

9.Franklin Castle: Cleveland, Ohio

Photo WKYC

There are still unconfirmed rumors about the original owner of the expansive, 19th-century home on Cleveland's Franklin Boulevard. Four of Hannes Tiedemann's teenage children and his wife passed away there in the 1890s within a short period of time. Although Tiedemann was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, some people now assert that he murdered his mistress in a hidden passageway and then hanged his 13-year-old illegitimate daughter to make it appear as though she committed suicide. The castle, dubbed "the most haunted house in Ohio," is said to have been haunted ever since.

Emma, Tiedemann's daughter, who reportedly passed away due to complications with diabetes, was one of the many people who would unexpectedly lose their lives in the house. Afterward, Teidemann's mother and three additional of his kids passed away. Louise Tiedemann, Tiedemann's wife, also passed away; her cause of death was reportedly liver failure, but there were many rumors that Tiedemann was actually to blame. He is also said to have murdered his niece, a potential stepdaughter, and perhaps his mistress, among other members of his family. Shortly after his wife's passing, Tiedemann left the house.

10.Biltmore: Asheville, North Carolina

This grand vacation residence was built in the 1800s by George Washington Vanderbilt II. Since then, it has developed a reputation as one of the most spooky locations in the nation and the state.

The home's former owners appear to be very active even after death, despite the fact that nothing particularly sinister appears to have occurred on the estate. When Vanderbilt passed away in 1914, his children received his estate and made the decision to invite guests into the house. It appears that's when the activity started.

Visitors have reported seeing ghostly apparitions and hearing a woman's voice, possibly that of Vanderbilt's wife Edith, calling his name. The estate also has a number of secret doors and hallways, which raises the overall spookiness of the place.

According to the estate's website, anyone can visit the estate today and take an independent or guided tour. If you're looking to make a nice, long trip out of it, there are also winery tours and accommodations nearby. There isn't a specific ghost tour, though.

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