1. Eastern State Penitentiary Schoolhouse – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tucked within the infamous Eastern State Penitentiary complex is an old schoolhouse that once served the children of guards and staff. Though it’s not as well-known as the prison itself, this eerie little building still stands, its crumbling chalkboards and forgotten desks a haunting contrast to the nearby cellblocks shares Canton Repository.
The school now sits as part of the penitentiary tour, drawing curious visitors who stumble upon it while exploring the rest of the prison. Peeling paint and the lingering smell of mildew only add to the atmosphere. Some guests have even claimed to hear faint whispers or footsteps while walking through. Whether those are echoes of inmates or old students is anyone’s guess adds loveEXPLORING.
2. Bennett School for Girls – Millbrook, New York
This once-elegant finishing school was built in the 1800s, designed to educate the daughters of high society. But after it closed in the 1970s, nature took over, and the now-rotting Gothic buildings feel straight out of a horror movie shares Times Union.
Visitors who sneak onto the grounds are met with collapsing staircases, gaping windows, and ivy-covered classrooms. It’s become a bucket-list destination for urban explorers who love snapping photos of decay. Despite “No Trespassing” signs, people still venture in for the thrill. It’s hard not to imagine the prim and proper students who once roamed those haunted halls says i95 Rock.
3. Cass Technical High School – Detroit, Michigan
The original Cass Tech building was once one of the most prestigious high schools in Detroit, boasting a massive campus and an elite academic reputation. But in 2005, a newer facility was built next door, and the original structure was abandoned, left to decay for several years before demolition.
During that in-between period, it became a haunting playground for urban explorers. Grand staircases were covered in graffiti, and forgotten instruments still sat in the music rooms. Photographers came from across the country to capture the elegant rot. Though it’s since been torn down, its ghostly photos still circulate as a symbol of Detroit’s shifting past. For a while, it truly was one of the eeriest abandoned schools in the country.
4. Roosevelt School – Gary, Indiana
This once-proud high school was built in the 1930s and was one of the best in the area during its heyday. After years of declining enrollment and budget cuts, it finally closed in 2004.
Today, Roosevelt stands as a haunting shell, with its majestic auditorium now overrun with pigeons and broken glass. Tourists still wander through its graffiti-lined corridors with flashlights in hand. Its sheer size makes it feel like a maze, and more than one visitor has admitted to getting turned around. You don’t need much imagination to picture ghostly students still wandering its abandoned halls.
5. Chemawa Indian School (Old Campus) – Salem, Oregon
Chemawa Indian School is one of the oldest continuously operating Native American boarding schools in the United States, but its original buildings—some dating back to the late 1800s—have long been abandoned. Though the school still functions today on a newer campus, the older structures nearby have been left to crumble, fenced off and slowly reclaimed by nature.
These abandoned buildings carry a heavy history. Chemawa was part of the U.S. government’s assimilation-era policies, and many students were taken from their homes and forced to attend. The grounds have drawn attention from those interested in both history and the paranormal. Visitors report a heavy atmosphere and, in some cases, strange occurrences like flickering lights and unexplained sounds. While access is restricted, the site remains a sobering and eerie landmark in Oregon’s educational history.
6. Dunbar School – Little Rock, Arkansas
The original Dunbar High School, built in the 1920s for African American students during segregation, has long since closed, but its abandoned annex still draws attention. Despite its historic importance, the annex has been left to rot.
Visitors today see a place where education once thrived, now overtaken by dust, broken windows, and the occasional raccoon. Some folks come just to honor its history, while others are more intrigued by the ghost stories that have sprouted over the years. Many believe the spirits of former students still linger. Whether you’re there for the history or the hauntings, it leaves an impression.
7. Fort Hancock School – Sandy Hook, New Jersey
This little-known coastal school was once part of a military base that operated from the late 1800s through World War II. After the base was decommissioned, the school was abandoned along with it.
Now it sits quietly by the sea, its structure slowly giving way to time and salt air. Tourists visiting the historic Fort Hancock often stumble upon the eerie building and snap a few photos. The rusted playground outside is perhaps the creepiest part. It feels like the set of an apocalyptic movie where the kids never came back.
8. Kelso School – Mojave Desert, California
This remote desert school served a tiny community of railroad workers and miners in the early 1900s. When the town dried up, so did the school, which has been baking in the sun ever since.
What’s odd is how well-preserved some parts of it are—desks still stand in rows, and old maps cling to the walls like ghostly murals. It’s become a strange stop for road-trippers and photographers passing through the desert. The isolation adds to the unease. It’s hard not to feel like you’ve stepped into a forgotten time capsule.
9. Old Jefferson School – Charlottesville, Virginia
This grand red-brick schoolhouse has had many lives, including a stint as an art center, but its upper floors and basement remain untouched and eerie. The locked-up classrooms upstairs are a favorite among paranormal enthusiasts.
There are rumors of a ghostly teacher who never clocked out, and some say they’ve heard a bell ringing even though the system’s been disconnected for decades. Tour guides will sometimes mention it during haunted history walks. It’s not officially open for spooky tours, but that hasn’t stopped curious visitors from poking around. There’s something about those creaky stairs that makes your hair stand on end.
10. P.S. 186 – Harlem, New York City
This public school was once a towering symbol of progress in the early 1900s, with beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture. But after closing in the 1970s, it sat abandoned for decades, right in the middle of the city.
Its facade is still impressive, but inside, it looked like the backdrop for a post-apocalyptic thriller. Visitors who managed to sneak inside were met with splintered wood, open elevator shafts, and entire classrooms left frozen in time. Urban explorers were drawn to its haunting beauty until recent restoration plans were announced. Still, photos from before the renovation continue to circulate as proof of how spooky it once was.
11. The Red Brick School – Vermontville, Michigan
This tiny two-room schoolhouse dates back to the 1800s and is one of the oldest in the region. Though no longer in use, it hasn’t been demolished, instead becoming a quiet local landmark.
Visitors sometimes peek through the windows to see the dusty desks and antique teaching materials still in place. There’s something unsettling about how untouched it all is, like the students just vanished. It’s occasionally used for historical reenactments, but the rest of the time it sits silent. On foggy mornings, it looks especially ghostly, perched alone on a country road.
12. Hebron Academy – Hebron, Maine
Not to be confused with the modern school nearby, the original Hebron Academy building still stands, closed off and slowly deteriorating. Once filled with young minds eager to learn, it’s now a cracked and peeling shell.
Locals say it’s one of the most haunted places in town, with stories of flickering lights and unexplained footsteps. While it’s not officially open to the public, people still find ways to sneak a look inside. Its ivy-covered exterior makes it feel romantic at first glance, but one step inside and the eerie silence quickly sets in. It’s the kind of place where you instinctively whisper, just in case someone—or something—is still listening.