1. Pennhurst State School and Hospital – Spring City, Pennsylvania
This crumbling institution once housed thousands of individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and the history isn’t just dark—it’s downright heartbreaking. Opened in 1908 and shut down in 1987, Pennhurst has become infamous for its inhumane treatment of patients, including reports of neglect, abuse, and overcrowding. What’s left behind now feels frozen in time, with decaying hospital beds, wheelchairs, and children’s toys scattered like ghosts of the past. Even seasoned ghost hunters have said the energy here feels oppressive and wrong. People claim to hear tortured screams and disembodied voices echoing through the walls shares Billy Penn at WHYY.
Many investigators have left mid-investigation, saying the building “didn’t want them there.” Some even reported equipment malfunctioning or going completely dead, only to work fine once off the premises. A few visitors say they were scratched or pushed—unseen hands sending them a clear message. It’s not just haunted—it feels angry adds Weird NJ.
2. Hoia Baciu Forest – Cluj-Napoca, Romania
This forest has been nicknamed the “Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania,” and for good reason. People have disappeared here without a trace, including an entire shepherd and his flock. Others have walked in and come out hours later, disoriented and unable to recall what happened. The trees twist unnaturally, and there’s a large clearing in the middle of the woods where nothing grows shares Ancient Origins.
Locals believe it’s a portal of some kind, and even UFO enthusiasts think something otherworldly is going on. Ghost hunters who’ve dared to go in often report headaches, anxiety, or intense nausea. Some have outright refused to go back. One investigator described it as “not haunted, but hostile”—which says a lot coming from someone who walks into haunted prisons for fun says the Independent.
3. Poveglia Island – Venice, Italy
This little island between Venice and Lido might look picturesque from a distance, but it’s got layers of horror beneath the surface. It was once a quarantine zone for plague victims and later turned into an asylum with more than a few skeletons in its closet—both literal and figurative. Over 100,000 people are believed to have died there, and it’s said the soil is more ash than earth.
The energy is so intense that even experienced ghost hunters won’t spend the night. Locals refuse to set foot on it, and the Italian government has banned access. Those who’ve managed to sneak on claim to hear screams and cries echoing across the water. Some say they felt watched, like something was right behind them the whole time.
4. The Paris Catacombs – Paris, France
Underneath the romantic streets of Paris lies a chilling world made up of miles and miles of tunnels lined with human bones. Over six million Parisians rest here, their skulls and femurs stacked like morbid wallpaper. Though tourists are allowed to visit a small, lit portion of the catacombs, the deeper, darker paths are illegal to enter—and with good reason.
Several urban explorers have gotten lost down there and never made it out. Some ghost hunters claim they’ve heard whispers in the pitch-black corridors, felt hands graze their shoulders, or seen fleeting figures dart around corners. Others say they’ve had strange visions or lost time. One seasoned investigator said they “felt like the dead were watching from every crevice.”
5. Old Changi Hospital – Singapore
This abandoned hospital has a reputation so terrifying, even locals won’t go near it. Built in the ’30s, it served as a British military hospital before becoming a site for Japanese torture during World War II. After the war, it continued operating until the late ’90s, but it never shook its haunted reputation.
Ghost hunters have heard the wails of former patients and soldiers alike, and some say they’ve even seen shadowy figures peeking out from behind doors. Others refuse to return after feeling overwhelmed with a sense of dread they couldn’t shake for days. Equipment has failed repeatedly, and audio has picked up sounds no one heard in real time. One team member swore she saw a nurse walk by—but the building was completely empty.
6. Aokigahara Forest – Mount Fuji, Japan
Often referred to as the “Suicide Forest,” this quiet woodland at the base of Mount Fuji is as unsettling as it is beautiful. The trees are so dense that sound barely travels, making everything eerily silent. It’s sadly known as a place where many go to end their lives, and that deep sorrow clings to the air like fog.
Ghost hunters report a crushing sadness as soon as they enter. Some have said they feel physically held back by an invisible force. Others hear footsteps behind them or see figures dart between trees—only to vanish when followed. Most leave quickly, often before nightfall, describing the place as “spiritually heavy” in a way no other location has ever made them feel.
7. Island of the Dolls – Xochimilco, Mexico
It might sound quirky at first—an island filled with dolls hanging from trees and buildings—but the story behind it is anything but cute. A man named Don Julián began hanging dolls around the island after finding a young girl drowned nearby, believing it would appease her spirit. He kept it up for years, and after his death (in the exact spot the girl was found), the dolls have supposedly come to life.
Investigators who’ve visited say the dolls’ eyes follow them and some even whisper in the wind. One ghost hunter ran screaming after a doll’s head turned on its own. Another refused to even get off the boat. The energy there isn’t playful—it’s unnerving and strange, like the island itself is alive.
8. The LaLaurie Mansion – New Orleans, Louisiana
In a city filled with haunted locations, this one still stands out. Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a socialite with a horrific secret—she tortured and experimented on enslaved people in her home. After a fire exposed her crimes, she fled, but the energy she left behind hasn’t gone anywhere.
The mansion has since had multiple owners, but few stay long. Paranormal investigators have been physically ill inside and have captured chilling EVPs of screams and crying. Some even say they’ve seen apparitions of mutilated figures wandering the halls. One ghost hunter described the atmosphere as “a nightmare you can’t wake up from.”
9. Helltown – Ohio, USA
Originally known as Boston, Ohio, this area earned its fiery nickname after a series of bizarre incidents, including a government buyout, road closures, and strange rumors of chemical spills and mutated creatures. Some say the whole town was covered up for a darker reason. The few who venture in tell stories of feeling followed, seeing glowing red eyes in the trees, and hearing guttural growls.
Ghost hunters who’ve dared to investigate often turn back before they even get to the center of town. Equipment glitches are common, and vehicles sometimes refuse to start once inside the limits. One team claimed their car was scratched by something invisible. Whatever’s lurking in Helltown, it seems to want people out.
10. The Cecil Hotel – Los Angeles, California
This infamous hotel has a deeply disturbing history, tied to multiple suicides, murders, and even serial killers like Richard Ramirez. More recently, it gained global attention after the mysterious death of Elisa Lam, whose final moments in the hotel’s elevator were caught on chilling surveillance footage.
Ghost hunters have tried to tap into the dark energy here, but many leave shaken. There are reports of screams in empty halls and apparitions appearing in the elevators. Some say they’ve been touched or even choked by unseen forces. Even seasoned paranormal teams say it feels cursed, not just haunted.
11. Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This old prison was once the most advanced in the world, but it also introduced a harsh form of solitary confinement that left many prisoners mentally broken. Opened in 1829, it’s known for its cold, echoing halls and crumbling cell blocks. Inmates were hooded and left alone for 23 hours a day.
Ghost hunters often describe the location as a labyrinth of dread. Voices, footsteps, and even sobbing have been recorded when no one else was around. Some refuse to go down Cellblock 12, where aggressive energy has made grown men cry. It’s not just creepy—it feels like the building remembers the pain.
12. Humberstone and La Noria – Chile
These twin mining towns in the Atacama Desert were abandoned decades ago, but something—or someone—never left. The old schools and graveyards seem to hum with ghostly activity, and the locals believe the dead actually rise at night. There are rumors of shadow figures wandering through the dust and voices calling out from empty buildings.
Paranormal investigators who’ve dared to stay overnight report disembodied laughter and doors slamming on their own. One even claimed to see children with empty eye sockets staring at them from a distance. Several ghost hunters have cut their trips short, saying the energy was just too overwhelming. Whatever’s there doesn’t seem to want visitors poking around.