Charleston, South Carolina is called "The Holy City" because of the large amount of churches and steeples that make up the city's skyline, but if you look hard enough you might encounter some very unholy spirits. With a murder rate that is nearly twice the nation average, it's no surprise that the town is filled with ghosts. The old city jail is one location in particular that is home to these restless entities. Not only was it once a jail that housed some of the most hardened criminals, but it was also once a makeshift hospital during the Civil War and even an insane asylum at one point. Visitors have felt the sensation the something is touching them at times and have reported hearing chains rattling and dropping to the ground. Others have claimed to see a man walking back and forth in the gun tower and mysterious shadows.

Among the landscape of Charleston there are many old plantations, some of which are the home to some paranormal activity. One plantation is now a visitor's center for the Santee Cooper Electric Company, better known as Wampee House. Visitors have witnessed an Indian woman on the front porch and slaves working in the lawn outside. The most reported claims involve the "maiden in blue," a little girl who haunts one of the upstairs bedrooms. Football legend Terry Bradshaw allegedly left in the middle of the night when he saw the maiden in blue, saying that he would never stay in the house alone. Others have said that they heard footsteps in the hallways and see shadow figures move throughout the house.

Another paranormal spot in Charleston is the Battery Carriage House Inn, where guests have claimed to see a headless torso suddenly appear in their rooms which may be the spirit from the Civil War-era. A local legend tells the story of a man working on the roof in the 1930s seeing the ghost and falling to his death. In a strange twist of fate, now his ghost can be seen in the yard.

Charleston is also home to a haunted restaurant with at least three ghosts if you're hungry for the paranormal. At Poogan's Porch Restaurant, there is a little girl named Zoe that is said to be playful and mischievous. She is known to play tricks on people and move things around, but has also appeared angry to some, throwing things off tables. Police have been called on multiple occasions after people witness an old woman waving to them on the second floor, but when they arrive there is nobody there.

The last ghost is a dog named Poogan that likes to walk around on the front porch and brush the legs of customers. Other ghosts aren't as friendly as Poogan, like the spirit of Sue Howard at St. Phillips Graveyard. Instead of waving or playing with you, this ghost will often attack women who are pregnant or those who have had miscarriages because in her life she lost her own baby. Photographs have been taken of her, and visitors have often had these same experiences.

With its history of violent crime and murder, Chicago, Illinois is renowned for also being the home of many ghosts and spirits - and some of them can get really creepy.  At Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, there have been sightings by forest of a phantom horse walking out of the pond and toward the cemetery. There are also numerous reports of a ghostly house that appears out of nowhere. It's a two-story white house, with a porch and a swing. A light shines in the front window, and local legend says that those who enter don't come back. The most famous ghost at Bachelor's Grove is the White Lady, the spirit a woman who lost her infant child and is buried beside him. She has been seen wandering around, and photographs have been taken allegedly showing her perched on a tombstone with the baby at her chest.

Another haunted cemetery is called Mount Carmel, and it is home to something that isn't just ghostly, but also quite a scientific mystery. Julia Buccola Petta was a housewife who died while giving birth. She was buried in her wedding dress, and a picture and monument are placed at her gravesite. Soon after her death though, Petta's mother began to have dreams that Petta was saying she was still alive and needed air. Six years after her death, her body was exhumed and found to have not decomposed at all. She can now be seen walking through the cemetery, and there is one story that she helped reunite a lost boy with his parents. However, Chicago's most famous ghost story is far more compelling than the tale of Julia Petta.

In 1939, Jerry Palus was at a party where he met a woman with blonde hair and a white party dress. He began to dance with her, remarking that she felt ice cold to the touch. She told him that her name was Mary, and asked him for a ride home. He obliged and started driving her to where she said she lived. However, on the way, she asked if Jerry could go by Resurrection Cemetery on Archer Avenue.

When they drew close to the entrance, Mary began to behave in a strange manner and demanded that Jerry pull the car over. As soon as he did, she got out and told him not to follow. Then, just as she was approaching the main gates, Mary vanished. Jerry later went to the neighborhood where she originally told him to go and discovered that Mary had in fact died on the way home from a party in a hit-and-run accident some years earlier. He quickly realized why Mary was ice cold and where she went when she vanished. Ever since then, dozens of people from all social backgrounds have witnessed Resurrection Mary on Archer Avenue, and some of them have even given her a ride. Others have reported accidentally hitting her.

In August 1976, a driver was passing by Resurrection and saw a girl peering through the gate, grabbing the bars. He called police and the officer that arrived on the scene found that two of the bars had been pulled apart and had scorch marks on them. Not only that, but there seemed to be signs of human skin texture and fingerprints where the scorch marks were found. Even after the bars had been straightened out and painted over, the hand prints remained and the bars were eventually removed.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is a site where rivers of blood flowed during the Civil War. More soldiers died at the battle of Gettysburg in three days than in the entire Vietnam War. In just twenty-four hours of actual fighting, fifty-one thousand men were killed - one man dead every two seconds. Many men didn't even get a funeral and simply rotted on the field where they fell.

This makes Gettysburg the home to some very angry spirits. At the Gettysburg and Northern Railroad engine house, employees have claimed to see doors opening and slamming shut and also hear footsteps in the halls. The paranormal team, Ghosts of Gettysburg, calls it one of their most haunted spots and has recorded electronic voice phenomena of a priest calling to heaven while tending to a wounded soldier.

The Daniel Lady Farm is another haunted location that is home to the spirits of fallen soldiers. It served as a makeshift hospital during the battles, and was the site of many amputations, disease, and death. With the aid of a psychic, Ghosts of Gettysburg have communicated with a soldier named Isaac Trimble, who directed them to the very spot where he died. Further investigation revealed that there was, in fact, a soldier named Isaac Trimble and ultraviolet light showed blood on the floor at the spot where the spirit claimed to have died.  Tourists have seen the images of generals and soldiers in their pictures, including one that looks suspiciously like Robert E. Lee.

Across town, more hauntings have been reported at the Cashtown Inn. During the Civil War, the inn was ground zero for many soldiers, and it was actually the site of the first casualty of that infamous battle. Visitors and employees have claimed to witness several different kinds of unexplained occurrences at the inn. There has been thumping on the doors and floors, lights switching on and off, and doors locking and unlocking themselves. Not only that, but there is also a famous picture from 1905 with a very clear image of a man standing at the doorway. The Cashtown Inn isn't the only haunted place to stay if you find yourself tired in Gettysburg.

Built in 1797, the Gettysburg Hotel was originally a bank, but it served many roles throughout the years, including it being a frequent stop for soldiers. There have been numerous accounts of a man standing in the vault, and Ghosts of Gettysburg claim to have communicated with him. The man reportedly said his name was Culbertson, and further investigation revealed a James F. Culbertson to be a real soldier from Gettysburg.

Yet another haunted resting place is the Baladerry Inn, which was once a Union field hospital during day two of the battle. Curious visitors can flip through the pages of an entire scrapbook full of images and experiences culled from the numerous sightings throughout the years. Pictures have shown two soldiers standing outside, and one of them was even seen wearing a black armband for Stonewall Jackson, a common practice by soldiers at the time. Confederate soldiers are also allegedly buried underneath the tennis court at Baladerry, and have been seen roaming the grounds.

Being the site of such rampant bloodshed, it's no surprise that Gettysburg is so haunted. Fifty-one thousand men died all over the city during the three days of battle there and could not find peace, leaving them unable to cross over to the other side. Scores of tourists have left the town shaken and stirred from their experiences here; disturbed by the presence of these spirits, and that is just part of what earns Gettysburg its title as one of the most haunted cities in America.

New Orleans was home to the highest mortality rate in America until 1900, ravaged by disease, disaster, and murder. This and the city's creepy voodoo past have made it a stomping ground for many ghosts and specters. One of these famous haunts takes place at the site of grisly torture in the French Quarter. The former home of Madame Delphine LaLaurie is haunted by the spirits of the slaves that she mutilated there. In April of 1834, a fire prompted the discovery of seven slaves chained up in the attic of the estate, all horribly beaten and mistreated. Some of their eyes were reportedly gouged out and their fingernails were ripped off their hands. In later years, skeletons were found underneath the floorboards. Some visitors have claimed to see the Madame walking the stairs, and others have felt the feeling of being strangled by an unseen force. Screams are said to be heard coming from the mansion when nobody is there, and some people report feeling nauseous or disoriented by simply walking past it.

New Orleans is also the home to many large cemeteries and many of them are alleged to be haunted too. One such cemetery, the 1000 block of St. Ann Street, is the final resting place of Marie Laveau. Laveau was a famous voodoo priestess that once helped clear an aristocrat's son of a rape charge using her rituals, and now her spirit can be seen haunting the cemetery where she is buried and her old house, Maison Blanche. There is usually a crow perched on her gravestone, and it's believed that it is Laveau herself.

Another famous haunting is at the Myrtle Inn Plantation. The plantation is built on the site of a Native American burial ground, a feature that is reputed to commonly spur paranormal activity. It is at this place that a servant named Chloe murdered her master's family in the 1800s. Her plan was to poison the master's wife and three children and nurse them back to health to avoid punishment, but she mistakenly used too much and killed them. As a result, she has hanged by an angry mob and now their tortured souls haunt the plantation. Children have been seen playing on the front lawn and sitting on the beds upstairs, and the wife has been spotted on the staircase.

The Beauregard-Keyes house is yet another haunted home in New Orleans. It was once the home of Paul Morphy, a world-renowned chess master. According to local legend, one day Morphy inexplicably went mad and ran nude down the street with an axe threatening anyone in his way. Since then, his screams and the sound of him playing piano can be heard in and around the residence. There was allegedly a mafia massacre there once as well, and some visitors have claimed to smell gunpowder in the garden and hear random gun shots.

New Orleans is a city with a storied past and this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to be spooked, it won't take long for you to stumble upon a ghost among its many historic locations.

Portland, Oregon is known for its roses and for being one of last stops on Lewis and Clark's expedition westward, but it's also become the permanent last stop for many people whose spirits haunt the city to this day - and a lot of them didn't get any roses when they died.

The most famous haunted location in Portland is the Pittock Mansion. It was built by the Pittock family to be a home, but in 1964 this was bought by the City of Portland and made into a tourist attraction. There is still a photograph of Henry Pittock in the mansion, but you may never know where it is. The picture has a habit of moving around the house within minutes. Tour guides don't like to talk about it, but visitors have reported the strong smell of roses, Henry's wife Georgiana's favorite flower, when there are none in the house. Others say they hear heavy boots walking around the house, and one woman says she's seen the image of an elderly woman appear and disappear in front of her. Windows also shut on their own and latch themselves closed.

The White Eagle Tavern, claimed to be Portland's favorite night spot, is also a favorite spot for ghosts. Employees can sometimes smell smoke and cheap perfume when the bar is empty, even when there is no fire or a woman around. Other employees have said that they felt like they were being grabbed and have seen old coins appear out of nowhere. Sometimes the toilets will flush on their own and there is sometimes the sound of crying on the second floor. Perhaps the oddest occurrence happened to the assistant manager, Jeff. Normally a skeptic about the hauntings at The White Eagle, Jeff says he can explain seeing a menu fly across the room while he was counting tips one afternoon, and another employee saw it too.

Some ghosts are just playful, like the one found in the Yellow Brick Road Antiques and Collectible Store. This lively spirit likes to play pranks, pushing people and lifting hats of heads. It's believed to be the specter of the old caretaker who died there long ago. Other spirits are the result of more violent circumstances. In 1949, a fifteen year old girl was murdered under St. John's Bridge in Cathedral Park. Screams can be heard throughout the night during the summer, so real that the police have been called out to investigate numerous times only to find nothing.

Then there is the Bella Rooming House. At this home in 1907, Anna Martin was surprised when her sister Emma's husband, Fred, ran into the room and shot her dead where she stood. As Anna fled the horrifying scene, Fred shot her too, and it wasn't long before she was dead too. In a final act of desperation, Fred went into the cellar and shot himself in the head. Their tortured souls are said to still frequent the house to this day.

Salem, Massachusetts is the home of the famous Salem Witch Trials and the setting for the classic work of literature The Crucible. In the late 1600s, hysteria swept this sleepy New England town and resulted in the deaths of many accused "witches." The judges and witnesses involved in these trials have all died mysterious deaths, and the ghosts of all that were involved are said to haunt nearly every place in Salem. The hangings of the "witches" have left an eerie stain on American history and transformed Salem into one of the most haunted cities in America.

The Lyceum is an elegant restaurant that was once the home of Bridgette Bishop, one of the most famous "witches" to be hanged in Salem. She has been seen in the windows and on the landing of the stairway there, dressed in period clothing. Computers are said to have malfunctioned for no apparent reason, and EVPs have recorded her blaming her death on Mary Wilcott. Construction workers have claimed that they saw cinder blocks flying down the stairs and one couple's wedding photos at the Lyceum reportedly reveal images of Bishop. Bishop is also alleged to haunt The Witch House, the former home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, the man who sent many of the "witches" to their demise. Strange shapes have been seen in photos taken there and Bishop is supposed to be heard talking about her apple orchard on EVPs.

Another site of unexplained happenings is the Joshua Ward House. The house belonged to the sheriff who caused the crushing death of Giles Corey, and his spirit still stays there to this day. Candles have been taken out of their holders and melted, trash cans have been thrown, and temperature drops are common. Some have seen an old man sitting by the fireplace, and photos have shown odd results. Corey also allegedly haunts the Howard Street Cemetery and is reported to appear just before disasters, a part of the curse he placed on Salem before he died. Howard Street Cemetery isn't the only haunted graveyard though, as Saint Mary's Cemetery is also said to be plagued with spirits. Strange noises like a dog walking on cement and mysterious lights have been witnessed. There is also apparently an unexplained feeling of evil throughout the place and the feeling of being watched.

The Hawthorne Hotel, named for the famous writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, is yet another location in Salem that is rife with ghosts. Guests have claimed that a ship's wheel in the hotel will move on its own, and that it will continue to move even after someone tries to stop it. An employee said that the room setups were rearranged overnight while he worked there, and later refused to ever work the night shift again. The elevator is supposed to be haunted as well, and chandeliers will sway with no sound for no apparent reason. 

Salem is the home of many tortured souls, and it's clear that they won't be leaving any time soon. "Witch City" has plenty of attractions for ghost-lovers, and you don't need a tour to see some very lively spirits.

San Antonio, Texas is the site of the legendary Alamo, where over 100 defenders and almost 1200 Mexican soldiers died fighting over this landmark. At the Alamo, visitors have reportedly felt numerous cold spots and an overwhelming sadness. Tourists have also seen a ghostly sentry marching back and forth across its roof and heard the screams of its fallen fighters. In fact, one of the Alamo's most famous figures has been spotted in the barracks. A ranger once claimed to have walked into the barracks to discover a man leaning against a wall in buckskin clothing. The man was torn apart with bullet holes, and was then greeted by the spirits of Mexican soldiers who stepped out and proceeded to stab him with bayonets repeatedly before vanishing. It is believed by the ranger that the victim of this gruesome encounter was none other than Davy Crockett, and this scene is said to be similar to the way Crockett actually died. Other sightings of Crockett include several people seeing him at the same time, wearing his iconic coonskin cap. Aside from the Alamo, there are many other haunted sites in San Antonio to visit.

The Alamo dome was once the location of a seedy neighborhood where a woman was murdered. Employees and visitors have seen a woman wearing black floating outside and have heard tapping on the glass and footsteps in the halls. It's said that the seating is unusually cold and has an odd scent to it. An even stranger tale involves the Alamo Street Theater and Restaurant and a ghost named Margarite. This woman has been spotted in the choir loft during rehearsals and calls to people by name. Her picture hangs in the theater, and everyone who says they've seen her say that it is the same woman in the photo. Also in the photo is the image of a little boy, which wasn't in the picture before it was framed and only appeared several months later. The people there call this little boy Eddie, and he has knocked things over and broken various items in the theater. Later, a strange knocking sound was heard coming from the walls for some time until they opened it up for investigation. The source of the knocking wasn't found, but they did discover some old coins instead. Could the ghost of Eddie or Margarite have been trying to signal the location of these relics?

One location that can get you some very spooky results for yourself is the Villamain train tracks. It's local legend that in the 1920's a bus full of children stalled on these tracks and was struck by a train, killing them. A common practice at these train tracks is to park in front of them and put your car in neutral. The ghosts of the dead children are said to push your car over the tracks and into safety. Some have claimed that after dusting baby powder on the car, there will by tiny hand prints left by when you make it over the tracks.

San Antonio is full of the spirits of the dead, and not just because of the Alamo. The past lives on in San Antonio, and some would say it's the will of those from beyond the grave that keeps these stories alive.

San Francisco, California is famous for a lot of things, but what you might not know about The City by the Bay is that it is also one of the most haunted cities in America. With one of the most notorious prisons in the whole world, how could it not be? That's right; San Francisco is the home of Alcatraz, which was operated between 1933 and 1962.  Before the prisoners died of old age or got murdered there, they spent their lives in a cycle of abuse and punishment that has left a stain on the island. Stories are told of the ghosts of three prisoners who were killed during an escape attempt. In the utility corridor where they died, it's been said that you can hear clanging sounds from inside.

Another ghostly section of Alcatraz is Cell 14D, which was one of "the holes." In the 1940s, a prisoner locked into the cell allegedly screamed the entire night that a creature with glowing eyes was attacking him. He was found strangled to death the next day. The man has been reported to visit the cell every now and then, giving visitors and employees chills. One of Alcatraz's most famous former inmates has been experienced in the form of a lively banjo tune. Al Capone, the legendary mobster, spent his last years there learning to play the banjo to avoid the "yard," and visitors have claimed to hear him playing in the shower room. Other reports from Alcatraz include hearing the sounds of crying and moaning, which isn't hard to believe considering the horrible living conditions that inmates face.

Another haunted location in San Francisco is the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. The Hornet was active during World War II and had the highest suicide rate of any of the ships in the Navy. Glass pots have been thrown across the mess hall and shattered, pots and pans will slam, and many experience the sensation of something touching you. Objects have been reported to move on their own, and in the sick bay some report feeling like there where needles being stuck into their arms.

Some places give you an option of whether or not you want to experience a haunting, such as the Mansions Hotel. When you check in, the desk clerk will specifically ask you if you want a "Non-Haunting Room." There is a gallery in the lobby of the old mansion with the accounts of ghosts, photographs, and transcripts of séances that were captured at this hotel. The reports of guests leaving before their stay is over, horrified and shaken, is a common occurrence.

The stories told about Moss Beach Distillery have left many people shaken as well. The restaurant was an old speakeasy during Prohibition, and it is now the home to a woman in a blue dress that is soaked in blood. Legend says that she was stabbed to death by her piano player boyfriend in front of the restaurant in the 1930s. Employees have reported seeing her bloody image and stools being tossed around the room. Supposedly she has been seen at least once every year for half a century. The owner said she even changed the settings of all the thermostats in the entire building at the same time, and that he has the only key.

The city of Savannah, Georgia, is literally built on its dead. After a series of fires, Civil War battles, famine and plague, there wasn't any more room for graves - so Savannah's founders chose to simply build on top of where the dead lay buried. This fact alone makes it a prime target for some very prolific hauntings. It was founded by a man named James Oglethorpe, a freemason who designed the city using the "sacred geometry" well known within this secret society.

Oglethorpe designed it to be made up of several squares; squares known to trap spiritual energy. As a result, Savannah's violent past made it the home to one of the most haunted cities in America. One such haunting is at 507 East St. Julian Street, what some call the most haunted house in the country.

The Hampton Lillibridge House, which is not in its original location, was bought by Jim Williams and is the site of the murder of Danny Hansford - a story made popular by the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Although Williams was tried five different times for the murder of Hansford, he was never convicted. However, a year later he died in the exact same spot where Hansford was found dead - an act some might call revenge from beyond the grave. 

Not only do the spirits of Williams and Hansford still live in the house, but a depressed sailor was also reported to have hanged himself there. Construction workers have seen ghosts of men dressed in black and grey numerous times on its grounds and heard the voices of the deceased. They have also been the subject of attacks, having things thrown at them and doors slammed in their faces. Pictures taken in the third floor have also reportedly had crosses "burned" into the film after being developed. The house is for sale to anyone bold enough to attempt living there.

Another haunted location in Savannah is in the right square, almost directly in the center of the city. This involves the story of a servant named Alice who used to wash her master's hair. One day, fed up with the way her master treated her, Alice decided that she would kill her master by drowning him while she washed his hair. She was unsuccessful and got caught, ending in her death by hanging. However, Alice was pregnant at the time and her restless spirit became trapped here for eternity. Moss is prevalent on the buildings in Savannah, but it will not grow on the side of the square in which she was hung.

Yet another haunted location in Savannah is at The Pirate's House, which is now a restaurant - but at the time of its construction in 1754, it was an inn for weary seafarers and nefarious pirates. The Pirate's House is claimed to be the setting for the beginning of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island by many, and some have reported seeing the ghost of the pirate Captain Flint sitting at tables or stomping around in heavy boots. This is only a small sampling of the locations where this city houses the spirits of its dead - and if you're looking for ghosts in Savannah, you don't have to walk far. It is said that "even the trees have teeth" because human bones have been found uprooted from the ground and ingrained into the plant life. It seems that every square inch of Savannah is a home to death.

St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in America, and home to some of the oldest ghosts too. Founded in 1565 by Ponce de Leon, it was the site of many battles and deaths, transforming it into one of the most haunted cities in the country. One of these battlegrounds is Castillo de San Marcos, a fort where the Spanish defended St. Augustine from invaders. People throughout the centuries have been shot, hanged, and tortured there, and there are scores of unmarked graves. Spanish soldiers have been seen nearby the cannons and tours of the fort have heard heavy footsteps and seen imprints on the beds as if a body was laying there. They have also felt the temperature drop suddenly and the sensation of touching them. Voices and screams have been heard in the dungeon room, which was discovered with bones still shackled to the walls. A more fantastical claim is that a man said he witnessed the floating head of Osceola, a Seminole Indian. There have also been sightings of a man with a lantern walking around at night.

An old lighthouse on nearby Anastasia Island is also said to be haunted by the spirits of two little girls. The girls that have been seen were the daughters of a former lighthouse keeper and of a foreman that was there while a new lighthouse was being built. They were playing with a supply cart one day when the brakes cut out and the cart careened into the inlet of water below. The girls drowned before anyone could come to their rescue, and you can now hear them giggling and playing from beyond the grave. There was another famous death on Anastasia Island at the lighthouse in which a man hanged himself. Constructions workers restoring the lighthouse have reported seeing the image of a man hanging from the rafters and smelling cigar smoke when there was no smoke around.

Another suicide took place at the St. Francis Inn in St. Augustine and has been the setting for some strange phenomena. St. Francis Inn was first maintained by the Dummett family.  Thomas Dummett Jr. fell in love with Lilly, one of the families' slaves and disgraced his family. As a result, his uncle prevented them from being together and punished Thomas by forcing him into the military. The couple was devastated, and they hanged themselves in the attic. Since then, there have been reports of voices and sightings belonging to Lilly. A woman said that she went to her room to find makeup thrown everywhere, and a man has woken up to find himself wedged underneath a bed. Doors slam for no apparent reason, and lights have been seen flickering on and off by themselves.

Another haunted hotel is the Casablanca Inn, said to be haunted by an elderly woman who owned it in the 1920s. The woman helped alcohol smugglers during Prohibition by waving a lantern from the widow's walk to let them know that the coast was clear, and people have said that they've seen the lantern's light to this day. Guests have also claimed to witness her ghostly image in the hallways and feel cold spots in random spots.