"I ain't 'afraid of no ghosts!"
October is here, and that means ghosts, ghouls, witches and monster rule the night. Don't believe in such nonsense? Take a look at these ten cities in the U.S. where hundreds of claims of supernatural activity are made each year.....make sure you read these with the lights on.
1. Baltimore
Whether it was the American Revolution, Civil War, or War of 1812, Baltimore is filled with the alleged ghosts of soldiers and civilians brought to an early death by the violence of the times. Plenty of guided tours take you through exact spots of battles, where visitors can feel a noticeable chill in the air. If you're brave enough to walk through the Westminster Hall Catacombs, you just might meet the ghost of an old literary friend -- Edgar Allen Poe, the king of horror himself.
2. New Orleans
Known widely for its Voodoo traditions, New Orleans is certainly home to the supernatural. Because the city is below sea level, tombs are all above ground in the 42 cemeteries within the city district -- one housing the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, whom visitors still believe grants wishes if you leave an offering at her tomb. The French Quarter holds hundreds of ghosts from the War of 1812, and one restaurant in the neighborhood even keeps a table with bread and a full glass of wine reserved year-round to keep their live-in ghost at peace.
3. Galveston, Texas
Many of us believe Katrina to be the worst hurricane to ever wreak havoc on the U.S., but in 1900, the Galveston Hurricane took 8,000 lives -- nearly 6,000 more than Katrina. Because of this, the storm's victims rule the town's harbors and Victorian-style mansions. At the Menard House, the city's oldest house, seances were frequently held in the 1800s. Murder mansions and haunted hotels with a legendary Ghost Bride come together to make Galveston a super spooky destination.
4. Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg unleashed the most violent battle in U.S. history, where 51,000 soldiers were killed or injured. The blood loss for these soldiers was so massive, that the makeshift hospitals in old churches and schools had to put drains in their floors, lest the nurses are standing in inches of pooled American blood. With that taken into account, Gettysburg is easily one of the most haunted places in American, with so many violent, angry souls still hanging around. Go on a professional ghost tour of the town to use real ghost-tracking equipment and find your own paranormal keepsake.
5. Savannah, Georgia
This not-so-innocent Southern Belle city is quite literally built on its own dead. Thousands of graves of Native Americans are covered by homes and schools, while roads and highways cover burial grounds of slaves and colonialists. Needless to say, these souls did not go peacefully, and they're still pretty angry about it. Stop by the house that inspired "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," and hang out at restaurants where ghosts have tried to order a drink.
Dying for more haunted cities? Stick around the month of October as AST highlights 5 more spooky U.S. spots!
