Top 10 Famous Haunted Houses
These are the hotspots where ghosts come out to socialize. From the LaLaurie Mansion, to Blicking Hall, to the House of the Seven Gables, these haunted places will send shivers down your spine. WatchMojo counts down the Top 10 Famous Haunted Houses.
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#10: LaLaurie Mansion
New Orleans, Louisiana
Much like the mansion she lived in, Delphine LaLaurie might’ve seemed classy on the surface. Behind closed doors, though, she was an unspeakably inhumane slave owner. This wealthy socialite’s crimes were exposed on April 10, 1834 when a slave set her Royal Street house on fire. When the public learned of the slaves LaLaurie had tortured and possibly even murdered, they chased her out of New Orleans and she fled to Paris. Over the years, LaLaurie’s three-story mansion has served as a school, an apartment building, and much more. Actor Nicolas Cage even briefly owned it before going bankrupt. Nobody seems to stay at the mansion long, however, leading many to believe that it’s cursed.
#9: Blickling Hall
Blickling, England
This Norfolk country house is speculated to be the birthplace of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Although the Queen of England gave birth to Elizabeth I, she couldn’t fulfill Henry’s desire to have a son. As their marriage reached its breaking point, Boleyn was charged with adultery, incest, and conspiracy to murder the king. While many historians believe these changes to be fabricated, Boleyn was still executed, by beheading, on May 18, 1536. It’s rumored that Boleyn’s headless ghost annually appears at her birthplace on the anniversary of her death. That’s why the National Trust ranked Blickling Hall as the country’s most haunted house.
#8: House of the Seven Gables
Salem, Massachusetts
This colonial mansion was built by Captain John Turner in 1668 and remained in his family for three generations. The house’s unique design and history would provide the inspiration for author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 gothic novel, “The House of the Seven Gables.” Today, the house operates as a museum that offers educational programs. Given the novel’s eerie atmosphere, it’s only fitting that the house has also been the setting of some alleged paranormal activity. Various guests claim to have seen the ghost of Susan Ingersoll, Hawthorne’s cousin who previously lived in the house. Another tourist even snapped a photo of what they believe to be a ghost boy lurking in the yard.
#7: Molly Brown House
Denver, Colorado
Margaret “Maggie” Brown not only survived the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, but also encouraged the lifeboat crew to turn back and rescue others from the wreckage. Because of this, she was dubbed the Unsinkable Molly Brown. Although she passed away in 1932, it’s possible that Brown was unsinkable even in death. It’s been reported that Brown’s spirit still resides at her old house in Denver, Colorado, which was restored in the 1970s and is currently a museum. Visitors have also smelt pipe smoke, suggesting the presence of Molly’s husband, James Joseph Brown. Other alleged apparitions include a female in a Victorian dress, and other members of Molly’s family.
#6: Myrtles Plantation
St. Francisville, Louisiana
Now a bed and breakfast, the Myrtles Plantation is promoted as “one of America’s most haunted homes.” General David Bradford built the house in 1796, supposedly on an ancient Tunica Indian burial ground. A Native American girl is actually one of several manifestations that have been spotted at the plantation. The ghost who’s gotten the most attention, however, would have to be “Chloe”. According to legend, Chloe was a slave owned by Clark and Sara Woodruff. After getting her ear cut off for eavesdropping, Chloe baked a poisonous birthday cake, which she fed to Sara and her two daughters. As a result, the other slaves hung Chloe and threw her dead body into the Mississippi River.
San Diego, California
In 1852, Thomas Whaley witnessed the hanging of James “Yankee Jim” Robinson, who had been convicted of grand larceny. Years later, Whaley built a two-story Greek Revival house out of bricks on that exact site. In addition to being the first house of its kind in San Diego, the Whaley residence also functioned as a theater, courthouse, and general store. Most significantly, it’s rumored that the ghost of Yankee Jim haunts this historic house. He’s apparently not alone either, as his daughter Violet Whaley supposedly committed suicide on the property in 1885. When Thomas and his wife reunited with her in death, it’s believed that their spirits remained in the house, now a museum.
#4: Winchester Mystery House
San Jose, California
This extravagant mansion was the home of Sarah Winchester, the wife of firearm manufacturer William Wirt Winchester. When William died, Sarah became the heiress to his $20 million fortune, but also supposedly inherited the figurative blood on her husband’s hands. As legend has it, Sarah believed that the souls who had been killed by the Winchester rifle were haunting her from beyond the grave. Taking a psychic’s advice, Sarah fled from the spirits by moving to San Jose, where she built a house consisting of over 160 rooms. The Winchester Mystery House, which now offers guided tours, has allegedly been a magnet for paranormal activity. Sarah Winchester’s story also inspired a 2018 movie, starring Helen Mirren.
#3: Lizzie Borden House
Fall River, Massachusetts
Lizzie Borden stands out as one of American history’s most infamous figures, having been tried for murdering her father and step-mother with an axe, in 1892. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the house she once lived in potentially has some . . . ghostly baggage. A century later, 1996, her father’s house on 92 Second Street, in Fall River, Massachusetts was converted into a bed and breakfast. Numerous guests have visited the B&B in hopes of catching a glimpse of Lizzie’s and her parents’ spirits. If you’re worried about getting 40 whacks, maybe sleep with one eye open.
#2: The Amityville Horror House
Amityville, New York
If you haven’t read “The Amityville Horror” by author Jay Anson, chances are you’ve at least seen one of the several film adaptations. This horror franchise actually originated from 112 Ocean Avenue, where Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot six of his family members to death. In 1975, just over a year after these gruesome murders, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house with their three children. But 28 days later, the Lutz family departed, after allegedly having several run-ins with the supernatural. In 2017, an anonymous buyer purchased this notorious dwelling for $605,000, about $200,000 below the asking price. We can only hope the new owner doesn’t run into any vengeful demons.
#1: The White House
Washington, D.C.
It’s amazing to think that the most iconic house in the U.S. is also, arguably, the most haunted. Strangely enough, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. has been the setting of numerous ghost stories throughout history, many of which involve Abraham Lincoln. First Lady Grace Coolidge supposedly saw President 16’s ghost looking out the Oval Office’s window. Both Lady Bird Johnson and Eleanor Roosevelt claimed to have felt Lincoln’s presence while living there. Visitors like Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, also allegedly saw ghostly figures they believed to be Lincoln’s ghost. In addition to President Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Abigail Adams, and various other political figures have supposedly haunted the White House.
