Do you prefer your spooky season to be as real as it gets? The most haunted places in the world are waiting for you...
We’re far from the first people to roam the Earth so, everywhere we go, we’re likely co-existing with the spirits of those who came before us. While we usually don’t give that idea a second thought, some places put it front and centre of your mind – especially locations that are teeming with ghosts who’ve not quite found their way into the afterlife.
The most haunted places in the world will definitely make you consider what invisible spectres might be lurking nearby, whether you’re in an ornate old mansion, a derelict hospital or just a cosy pub with a ton of history. If you find yourself in any of these places, you might want to keep your eyes peeled (and make sure you’re not alone). Ready to get spooked? Here are the most haunted places in the world.
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John Bills is a writer for Time Out Travel. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.
Packing this list with cemeteries would be simple, but spirits wandering graveyards isn’t exactly news. The paranormal activity at La Recoleta (Buenos Aires) is on another level entirely, with many of Argentina’s most influential personalities buried here. Its crypts struggle to contain the restless souls underneath, giving rise to a star-studded ghost get-together of the celebrity kind.
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The grandiose House of a Thousand Doors was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Railway Company between 1919 and 1942, passing into the hands of the Japanese occupiers in World War II. If all of that sounds like a recipe for a haunting, you are on the right track. Lawang Sewu is Indonesia’s most haunted building, with its basements particularly fertile ground for ghosts. If you are going into the basement of a neglected building, you are asking for trouble.
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The credibility of a haunted house might crumble somewhat under positive overnight reviews, but this is America, baby! Moreover, Lizzie Borden’s acquittal didn’t back up the house’s reputation as a double-murder scene, but how do you explain the strange noises at night? That couch wasn’t there when you went to bed, was it?
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Venice might be the most romantic place in Europe, but it is also one of the most haunted. You can insert your comment about cursed love here, but good luck finding your voice in the chill of Poveglia. This abandoned island was used as a quarantine station for over a century before housing a mental hospital, which closed in 1968. It is so scary that visitors are actually prohibited, presumably for fear of, well, fear.
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Hard no, hard, hard no. La Isla de la Muñecas loosely translates to ‘Island of the Dead Dolls’, which is actually more terrifying than the name suggests. The island’s hermitic owner began hanging dolls from trees in the 1940s, ostensibly to ward off evil spirits, possibly by creating a scene too creepy even for demons.
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Once a mighty fortress in Rajasthan, legend has it that Bhangarh Fort was completely abandoned overnight. Why it was abandoned isn’t entirely clear (some say a hermit cursed it), but myths surround the 16th-century fortress, and its spooky status is so strong that it is illegal to be there after dark.
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The Welsh love a pub almost as much as they love a story, and the oldest pub in Wales is packed with chilling tales. Located in the hills near Abergavenny, The Skirrid Inn doubled up as a centre for hangings over the centuries, and the spirits of the executed still stalk the corridors. Not exactly first-pint small talk.
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Let’s be honest; it would be weird if a 19th-century penal colony wasn’t haunted, right? Port Arthur in Tasmania (Australia’s most haunted state, for the curious) is a spine-chilling spot, a place of misery where more than 1000 people died in grim circumstances, where psychological torture was more common than physical.
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The Chuuk Lagoon may be a tropical paradise, but dark secrets hide under its waves. The lagoon is home to the world’s largest ghost fleet, making it a magnet for wreck-diving enthusiasts eager to find the remains of the Japanese South Pacific fleet. Looking for the world’s most beautiful haunted spot? Get yourself to Micronesia, pronto.
A stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is only for the bravest (and wealthiest) souls. Constructed in the late 19th century, the imposing hotel is haunted by many spirits. The most notable among these is former bellman Sam Macauley, but the hotel also has a burning bride, a secret room with no windows or doors, and more. The spirit of Macauley will supposedly vanish if you attempt to tip him, which is at least one positive.
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