10 Of The Most Haunted Places On Earth

By Sumaiya Ghani in Geeks and Gaming On 1st November 2015
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#1 Banff Springs Hotel (Alberta, Canada)

Built in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada was meant to provide guests with a luxurious place to rest in the middle of a long and grueling train ride. Although the mountainous landscape is truly remarkable, the hotel itself has proven to be one of the most haunted structures in Canada thanks to its numerous reports of paranormal activity over the last century.

Don't let the stunning architecture and gorgeous landscape fool you! The Hotel has been the site of numerous tragedies spanning a fire in 1926 that completely destroyed the structure to the secret windowless room discovered in the 1930s. This doesn't even count the deaths at the hotel! Many people claim to see the bride, who fell down the stairs to her death, haunting the hallways along with the bellman who haunts the upper floors of the hotel. As if this wasn't enough, room 873 is the most haunted room in the hotel as it was the site of a family's murder. Needless to say, this room has been blocked off but the family's spirits still roam the halls!

#2 Chateau de Brissac (Maine-et-Loire, France)

The only haunted destination on our list from France, the Chateau de Brissac was built in the 1000s and was eventually given to Guillaume des Roches after England defeated the French in the war. After an initial rebuild in the 1400s, the Chateau saw many different owners and numerous remodels. Today, the beautiful castle is managed by Charles-Andre de Cosse-Brissac and is open to the public for overnight stays that is, of course, if you're brave!

While the Chateau boasts a beautiful interior with exquisite architecture and a phenomenal experience, you might not want to stay overnight unless you're interested in paranormal activity. Over 500 years ago, two lovers were murdered in the midst of their indiscrete affair. When the husband could no longer take his wife's unfaithfulness heard from the bedroom next door, the beautiful woman and her lover vanished. Today, visitors often claim to see the woman, now known as The Green Lady, as she lingers in the shadows and haunts visitors with her painful moans.

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#3 Fort George (The Citadel, Nova Scotia, Canada)

Switching gears from beautiful chateaus and cheating wives, we travel all the way to Fort George, which sits atop Citadel Hill in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Named for King George II of the United Kingdom, the Citadel is over 260 years old, making it nearly as old as the town itself. While four different citadels have been built since the original, the present-day structure is being used as a national park that doubles as a historic site thanks to its role in numerous wars including the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and many other battles.

While it's rare to find sites previously used in battle that are reused or repurposed, it's not uncommon. Because of its lengthy history, visitors often report paranormal activity at Fort George in the form of spirits of fallen military members wondering the grounds. One visitor even reported that he saw a fully uniformed soldier walk into an area of the prison and disappear. Many other similar reports have been made as well as those of various noises and voices that can be heard throughout the halls, which brings an entirely new meaning to the phrase, "If walls could talk!"

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#4 Borgvattnet (Jamtland County, Sweden)

First established in northern Sweden in 1876, the Borgvattnet home is considered to be one of the most visited and most famous haunted houses in the world. Sounds bone chilling, doesn't it? Reports of paranormal activity in the home date back as far as 80 years by Nils Hedlund, who briefly lived in the home. Nils wasn't crazy after all since the following owner reported seeing a female ghost and every owner after has reported paranormal happenings.

In one of the creepiest reports, one woman woke up in the middle of the night and saw three elderly women sitting on the couch in the guestroom. When the woman turned on the lights, the women appeared blurrier than any human being. Other reports include rocking chairs that throw people out of them to ghosts that roam through the halls and creek the floorboards. Needless to say, owning or even visiting the Borgvattnet house is definitely not for the faint of heart!

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#5 The Tower of London (London, England)

Located on the northern bank of the Thames River in London, the Tower of London was originally built in 1078 by William the Conqueror as part of the Norman Conquest of England. Over the span of 300 years, the Tower has seen numerous expansions and now boasts over two million visitors each year, earning it recognition as one of England's many historic sites.

Despite England's early dislike of the Tower for its elitism, the Tower is considered to be home of some of London's most famous ghosts. Anne Boleyn, the beheaded wife of King Henry VIII, is reported to roam the halls along with Lady Jane Grey, who is commonly known as the Nine Day Queen. It isn't just visitors who have reported the ghost sightings, the castle guards themselves have reported numerous oddities at the eerie Tower.

#6 Ancient Ram Inn (Gloucestershire, England)

Hotels in the United States take great pride in their newness from modern architecture to their extravagant luxuries which means that we have very few hotels that date back prior to the 1800s. In Europe, however, it is common to find buildings, thousands of years old, that are still standing and being used. Built in 1145 and first owned by the St. Mary's Church, the Ancient Ram Inn of Gloucestershire, England is one of these exquisite historic gems.

With its incredible history also brings plenty of ghosts, earning the Ancient Ram Inn its reputation as the most haunted hotel in the entire country. Constructed on a pagan burial ground, the Inn has welcomed numerous television programs who have attempted to capture rare footage of the paranormal activity. Think we're kidding? The current owner told investigators that on his first night in the home, he was dragged out of his bed by the arm from a force that he couldn't see. Talk about creepy! We would have put a "For Sale" sign up the next morning!

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#7 Monte Cristo Homestead (New South Wales, Australia)

The only Australian building on the list, the Monte Cristo Homestead is also the newest home on our list as it was built in 1885 by Christopher William Crawley. Sitting atop a hill overlooking the town of New South Wales, Crawley and his heirs occupied the home until 1948, at which time the home remained vacant for 15 years. In 1963, Reg and Olive Ryan purchased and restored the homestead but, rather than living in it, they transformed it into a museum, store and haunted house for the world to enjoy.

Many paranormal shows have made the trek to Australia to visit the Monte Cristo Homestead due to its tragic history. During the 15 years that it sat vacant, the caretaker who watched the home was murdered in addition to four other mysterious deaths. The Ryan family obviously wasn't afraid of the home's eerie history and takes great pride in the numerous reports by their visitors of sightings and feelings of spirits. Cue the ghost music and fog machine because this is one rocking haunted house!

#8 Waverly Hills Sanatorium (Kentucky, United States)

Traveling across the globe to the United States, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium of Louisville, Kentucky is the first American building on the list. First built in 1883, the sanatorium was originally a family home for Thomas H. Hays who, when his daughters were of age to attend school, transformed an area of the building into a local schoolhouse. By 1910, an outbreak of tuberculosis overtook the area, leading the Board of Tuberculosis Hospital to purchase the property to treat those in need.

The building itself went through numerous expansions over the years and was eventually closed in 1962 after the antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis became accessible. Over the years, many plans were made to transform the sanatorium into a prison, an apartment complex, a theater and even a chapel, all of which fell through due to lack of funding. In 2001, Charlie and Tina Mattingly bought the property and embraced its history by holding tours and hosting an annual haunted house. With thousands of deaths at the sanatorium over the years, it's no surprise that this haunted house offers real paranormal activity filled with ghosts, screams and even moving shadows!

#9 Castle of Good Hope (Cape Town, South Africa)

Built in the mid to late 1600s as a replacement for Fort de Goede Hoop, it took nearly 13 years for the Dutch East India Company to finish the star-shaped Castle of Good Hope. The Castle was originally located on the Table Bay coastline but now sits inland in Cape Town, South Africa where it undergoes frequent restorations to ensure the 400 year old structure remains in perfect condition.

Despite looking like one of the newest buildings in the area, the Castle has a dark side buried within its stone walls. The first reports of paranormal activity were made in the early 20th century when a tall ghost mysteriously appeared. Strangely enough, the ghost wasn't seen for another 30 years when it made its grand return by appearing multiple times! People have since seen the ghost jumping off the ledge and have also reported ghosts of soldiers walking in the halls. As if this isn't scary enough, there's also a female ghost who runs through the fort crying and screaming at the top of her lungs!

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#10 Eastern State Penitentiary (Pennsylvania, United States)

The most haunted place in the entire world happens to be right here in our backyard. Seriously! The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was used between 1829 and 1971 as a small jail before expanding into the largest and most expensive public structure ever built. Housing some of the most famous criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton, the wheel-shaped structure became the model for over 300 prisons around the world.

Thanks to its famous prisoners, many of the most famous rooms have kept their possessions, leaving the rooms themselves to rot around them, giving off an incredibly eerie vibe. Dozens of paranormal activities have been reported over the years and include sightings of a ghost that sits in the guard tower, a man laughing in his cell and footsteps that haunt the entire building. Today, the prison is a National Historic Landmark that is open to the public and even offers an annual haunted house that gives people a firsthand encounter with the most blood chilling building in the world!