The 40 Spookiest Destinations Around The World
A winged beast with a goat’s head, an apparition of Marie Antoinette, a ghost bride who died on her wedding day, and the literal Gates of Hell. These are some of the chilling — even terrifying — experiences that could come your way if you're a truly courageous traveler. We've detailed 40 haunting places where you just might be frightened clean out of your wits if you ever work up the guts to visit...
1. Go a little mad at the Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, Colorado
“Here’s Johnny!” You’ll remember Jack Nicholson’s terrifying line from the classic 1980 horror movie The Shining, delivered after Nicholson’s character has descended into murderous lunacy. That happens as he winters in an isolated hotel with his family.
Stephen King, the scarily good author of the book upon which the movie was based, apparently had this hotel in mind when he wrote his novel. Book in and feel the horror!
2. Keep an eye out for bats at Bran Castle — Romania
The truth is that there’s no real evidence to show that Bram Stoker was thinking about this particular castle when he wrote his Gothic masterpiece Dracula, published in 1897. Even so, Bran Castle has become known as “Dracula’s Castle.”
Pay a visit to the 14th-century stronghold and you’ll see why. If you had to pick a home for the evil Count Dracula, you could hardly do better than this sinister pile.
3. Bow before the royal ghosts of Windsor Castle — England
Windsor Castle, about 20 miles west of London, has been a grand royal residence for nearly 1,000 years. William the Conqueror established the magnificent palace in the 11th century and 40 British kings and queens have lived there.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a location that a plentiful crop of ghosts have allegedly haunted over the centuries. Supposed spectral sightings have included everyone from Henry VIII to Elizabeth II’s mother.
4. Sleep like the dead at the Lizzie Borden House — Fall River, Massachusetts
Outwardly, the residence at Fall River’s 230 Second Street looks like an everyday 19th-century clapboard house. But it’s been known as the Borden House since 1892 because it was the scene of a hideous axe murder.
At the age of 32 Lizzie Borden brutally butchered her own father and stepmother. Today, it operates as a bed and breakfast, so you can book it and indulge your inner ghoul.