11 of the Most Haunted Locations Worldwide—And the Ghost Tours to Explore Them

The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient festival of Samhain, celebrated in Celtic regions—such as Ireland, Wales, and Scotland—marking the halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Samhain was not only a harvest festival but also a time when it was believed that the barrier between our world and the afterlife was thinnest, starting at dusk on October 31.

Following the Roman conquest of Britannia, the Celtic tradition of Samhain fused with Roman and later Christian customs. The word “Halloween” comes from All Saints’ Day, originally called “Alholowmesse” or “All-Hallows” in Middle English, an autumn festival honoring the saints. The evening prior to All-Hallows became known as “All-Hallows Eve,” which eventually evolved into Halloween, brought to the U.S. primarily by Irish immigrants in the 19th century, taking on a uniquely American character.

For those who revel in a good scare, why not visit one of these 11 haunted spots across the globe and join a ghost tour for intriguing insights, such as tales of past murders?

1. Salem, Massachusetts

• Ghost tour: Bewitched Historical Tours
• Starting price: $30

During the Salem witch trials, at least 25 individuals were accused of witchcraft and met their fate by hanging or other execution methods. Notably, one of the few men accused, Giles Corey, was pressed to death with heavy stones over a period of three days, and his wife, Martha, faced execution by hanging. This brutal era in Salem was part of a widespread witch hunting movement throughout western Europe from 1400 to 1775, during which roughly 100,000 people were tried for witchcraft, with around half ultimately executed.

Bewitched Historical Tours offers both daytime and nighttime excursions through downtown Salem, exploring numerous historical sites tied to the horrific Witch Trials, including one of the oldest European-style cemeteries in the United States (Salem also hosts pre-colonial Indigenous burial grounds), which dates back to 1673.

2. Savannah, Georgia

• Ghost tour: Genteel & Bard’s Savannah Dark History & Ghost Encounter Tour
• Starting price: $30

This coastal city in Georgia is renowned as one of the most haunted cities in the nation. Its eerie reputation is well-deserved: Savannah has witnessed both American Revolution and Civil War battles, endured a yellow fever epidemic in the late 1800s, and suffered a catastrophic fire, alongside a long, tragic legacy of slavery—all of which have infused the city with a uniquely historic and somber ambiance.

While there are various tours to explore in the Hostess City of the South, some of the most favored ghost tours in Savannah are conducted by Genteel & Bard, a family-owned business that focuses on walking tours. Their Savannah Dark History & Ghost Encounter Tour lasts around two hours and covers three-quarters of a mile, taking participants through some of the city's spookiest sites with the guidance of an informed storyteller. Tour highlights include the Sorrel-Weed House, known for its Civil War-era apparitions; Wright Square, where the grave of a Yamacraw chief was disturbed and an Irish indentured servant was later executed; and the Foley House Inn, where a skeleton was found within a wall in 1987.

3. Paris, France

• Ghost tour: The Paris Catacombs
• Starting price: $32

What better way to celebrate Halloween than by venturing into the notorious catacombs of Paris? In the 17th century, Paris faced significant population growth, leading to cemeteries overflowing with remains. The situation became so dire that in 1780, heavy rains caused a wall to collapse in the Cemetery of the Innocents, resulting in a deluge of decaying bodies spilling into a nearby property. In response, residents turned to the city’s network of subterranean limestone mining tunnels, excavated in the 13th century. It took nearly 12 years to transfer the bones from Paris' overcrowded cemeteries into the catacombs—amounting to 6 to 7 million people—and during the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, bodies were interred directly within the tunnels.

The practice of interring individuals in the catacombs of Paris ceased in 1860; it’s estimated that over 200 miles of bone-laden passageways lie beneath the city. While most of the tunnels remain off-limits, a small section is accessible to the public. The best way to explore is by reserving a tour with Les Catacombes de Paris, granting access to two miles of the underground labyrinth. Although you can purchase a ticket for self-guided exploration, guided tours that delve into the history of the city and its catacombs are also offered. Sadly, this activity is not suitable for wheelchair users or individuals with mobility impairments, as entering the catacombs involves a steep descent down 131 stairs.

4. New Orleans, Louisiana

• Ghost tour: Haunted History Tours
• Starting price: $30

Like Savannah, New Orleans is renowned as one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. It's even served as a chilling backdrop in several well-known TV series, including True Blood, American Horror Story: Coven, and Interview With the Vampire. There’s something uniquely captivating about this 300-year-old city, with its French colonial mansions, mausoleums, and draping Spanish moss, creating a strikingly beautiful yet eerie ambiance that’s perfect for a chilling tale.

While New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras celebrations and warm Southern hospitality, its past is marked by numerous tragic events, including the genocide and displacement of Indigenous peoples, various outbreaks of yellow fever, and its significant role as a slave trading hub. Indeed, prior to the Civil War, New Orleans was viewed as the epicenter of the U.S. slave trade. The city is sometimes referred to as the northernmost Caribbean destination, and you can still sense the lingering presence of obeah, or voodoo, in the atmosphere.

Based in New Orleans, Haunted History Tours provides 10 unique ways to delve into the city’s darker aspects. Visitors can choose from various experiences, such as an eerie walking tour through the Garden District or a daytime visit to the Cities of the Dead, a local term for the cemeteries with their above-ground mausoleums resembling miniature buildings. For those seeking a spirited adventure, the Haunted Pub Crawl guides guests through some of the city’s spookiest bars, complete with classic NOLA cocktails like sazeracs.

Another favored option in the city is a guided tour offered by Unique NOLA Tours. This company features a broad array of choices, ranging from their cheeky Lewd Spirits Tour (which mixes “raunchy ghost tales” with visits to “seedy haunted bars”) to the Pestilence, Pandemic, and Plague Tour, which takes guests on a historical journey through the numerous epidemics and diseases that have affected the Big Easy over the years—if you can handle that given recent events. They also host a Spooky Family Ghost Tour for those looking to include the children.

5. Edinburgh, Scotland

• Ghost tour: City of the Dead’s Haunted Graveyard Tour
• Starting price: $25

Edinburgh is an ancient city that has served as the capital of Scotland since 1437. It is renowned as one of the most haunted locations in Europe, steeped in tales of witches, warlocks, spirits, body snatchers, and other supernatural entities that stir in the night. To provide some context, during the Salem Witch Trials, about 200 individuals faced witchcraft accusations. In Scotland, approximately 4,000–6,000 people were tried as witches, with most suffering torture followed by execution. Additionally, Edinburgh Castle, reputedly one of the most haunted castles in Europe, has endured at least 23 assaults for its capture over the centuries, primarily led by the English.

One of the city’s most sought-after ghost tours is conducted by City of the Dead, a Scottish touring company managed by Black Hart Entertainment. Their Haunted Graveyard Tour provides guests with access to the Greyfriars Covenanter’s Prison and the Black Mausoleum, which houses the Mackenzie Poltergeist, one of history’s most thoroughly documented paranormal events. City of the Dead’s tours feature both historians and entertainers, ensuring that visitors enjoy themselves while gaining insights along the way.

6. Montego Bay, Jamaica

• Ghost tour: Rose Hall Night Tour
• Starting price: $27

While Montego Bay is renowned for its picturesque Caribbean beaches, it also harbors one of the island's most notorious apparitions: the White Witch of Rose Hall. Since the British ousted Spanish settlers from the island in 1655, Jamaica has played a significant role in the Triangle of Trade, particularly in sugarcane and rum production. It was considered one of the most brutal locations for enslaved people, with numerous enslavers, including Thomas Thistlewood, inflicting horrific cruelty, violence, and brutality on Africans.

Annie Palmer, the alleged worst offender on the island, was the mistress of the Rose Hall plantation near Montego Bay. Although much of her story is rooted in fiction, the legend claims that Palmer ruled her estate with an iron fist, having murdered all three of her husbands. Subsequently, she took enslaved men as lovers but disposed of them once she lost interest. After being killed by one of her servants, it is said that she was entombed in a voodoo-enchanted casket to prevent her spirit from rising. However, the spell allegedly failed, allowing her ghost to roam the plantation. Her tale was famously captured in Johnny Cash's 1973 song “The Ballad of Annie Palmer.” Cash was so fascinated by her story that he purchased the Cinnamon Hill Great House on the property, which was restored in the 1960s and is now accessible to the public for tours.

While day tours are available, the night tour promises the most thrilling and chilling experience. Although the story of Annie Palmer may lean more towards fiction, you'll gain insight into the lifestyles of the European elite during the colonial period and the harsh realities faced by their enslaved workers.

7. Singapore

• Ghost tour: Oriental Travel and Tours’ Creepy Tales of Singapore
• Starting price: $92

Singapore stands out as one of the safest nations globally, yet it is also regarded as one of the most haunted. With a tumultuous history marked by World War II battles and colonial rule from both Japan and Britain, this city-state has witnessed significant bloodshed over the years. Changi Beach, notorious for being one of the most haunted locations in Singapore, was the site of the tragic Sook Ching Massacre. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, countless Chinese men suspected of opposing Japanese rule were captured and executed, buried beneath the sands. It is rumored that visitors can still hear the haunting cries and screams of these men.

Oriental Travel and Tours’ Creepy Tales of Singapore tour guides guests to Changi Beach along with several other eerie sites, including the largest Chinese-style cemetery outside of China, Bukit Brown, which is believed to contain over 100,000 graves.

8. San Antonio, Texas

• Ghost tour: Sisters Grimm Haunted History Walk
• Starting price: $25

As one of the oldest cities in Texas, San Antonio was established in 1718 and is known as the most haunted city in the Lone Star State. Among its spooky sites is Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, where a historical hanging tree once stood, haunted by Native American spirits and the restless souls of a young couple who met a tragic fate. Local lore also speaks of the railroad tracks at Villamain and Shane roads, haunted by the benevolent spirits of schoolchildren who perished in a train accident in the 1930s when their bus broke down on the tracks; these ghostly kids are said to push any stalled vehicles to safety. And let’s not forget the Alamo, where the ghostly figures of its original defenders are said to linger.

Experience the supernatural side of San Antonio on the Sisters Grimm Haunted History Walk. This tour takes guests to famously eerie locations, including the Alamo, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, the old Bexar County Jail (now operating as a Holiday Inn Express), and the Menger Hotel—one of the most haunted hotels in the country, rumored to be home to the ghost of Theodore Roosevelt. For those not keen on walking, the Sisters Grimm also offers a Ghost Bus Tour, complete with a stop at a cemetery.

9. Prague, Czechia

• Ghost tour: Mysterium Tours’ Dark Shadows of the Old Town
• Starting price: $23

With a rich history spanning over a millennium, Prague stands as one of Europe's top destinations for ghost hunting. Its winding cobblestone streets and majestic medieval castles provide the perfect backdrop for ghostly tales. Among the spirits rumored to roam the city are the Headless Templar, the legendary founder of Prague, the ghost of a monk's lover, and a golem crafted by a rabbi in the 16th century to safeguard the Jewish community against antisemitic threats.

Prague’s Mysterium Tours guides adventurers through the city's ancient heart on the Dark Shadows of the Old Town Tour. This journey winds through the Old Town and Josefov (the Jewish Quarter), showcasing numerous Gothic churches, historic convents, and centuries-old cemeteries. Adding to the experience, the tour guides and storytellers don period-appropriate attire. If you're not in Prague but still crave some chills, Mysterium Tours also operates in Budapest, Kraków, and Madrid.

10. Los Angeles, California

• Ghost tour: ExperienceFirst’s Haunted Hollywood Walking Tour: True Crime, Creepy Tales
• Starting price: $39

Known as the City of Angels, Los Angeles is also a hotspot for ghostly encounters. For a thrilling glimpse into the darker side of the city, embark on ExperienceFirst’s Haunted Hollywood Walking Tour: True Crime, Creepy Tales. This tour takes participants to various haunted hotels, theaters, and iconic landmarks. Along the way, you'll delve into the chilling history of the Hollywood Ripper, a serial killer active in Southern California during the 1990s and early 2000s, discover where to encounter the spirit of Marilyn Monroe at the Hollywood Roosevelt, and visit the Knickerbocker Hotel, where Harry Houdini performed one of his final acts before passing.

11. San Diego, California

• Ghost tour: Old Town Trolley Tour’s Ghosts & Gravestones
• Starting price: $44

Famed for its incredible surf spots and temperate Southern California climate, San Diego also holds the reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Golden State. Among its haunted locations is the Whaley House, a Greek Revival mansion from 1857, recognized for numerous documented paranormal occurrences and reputed to be one of the most haunted residences in the country. The Old Town Trolley Tours’ Ghost & Gravestones experience transports guests to some of the city’s eeriest attractions via a charming trolley. During this journey, participants will uncover the city’s Wild West history, delve into the haunting tales of the Whaley House, and witness the intriguing electromagnetic activity at Pioneer Park, a popular site among local ghost hunters equipped with E.M.F. readers. The tour begins at Old Town Market and lasts just over an hour and a half.

This article was initially published in 2022 and was most recently updated on October 8, 2024, to include the latest information. Reporting for this story was contributed by Sophie Friedman.