Could your Halloween Haunted House rival even the White House?
Did you indulge in Halloween’s most notorious adventure this year? Starting early Fall, Haunted Houses materialize all over the country, but Halloween Night is by far the most popular date for attendance. Some have been established for years and get spookier every time. So how did your haunted house measure up this year? Can it compare to the freaky phenomena in these most infamous ghostly residences?
Winchester House -library of congress prints photographs division 571113
Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, is a 160-room Victorian mansion brimming with bizarre architectural features and a very eerie origin. With features such as secret passageways, labyrinth-like winding hallways and a séance room, this eccentric house is rumored to have been built for spirits themselves.
The Amityville House
In 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were found slain in this home on Long Island, NY. A year later, the Lutz family moved in but quickly moved out after reports of unexplained paranormal activity — strange odors, unexplained cold drafts and frightening apparitions.
The White House
For years there have been reports that the White House is a hotbed of haunted activity. Visitors, staff and even White House residents have reported seeing the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln, Abigail Adams and Andrew Jackson, to name a few.
The U.S. White House by UpstateNYer creative commons via Wikimedia
Myrtles Plantation
The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, is one of the creepiest places in the South. Visitors and former residents claim to have witnessed many strange occurrences including furniture that moves on its own in this house built in 1797.
The Joshua Ward House
The Joshua Ward House in Salem, Mass. was built in 1784 and originally owned by George Corwin, the High Sheriff during the Salem Witch Trials. For many years, Corwin’s remains were housed in the basement. Rumor has it that Corwin’s spirit still haunts the house.
The LaLaurie House
One of the spookiest homes in the French Quarter, New Orleans, the LaLaurie Mansion has reportedly been haunted by screams from the apparitions of Delphine’s slaves. The house was owned by actor Nicolas Cage from 2007 to 2009.
Franklin Castle by Cricchetti qwn-work Creative Commons via Wikkipedia
Franklin Castle
Built in 1865 for the Tiedemann family, Franklin Castle makes a spooky first impression with its sandstone exterior, round corner tower and gargoyle embellishments. Those who have been inside the Ohio mansion claim to have witnessed an eerie woman in black staring out the tower window, small children crying and strange happenings like doors flying off hinges.
The Whaley House
San Diego’s Whaley House was designated an official Haunted House by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1960s due to the frequently heard heavy footsteps of the ghost of “Yankee Jim” Robinson, who was hung on the property in 1852 before the house was built.
The Lemp Mansion
Built in St. Louis in the 1860s, the Lemp Mansion was inhabited by wealthy brewers. Named one of America’s most haunted houses in 1980 by Life magazine, the mansion is currently a restaurant and inn that offers paranormal tours of the home.
Villisca Ax Murder House
Since June 12, 1912 the house in Villisca, Iowa, still boasts wandering spirits, children’s crying voices and a door that mysteriously opens and closes. Today, the house is open for daytime tours and overnight sleepovers.
Adapted from an article written by Gretchen Roberts and published by HGTV. Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.
None of these homes on your wish list? Check new listings of homes for sale in these Phoenix Valley cities! I can’t promise you any are haunted but you never know!
