Bed and Breakfast Network Blog

Haunting, ghost, and paranormal experiences of all sorts, seems to captivate the mind which makes haunted tours and travel destinations one of the most popular the world across.   One of the best things about haunted houses is that almost every city has one, but which are the best? Last Year we wrote about 10 great Haunted Cities, this year we will take a look at  5 fun haunted houses located in the US. While this is not the end-all, be-all of haunted lists this is a good place to see a few of the more popular Haunted Travel Destinations.

The Winchester House

Located in San Jose, California was built in 1884 by Sarah Winchester, wife of renowned gun maker William Winchester. The Winchester House is believed  to be haunted by the ghost of the falling victims killed by Winchester Riffles. Construction of the house went on continuously till her death in 1922,  with doors and rooms leading to nowhere in attempts to confuse the ill-tempered spirits.

The Congelier House

One of the most notorious homes in Pittsburgh, The Congelier House is the site of several murders. The first in 1871 after a jealous wife stabs her husband and decapitates the head of his mistress. The second and much more gruesome happened in 1901 when the property was purchased by a Doctor by the name of Adolph C. Brunrichter was found to have a murdered women found in his bed and 5 headless women in his basement.  Years later The Congelier House became a favorite working place for Thomas Edison where it is said that he was developing a machine to speak with the dead.

Myrtles Plantation

Located near Baton Rouge, Louisiana and built in the mid 1790′s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Myrtles Plantation is surrounded by several haunting stories, and as many as a dozen ghost are said to take residents on the property. The most famous maybe the story of a slave girl named Chole who was said to be the mistress of the Plantations owner Clark Woodruff. As the legend goes, Chole attempted to posion Clark Woodruff  by baking him a cake with extract from Oleander leaves in it but the cake was only eaten by his wife and two daughters who subsequently died.  Chole was later hung from a tree by the other slaves.

The White House

Did you know that our White House in Washington DC is haunted! Yes! The most often see is Abraham Lincoln and by some very reputable folks. Overnight guests of the White House have seen Mr. Lincoln near his bedroom (the room everyone wants to sleep in and is known as the the Lincoln room) and Mr. Lincoln is probably upset that they are spending the night in his room. After all a person bedroom is very private. The staff have often opened the door to Lincoln’s room and seen Lincoln sitting on the side of the bed.  Others have seen him in the Oval Office and other times he has often tapped people on the shoulder.

Willie Lincoln, President Lincoln’s beloved son passed away in the White House and the two have been seen walking together. Another strange story that circulates is one of a black cat walking around the White House in 1929 just be for the Stock Market crash and again before President Kennedy’s assassination report it as a warning of another bad thing to happen. Even psychic’s and astrologer’s  have been to the White House to investigate these stories. What do you think? Do you believe in ghosts.

Alcatraz

The perfect place to be haunted in my mind would be Alcatraz. There are some pretty scary men who have lived looking out over foggy San Francisco. Being robbed of their sanity day after day what little they had left after being convicted and sentenced to this barren island with the swift currents keeping these men from San Francisco. It was a prison from 1861 to 1963 going through many transitions and prisoners. It was not a place to rehabilitate it was a place of real punishment. Escapes were part of the prison life and so was death. Many lived their lives totally insane. Some of the famous prisoners were Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, the Bird Man of Alcatraz (Robert Stoud), Joe Bower who slit his own throat with his broken eyeglasses, Ed Wutke another of many who killed himself.

The guards were known to do cruel and unusual punishment on the prisoners. There was 14 attempted escapes with 34 men involved and only one was known to make it to San Francisco his name was John Paul Scott but he was caught near the Golden Gate Bridge and punished accordingly.

Now that you know the facts and how awful it was even though these men were no saints the ghostly haunting come into this little story. Stories now are told about “holes” that forgotten inmates were left are still so cold you cannot imagine anyone being in there Cell 14D is one of those. Continual cries in corridors, the sounds men screaming in the nights. These traumatic experiences still haunt Alcatraz. Crying in the caverns beneath the prison still can be heard. Ghost Hunter, crime writers, and just plain folks wanting to visit this place with terrifying history say they come away with a cold and strange feeling that the ghost of Alcatraz really do exist.

Other Articles You Might Enjoy:

1. 10 Great US Haunted Cities