Halloween is fast approaching. Are you and some of your friends planning a Halloween outing this October? Whether you will go to a local haunted house, to a horror theme park, or better still, you might opt to visit one of the scariest places in the United States, surely it will be a night of fright. Following are the most terrifying and most haunted cities/towns in the Americas, as compiled by HauntedAmericaTours.com. Each location has its own real ghost stories, sightings and haunted tours that will take you deep into the past and enable you to explore the truly scary side of history.

 

New Orleans, Louisiana

 

Many people believe that New Orleans is the most haunted city in all of America. With 200 years of haunting stories and unexplainable activity, the city offers more than just a cheap thrill. New Orleans is home to real voodoo legends, real ghost sightings, unsettled spirits, haunted cemeteries and more. Over 90% of the burial sites are still above ground in vaults, crypts or family tombs and the “supernatural” are said to be seen year round -  naturally.

 

Galveston, Texas

 

Galveston is known as the island of horror. Many American soldiers died in the Battle of Galveston during the civil war and they still roam the city until now in spirit form. In 1867 the yellow fever epidemic claimed so many American lives, too. In 1900 a great storm left the city in shambles. It is said that the voices of the drowned victims can still be heard in the brick lined streets and the gulf shores. All of these historical events have made Galveston the haunted city as it is today, complete with sightings of dead soldiers and even encounters with ghostly beings.

 

San Francisco, California (Alcatraz)

 

From 1933-63, America’s most dangerous criminals were locked in one of the most famous prisons of the country, Alcatraz. Prisoners were locked in their cells 24 hours a day and those lucky ones who were let out spent their time breaking rocks. The inescapable prison is now home of the ghosts of the prisoners who died there. The landmark have had many visitors who swore they have heard moans, screams and even have seen ghosts who walked the prison grounds. The haunting does not end there. The city of San Francisco has had its share of haunted areas, as in the Art Institute in the city. The persons who died during the earthquake of the early 1900’s  were buried in the ground where the haunted Art Institute now stands.

 

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

 

Gettysburg was one of the major battlefields of the civil war. As the story goes, the Union soldiers were ready to accept defeat because they were low on food and ammunitions, but then, they saw the ghost of George Washington on a white horse and urged them to continue fighting. Hence, the men waged forward due to  George Washington’s orders. Today, the residents of Gettysburg insist on keeping that historic legend alive. When you travel to Gettysburg, do not be surprised if you see one or two ghosts as the town saved by George Washington is filled with ghosts of those fallen soldiers.

 

Salem, Massachusetts

 

Salem is called the Witch City. Why? The name was given to Salem for a good reason. In 1692, innocent women in that small town were burned, tortured and killed after cruel trials to determine whether they were true witches. The women were suspected of being witches after throwing fits that made them scream, yell, throw things, crawl under furniture and contour their bodies into awkward positions.

The strange behaviors spread, and eventually many more women were put on trial. But the women had nothing physically wrong when examined, and yet they were imprisoned and tried as witches.

Today the real witches of Salem keep the history of the Witch Hunt alive by giving tours of Salem and show every visitor the most haunted landmarks in the city.

 

There are many more cities following this list. Every city has its own history and they are all worth visiting. Plan your Halloween trip now. Enjoy!