13 Terrifying, Haunted Historical Sites from Around the World

1

The Island of the Dolls

If there's one common fear right up there with clowns, flying, spiders, and maybe spontaneous human combustion, it's dolls.

With their soulless eyes, marionette-like gait, and constant desire to be given free will to murder us in our sleep, any location that features a doll certainly deserves a spot on this list.

But instead of one doll, let's ratchet things up... how about thousands of them? Oh, and they're not simply lying around a house, or stuffed into an attic, or calmly plotting your demise from the corner of a room, either - they're strung up on various trees on an entire island.

Well, that's what you're in for if you ever feel like escaping the relaxing, doll-less safety of life and moving to Xochimilco, Mexico, where you'll be met by the dead-eyed gazes of countless plastic baby-people.

Thankfully, these are not naturally-occurring dolls, but the real reason they exist on this island is perhaps even more frightening. Legend has it that a man named Julian Santana Barrera moved to the island, and soon after, found the body of a girl floating in a nearby canal. He also found a doll floating near her, which he hung from a tree as a memorial. But once he hung the doll, he claimed to hear footsteps, whispers, and screams. He hung more dolls to try and appease her but had no luck; she haunted him until the day he died in those woods.

Unsurprisingly, Julian had zero luck with contacting the spirit of the young girl. Now, the island is a tourist attraction, and visitors claim the dolls' eyes will follow them wherever they go.
2

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Located in Southern Jefferson County in Kentucky, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium was originally a simple two-story hospital when it was first constructed for tuberculosis patients.

However, since Kentucky had one of the highest death rates for the disease in the entire country, the county decided to expand the original building and transform Waverly Hills into a five-story haven for those stricken with what was called the "white death" at the time.

Why did tuberculosis earn such a frightening nickname? Mainly due to the fact that when patients contracted TB, their skin turned a ghastly white.

It's been said that as many as 63,000 patients died at Waverly Hills before it closed - and not all of them have found a way to move on. Supposedly, visitors occasionally hear strange voices muttering down the hallways and feel strange cold spots in the air. Some even claim to have seen apparitions and shadows in multiple parts of the building.

Perhaps the most frightening is the supposed ghost of a woman who died in room 502. A tuberculosis patient, who, upon learning she was pregnant, hung herself with the light bulb wire in her own room.
3

Chichen Itza

When most of us think of haunted houses, it's typical to think of creepy Victorian-era homes, or at least ones built within the last few centuries.

But the thing about ghosts is that they're supposedly doomed to wander the Earth forever and, in this case, some of them have been around for thousands of years.

This brings us to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. Here, the Mayan people believe that death wasn't so much a tragedy, but more of a process to bring us to the other side when our time on Earth is up. Thus, the ruins here were once the site of mass sacrifices.

In fact, several tourists who have ventured into the more contained parts of the ruins have claimed to have seen strange specters walking the halls, in addition to hearing strange tribal chants throughout various sections.
4

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Originally built in 1864, this asylum in Weston, WV was later called the Weston State Hospital, and was designed to hold a mere 250 patients. But as time went on, and the hospital began admitting additional alcoholics, drug addicts, and "mental defectives," the structure's capacity ballooned to nearly 2,600 patients.

Because of this immense level of overcrowding, resources of the hospital were stretched extremely thin. This resulted in poor sanitation, failing light fixtures, and poor heat circulation throughout the building. Basically, everyone inside was suffering in more ways than one.

And although those who resided and worked in Trans-Allegheny experienced physical horrors, it was said they also reported seeing the spirits of confederate soldiers passing through the hallways from when the site was originally a Civil War outpost.
5

The Sultan's Palace

Located in New Orleans' French Quarter, rumor has it that this now-infamous mansion was originally built in 1836 by a Turkish man who claimed to be a sultan, though no one at the time could actually find out the truth.

As time went on, neighbors began to grow suspicious of the Turkish man, who would throw wild, opium-fueled parties that went on for hours. Some said the man had multiple wives and even more children. What's worse, is he was said to be torturing them nightly.

Then, one morning, a neighbor noticed a horrifying sight: blood was dripping down the side of the home. And when authorities were called, nothing could prepare them for the nightmare they saw upon entering 716 Dauphine Street:

Body parts were littered throughout the home.

There were dismembered arms. Legs. Heads. Blood had been spilled in seemingly every corner of the house.

And as officers investigated the crime scene, they discovered the body of the sultan himself, buried alive in the home's courtyard, with his hand sticking up from the soil, as if in a last-ditch attempt to free himself.

It's been said that even today, one can hear the screams of the sultan - as well as countless others - echoing throughout the massive home.
6

The Tower of London

Built over 900 years ago by William the Conqueror, the Tower of London stands as one of the most haunted buildings in the UK - perhaps because of how many famous individuals are said to still inhabit its walls. Among these several notable ghosts is Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, whose ghost has supposedly been seen multiple times near the castle's inner wall.

In addition, Lady Arbella Stuart, Queen Elizabeth's one-time-successor-turned-prisoner of the Tower (all because she went and got married without King James's permission), has also been said to haunt The Queen's House structure on the Tower Green, a space inside the Tower of London.

But perhaps the most well-known royal specter inside the great tower is none other than Queen Anne Boleyn herself, who was executed by beheading in 1535. Her headless spirit is said to inhabit Tower Green as well.

While the Tower of London seems to be a veritable who's who of boos and ghouls (sorry), there have been several other instances of paranormal activity which don't involve any royal figures stuck in a limbo state between life and death. Among them, the so-called "White Lady," who is often seen waving from a window, and a pair of children wandering the halls, holding hands.
7

The Haunted Vicarage (Borgvattnet)

Let's face it: old ladies can be scary. They're not necessarily doll-scary or spider-scary, but as many a horror film has proven, the sudden appearance of an old woman can be downright shocking, especially if you're staying in an isolated home in Jämtland County, Northern Sweden. Specifically, "The Haunted Vicarage."

Originally built in 1876, it wasn't until nearly forty years later that anyone experienced any paranormal activity in this former priest's home. And how did that activity manifest itself? You guessed it: old ladies.

On several occasions, visitors at the home claim to have seen the image of an old woman, dressed in grey, sitting in the corner of a bedroom late at night. On other occasions, different guests have reported seeing three women sitting together.

There have been reports of screams in the night. Shadows on the wall. A rocking chair that won't cease moving.

Rumors have swirled as to why the old vicar house has been haunted, with some saying the spirits are those of abused maids, while others say that babies have been buried in the backyard, and their mothers are wailing for their return.
8

Eastern State Penitentiary

If you know anything at all about prison, you're probably well aware of what solitary confinement entails. When a particular inmate has "misbehaved," they're sent to a windowless room and cut off from all human contact. It's said to be a particularly cruel form of punishment due to the harsh psychological effects that occur over time.

And the folks at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia? They actually came up with the idea.

Built in 1829, this prison is home to numerous paranormal sightings, due in part to the stories of solitary confinement punishments that were once doled out here. It's said that several of the inmates were driven insane as a result of being locked away for so long and, eventually, if they passed away within the pen's walls - they would haunt it forever.

Between the ghastly cackling, shadowy figures, disembodied footsteps, and clanging cell doors still heard to this day, Eastern State Penitentiary is certainly a place you wouldn't want to find yourself locked in alone.
9

Bhangarh Fort

While many have been reduced to ruins over time, there are still countless castles and fortresses still standing today. Among them, the Bhangarh Fort, located in Rajasthan, India.

Built by King Sawai Madho Singh roughly 400 years ago, Bhangarh is said to not only be one of the most haunted places in India but also the entire world. During its heyday, the fort housed some 10,000 residents and even included a residential palace for the king himself.

Legend has it that a sorcerer, once under the employ of the king, fell in love with Princess Ratnavati. But once she dismissed him, the sorcerer put a curse on the entire town, and only days later, an invading army arrived, slaughtering everyone within the fort's walls.

It is believed that once night falls in Rajasthan, the spirits of Bhangarh manifest themselves as dangerous entities, bent on attacking anyone who may be foolish enough to remain inside the fort.
10

Monte Cristo Homestead

Representing Australia on this list is none other than the Monte Cristo Mansion, located in June, New South Wales. While most of the other entries have been larger historical sites with hundreds of tortured souls lost within, the Monte Cristo falls under the category of "classic haunted house."

So, in that case, it must be pretty haunted to be in the same league as the others, right?

Just ask the Ryan family, who still live there to this day. The Ryans say there have been power outages. Cold spots. Visions of shadow people, lurking around the mansion's corners.

Going back to the time it was built in 1885, there have been a series of bizarre and tragic events that occurred at Monte Cristo: a young boy died when he was dropped from the top of the stairs. A maid committed suicide. The former caretaker was murdered on the property in 1961. A young stable boy burned to death in his straw bed. And the Monte Cristo's housekeeper was said to have kept his mentally unstable son tied to an outhouse for decades.

With this much paranormal activity going on, it's easy to see why the Monte Cristo stands among the other entries as one place you wouldn't want to spend the night.
11

The Sea of Trees

Officially known as Aokigahara forest, located in Japan, the Sea of Trees has also been known to carry a third name - the Suicide Forest.

Like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Sea of Trees has become an infamous site of numerous tragedies, with nearly 100 suicides committed under its dense green canopy in one year alone. And because of the nature of suicide, spiritualists in Japan have come to believe that as a result of so many deaths, the forest itself is actually growing denser - in addition to the amount of paranormal activity reported within.

Some visitors have reported hearing the screams of the dead, doomed to roam the woods until their body is eventually found. The number of suicides has become so high that authorities have even had to put up signposts to deter anyone from taking their own life once inside.
12

Akershus Fortress

Like the Bhangarh Fort, the Akershus Fortress in Norway was originally built as a stronghold, this one for nearby Oslo. The Akershus doubled as a prison for many of its country's criminals between the 18th and 19th centuries, some of whom died while being locked away.

While it's said that the prisoners' souls began to haunt the halls of the fortress, they soon had company - the Nazis.

After Norway's surrender following a German assault in 1940, the Nazis took over the Akershus, and, until their defeat in 1945, performed several executions within.

And while it may seem like the endless screams of tortured prisoners and victims of Nazi executions are enough to qualify as haunted, there have also been reports of a "demon dog" named Malcanisen who once guarded the gates, and now stalks the would-be visitors of the fortress.
13

The Queen Mary

Said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the United States, the Queen Mary ocean liner, permanently at rest off the coast of Long Beach, CA, is home to dozens of supernatural happenings.

Like a floating Overlook Hotel, this 1000-foot vessel is home to over 150 spirits roaming its halls. Such specters have been seen in the storage rooms, the Queen's Salon, and even in the bowels of the ship's boiler room, where a young man was once crushed to death between its watertight doors in 1966.

Throughout the ship's staterooms, visitors claim to have seen a man, decked out in 1930s party attire, walking through the walls. At night, there are reports of water running in empty rooms. Phones ringing incessantly. A baby, crying out in the ship's nursery.

Perhaps the most notorious areas on the ship, however, are its swimming pools. Said to each be a vortex of paranormal activity, the first and second-class pools are home to numerous sightings of men and women in classic-style bathing suits, splashing in the water and racing to the changing rooms. But upon investigation, no one can be found. The only evidence that remains is wet footprints.