This Halloween, abandon the fake fright in favor of real supernatural things. Real haunted places are thrilling to those who seek authentic history, documented paranormal activity, and spine-chilling experiences. No more horror movies and haunted houses - these three destinations promise truly terrifying experiences, the kinds of things adventurers can enjoy when they want to do more than celebrate and explore the world of the dead.
Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia
Constructed in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary introduced the idea of solitary incarceration in American prisons. They had created an innovative design that kept slaves as distant as possible, and it resulted in mental degeneration among most and, by various descriptions, spirit upheaval.
The History That Haunts
Well-known prisoners kept in Eastern State were bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone, who once professed to see the ghost of James Clark--a victim of the St. Valentine's Christmas Massacre. The conditions and high rate of suicide in the prison left an environment of hopelessness that visitors still experience to this day.
The plant served until 1971, after which it was left, like all the other rotting pieces, to decay for the past few decades. This is when city explorers and ghost hunters started recording strange events all over the fallen cellblocks.
Documented Paranormal Activity
The sight of dark, nocturnal figures roaming Cell Block 12, voices filled with disembodied laughter in empty cells, and the sensation of apparently invisible hands pulling at their garments are often reported by visitors. Cell Block 6 creates especially sensitive experiences, and most people mention an overwhelming experience of dejection and claustrophobia, even when housed in groups.
Another notable supernatural occupant is a shadow figure observed within Cell Block 14. This is a tall, dark apparition that has been captured on numerous occasions and tends always to shadow visitors, disappearing into the walls.
Planning Your Visit
Not only does Eastern State conduct guided tours throughout the year, but its "Terror Behind the Walls" Halloween tour transforms the prison into a full-blown horror theme. Experience the real paranormal phenomenon without the theatrical effects by visiting during normal daytime hours, when there are no specific instances of distress.
The prison also retains its original structure, including the wagon-wheel shape that permitted guards to view all the cellblocks from a central point. A visit to these halls will provide a realistic experience of life in prison during the 19th century and may likely evoke numerous supernatural experiences.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, Kentucky
The previous Bureau de Tb was used to treat more than 63,000 patients during the tuberculosis outbreak of the early 1900s. Having hit more or less 6,000 deaths inside its premises, Waverly Hills has earned a reputation for being ranked among the most aggressively haunted sites in America.
A Hospital Built for Death
Waverly Hills was completed in 1910 to treat patients with tuberculosis, following the so-called "fresh air" approach, which kept patients on open-air porches at all times, regardless of the weather. Therapy was mostly unproductive, and the institution turned out to be more of a death house than a treatment facility.
The greyest attraction in this hospital is the body chute, a tunnel that helped them dispose of the dead after unintentionally traumatising the living patients. Victims would be silently shuffled through this underground trench to an awaiting hearse, without the knowledge of anyone still struggling with the virus of the very real mortality rate.
Supernatural Encounters
The Shadow People, reportedly seen throughout, are particularly prevalent, especially in surgical suites and the body chute. These inky figures travel without a light source and have been photographed and recorded in numerous photos and films by paranormal researchers.
The voices of children are audible in the puppy ward, yet the building is not occupied. Tour groups and overnight researchers report daily on the ghostly sounds of medical equipment, people walking the halls when no one is present, and doors banging absolutely.
What to Expect
Waverly Hills provides historical tours and paranormal investigations. The overnight ghost tours offer the most authentic supernatural experience, as they provide tourists with the opportunity to explore the facility in darkness using professional paranormal investigation tools.
There is a sense of eeriness in the architecture of the sanatorium. The original medical equipment is still scattered throughout the patient rooms, and the long, narrow hallways lead off into darkness. The crumbling nature of the building contributes to the distressing atmosphere without detracting from its importance as a historical event.
Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, the location of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, where more than 51,000 lost their lives on three days of sporadic combat in July 1863. The huge amount of life lost throughout these Pennsylvania fields left what many believe is the haunted battlefield of America.
Where History Became Legend
The Battle of Gettysburg turned the tide of the Civil War, although the spiritual consequences remain present, touching guests to this day, more than 150 years later. The fighting ground includes more than 6,000 acres where the Union and Confederate militias battled and died, and where, as we shall see, some are believed to rest still.
In the Gettysburg Address, at the cemetery of the battlefield, President Lincoln expressed recognition that the living dead could not celebrate ground that had already been consecrated by the blood of those who died. Most visitors testify that they felt a sacred, yet discomforting, energy as they stroll through the historic grounds.
Ghostly Encounters Across the Battlefield
A rocky face known as Devil's Den, where Confederate sharpshooters camped, generates regular paranormal reports. Visitors capture images of light balls, internal heat rises and drops, and phantom sounds of gunfire and military echoes. No expense is spared in creating natural shelters around slender rocks and crannies within the area that serve as hidey-holes where the noise of war must have reverberated.
Little Round Top is the location of the heroic stand made by the 20th Maine Infantry, whose uniformed soldiers appear and disappear when the visitors get close. Some photographers take pictures of men dressed in Civil War garments standing in the trees, and then look through the lens and see nothing there.
The Jennie Wade House, in which the only deftly killed civilian in the battle perished, is still actively haunted by the spirit of Wade. Tour groups claim the aroma of fresh-baked bread - Wade herself was baking bread to Union soldiers at the time when a stray bullet killed her, and she spotted a young woman in old-fashioned clothing.
Experiencing Gettysburg's Spirits
Gettysburg hosts a host of ghost tours; however, the battlefield has the best supernatural experiences. The spiritual effect is increased by walking, at dusk or dawn, along the battle lines already marked, risking casting a long shadow over the ground.
The area of the battlefield allows for individual experiences of non-tour groups. It is the quiet time spent at dedicated single monuments or battle sites that many visitors have had the most satisfying paranormal experiences. A very quiet rural environment is contrasted with the violence that occurs in this same environment, producing a strong emotional mood that apparently works in favor of supernatural experiences.
Conclusion
All of these sites offer a unique experience of a supernaturally related nature, whether it is a stroll through the city at Eastern State Penitentiary or a visit to the sacred graveyard of Gettysburg. With respect to the history, as well as the spirits who are said to linger there, treat the place with care when visiting. No matter whether or not there was, in fact, a real paranormal experience, or you were drinking in the strong emotions conveyed by the location, these haunted places provide a Halloween experience that you cannot create with manufactured scariness.
