magine this: a dark room, chilly night, door creaking open, sudden silence, and then... bang! A jumpscare in every horror movie that gives you the chills. But what if I tell you these events happen in real life? Famous horror films were based on real-life events, and even worse, those haunted homes still exist to this date. Although these homes look normal from the outside, they contain ghosts, paranormal activity, and dark pasts. While the houses are the spookiest, the history that lurks in them is much worse.
We hope everyone has a Spooky Halloween! Since Halloween is all about horror tales and films, this special edition article lists the 11 spookiest homes in America guaranteed to give you the creeps. Let's dive in!
1. The Conjuring House, Burrillville, Rhode Island

The 2013 horror movie The Conjuring was critically acclaimed. Critics praised the film's intriguing plot and realistic characters. But did you know that this movie is based on a true experience much more terrifying than anything seen on the screen? For this reason, The Old Arnold Mansion, or The Conjuring House, is widely regarded as one of the top haunted houses in America. Paranormal history runs deep in this house, with many ghosts continuing to reside in the mansion. All the families that lived here, including the famous Perron family whose story served as the basis for The Conjuring, have encountered supernatural elements in this house. The house is currently open to the public. So, if you want to experience The Conjuring in real life, why not take a trip to this house this Halloween?
If you want to know more about conjuring house and The perron family, click here!
2. Villisca Axe Murder House, Villisca, Iowa

There's something spooky about this little white wood cottage in the Iowa town of Villisca. The visitors have witnessed shadowy figures and lights flickering in this residence. Chills run up your spine just looking at the home from the outside; what happened inside is much more frightening. In 1912, the house was the scene of a horrific crime in which the whole family and two visiting children were brutally murdered with an axe. Though multiple people were suspected, no one was ever brought to justice for this terrible act of violence. Since the tragedy, the house has been haunted by the victim's souls, who have been searching for vengeance ever since.
If you want to know more about Villisca Axe Murder House and its dark history, click here!
3. House of Death, New York City, New York

You know something is off when the house is named "The House of Death." Contrary to the name, the house is a beautiful greek brownstone located in the center of Greenwich Village. But, this house is believed to be cursed and holds a deep history and secrets. It is rumored that many people have died in this house, and their spirits still wander the halls. The most famous ghost is Mark Twain, a novelist and reputed ghost skeptic, who has been seen on multiple occasions in this place. Likewise, the most tragic death is that of six-year-old Lisa Nussbaum, who was physically tortured and killed by her own father. It's believed that her spirit still haunts the house to this date.
If you want to know more about the House of Death, click here!
4. The Sallie House, Atchison, Kansas

The Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas, is renowned as one of the city's most haunted locations. The house was built by and was the residence of an Atchison physician in the mid-1800s. One day, a six-year-old Sallie, suffering from appendicitis, was rushed into the house for treatment. The physician thought there was no time to delay and start operating on her quickly, even before the anesthesia took full effect. Sallie was in severe pain, and her cries could be heard down the corridor. Unfortunately, she died, but her ghost still lingered around the home. And ever since then, strange occurrences have been reported in the house. Many paranormal specialists have verified the presence of a ghost in the home, which is most likely Sallie's.
If you want to know more about the in-depth story of the Sallie House, click here!
5. Franklin Castle, Cleveland, Ohio

Franklin Castle is a Victorian stone house built in the 1880s and served as the residence for a German immigrant named Hannes Tiedemann. Sadly, a string of misfortunes followed Tiedemann since he moved there. His family members mysteriously died one by one at the castle. Some believed it was bad luck, while others believed something evil was happening. Most thought that the deaths had something to do with Tiedemann since he was known to be cruel and abusive. So far, witnesses have reported hearing babies wailing, seeing a lady in the window, and encountering other experiencing chills. Even more frightening, recent investigations have discovered human bones inside the wall. This has raised the serious question, what happened in Franklin Castle?
If you want to know more about Franklin Castle and ongoing investigations, click here!
6. Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, Massachusetts

Located in Fall River, Massachusetts, the Lizzie Borden House is home to the world's greatest unsolved murder mystery. On August 4, 1892, the homeowner Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby Borden, were gruesomely murdered with an axe. There was little evidence or clues as to who had committed such a horrifying act. But, Lizzie Borden had a contentious relationship with her father and stepmother. Thus, she was convicted of murder, although there was little evidence to support her conviction. Since then, Andrew, Abby, and Lizzie are said to roam the home still, looking for vengeance. Visitors have heard Lizzie's sinister laughs and spotted shadowy figures in the house. Are they waiting on the actual murderer? The mystery remains.
If you want to know more about Lizzie Borden House, click here!
7. Molly Brown House, Denver, Colorado

You probably watched the Titanic, right? No, Titanic is not a horror movie, but what if I say one of its real characters is? After the Titanic sank, Molly Brown was one of the lucky few to make it out alive. Thus, she was dubbed Unsinkable Molly Brown as she tried to save other passengers in the rescue boat. However, it seems Brown couldn't get the boat to the afterlife. Although she died in 1932, her spirits seem to reside in her victorian house in Denver. Her old residence, which is now a museum, has witnessed several paranormal activities making the visitors believe that Molly Brown still lives there. The visitors have smelt the pipe smoke, hinting at Molly Brown's husband's presence in the house. Apart from this, the visitors also claimed to have seen the presence of other molly brown family members.
If you want to know more about Molly Brown House, click here!
8. Kreischer Mansion, New York City, New York

Kreischer Mansion is one of the creepiest houses haunted by crime and death memories. A German immigrant named Balthasar Kreischer constructed this historic Victorian house. Kreischer had a stone factory that made him prosperous, so he named the entire place after himself. But, after the war and anti german sentiments, the family's fortune fell. Kreischer's son Edward committed suicide in the mansion that stands today. Since his death, people have found something off with the estate. But, the worst was yet to happen.
In 2005, there was a terrible murder in the mansion when the caretaker stabbed, drowned, sliced a man in pieces, and burnt him in the house's furnace. Since then, visitors have reported seeing paranormal activity in the home and believe two souls haunt the house.
If you want to know more about Kreischer Mansion and Bathasar Kreischer, click here!
9. Snedeker House, Southington, Connecticut

In 1986, Carmen and AI Snedeker moved into a leased property near the hospital where their eldest son was receiving treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. But, it was a shock to learn that the house had formerly served as a funeral home. Shortly after, they began to experience supernatural phenomena. A string of unexplainable occurrences followed, including mop water becoming red, attacks from unseen entities, missing items, ghostly figures, and so on. The Snedeker family contacted paranormal investigators, who said that the home was possessed by demons and performed a full exorcism. The film The Haunting in Connecticut is based on this true story.
If you want to know more about Snedeker house, click here!
10. Amityville House, Amityville, New York

The Amityville Horror, released in 1979, is widely regarded as a classic in the horror genre. The fact that it's based on the real-life experiences of the family that lived in the infamous Amityville home just adds to the chill factor. In the 1970s, the Lutz family purchased the house at a lower price, not knowing the dark history the house had. Ronald, the previous owner, had brutally killed his whole family in this house before selling it to Lutz.
After the family moved in, they witnessed a series of paranormal activities, including the smell of strange odors, doors opening and closing, knives falling, and green slime oozing out of walls. The fact that George Lutz always woke up at 3:15 am, the exact moment of the murder, is the creepiest part of it all. They would hear voices saying, GET OUT! Their chilling tales of paranormal activity have inspired several books, documentaries, and movies, giving rise to the lore of the Amityville Horror.
If you want to know more about Amityville house, click here!
11. The White House, Washington, D.C.

It's intriguing to think that the most significant and well-known home in all of America is also said to be haunted. Many ghost tales center on the White House, and it is believed that aside from the president, several unseen entities reside there. Among them, Abraham Lincoln, the former president of the United States, is the most well-known ghost. Abraham Lincoln is hailed as a national hero for his wartime leadership and efforts to save the Union and abolish slavery. Unfortunately, he was assassinated in 1865. However, Abraham Lincoln continues to reside in the White House even after his death.
First Lady Grace Coolidge, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and President Theodore Roosevelt are just a few prominent politicians who have claimed to have seen Lincoln's ghost at the White House. In addition to President Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Abigail Adams, and various other political figures seem to haunt the place.
If you want to know more about Lincoln's ghost in the white house, click here!
Conclusion
Most popular horror movies are based on real-life events that happened in these spooky houses in America. What makes these houses scary isn't the paranormal activities or ghosts that have been said to reside at these places but the horrific act of crime committed by people. If you have noticed, most of the homes highlighted i this article had a terrifying history of murder and crime. So, this Halloween, are you ready to share these spooky haunted house stories or visit one of them?
You may also like reading Budget-Friendly Halloween Decor And Party Ideas
References
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2022/10/20/most-haunted-places-in-america-25-scary-travel-spots/?sh=5f231
- https://www.cnbc.com/2010/10/08/Americas-Most-Haunted-Homes.html
- https://www.travelandleisure.com/holiday-travel/halloween/real-haunted-houses
- https://www.timeout.com/usa/things-to-do/scariest-haunted-houses-in-the-us
- https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/holidays/americas-scariest-homes-real-life-haunted-houses-pictures
- https://www.theconjuringhouse.com/about
- https://www.history.com/news/legend-of-abraham-lincolns-ghost-white-house
- https://www.biography.com/news/the-real-amityville-horror-facts
- https://www.livescience.com/5346-real-story-haunting-connecticut.html
- https://the-line-up.com/kreischer-mansion
- https://mollybrown.org/
- https://www.villiscaiowa.com/