The US has some of the creepiest haunted houses in the world. From the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River to the Decatur House in DC, these ancient houses have creeped out even the most unbelieving skeptics. Challenge your beliefs about the supernatural by traveling to these haunted houses – if you can muster up the courage.
The Lizzie Borden House
The Lizzie Borden House is named after Lizzie Borden, a girl who was accused and later acquitted for the double homicide of her parents, Andrew and Abby Borden, in 1892. The murders remain unsolved to this day. Numerous other suspects have been suggested, including Andrew Borden’s illegitimate son and Lizzie’s maternal uncle, but none of these theories have been proven.
A hatchet head was recovered from the basement, and although it was suspected to be the murder weapon, that has never been proven. Last month, USA Today included The Lizzie Borden House in its list of the 10 best haunted houses in the US in 2024. Julie Jordan of People’s Magazine spent a night there and reported eerie activity, such as an EMF trip wire going off and a man’s loud gasp being heard from a hallway when nobody was there.
The Maryland Inn
The Maryland Inn in Annapolis is the only inn in Maryland that has been in operation since the 18th century. It has been visited by many esteemed guests, including prominent statesmen and politicians, especially during the few months when Annapolis served briefly as the capital city of the United States. Some of the guests at the inn checked in centuries ago but never checked out. There are 39 rooms in this historic hotel, and a spirit of some sort occupies all of them.
The most famous specter of the Maryland Inn is “The Bride.” She threw herself from her window of the fourth floor when her husband, returning from sea, was killed in an accident caused by a speeding horse-pulled cart coming down the hill in front of the hotel. Employees report hearing voices and the clinking of glass from the empty dining room, while shadowy figures dressed in ancient-looking uniforms are sometimes spotted coming out of the cellar.
The Decatur House
The Decatur House, unlike some of the other houses on this list, is not an inn. You can’t book a night at the Decatur House like you can at the Lizzie Borden House or the Maryland Inn. It can be booked for weddings and other events, though. You can also visit it yourself, as it now serves as a museum. This house, located at 748 Jackson Place at the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, was built in 1818 and is named after its first owner, naval officer Stephen Decatur Jr.
Decatur was highly regarded as a national hero for his military victories. He was also considered a respectable figure by the community and even a viable presidential candidate by many. His fame and fortune won him several enemies, though. One of his biggest enemies was Commodore James Barron, a disgraced naval officer who was suspended from the Navy and left stranded in Sweden. Barron constantly spoke ill of Decatur, whom he envied for his military success. Upon his return to the US, Barron challenged Decatur to a duel, which was a common way of resolving personal disagreements at the time.
It was 1820, and while dueling was starting to die out in the North, it was still a common practice. Washington, DC, had outlawed dueling, so the duel took place at the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds outside the city limits – yes, there were special grounds for dueling! Approximately 50 duels were held there over the years. Unfortunately for Decatur, he was one of the 50 or so unlucky ones who dueled at the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds. Decatur was fatally injured during the duel, and he succumbed to his injuries at his home, the Decatur House, the very next day. Most people, let alone Decatur, did not expect Barron to win the duel. Aghast and ashamed of his loss, his ghost continues to haunt the Decatur House.
Beyond the Decatur House, Washington, DC, boasts many other haunted spots. Lafayette Square, which the house overlooks, is said to be haunted by the ghost of US DA Philip Barton Key, who was shot by Representative Daniel Sickles in the square in 1859 in broad daylight.
The Conjuring House
The Conjuring House, which inspired the hit franchise The Conjuring, is one of the most haunted houses in the US. Julie Jordan from People’s Magazine, who also spent a night here, described witnessing a motion detector going off for no reason and a loud creaking being heard when she spent a night in the house.
In the upstairs room, where the former owners of the building (the Perrons) reported being attacked by a strange force, she saw a strange ball of light in the corner and another motion detector going off.
Ed and Lorraine Warren, famed paranormal investigators who conducted seances to make contact with spirits, visited The Conjuring House several decades ago. They witnessed Carolyn Perron become possessed and speak in tongues, thrashing about.
However, there has been a lot of controversy regarding The Conjuring House’s new owner and her management. Many people now choose to visit The Lizzie Borden House, located just around an hour away, instead.
