Visit haunted places on a small budget: Top 10 Places to Visit

  • February 6, 2025
  • USA

Haunted destinations have a unique appeal, drawing in thrill-seekers of all ages. They offer unforgettable experiences for couples, families, and friend groups. However, like many popular tourist spots, these places can be costly to visit. In our article, we will offer you some ways to save money, as well as tell you about the top 10 places you should definitely visit at least once in your life!

How to manage your budget

Tours to haunted spots can cost a lot during high season. This is even more true if you plan to visit another country with your family. But even if money is tight, it’s not the reason to cancel a trip with your loved ones.

One of the most affordable options is vacation loans. Such loans let you get a lump sum to cover all your vacation-related expenses and repay the funds over time in affordable installments even with a bad credit score. It can help you enjoy a dream holiday and create memorable moments that are worth more than any money.

But be smart about borrowing. Look for good lenders. Think twice about your ability to pay the money back later. Sometimes, it’s better to save up first or pick cheaper places to visit.

If a loan isn’t an option for you, check your credit card issuer for Travel Reward programs. These programs typically offer affordable airline tickets through special partners that provide exclusive deals for bank customers. Some credit card companies also give extra cashback rewards, specifically when you spend money on traveling or tours.

Tips for visiting on a budget

Beyond travel expenses, tourist areas often inflate prices for local goods and services. Here are some ways to keep costs down:

  • Travel During Off-Peak Seasons: Prices for accommodations and tours often drop during less busy times.
  • Look for Discounts and Deals: Booking early or at the last minute can sometimes score you great savings.
  • Consider Closer Destinations: If international travel is too costly, look for haunted spots within your country or region. Local destinations can offer thrilling experiences without the hefty price tag.
  • Use Public Transportation: Buses and trains can be cheaper than renting a car, especially in urban areas.
  • Bring Your Own Snacks: Packing food can save money on dining out.
  • Look for Free Attractions: Many haunted sites have areas open to the public at no cost.
  • Stay in Budget Accommodations: Consider hostels, motels, or camping when appropriate.

Top 10 haunted getaways to visit with your loved ones

Once the budget issues have been resolved, it’s time to choose the place you want to go to! Here are our top 10 places with scary history and paranormal witnesses:

Athens Lunatic Asylum hall - Sarah Hina via flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Athens Lunatic Asylum hall – Sarah Hina via flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

1. Athens Lunatic Asylum (The Ridges) – Athens, Ohio

Athens opened a place for mental care in 1874. Over the years, patients became more and more numerous, and eventually, its rooms became overcrowded. There have been rumors that doctors used harsh methods to treat their patients. Many strange deaths here have raised questions over the years.

The most famous story tells of a patient who vanished and was later found dead in an unused ward. People swear they can still see her shape on the floor. Ohio University now owns the old buildings. Anyone can walk through spooky graveyards and wild paths nearby. Occasionally, there are low-cost tours that explain the asylum’s dark past.

RMS Queen Mary - David Lofink via Wikipedia CC BY-2.0
RMS Queen Mary – David Lofink via Wikipedia CC BY-2.0

2. The RMS Queen Mary – Long Beach, California

The Queen Mary started life as a grand ship in 1936. Scotland built this ocean giant for wealthy travelers. World War II changed its job to moving troops. Now, it rests in Long Beach as a place to stay and learn.

People who visit can see its past and hear spooky tales. Some say they’ve spotted a woman in white clothes – once a sailor who died working. Others talk about seeing kids near the pool. Day trips show off the ship’s origins and its eerie spots. Guides take folks to places where odd things happen. This place is highly popular — we recommend you book in advance or come in a less busy time to save money.

Hashima Island - Abandoned Man via flickr Public Domain
Hashima Island – Abandoned Man via flickr Public Domain

3. Hashima Island – Nagasaki, Japan

Hashima Island has a rich past. It’s shaped like a warship, earning the name “Battleship Island.” In the late 1800s, Japan built its first strong concrete homes here. These buildings helped withstand severe typhoons. By 1959, over 5,000 people lived in this small area.

Later, a dark cloud loomed over the island. During World War II, Korean and Chinese prisoners worked there on the verge of human limits. Many died from poor food, hard work, and cruel treatment. This past caused problems when Hashima became a World Heritage site in 2015. Some nations objected to it due to Japan’s involvement in wartime forced labor.

The island appears in movies and games as well. James Bond fought bad guys there in “Skyfall.” Video games use it as a spooky setting. Old films show its strange appeal. Today, most of Hashima is closed off. Empty roads wind through the island. It feels strange and quiet there. It’s not safe to walk around freely. Some tours let you walk through a few ruins, where the silence might shiver down your spine.

Franklin Castle - Nick Amoscato via flickr CC BY-2.0
Franklin Castle – Nick Amoscato via flickr CC BY-2.0

4. Franklin Castle – Cleveland, Ohio

Franklin Castle catches the eye with its Gothic look. It was built in the 1880s, and it has over 20 rooms. There are rumors about the crooks that made booze there during Prohibition. Some people even speculate about Nazi spies using it in WWII.

Anyway, spooky tales have stuck to this place for years. The Romano family lived here in the 1960s. They heard organ music playing on its own. At night, something unseen pulled the blankets off their children.

This castle had many owners. Judy Garland’s husband, Michael DeVinko, tried to fix it up. An artist from Europe bought it in 2011 and made some changes. But it still feels creepy inside. Now it’s a private property. Sometimes, though, people can visit and look around. They walk through the eerie rooms and hear old stories. Lots of guests claim they see a woman in black or hear strange voices.

The Stanley Hotel - LouisDiBacco via Canva
The Stanley Hotel – LouisDiBacco via Canva

5. The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel is a grand example of early 1900’s luxury. F.O. Stanley, a businessman, built it in 1909. Stephen King’s stay there made the hotel world famous. His visit sparked the idea for The Shining — his well-known horror story.

All visitors are eager to get to room 217, where King spent the night. Guests tell tales of odd events there, where objects move by themselves. The fourth floor, with Room 401, feels even spookier — many visitors hear ghostly kids laughing and running in the halls.

People admire the grand staircase and walk through the garden maze. The available tours allow you to learn more about the hotel. Daytime tours tell about its past, and night tours focus on ghost stories. Daring guests can also walk through the tunnels from King’s book. Of course, The Stanley holds special events as well. Every Halloween, they throw “the Shining Ball”. For film lovers, the Stanley Film Festival screens scary movies. These events add to the hotel’s eerie charm.

Eastern State Pen - go2locals via Pixabay
Eastern State Pen – go2locals via Pixabay

6. Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829 and became a revolutionary prison known for its special design. The building had a wheel-like shape, and inmates lived alone to think about their crimes. This system soon proved to be counter-productive. Many prisoners got mentally sick from extreme isolation.

The prison had innovative things for its time. It had running water and heating before the White House did. Some famous criminals stayed there, and Al Capone was one of them. His cell is accessible to the public visit through a local tour. Everyone has his own opinion about its arrangement. Some think it is luxurious for a penitentiary institution, while others say it is quite ordinary. Another known inmate residing there was Willie Sutton — an infamous bank robber. In 1945, he managed to break out through a long tunnel.

Places like this are always supposed to be folklore. People claim that the tortured souls of prisoners who died inside the institution cry at night. Some people hear footsteps in the distance. Others see subtle dark silhouettes. Former guards have told stories of hearing laughing ghosts and cell cages closing in on themselves. Now it’s a museum. You can walk around on your own and learn its dark past. The cells are old and falling apart. At Halloween, they put on a big, scary show called “Terror Behind the Walls.” It involves actors and creepy sets.

cultivar413 via flickr CC BY-2.0
Whaley House- cultivar413 via flickr CC BY-2.0

7. The Whaley House – San Diego, California

The Whaley House in San Diego holds more than just ghost stories. Thomas Whaley built it in 1857. He was a skilled builder and produced the bricks himself. It was the city’s first two-story brick house.

This building has served many purposes and imprinted many historical events. The Whaleys lived there, but it also held the county court, San Diego’s first theater, and a store. In the 1800s, it was involved in local conflicts. The site has a dark history. Before the house was built, Yankee Jim Robinson was executed there. Whaley witnessed the execution and, for some reason, thought it was a good idea to build a house on the site.

Life in that house was not a happy one. Members of the Whaley family, including Thomas Jr., died young from scarlet fever. Violet Whaley took her own life. Visitors report seeing ghosts, hearing footsteps, and smelling French perfume. People think some Whaleys still haunt the house. It is now visited by more than 120,000 people each year. The museum houses the belongings of the Whaley family and reveals the place’s history in depth.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Royasfoto73 via commons.wikimedia CC-BY-SA 4.0
Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Royasfoto73 via commons.wikimedia CC-BY-SA 4.0

8. Waverly Hills Sanatorium – Louisville, Kentucky

Waverly Hills Sanatorium has quite a story to tell. Built in 1910, it started as a tuberculosis hospital but became famous for its spooky past. Waverly Hills was more of a small town rather than the usual sanatorium. It had its own post office, water plant, and even a farm. All this helped keep patients and staff going during the worst of the TB outbreak.

Sadly, around 8,000 souls lost their lives at Waverly Hills. The hospital had a strange way of dealing with all these deaths. They used a tunnel called the “body chute” to move the dead away without anyone seeing. After those events, Waverly Hills was soon associated with ghost stories. There’s talk of a nurse who haunts Room 502, who took her own life there. And then there’s Timmy, a ghost boy who supposedly plays ball with visitors in the hallways.

The hospital closed its doors in 1961 when new TB treatments came along. It tried to reopen as a nursing home, but that didn’t last long. By 1982, it was shut down again after claims of patient abuse came to light. These days, Waverly Hills is a hot spot for ghost hunters and thrill-seekers. They offer tours to help pay for fixing up the old place. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the history of Waverly Hills is pretty fascinating.

Myrtles_Plantation - Bogdan Oporowski via commons.wikimedia CC BY SA 2.0
Myrtles Plantation – Bogdan Oporowski via commons.wikimedia CC BY SA 2.0

9. The Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, Louisiana

The Myrtles Plantation has been around since 1796. It’s got quite a history, and not just because of the famous Chloe story. David Bradford first called it Laurel Grove. Later, it became The Myrtles because of all the crepe myrtle trees growing there.

Everyone knows the tale of Chloe, a slave who supposedly killed the owner’s family. The thing is, there’s not much proof this ever happened. But that doesn’t stop people from saying they’ve seen her ghost. William Winter is another ghost folks talk about. He was shot on the porch back in 1871. They say he died in his wife’s arms after climbing the stairs. Lots of guests swear they can hear his footsteps in the house.

Some people think the plantation sits on an old Tunica Indian burial ground, which adds to its spooky atmosphere. In the 1970s, the Meyers family acquired the estate and turned it into a bed and breakfast. Guests have since described odd encounters. Some mention seeing ghosts, others talk of unexplained noises, and a few have noticed handprints forming on mirrors without reason.

Whatever the truth is, The Myrtles is still a beautiful place to visit. It’s a great site to admire southern architecture and learn about life on a plantation. You can join a daytime tour to hear about the place’s past and the legends that surround it. If you’re brave enough, you can even spend the night there.

Winchester Mystery House Central Courtyard - presskit
Winchester Mystery House Central Courtyard – presskit

10. The Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, California

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, is known for its odd design and ghost stories. Sarah Winchester, whose husband was a rifleman, dedicated her life to building this place. She kept building for 38 years — thinking this would stop ghosts from bothering her.

The house is massive — it has 160 rooms, and every one of them holds a mystery. Some stairs go nowhere. Several doors open to walls. And some windows look into other rooms. Sarah was obsessed with the number 13. It appears all over the house: 13-pane windows and 13-step stairs. Even her will had 13 parts.

The house was very modern for its time — it had indoor plumbing, gas lights you could turn on with a button, and elevators. When Sarah died in 1922, the house was sold for $135,000, yet she had spent millions building it. Soon after, it became a tourist spot. People came to see its weird layout and learn about spooky stories. Today, the Winchester Mystery House still draws visitors. There are day and night tours, both guided and solo trips.

What haunted place will you visit?

Haunted places mix history and mystery in a fun way. With some planning, you can visit these spooky spots with your loved ones without spending too much. These places offer great memories and unusual experiences — whether you believe in ghosts or not.

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