Eastern State Penitentiary: A Haunted Place In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wikimedia Commons The famous mobster Al Capone was once held in this prison.
At the height of its use, Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania crammed 1,700 prisoners into its cells, including the infamous Al Capone in 1929. But as early as the 1940s, both the guards and the inmates found trouble — in the form of the unsettling spirits that supposedly roamed the halls.
Though this penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the entire world, the guards there were known for ruling over the prison — and its notorious prisoners — with an iron fist.
It was a first-of-its-kind true “penitentiary,” a prison specifically designed to inspire regret in the hearts of its prisoners. The strict discipline employed at the prison and the methods by which guards enacted punishments are part of what explains the supposed haunting of the prison’s halls.
FacebookA peek inside Eastern State Penitentiary, believed to be one of the most haunted places in the world.
Ghostly manifestations experienced by the prisoners included evil cackling, ghostly faces in cell blocks, and eerie voices echoing in the halls. It is often reported that Al Capone was tormented by the spirit of James Clark, a man he allegedly ordered dead in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
The site was abandoned as a prison in 1971 and now the only things left are the ruins — and the alleged spirits of those who were tortured there.
Like many other haunted places on this list, you can visit these crumbling halls and the “spirits” who haunt them on a ghost tour to this day.
Ancient Ram Inn: A Haunted Place In Gloucestershire, England
Built on a pagan burial ground in the 12th century, the Ancient Ram Inn is the perfect place for thrill-seekers.
The quaint little Ancient Ram Inn in Gloucestershire plays host to numerous ghost enthusiasts year-round. The inn, built on a pagan burial ground in the 12th century, is the picture-perfect haunted house with its creaky floorboards, musty smells, chilly rooms, and dimly lit hallways.
Even eerier, the inn supposedly became one of the world’s most haunted places even before a building sat on the property. Local legends say that the property can be directly connected to the ancient site of Stonehenge, which is rumored to be the source of its paranormal power.
Accounts of paranormal activity at the inn include sightings of ghostly residents, such as two demons (usually a succubus and an incubus) and a witch, poltergeists, and orbs. There’s also the fact that many patrons are said to have undergone exorcisms after their visit.
One of the most famous legends surrounding the Ancient Ram Inn involves a witch who was burned at the stake in the 16th century and who many people believe still haunts the grounds to this day.
In the 1960s, a man named John Humphries bought the house and moved into the inn. On his very first night in the home, he felt the wrath of the ghosts who supposedly lived there with him.
According to Humphries, a demonic force once even grabbed his arm and dragged him across the room. Still, Humphries remained at the inn until his death, despite the notorious “spirits” who haunted him.
