Hotels with rich histories add a layer of intrigue to any vacation. That’s especially true when those histories are of the paranormal variety — from ghosts that wake up guests just for fun to deceased hotel owners still said to roam the halls at night. Celebrate the spooky season with a stay at these 19 hotels with haunted histories… if you dare.

Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado

Most people know the Stanley Hotel as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining, which he wrote after staying just one night at the property in 1974. The hotel opened in 1909 as an oasis in the Colorado mountain wilderness, boasting modern amenities for the time, such as electric lights, en-suite bathrooms, and telephones. But even before Stephen King’s arrival, the hotel had a reputation for paranormal activity.

Hotel owner F.O. Stanley, who died in 1940, has been a common sighting at the check-in desk since his death. There have also been reports of mysterious piano playing, laughter, shadowy figures, items moving on their own, and lights turning on and off. Ghost-goving guests at the hotel can book a special package guaranteeing them a stay on the most haunted floor, plus a ticket to the evening ghost tour.

The Langham Hotel – London, England

One of Europe’s first grand hotels, the Langham debuted in London in 1865 to much fanfare — even the Prince of Wales came to the opening. It has remained a posh place ever since, hosting illustrious guests such as Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Princess Diana.

But among those famous visitors, you can also find occupants of the ghostly kind — particularly in Room 333, considered to be the most haunted hotel room in London. It’s said to be home for more than a few ghosts, including one who likes to shake the bed just for fun, a Victorian doctor who stares into the distance, and a German prince in military dress. Throughout the hotel, you may also be greeted by a man with a wounded face, a footman in a powdered wig, a lost butler, or Emperor Napoleon III himself.

The Shelbourne – Dublin, Ireland

In the heart of Dublin, the Shelbourne is reportedly haunted by a ghost named Mary Masters, who loves to mess with water fixtures in one of the rooms. She died of cholera in the hotel, which opened in 1824, when she was just seven years old. Mary enjoys startling guests by opening and closing wardrobe doors, but her favorite thing to do is turn on the water. Guests regularly report the taps, shower, and tub being turned on unexpectedly. In fact, so many guests have recounted the same unexplained activities that the hotel had a staff member sleep in the room to see if the claims were true — it turns out, the staff member had the same experience.

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac – Quebec City, Canada

The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac towers over Quebec City, high up on a hill overlooking the old town and its European-style streets. It replaced a previous castle used as wartime headquarters, and though it’s styled to look much older, it has only been there since 1893 and has been a hotel the entire time. But even still, the hotel reportedly has ghosts roaming the halls. One is Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, who mourns his lost love, and the other is a woman dressed in a nightgown who enjoys waking people up at night.

Crescent Hotel – Eureka Springs, Arkansas 

It doesn’t get much spookier than a hotel with an old morgue in the basement (now conveniently located right next to the spa). The Crescent Hotel, often deemed the most haunted hotel in America, originally opened in 1886 as a luxurious resort for wealthy train travelers making their way through Eureka Springs. It didn’t stay that way for long, though.

Within just a few years, the hotel fell into disrepair. It reopened as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women in 1908 and operated as a college of some form until 1934. Then, in 1937, the dark history of the place began to take shape. A crooked “doctor,” Norman Baker, bought the property and turned it into a cancer hospital (hence the morgue). The problem was, he wasn’t offering actual treatment — instead, he was hawking natural spring water with flavoring as a bogus cure. After countless deaths, the hospital was shut down in 1940, and Baker was sent to prison. 

The hotel’s current iteration opened in the early 2000s, but ghosts of the past remain. Guests and paranormal investigators have reported seeing full-body apparitions of adults and children, and the hotel even offers ghost tours of the property.

Dragsholm Slot – Zealand, Denmark

Dragsholm Slot was originally built in 1215 as a palace. From there, it transformed into a castle, a prison, back to a castle, and now a hotel. It’s often considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in Denmark — legend says it’s home to more than 100 ghosts.

Three of them are more famous than the others. The White Lady was the daughter of one of the noblemen who lived in the building. She fell in love with a commoner — something her father viciously disapproved of — and as punishment, she was imprisoned and bricked into the castle walls. She’s reportedly seen wandering the halls wearing a white dress. The second famous ghost, James Hepburn, died in the dungeon in 1578 — now, his ghost tears into the courtyard on horse and carriage every night. The third ghost, the Grey Lady, is much happier than the others. She had a terrible toothache in life that was healed by someone at the castle. In death, she is said to traverse the halls looking for good deeds to do as repayment.

Hotel Monte Vista – Flagstaff, Arizona

According to the Hotel Monte Vista, more than seven ghosts haunt the halls of the property — and guests are encouraged to try to communicate with them. The hotel opened on January 1, 1927, just off Route 66 in Flagstaff. It’s connected to other downtown buildings through secret underground tunnels, and it was used as a speakeasy during Prohibition. Famous visitors have included Mary Costigan (who broadcast her radio show from there), Michael J. Fox, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Siouxsie Sioux.

But as far as ghostly guests, you can expect to meet a man who messes up the bed and turns on the TV at full volume, a rocking chair that moves on its own, a bellboy, a crying baby, a dancing couple, and a bank robber who rearranges the bar and wishes people a good morning.

First World Hotel – Pahang, Malaysia

The popular First World Hotel in Malaysia isn’t just a colorful favorite —  it’s also the world’s largest hotel, with more than 7,300 rooms. Guests with rooms on the 21st floor may find it a bit difficult to get to bed at night, however, as it’s rumored to be a cursed floor that the elevator skips. In other rooms at the hotel, visitors report seeing vanishing figures and being pushed while sleeping. The hotel has a built-in casino, which many say is the reason for the ghosts; supposedly people who have lost their fortune there decided never to leave.

Lord Milner Hotel – Matjiesfontein, South Africa

The Lord Milner Hotel opened in 1899 just as the South African War was beginning. During the war, it was a military hospital with a lookout tower. It reopened in 1970 after renovations, with 15 rooms decorated in old-world splendor. But it’s the hotel’s history as a military space that gave way to the ghosts reported to live there today.

One is Kate, a young nurse who used to play cards with soldiers as they recovered; she tends to walk up and down the staircase. Mary-Anne likes to jiggle the doorknob on Room 26. Lucy walks around in her nightgown. Olive hangs out in the gardens. British officers and soldiers congregate on the hotel balcony and spend time in the library. And with even more ghosts beyond that, the hotel certainly lives up to its legend as the most haunted hotel in South Africa.

The Queen Mary – Long Beach, California

In 1972, the first hotel rooms opened in the permanently docked Queen Mary, a former luxury ocean liner that also served as a troop ship for World War II. It now serves as a kind of floating museum in Long Beach, California, but even before the ship was permanently docked, people reported hearing knocking on doors and seeing full-body apparitions, flickering lights, mysteriously running water, a woman in a wedding gown, disappearing children, and ghostly crewmembers. Today, the hotel might just be one of the most haunted in America — curious visitors can take ghost tours to judge for themselves.

Le Château de Marçay – Marçay, France

Le Château de Marçay is a 15th-century castle that was converted into a 22-room hotel in 1973. A mysterious legend lies at the heart of the property’s rumored ghost encounters. It’s said that a former female resident of the castle turned into a werewolf every night, until she was shot by a terrified farmer. When the sun rose, the farmer realized he hadn’t shot a wolf at all, but instead a woman. He secretly buried her, in her white shroud, on the property. Now she’s seen every night, wandering the courtyard and the castle halls in her white dress.

Congress Plaza Hotel – Chicago, Illinois

The Congress Plaza Hotel opened in 1893 to house visitors to the World’s Columbian Exposition that same year. In the years since, president after president has stayed at the ornate hotel, including William Taft, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Roosevelt — a distinction that earned it the nickname “The Home of Presidents.” It’s also known, however, as the most haunted hotel in Chicago. Dozens of ghosts are said to walk the halls, from businessmen who perished in nearby Lake Michigan to roller skaters who played in the roller rink before it became a ballroom.

Dalhousie Castle Hotel – Edinburgh, Scotland

For more than 800 years, Dalhousie Castle has stood guard over the Scottish countryside. In the beginning, the fortress and castle welcomed knights suited up in armor, who crossed a moat to get into the building. The moat is still there, along with remnants of the original drawbridge, but its function has changed. The castle has been used as a fortress, a home, a boarding school — and, since 1972, a hotel. Dalhousie runs ghost tours for curious guests to see some of the famous specters — like the Grey Lady, a mistress of one of the former lairds who was locked in a turret by his wife around 1500, and Sir Alexander Ramsay, a former resident who died there in 1342.

The Pfister – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The most well-known ghost stories at the Pfister Hotel come from professional sports teams — some players have been so scared that they refuse to stay there again. Charles Pfister built the hotel in 1893, and since he passed away, there have been reports of his ghost wandering the hotel to make sure things are running properly. But when Major League Baseball players started staying there regularly, more stories began to surface. Colby Lewis said he saw a skeleton in his room. Matt Treanor heard tapping and a child shouting. Brandon Phillips had a radio in his room that turned on and off by itself. Carlos Gomez saw his iPod move across the bedside table on its own. The stories go on.

Taj Mahal Palace – Mumbai, India

The 1903 Taj Mahal Palace hotel has seen a lot of history. It has served as a military hospital, been the site of terrorist attacks, and welcomed illustrious guests including royalty and even Alfred Hitchcock — which is rather apt for how haunted the hotel is said to be. One main ghost haunts the property: its architect, W.A. Chambers. He designed the hotel, approved the plans, and then went on a short trip out of the country. When he returned, he discovered — to his horror — that the hotel had been built backwards. It was too far along in construction to start over, and Chambers stewed in the misery of it until he couldn’t take it anymore. Now his ghost looks after the hotel and fights off people trying to steal or damage the property.

Mermaid Inn – Rye, England

Though the original building from the spot is gone, the cellars at the Mermaid Inn date back to 1156. It was a hotel from the 12th century until 1770, welcoming sailors during the Middle Ages and smugglers in the early 1700s, the latter of whom built tunnels and secret cellars. When it finally reopened as a hotel in 1993, it welcomed famous guests including Charlie Chaplin. Ghosts from the building’s past might visit as well. There’s a lady in white sitting by a fireplace, a rocking chair that moves on its own, and smugglers who still roam the halls.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel – Banff, Canada

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel was built in 1888 as a luxurious accommodation for those passing through the Canadian Rockies on the Canadian Pacific Railway. It has continued to grow and expand ever since, except for a brief three-year shutdown during World War II.

Ghost stories have grown with the hotel as well. Some specific rooms are considered haunted — though staff won’t reveal the exact room numbers — by ghosts that either push guests out of bed at night or wake them up with screaming. Elsewhere in the hotel, a ghost of a bride haunts the staircase where she fell and the ballroom where she never got to dance. And a bellman from the 1960s and 1970s named Sam roams the hotel looking for guests to help.

The Russell Hotel – Sydney, Australia

Carrying the designation of Sydney’s most haunted hotel, the Russell Hotel was built in 1887 on the site of Australia’s first general hospital in The Rocks, the city’s oldest neighborhood. Bubonic plague sufferers were treated there, and once the hotel was built, it was used as a sailors’ hostel and allegedly a brothel for a period of time.

Its long rocky past has given way to the ghosts of today. Room 8 is supposed to be the scariest, with a sailor appearing only to women at the foot of the bed and waking them up. A woman in white appears in the downstairs part of the hotel, footsteps with no person attached walk around the floors and up the stairs, and other paranormal activity happens regularly — like temperature changes and electronics losing power.

Chillingham Castle – Northumberland, England

Built in the 12th century with full battlements added in 1344, Chillingham Castle looks the same as it did when it struggled through battles, hosted royalty, and handled treason cases. Members of the current royal family still visit, continuing a long tradition of royals staying in private rooms at the castle. The hotel challenges guests, asking if they’re “brave enough” to stay the night at one of England’s most paranormal spots. At least four spirits are said to reside there: a frail woman in white in a pantry area, a ghostly sensation in one of the rooms, two men having a conversation in the chapel, and shadows in the courtyard.

With its rugged coastlines, soaring mountains, and old-growth forests, the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is famous for its remarkable natural beauty. But the PNW’s diverse landscapes aren’t the only draw — this region (which includes the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) is filled with fascinating history. From the oldest courthouse in the West to a ship that once served as a floating lighthouse, here are seven historical sites you shouldn’t miss the next time you’re in the Pacific Northwest.

Pioneer Courthouse – Portland, Oregon

Downtown Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse is the oldest standing federal building in the Pacific Northwest. Completed in 1875 at a cost of $396,500 (equivalent to over $11 million today), the impressive Italianate-style building occupies a full city block. At one point, the courthouse was scheduled to be demolished — fortunately, it has since become a National Historic Landmark.

Today, the historic courthouse is situated across from the Pioneer Courthouse Square, a 40,000-square-foot park affectionately known as “Portland’s Living Room.” Although the courthouse has undergone several rehabilitations since it was first built, the building still retains original architectural details, such as the grand stairway in the lobby and decorative plaster molding.

Fort Nisqually Living History Museum – DuPont, Washington

The Fort Nisqually Living History Museum takes visitors back to life in the Pacific Northwest during the mid-19th century. The museum is a restoration of the first European settlement in Washington state, which was established as a British fur trading post in 1833 by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The fort was once a thriving business center and meeting place for colonial settlers, merchants, and the Indigenous peoples of the region.

Today, the Living History Museum allows visitors to experience territory life during the 1800s with daily tours, hands-on exhibits, and specialty workshops. With staff dressed in period clothing and live demonstrations of 19th-century crafts, the museum is dedicated to showcasing Fort Nisqually’s diverse history.

Burial Site of Chief Seattle – Suquamish, Washington

The only major U.S. city named for a Native American, Seattle’s appellation is derived from Chief Si’ahl, the leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish people in the 1800s. Known to settlers as “Chief Seattle,” Si’ahl was a compelling orator who worked to ensure the Indigenous cultures coexisted peacefully with European settlers. 

Today, his burial site can be visited in the town of Suquamish on the Kitsap Peninsula, reachable via a ferry from the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal in Seattle. A Catholic convert, Chief Seattle is buried behind St. Peter’s Catholic Mission, on what has now been designated as Suquamish land. To learn more about the region’s Indigenous culture, stop by the Suquamish Museum before walking to the gravesite, which is honored by the Suquamish Tribe every third week in August during Chief Seattle Days.

Jacksonville Historic District – Jacksonville, Oregon

After gold was discovered in southwestern Oregon’s Rich Gulch in 1851, miners flocked to the area with hopes of striking it rich. Westward settlers were also drawn to Oregon with the promise of free land, and before long the boom town of Jacksonville sprung up, eventually growing into one of the territory’s largest cities.

Today, the entire town of Jacksonville has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. Ride on the Trolley Tour to learn about Jacksonville’s humble beginnings as a mining camp and to see the many historic homes built during the 18th and 19th centuries. To explore Jacksonville on foot, the Haunted History Tour highlights the town’s most historic buildings, while also sharing stories of the spirits who supposedly haunt them.

Point Wilson Lighthouse and Fort Worden Historical Park – Port Townsend, Washington

Situated on the tip of a peninsula in Port Townsend, the Point Wilson Lighthouse was built in 1914 to mark the entrance to the Admiralty Inlet. At 51 feet in height, it is the tallest beacon on Puget Sound. The lighthouse is still in operation today, serving as an important navigational aid that guides ships on the Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The lighthouse is located within Fort Worden Historical Park, itself a historical gem on Puget Sound. The former military base is home to wide lawns, artillery bunkers, and centuries-old Victorian homes that once housed officers. Overnight camping is permitted on the park’s beach, while more comfortable accommodations can be booked in one of the park’s 36 historic house rentals.

Lightship Columbia – Astoria, Oregon

Located within the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Lightship Columbia is an incredible piece of Oregon’s maritime history. For 28 years, the ship functioned as a floating lighthouse on the mouth of the Columbia River. The ship was home to a crew of 17 men who helped to guide other ships along the dangerous passageway. Today’s visitors are allowed to climb aboard the historic ship to learn how the crew lived and worked on the vessel between 1951 and 1979.

The museum’s other exhibits include a 3-D theater, a full-sized fishing trawler, and a pond for launching model boats. A highlight is the exhibit on the Columbia River Bar, considered to be one of the most treacherous passages in the world, where approximately 2,000 ships have been sunk since 1792.

Deception Pass Bridge – Oak Harbour, Washington

The narrow waterway that connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Skagit Bay is known as Deception Pass — named from the deceptively swift and dangerous tidal currents that run between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. The bridge above the pass was built by the state of Washington as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era public works program.

On the day Deception Pass Bridge opened in 1935, approximately 700 cars traveled on it. Today, 20,000 cars journey over the bridge daily, often through the thick fog for which the Pacific Northwest is known. Those who cross the 180-foot-high bridge are treated to unparalleled views of the rocky headlands and the surrounding state park. Foot traffic is also permitted on the bridge, with tours which aim to explore the region’s exceptional beauty and impressive history.

They say imitation is the best form of flattery, and the same notion rings true when it comes to place names. While the names of U.S. cities and towns have a diverse set of influences — some come from Indigenous cultures, some are named after European royals, and so on — many others are based on cities that already existed abroad. Here are 15 fascinating U.S. cities and towns that have enthusiastically adopted the name of another place in a foreign country.

Memphis, Tennessee

Egyptian city names in America aren’t very common, but Tennessee’s second-largest city is a notable exception. With its neon lights and blues music on every corner, Memphis, feels a world away from its ancient Egyptian namesake. The Tennessee city was built thousands of years after Memphis, Egypt, was abandoned, but both cities have one thing in common: They are constructed alongside great rivers. It’s not certain why the three men (including future President Andrew Jackson) who founded the Tennessee city named it after the one in Egypt, but perhaps they felt the Mississippi River evoked the spirit of the Nile and the prosperous trading and temple city built on its banks.

Modern Memphis is known throughout the world for its music scene. Elvis Presley built Graceland on the city’s outskirts, and Sun Studios, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, is steps away from Beale Street. While there aren’t many obvious similarities with the ruined city on the banks of the Nile, there is one big homage to its Egyptian connection: the Memphis Pyramid.

Melbourne, Florida

With warm temperatures and nearby beaches, you might be forgiven for mistaking this Florida city with its Australian namesake. But it’s not the geographical similarities that led to this city being named after the Melbourne Down Under.

The area around the Indian River Lagoon began rapidly developing in the late 19th century, and a post office became necessary to serve the community. The settlement needed a name. The area’s inhabitants found inspiration in the town’s first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector, who had spent many of his formative years in Melbourne, Australia. (However, it wasn’t Hector who proposed calling the settlement Melbourne; a local woman suggested it.) On December 23, 1888, straws were drawn to select a new name, and Melbourne won.

Today, this harbor city retains many historic Victorian wooden houses that wouldn’t look out of place in Melbourne, Australia. Take a stroll into the charming downtown to admire its tropical murals, browse independent shops, or try a Florida seafood boil on Main Street.

Athens, Georgia

Like its European counterpart, Athens, Georgia, is a center of academia, culture, and the arts. The University of Georgia — the first public land-grant university in the U.S. — was founded here in 1785. After classes began in 1801, a burgeoning city sprang up around campus. In 1806, the city was incorporated, and the Georgian governor at the time, John Milledge, suggested the name Athens, as the Greek capital was home to Europe’s earliest intellectuals, including revered philosophers Plato and Aristotle.

Today, the 19th-century Greek Revival buildings in the city center, including the Taylor Grady House, remind visitors of the Parthenon everywhere they look. And, like its Greek counterpart, Athens, Georgia, enjoys a thriving student scene — you can’t miss the music of up-and-coming indie bands emanating from the campus town’s trendy bars and restaurants.

Paris, Texas

A railroad boom town on the northern edge of the Lone Star State, Paris, Texas, is arguably the most famous of all America’s towns named after the chic French capital — indeed, locals call it “the second-largest Paris in the world.” But no one is exactly sure why the two cities share a name.

Popular belief is that an employee of the town’s founder, George Washington Wright, came up with the idea when the town was incorporated in 1844. The employee, Thomas Poteet, lobbied to call the new town Paris in honor of his French ancestors. But other theories abound, from a local girl winning naming rights in a beauty pageant and choosing Paris, to a group of bored men simply plucking the name out of thin air.

Whatever the origins of its name, Paris, Texas, gained fame thanks to the 1984 road movie of the same name. Visit today, and you’ll find old-school trolleys taking tourists around town, particularly to see the 65-foot high replica Eiffel Tower topped with a red Texan hat. (Just in case you weren’t sure which Paris you were in.)

Boston, Massachusetts

As one of the first cities built by English settlers in the U.S., it’s no surprise that Boston’s name comes from a town in England. Established in 1630, just a decade after the Plymouth colony (a name itself taken from the Cornish port the Puritan settlers had departed) was founded, this Massachusetts city was named for Boston, Lincolnshire.

Many of the colony’s most prominent early citizens hailed from the English cathedral town — which was a hotbed for religious nonconformism at the time — including the Governor and his deputy. It’s estimated that about 250 people left Boston, England, for the shores of the New World in the 1630s (a significant portion of its population). The Puritans of early Boston named the city after their English home, as they hoped to set a shining example of how life could be for their former homeland. It quickly flourished, and trade with Europe soon brought the Massachusetts city wealth and a growing population that now far eclipses that of its namesake.

Delhi, New York

Home to a SUNY campus, this idyllic village in the Catskills of upstate New York, shares a name with India’s bustling megacity. Established in 1798, the town chose its name as an homage to one of its founders: prominent local judge Ebenezer Foote, nicknamed “The Great Mogul.” The word mogul is derived from the Mughal Empire, a powerful Muslim dynasty that ruled over much of South Asia in the early modern era. Sensing a parallel with their own “Great Mogul,” Foote’s friends suggested calling the new town Delhi, the capital city of the Mughal Empire.

When one of Foote’s business rivals, General Erastus Foot, got wind of the news that this new town was to be called Delhi (instead of his preferred name, Mapleton), he allegedly exclaimed “Delhi, Hell-high! Might as well call it Foote-high.” Unwittingly, Root had made his own mark on the town’s name — instead of being pronounced “delly,” like the Indian capital, the U.S. town is pronounced “dell-hi.”

Portland, Maine

Maine’s largest city wasn’t always named Portland. It was originally called Casco, a name either derived from the Abenaki Indigenous word aucocisco, meaning “a place of herons,” or the Spanish word for “helmet.” Later, English settlers called their city on the peninsula Falmouth, after a port town in England. However, Falmouth was destroyed during the Revolutionary War, and its survivors built a new city in its place in 1786. They named it Portland after a peninsula on the Jurassic Coast of England, adding it to a long list of U.S. cities named after European cities.

The resemblance between the American town and its English namesake is striking. Both places sit on rocky peninsulas, and both have iconic lighthouses looking out over the Atlantic. Portland, Maine, is also the closest transatlantic port in the U.S. to Europe, so its ties with the continent are strong. When you pay a visit, you’ll feel the old world charm in the air: narrow cobbled streets, artisanal boutiques, and historic stone houses make Portland, Maine, a lovely place for a New England getaway. (If you’re curious, Portland, Oregon, was named after the Maine city, since one of its original settlers was from there.)

Toronto, Ohio

Some American cities didn’t need to look too far abroad to find a suitable name. One such example is the city of Toronto, located on the shores of the Ohio River. A respected businessman from Toronto, Ontario, W. F. Dunsbaugh was working in this part of Ohio in the 1880s when the city was named in his honor. Whether it was his own suggestion, or the citizens came up with the idea, is unclear, but it certainly seemed that Toronto, Canada, was, “a place worth emulating,” according to locals at the time.

Toronto, Ohio, is perhaps better known by the name on its welcome sign: Gem City. That’s not because of an abundance of precious stones, but rather the many riverboat captains who stopped here to pick up supplies and were so impressed with the variety of wares available that they called it “a gem of a place.”

Berlin, Connecticut

This charming town just outside of Hartford was originally known as Pagonchawnischage (“the great white oak place”) by the area’s Mattabasset Indigenous peoples and later, bizarrely enough, as the Great Swamp Society by the first ecclesiastical group in the area. When it was incorporated in 1785, the area was renamed Berlin, after the capital of Prussia (now capital of Germany).

Although it’s one of many American cities with German names, Berlin takes its Connecticut home to heart. (Quite literally, as it’s located at the geographic center of the state.) Berlin also proudly proclaims to be the “home of the Yankee peddler,” the traveling salesmen who sold mid-19th century Americans everything from nutmeg to hardware. When you’re done admiring the area’s history, explore the verdant woodlands surrounding town or check out neighboring New Britain — another place that searched for identity abroad.

Dublin, Ohio

Situated on the outskirts of Columbus, this suburb shares a name with the capital of Ireland. One of the area’s earliest settlers, John Sells, established a village in the area in 1810. He asked his land surveyor, John Shields, to come up with a better name than “Sells Settlement.” According to local lore, Shields replied, “If I have the honor conferred upon me to name your Village, with the brightness of the morn, and the beaming of the sun on the hills and the dales surrounding this beautiful valley, it would give me great pleasure to name your new town after my birthplace, Dublin, Ireland.”

Today, you’d be hard-pressed to miss the references to Ireland in this Midwest town. Its color scheme is all hues of emerald green, there are plenty of Irish-inspired treats for visitors to check out (including a Celtic Cocktail Trail), and clovers adorn logos and signs everywhere you look.  Each August, the town hosts the three-day Dublin Irish Festival, an extravagant celebration of Irish-American culture which claims to be the largest festival of its kind.

Florence, Alabama

Florence, Alabama, honors the Renaissance city of Florence, Italy, in both its name and its nature. Situated along the banks of the Tennessee River, this college town is a center of learning and creativity. It’s home to one of Alabama’s oldest universities, a log cabin that served as the childhood home of blues musician W. C. Handy, and the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in the state.

Florence, Alabama, was the project of the Cypress Land Company, which purchased cheap tracts of land here in 1818. Its Italian surveyor, Ferdinand Sannoner, was tasked with naming the new town and opted to name it after his favorite city back home, which is situated along the Arno River.

The original Florence may have been home to Renaissance figures such as Dante Aligheri and Michelangelo, but every October, Florence, Alabama, is home to the state’s renaissance faire. It celebrates the town’s identity as a “Renaissance City,” and if you stop by, you’re likely to bump into living history exhibits, craft sellers, and maybe even a magician.

Canton, Michigan

This township on the outskirts of Detroit shares a name with a port city in southern China. (Although today, Canton in China is officially known as Guangzhou; the name Canton originally came from a European mistranslation of the city’s name.) How did this Michigan town end up with the same name as somewhere nearly 8,000 miles away?

As the U.S. began to increase its trade abroad in the 18th and 19th centuries, a fascination with China emerged, and many Chinese people emigrated to the Americas in search of work. Around the same time, the U.S. Post Office in Washington, D.C., swamped with a series of new towns sharing the same name, decreed that new townships couldn’t take the name of existing places in America.

The settlers in this part of Michigan saw a winning opportunity. In 1834, they called their area “Canton,” and two nearby townships followed suit, opting for Nankin and Peking. However, Canton is the only one that kept its Chinese-inspired name.

Oxford, Mississippi

The folks who named Oxford, Mississippi, were nothing if not optimistic about their town’s future when it was incorporated in 1837. Resident T. D. Isom suggested naming it after Oxford, England, in the hopes that his hometown would have a prestigious college one day. Four years later, the Mississippi legislature voted to make Oxford, Mississippi, the home of the state’s first university, by a margin of just one vote.

The university opened in 1848, and is now affectionately known as Ole Miss. Like the English city, Oxford, Mississippi, is the quintessential college town: Neoclassical-style grand halls are scattered around the campus, parks big and small fill the air with floral aromas and the chatter of students, and there are more great bookstores than you can count. However, if you still want to feel like you’re in the English city, take a tour of town on a double-decker bus with a local historian.

Warsaw, Indiana

The Polish capital is full of green parks and rivers to explore, and so too is Warsaw, Indiana. The seat of Kosciusko County, this small city (population approximately 15,000) is located between Fort Wayne and Lake Michigan.

When settlers arrived in Indiana in the early 19th century, many of them were of Polish heritage. Kosciusko County (founded 1836) is named after Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish-Lithuanian military leader who defended his homeland from its enemies. Kościuszko also fought in the Revolutionary War and was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson. Naming a new county in his honor was a fine way to commemorate the Polish-American national hero, and in turn, Kosciusko County’s seat was named after his beloved capital, Warsaw.

Although Warsaw’s Polish connection today remains only in name, visitors still come to the city to admire the ornate European-style architecture of the County Courthouse, or peacefully fish for bluegills in Pike Lake.

Madrid, Iowa

Though it’s one of many U.S. cities named after European cities, expect the unexpected in this former coal mining community. It’s home to the first Hindu temple in Iowa, as well as the High Trestle Trail, a 25-mile biking and hiking trail along a former railway line in the Des Moines River valley. What’s also surprising is how (and why) this town shares a name with the palatial Spanish capital, Madrid.

A settler from Pennsylvania named Charles W. Gaston arrived in the area in 1846. His second wife was from Sweden, so he initially called the area Swede Point. However, family politics soon got in the way. During a fallout over his mother-in-law’s will, Gaston decided to change Swede Point’s name to something that would erase all traces of Sweden from the area’s history.

One of Gaston’s employees was from Spain, and often talked of its glorious capital. Gaston reportedly disliked the man intensely, so, to spite his Swedish in-laws, he changed the name of the town to Madrid in 1857. The name stuck, but the Swedes may have got the last laugh, as the area is distinguished for being the second-oldest Swedish settlement in the state.