10 of America’s Spookiest Small Towns

When travelers think of small-town America, they often picture tree-lined streets, friendly neighbors, and a slow pace of life. This may be true for some towns, but for others? Not quite so. Across the U.S., there are some small towns with spooky histories and eerie legends — from ghost sightings to unsettling local folklore — that give them a spine-tingling edge. These are 10 of the spookiest towns in America. 

Jefferson, Texas

Considered one of the most haunted small towns in Texas, Jefferson has earned its spooky reputation through countless ghost stories and local legends. Today, the town has fewer than 2,000 residents, but in the 19th century it thrived as a busy and prosperous river port city. 

Among Jefferson’s most infamous haunts is the Historic Jefferson Hotel, where guests have reported sightings of the mysterious Vanishing Man, who appears suddenly before disappearing without a trace. The Excelsior House Hotel, the oldest continuously operating hotel in Texas, is another site of frequently reported paranormal activity, with tales of objects flying across rooms, closet doors swinging open, and shadowy figures drifting through the halls. Director Steven Spielberg stayed at the hotel and told of a chilling encounter with the ghost of a young boy who asked him about breakfast; he also had a briefcase mysteriously hurled at him from across the room. 

If these haunted tales aren’t enough to spook you, a walk through Oakwood Cemetery — with its unmarked graves and eerie floating orbs — or a tour of the Grove, a historic home said to be haunted by former residents, might just do the trick.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Washington Irving put this village on the map with his 1820 short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The author was a New York native and spent time in Sleepy Hollow, located about 30 miles north of New York City, and some theories suggest he was influenced by the local legend of a headless Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball during the American Revolution.

Today, Ichabod Crane fans can visit the spooky Old Dutch Church (the Headless Horseman’s supposed home) and the adjacent Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the final resting place for over 45,000 people — including Irving himself. Nearby, the famous Headless Horseman Bridge and the Headless Horseman Statue add to the town’s creepy allure.

The Headless Horseman isn’t the only ghost to haunt Sleepy Hollow, either. The ghost of a British soldier, Major John André, who was hanged as a spy, is said to haunt Patriots Park, where he was captured. Another author, Edgar Mayhew Bacon, was inspired to write about the wailing woman of Raven Rock, a disturbing story of a woman who perished in a blizzard while seeking shelter from the storm in a nearby ravine.

Estes Park, Colorado

If it’s spooky enough for Stephen King, it’s certainly spooky enough to make this list. Estes Park, a town of about 6,000 people nestled in the Colorado Rockies, approximately 90 miles northwest of Denver, is best known for the Stanley Hotel. Opened in 1909, the Colonial Revival hotel has become infamous for its paranormal activity. King himself stayed there, an experience that inspired his 1977 bestseller, The Shining. 

Over the years, there have been reports of disembodied children’s laughter and footsteps in empty hallways, the ghost of a housekeeper injured in a gas explosion who now haunts room 217 (the same room King stayed in), and the ghost of Flora Stanley, the founder’s wife, whose piano music is still heard echoing through the concert hall. Guests today can learn more about the Stanley’s haunted history with regular ghost tours.

Alton, Illinois

Alton, located about 30 miles north of St. Louis, is a city that’s well known for its ghostly hauntings, drawing film crews from the TV shows Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters in hopes of capturing evidence of paranormal activity. McPike Mansion, the star attraction in town, is an 1869 Victorian home that sits atop Mount Lookout overlooking all of Alton. Henry McPike, the city’s former mayor, occupied the home with his family until his death in 1910, before it went on to become the Browns Business College and then a boarding home. 

McPike Mansion, once a grand estate featuring 11 marble fireplaces and intricately carved banisters, fell into disrepair after its abandonment in the 1950s. Targeted by vandals and thieves, the property was stripped of anything valuable. Today, it is regarded as one of America’s most haunted locations, with theories suggesting that the spirits of Henry McPike, his family, and their staff haunt the property. The current owners, Sharyn and George Luedke, report at least a dozen spirits, with the cellar being the focal point of paranormal activity. Photographs taken inside often reveal unexplained orbs, balls of light, and even figures in the windows that are invisible to the naked eye.

Bodie, California

Setting foot in Bodie, a ghost town high in the Sierra Nevadas, feels like stepping back into the 19th century. When gold was discovered in the area in 1877, it drew thousands of prospectors, and Bodie quickly earned a reputation as one of the rowdiest boomtowns in the West. While the town rose quickly, it fell just as fast, peaking in 1880 before its population began to dwindle the next year. Mining was officially halted by government order in 1942, and the last residents eventually drifted away in the following years. 

Designated a California State Historic Park in 1962, Bodie is now one of the West’s most infamous ghost towns. Weathered buildings and empty streets still stand, some with furniture and dishes left behind, signaling the residents’ hasty departures. Visitors also report haunting stories of phantom pianos, children’s laughter, and shadowy figures in windows. 

The old Bodie Hotel, rumored to have been the site of several murders, is one of the most haunted sites in town. And then there’s the legendary Bodie curse — anyone who swipes a souvenir to take home supposedly risks misfortune until it’s returned, a belief reinforced by the apology letters and packages that still arrive at the park each year. 

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

The Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War was one of the deadliest conflicts in U.S. history. Over the course of the three-day battle in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 1 to July 3, 1863, approximately 51,000 soldiers tragically lost their lives. The families of the deceased lobbied for a proper burial ground for their loved ones, resulting in the commission of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his now-famous Gettysburg Address in 1864. 

Today, the cemetery is the final resting place of some 6,000 service men and women, with 3,500 of those killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. With so much loss of life, it’s no surprise that there have been accounts of paranormal sightings here. Some people claim to hear the distant sound of drumming or musket fire. Others claim they’ve seen soldiers’ ghosts floating through the grounds of the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Salem, Massachusetts

While it’s not quite a “small” town, a list of spooky American places wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Salem, the site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials from 1692 to 1693. This dark period in Massachusetts history began when two young girls, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, began acting strangely, claiming they were possessed by the devil and accusing several women in the town of witchcraft. Over the ensuing months, 19 people were hanged, one was crushed to death, and five died in custody. 

Today, Proctor’s Ledge, the site of the hangings, remains one of the most haunted locations in Salem. Other spooky spots include Burying Point Cemetery, where the unapologetic Judge John Hathorne is buried, and the Witch House, home of Jonathan Corwin, another participating judge in the trials. Giles Corey, who was crushed to death at Howard Street Cemetery, is said to have cursed Salem, leading to centuries of misfortune — including a devastating fire and eight premature deaths in the Corwin family (known as the Corwin Curse). 

Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Part of the 60-mile Grand Strand along South Carolina’s coast, Pawleys Island lies 25 miles south of bustling Myrtle Beach. Known for its quiet atmosphere and unspoiled beauty, the barrier island is less than 4 miles long and half a mile wide. Yet, its beauty may only be skin deep. 

Several ghost stories swirl around the island, the most famous of which is the tale of the Gray Man, a figure said to appear before storms to warn residents to evacuate. According to local legend, those who heed his warning are often spared major damage to their homes. Another tale tells of Alice Flagg, the daughter of a wealthy 19th-century plantation owner. As the story goes, her father did not approve of her suitor and threw her engagement ring out the window. Locals say her ghost still appears on the island late at night, wandering around Litchfield Plantation and searching for her lost engagement ring.

Athens, Ohio

Home to Ohio University, the small city of Athens has a population of about 24,000 people, in addition to more than 28,000 students enrolled at the university. But beyond its lively college-town atmosphere lies a darker history tied to the Athens Lunatic Asylum, which operated from 1874 to 1993. Initially praised for its progressive care under the Kirkbride Plan, which emphasized humane treatment, the hospital later became infamous for harsh practices such as electroshock therapy and lobotomies. Tragically, nearly 2,000 patients are believed to have died there, many buried in unmarked graves still visible today, fueling stories of paranormal activity. 

Now known as the Ridges, the former asylum has been renovated and is currently being used as part of Ohio University; it houses classrooms, research labs, and cultural spaces. Yet even through its modernization, reports of paranormal activity persist — phantom voices, apparitions, unexplained bangs and screams, and strange flickering lights.

Calico, California

Calico is a former mining town in San Bernardino County, located northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. The original settlement dates back to 1881, when silver was discovered in the area. Calico’s silver production peaked between 1883 and 1885, but its rapid rise was followed by a decline in the mid-1890s, after the Silver Purchase Act reduced the price of the precious metal. Calico effectively became a ghost town until farmer and businessman Walter Knott breathed new life into the abandoned town in the 1950s. 

Knott purchased Calico and restored many of its historical buildings, but despite its fresh face, Calico is still known as one of the most haunted towns in California. Many claims of paranormal activity plague the town, including sightings of the ghost of lifetime resident Lucy Bell Lane, who has reportedly been spotted walking between her home and the general store she once co-owned with husband. Other eerie sightings include former teachers peering out from the windows of the old schoolhouse, the ghost of the former town marshal roaming Main Street, and several spirits said to linger around Hank’s Hotel.