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The Amityville Horror house is widely recognized, where Ronald DeFeo, aged 23, tragically killed his parents and four younger siblings. Equally horrifying is the “Murder Castle” of H.H. Holmes, a hotel constructed for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Within its maze of secret corridors and windowless chambers, Holmes claimed the lives of countless guests.
Every home has a story, but the residences listed below would unleash screams if their walls could speak.
10. Fox Hollow Farm - Westfield, Indiana
Serial killer Herb Baumeister, though responsible for numerous victims, remains relatively unknown, likely due to his suicide as authorities closed in. Despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia and exhibiting strange behavior, Baumeister established a successful chain of thrift stores, amassing significant wealth. He acquired Fox Hollow Farm, an expansive 18-acre property near Indianapolis, Indiana.
It was at this location that he carried out much of his gruesome acts, luring young men from gay bars and leading them to their deaths. During the investigation of Fox Hollow Farm, authorities unearthed the remains of 11 men, primarily charred bone fragments. Baumeister was later connected to additional unsolved murders, which occurred during his so-called “business trips.”
Julie Baumeister, horrified by her husband’s actions, relocated with their three children. The property remained vacant for years, haunted by its dark history.
Rob and Vicki Graves purchased the estate and reported sightings of the dismembered ghosts of Baumeister’s victims. They also found more human bones on the grounds. A tenant living in an apartment on the farm claimed to have encountered the ghost of Herb Baumeister and even allegedly recorded his voice.
9. The Cleveland Strangler Murder House - 12205 Imperial Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
Anthony Sowell exhibited violent tendencies from a young age, including the rape of his niece at just 11 years old. Despite a decorated career in the US Marine Corps, he assaulted a woman shortly after returning to civilian life, resulting in a 15-year prison sentence for attempted rape.
After his release in 2005, Sowell resumed his criminal activities. For several years, he was in a relationship with Lori Frazier, the niece of Cleveland’s mayor. Frazier later reported noticing foul smells in the house, which Sowell attributed to his stepmother, who also resided there, and a nearby sausage factory. In September 2009, Sowell assaulted and raped a woman at his residence. She reported the incident to the police, who visited the house on October 29. Although Sowell was absent, they discovered two bodies in the living room.
Sowell was apprehended two days later. Investigators uncovered the remains of 11 women both inside the house and in the backyard. Out of respect for the victims, the city decided to demolish the house, preventing it from becoming a macabre tourist attraction. Sowell remains on death row.
8. Conrad Aiken House - 228 E. Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, Georgia
The red brick row house, constructed in 1842, was home to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Conrad Aiken’s family. Originally from New England, his father became a renowned surgeon in Savannah. Despite their wealth and respectability, his father struggled with mental illness, leading to erratic behavior. On February 27, 1901, 11-year-old Conrad overheard his parents arguing about finances, followed by gunshots. He discovered his parents’ bodies—his father had killed his mother before taking his own life.
Conrad and his siblings were sent to live with relatives. Decades later, he returned to Savannah and bought the house adjacent to the one where his parents died. He often visited Bonaventure Cemetery, where they were laid to rest.
Aiken passed away in 1973 at the age of 84. Currently, the property is owned by Dr. Jackson Morgan, who permitted paranormal investigators to examine the house. They documented strange floating orbs and unexplained voices, hinting that the spirits of the Aiken family might still linger on Oglethorpe Avenue.
7. Glensheen Mansion - 3300 London Road, Duluth, Minnesota
Glensheen, a stunning Jacobean-style mansion, offers breathtaking views of Lake Superior. Constructed in 1905 by Chester Congdon, a wealthy mining magnate, the estate was inherited by his daughter Elisabeth after his and his wife’s deaths. Elisabeth adopted two children, Marjorie and Jennifer. Marjorie, a troubled individual diagnosed as a sociopath in her youth, had seven children and frequently relied on men or her mother for financial support.
In a scene reminiscent of a Clue board game, Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila were discovered dead in one of the mansion’s bedrooms. Elisabeth had been suffocated with a pillow, while Pietila was beaten with a candlestick.
Marjorie, who stood to inherit approximately $8 million after her mother’s death, and her second husband, Roger Caldwell, quickly became suspects. Roger was found guilty of the murders in 1978, but Marjorie was surprisingly acquitted.
Caldwell was freed after serving only five years. Soon after, he took his own life, leaving behind a note asserting his innocence. Over the years, Marjorie has been connected to various crimes, including arson and bigamy, and has been suspected of involvement in at least two additional murders.
Today, the 39-room Glensheen Historic Estate is owned by the University of Minnesota and functions as a museum. It has even become a popular wedding venue. While guides once avoided detailing the gruesome murders, they now openly address the tragic events.
6. Andrea Yates’s House - 942 Beachcomber Lane, Houston, Texas
Mothers are often a source of immense comfort and love, which makes the idea of a mother harming her own children deeply unsettling. On June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates, who had a troubled history of mental illness, drowned her five children (ranging from six months to seven years old) in the bathtub of her Houston, Texas home.
A home with such a tragic history might typically remain abandoned for years, as few would willingly live in a house where such a horrific event occurred. However, just three years later, the property sold for $87,000. The buyer, Peter Muller, remarked, “It’s in a prime location and has an excellent layout, with a combined living and dining area.”
Curious onlookers still drive by to catch a glimpse of the house. When questioned, Muller stated, “I’m not concerned about the home’s history . . . It doesn’t affect me.”
5. Kreischer Mansion - 4500 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island, New York
The Kreischer Mansion stands out as one of the eeriest homes on this list, a sprawling Victorian structure featuring a distinctive turret. Built in 1885 for Edward Kreischer by his father, a German brick manufacturer, the mansion became the site of tragedy. By 1894, the family business was failing, and in despair, Edward took his own life at the residence.
Edward Kreischer’s suicide alone would mark the property with tragedy, but an even more horrifying event occurred over a century later. In 2005, the mansion’s caretaker, Joseph Young, killed Robert McKelvey on the orders of the Bonnano crime family. Young first tried to strangle McKelvey, but when the victim escaped, Young caught him, stabbed him, and drowned him in a pool. He then dismembered the body with a hacksaw and burned the remains in the mansion’s furnace. Young received a life sentence for his crimes.
The Kreischer Mansion is rumored to be haunted by numerous spirits, with the most prominent being Kreischer’s widow, whose mournful weeping is often heard. Unlike many other houses on this list, which are either occupied or demolished, this mansion is currently listed for sale at approximately $1.5 million.
4. Mercer Williams House - 429 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia
The stunning Mercer Williams House was constructed between 1860 and 1868, with delays due to the Civil War. Over the years, it changed ownership multiple times and even served as a Shriners Temple. Tragically, at least two people died in accidents on the property, including a young boy who fell from the roof and was impaled on an iron railing.
The house remained vacant until 1969, when Jim Williams, a preservationist and antiques dealer, purchased it. He spent two years restoring it to its former glory. Williams was famous for hosting extravagant parties, a tradition that continued until 1981, when he shot his assistant.
Williams argued that he acted in self-defense against 21-year-old Danny Hansford, but he was still charged with murder. The trial revealed that the two men had been involved in a romantic relationship. Williams faced four trials over eight years before being acquitted. Some believe a voodoo pact played a role in securing his freedom.
After his acquittal, Williams resumed hosting his legendary parties, but his celebration was short-lived. He passed away from pneumonia-related complications just eight months later. His body was reportedly found in the same spot where he would have fallen if Hansford had shot him.
This tale is recounted in John Berendt’s book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was later turned into a film. Kevin Spacey played the role of Jim Williams. Today, the house is owned by Williams’s sister, Dorothy Kingery, who operates it as a museum.
3. Jeffrey Dahmer’s Apartment - 924 North 25th Street, Apartment 213, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous cannibal killer, committed murders in multiple locations, including his grandmother’s house—she eventually evicted him due to the constant stream of men visiting at odd hours and the foul odors coming from his room. However, most of his crimes occurred in his Milwaukee apartment. There, he lured young men with promises of money in exchange for sexual acts. Once inside, he drugged them with sleeping pills and subjected them to his horrifying desires. He stored body parts in his refrigerator for later consumption and disposed of torsos in a 57-gallon acid drum.
Strangely, police once visited Dahmer’s apartment after one of his victims escaped. He convinced the officers it was merely a lovers’ dispute. Though they noticed a foul odor, they took no further action.
Dahmer was finally apprehended on July 22, 1991, after another potential victim managed to escape. The gruesome discoveries in the apartment were too horrifying to describe in detail. Neighbors watched in disbelief as hazmat-suited officers removed human remains.
The atrocities committed in the building made it impossible for it to remain standing. Community programs helped residents relocate, and in November 1992, the structure was torn down. Today, the site is nothing more than a vacant lot overrun with weeds.
2. John Wayne Gacy’s House - 8213 Summerdale Ave, Norwood Park Township, Illinois
Suburban neighborhoods are often known for nosy neighbors, but those living near Gacy seemed to turn a blind eye. They ignored the foul smell of decaying bodies emanating from his home. When Gacy’s wife questioned the odor, he blamed it on dead mice in the crawlspace.
He was partially correct. Beneath the house, he had buried the remains of 26 young men. Additional bodies were found in the garage and backyard.
The first body was discovered by police on December 21, 1978. Due to a harsh Chicago winter, it took nearly three months to fully excavate the property. Much of the house was destroyed in the process, uncovering 29 bodies, some of which remain unidentified to this day.
The house was demolished in April 1979. The lot remained vacant for years until a new house was built, with the address slightly changed to deter curious visitors. Gacy was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, with his final words being “Kiss my ass.”
1. Manson Family Murder House - 10050 Cielo Drive, Los Angeles, California
On August 9, 1969, members of the Manson “Family” carried out a brutal attack at this residence, committing one of the most infamous crimes in U.S. history. Following Manson’s directive to make the scene “as gruesome as possible,” four cult members murdered pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others. Tate reportedly pleaded for her unborn child’s life but was stabbed 16 times. The killers used her blood to write “pig” on the front door.
The house’s owner, talent agent Rudy Altobelli, moved into the property shortly after the murders and resided there for two decades, claiming no sense of evil on the premises. He later sold the house for $1.6 million.
The last occupant of 10050 Cielo Drive was Trent Reznor, the rock musician behind Nine Inch Nails. He established a recording studio on the property, naming it “Le Pig” in reference to the infamous blood graffiti. It was here that he produced his acclaimed album The Downward Spiral. Reznor left the house in December 1993, taking the front door as a keepsake.
Reznor later admitted, “The house had too much dark history for me to endure.” The structure was demolished the following year, and a new mansion was constructed in its place. The current owner is TV producer Jeff Franklin, known for creating shows like Full House and Malcolm In The Middle.
