Buzz
While working on our book Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums (available for purchase online—links in the author bio below), my co-author Sam Queen and I compiled a dream list of the most intriguing ghost-hunting spots across the United States. Unfortunately, due to budget and time limitations, we couldn’t include every location we wanted to explore. Here, I share our top 10 public ghost-hunting destinations that didn’t make it into the book.
I also recommend checking out the websites of these locations to find other engaging activities beyond ghost hunting. Many of these sites are managed by nonprofit organizations dedicated to preserving historic structures. Supporting them through historic tours, photography sessions, or attending workshops is a meaningful way to contribute. Now, grab your ghost-hunting equipment, and let’s dive into the spooky adventure!
10. Rolling Hills Asylum, East Bethany, New York
Originally a workhouse established in 1828, Rolling Hills Asylum has a dark history as both an insane asylum and a nursing home before closing its doors in 1974. This location marked Sam’s and my first ghost-hunting experience, inspiring our book. During our visit, we encountered shadowy figures darting down the second-floor hallway, captured EVPs, and witnessed flashlights mysteriously turning on and off. Known for its extensive paranormal activity, this facility offers ghost hunters complete access, including the chilling morgue. Imagine the suffering of those who were stored there during winter, awaiting burial once the ground thawed.
One of Rolling Hills’ most well-known former inhabitants is Roy Crouse, who was admitted by his family at approximately 12 years old and passed away there at 52. Roy is believed to have had gigantism, and his towering 2.3-meter (7.5-foot) shadow has been spotted roaming the building. While I didn’t see Roy myself, I had two strange encounters that might have involved him. The first occurred during a facility tour. Though no one was behind me, I felt a sharp pinch on the fleshy part of my left arm. Later, in the Green Room, owner Sharon Coyle demonstrated Frank’s Box, a device for communicating with spirits. I asked, 'Roy, did you pinch me upstairs?' A voice immediately crackled through the radio: 'Green jacket. Midget.' I was indeed wearing a green jacket and stand just over 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall—clearly a midget in Roy’s eyes!
9. Peoria Asylum, Bartonville, Illinois
Established in 1896, Peoria Asylum now offers historical tours, paranormal investigations, and ghost hunts organized by the Save The Bowen Foundation. Though we never visited, it remains high on our bucket list.
One of my favorite tales about Peoria Asylum comes from Michael Kleen’s book, Haunting Illinois, which shares the story of A. Bookbinder (“Old Book”), a patient in the early 1900s. Assigned to burial duty by Dr. George Zeller, Old Book was known to grieve deeply for every soul he laid to rest. When he passed away, Dr. Zeller claimed that 400 patients and staff saw his ghost “mourning at his own funeral.” The asylum was recently featured on “Ghost Hunters,” where an apparition was filmed walking through the cemetery. Could it have been Old Book’s spirit?
8. Old South Pittsburg Hospital, South Pittsburg, Tennessee
This was the second highly haunted location Sam and I explored. Unlike typical ghost-hunting spots, this hospital functions more as a research facility. What makes Old South Pittsburg unique is its dedicated hospital rooms for investigators, complete with beds—though you’ll need to bring your own sleeping bag. I suggest bringing a small group to enhance your experience. The third floor, with its operating rooms and psych ward, was particularly intriguing. Some of the most compelling stories involve recordings of unseen entities discussing the ghost hunters. Be sure to ask about the car parked inside the hospital—it’s a fascinating detail!
7. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Once home to Al Capone, whose cell remains preserved in his honor, Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829. It was designed to house prisoners in solitary confinement, aiming for a more humane approach. However, this method often led to severe mental deterioration among inmates. During his 1842 visit, Charles Dickens noted in his journal: “In its intention I am well convinced that it is kind, humane, and meant for reformation; but I am persuaded that those who designed this system of Prison Discipline, and those benevolent gentleman who carry it into execution, do not know what it is that they are doing….I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body; and because its ghastly signs and tokens are not so palpable to the eye,… and it extorts few cries that human ears can hear; therefore I the more denounce it, as a secret punishment in which slumbering humanity is not roused up to stay.”
Combine this with the prison’s history of murders, tortures, and suicides, along with the belief that dying within its walls traps your spirit forever, and you have a recipe for paranormal activity. Gary Johnson, a locksmith at Eastern State, has shared chilling accounts of shadowy figures moving rapidly between cells.
6. Pennhurst Asylum, Spring City, Pennsylvania
The Pennhurst Paranormal Association began offering public ghost hunts in the Mayfair Building in 2013. This infamous children’s institution closed in 1987 following numerous court cases and a television exposé by Bill Baldini, which uncovered widespread abuse. The appalling conditions endured by the children make it easy to believe the building is saturated with negative energy. The thought of their spirits remaining trapped there is deeply unsettling. Weird N.J. shares a story of a paranormal team—a police officer, firefighter, and marine—who all claimed to see a full-bodied apparition of a woman in a nurse’s uniform. Pennhurst is more than just eerie; visitors have reported fresh scratches and objects being hurled, particularly in the Quaker Building.
5. Hillview Manor, New Castle, Pennsylvania
Originally opened in 1926 as the Lawrence County Home for the Aged, Hill View Manor has gained fame through appearances on popular paranormal TV shows. The site is notorious for numerous unexplained patient deaths, including 12 suicides, some involving leaps from the roof. Visitors can still explore the cemetery located on the grounds.
Owner Candy Braniff has openly discussed her encounters with spirits at Hillview, even claiming to have been followed home by ghosts. She is currently working on establishing a museum within the historic building.
One of the most intriguing tales from Hillview comes from a “Ghost Adventures” investigation. Using a PX device to communicate with spirits, the team initially had no success until they heard the voice of Eli Saari, who shared the story of his death. Saari, who left jail and ended up in Hillview’s basement, reportedly died from intoxication. If true, this suggests spirits might communicate details of their deaths—potentially aiding in solving crimes.
4. Preston Castle, Ione, California
Established in 1890, the Preston School of Industry was intended to rehabilitate young male offenders. However, J’aime Rubio’s Behind the Walls: A Historical Expose of The Preston School of Industry reveals that students endured abuse and torture under Superintendent O’Brien, with allegations of outright murder. In 1923, investigative journalist Leon Adams infiltrated the facility and published an exposé titled “Youths Kept in Dark Basement.” While one superior court judge took the report seriously, little changed in the institution’s practices.
By the 1950s, the school housed violent offenders, and a housekeeper named Anna Corbin was found brutally murdered in her office. Her killer was never identified. The school closed in 1960, but the on-site cemetery remains maintained. Many believe Anna’s spirit lingers, seeking justice for her unsolved murder.
3. Old Charleston Jail, Charleston, South Carolina
If we ever write a sequel to Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums, this location will undoubtedly take the first chapter. During our March 2013 visit to the Old Charleston Jail, we organized a private event. While we didn’t encounter physical scratches, we captured several EVPs. The jail is infamous as the execution site of Lavinia Fisher, America’s first alleged female serial killer, whose guilt remains debated. Bruce Orr’s Six Miles to Charleston: The True Story of John and Lavinia Fisher meticulously examines the case, challenging conventional narratives and raising questions about whether the Fishers were wrongfully executed.
2. Wyoming Frontier Prison, Rawlings, Wyoming
When Wyoming’s prison opened in December 1901, it lacked electricity and running water. In 1912, inmates set the broom factory ablaze, adding chaos to the harsh conditions. Death row inmates were housed separately, and a gas chamber replaced hangings in 1936. One of the most haunting tales involves Annie Bruce, sentenced at just 14 to four years for poisoning her father. She is reported to have said: “While I was making the pies, an overwhelming urge to kill someone came over me, and I couldn’t resist it.”
The Frontier Prison reportedly witnessed 250 deaths, including 14 executions. The facility featured a dungeon and solitary confinement cells, which are now prime spots for paranormal investigations. One of its most infamous torture methods was the Punishment Pole, where inmates were tied to a metal pole and whipped with rubber hoses as discipline.
1. Old Idaho Penitentiary, Boise, Idaho
If you’re hesitant to attend a Fright Night or ghost hunt at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, you can still explore the gallows and solitary confinement cells during the day. Established in 1872, the prison housed some of the most notorious criminals, including Lyda Trueblood, a serial killer who poisoned four husbands with arsenic. Surprisingly, she avoided execution, serving only 10 years before dying of a heart attack in 1958.
Approximately 110 deaths are believed to have occurred here, with only 10 resulting from executions. Executions were carried out in the rose garden, which remains largely unchanged today. The prison’s conditions were harsh, lacking basic plumbing until the 1920s. Today, guides highlight solitary confinement cells known as “Siberia” and “The Cooler” as active paranormal sites. Among the spirits said to linger are Raymond Snowden, dubbed Idaho’s Jack the Ripper, and George Hamilton, convicted of highway robbery in the late 1800s. Legend has it that Hamilton took his own life on the night of his release, unwilling to leave Idaho.
