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Stephen King has crafted chilling fictional towns within Maine, seamlessly integrating them with real-life locations that inspire his extensive literary works. He drew inspiration from Bridgton for *The Mist* and from Durham to develop the fictional town of Jerusalem's Lot. The iconic Derry, featured in *IT*, takes its cues from the actual city of Bangor. Dark events unfold in these towns, and one can only be grateful that these tales remain in the realm of fiction.
Nevertheless, there are several other places around the globe that could rival the chilling atmosphere of King's eerie creations. Here are a few of those haunting spots.
10. The Terror of O’ahu
O’ahu, the third-largest island in Hawaii, is home to nearly a million residents. This island boasts famous destinations like Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, and Lanikai Beach, which is considered one of the most stunning beaches worldwide.
This kind of description doesn’t exactly scream 'creepy,' does it? But when night falls over O’ahu, the restless spirits of the dead emerge. If you happen to be on the 16th Avenue bridge in Kaimuki after dark, don't be alarmed if a small, icy hand slips into yours. Legend has it that a young girl met her untimely death in a hit-and-run on this bridge, and her spirit is forever searching for someone to guide her home.
If that doesn’t send chills down your spine, consider the reports of a ghostly woman at the Old Waialae Drive-In Theater, who is said to shake and bang on toilet stall doors. Those unfortunate enough to open the door will come face-to-face with a floating apparition, draped in a long dress, but with no face and no feet.
9. The Terror of Real Filipe
South America is home to wonders like Angel Falls, Machu Picchu, Copper Canyon, delicious cuisine, and vintage cars. You can hike up to Rainbow Mountain, dance the salsa, admire the Christ the Redeemer statue, or join an electrifying crowd to cheer on a football match.
But the continent also hides some of the most terrifying places on Earth.
The narrow, U-shaped Real Filipe Fortress in Lima once held prisoners who were forced to endure standing for the entirety of their confinement. Before reaching their grim destination, these unfortunate souls had to navigate the cramped corridors, dodging buckets of scalding water thrown at them. Many perished after suffering two months of torment in Real Filipe.
Today, the horrors continue, but in the form of ghostly apparitions. Visitors to the fortress have reported seeing pale figures with long hair walking along the drawbridge, and soldiers with grim expressions leaping from the parapets. Some have even claimed to spot demonic children lurking in the narrow hallways.
8. The Creepiest Locations in New Zealand
New Zealand is far from short on eerie locations. Brave souls can venture to the Waitomo Caves Hotel, where guests have witnessed bathtubs oozing with blood and apparitions passing right through them. Alternatively, those with a taste for decaying psychiatric hospitals can explore Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital, where temperatures drop inexplicably, furniture moves by unseen forces, and doorbells ring with no one in sight.
Another unsettling place is Camp Adair in Hunua. Established in 1913, this camp hosts church retreats, sports teams, and team-building activities. However, it's also the site of a chilling urban legend that claims a red-haired teacher murdered a group of children in the School House Building. Recent visitors have reported seeing the ghostly figure of a red-headed man peering through the windows...
7. Whatever you do, don’t go in there!
Russia spans more than one-eighth of Earth's inhabited land area, offering plenty of room for breathtaking landscapes, stunning architecture, and eerie, abandoned sites. Among these is the Kusovnikov House in Moscow, where the ghost of an elderly man with a hump is said to roam the streets, mourning the loss of his fortune. There’s also Mikhailovsky Castle, where tsar Pavel I is said to still play the violin by a specific window.
In Russia, you’ll also find the Rotonda, a circular hall nestled within an 18th-century building. Legend has it that the hall once served as a gathering spot for Freemasons before becoming a popular haunt for musical groups in the 70s and 80s. It’s said that if someone writes a heartfelt wish on the graffiti-covered walls, it will come true—but at a great cost. And whatever you do, don’t venture into the basement. It’s believed that anyone who enters alone will either return years older or lose their sanity entirely.
6. Leave those stones alone!
Sweden, home to ABBA, Roxette, Avicii, sustainable design, and some of the world’s most captivating landscapes, also hides its own chilling mysteries. For example, there’s the eerie Silverpilen, a silver train that takes unsuspecting passengers to an abandoned station deep within a forest, a place from which they will never return.
Train stations aren’t the only eerie sites in this country.
In Gamla Stan (Old Town), the main square becomes a haunting site every November, as blood appears to flow across the cobblestones, recreating the “Stockholm Bloodbath” from centuries ago. In 1520, 92 members of the Swedish nobility were either beheaded or hanged for opposing the Dane. To commemorate these souls, a nearby red building incorporated 92 white stones in its design. If anyone dares to remove a stone, the ghost of the person it represents will rise from their grave and haunt Stockholm forever. Unsurprisingly, the white stones remain undisturbed.
5. Ghosts from the past
Antarctica’s freezing temperatures are not enough to keep the spirits away. In fact, it’s considered one of the most haunted places on Earth. Though the explorers and scientists who once braved its harsh environment may be long gone, their spirits are said to linger. For example, in 1958, Sir Edmund Hillary believed he saw the ghost of Sir Ernest Shackleton in his abandoned hut when he and his New Zealand team arrived in Antarctica.
In 1979, a tragic plane crash near Mount Erebus killed all 257 tourists aboard a day-trip flight from New Zealand. The bodies were allegedly stored at McMurdo Station, an American base on Ross Island. Afterward, visitors began reporting strange occurrences, such as disembodied voices and trails of footprints that appeared to end abruptly.
There are even so-called 'ghost mountains' lying beneath four meters of ice, unseen by human eyes, and only mapped using radar.
4. Fear and unease in the woods
Japan is a dream destination, offering some of the world’s most stunning sights, including Mount Fuji, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and landscapes draped in cherry blossoms.
But Japan is also the birthplace of several chilling urban legends and horror films, many of which revolve around eerie locations. One such place is the ruin of the Round Schoolhouse in Bibai, Hokkaido. Built in 1959, this circular school was mainly attended by children of coal miners who worked in the nearby mines.
When Japan began importing coal rather than mining it locally, the school was abandoned in 1974, leaving most of the furniture behind. Over the years, the ruin has become a popular site for ghost-hunting groups. Those who have ventured into the woods to find the school report hearing blood-curdling screams echoing through the air, with shadowy figures leaping out from between the trees to attack them.
It is also said that those who step foot inside the building return not just traumatized but entirely mad. For this reason, mediums in Japan avoid the site, and paranormal experts believe it to be a gateway to another dimension.
3. The Hotel of the Undead
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is a strong contender for the Overlook’s title. According to urban legend, a bride tragically fell down a flight of stairs at the hotel in 1920 and died instantly. But her spirit never left. Dressed in her wedding gown and veil, she has appeared to numerous guests over the years. Occasionally, the back of her dress is seen burning.
In Room 873, it’s said that a man murdered his wife and daughter, leading to numerous ghostly sightings. The hotel even sealed off the room, but some visitors claim to have seen the outline of a small child on the wall where the door once stood. Before it was sealed, maids complained of being unable to scrub bloody fingerprints from the bathroom mirror, and guests were disturbed by unholy screams in the dead of night.
Elsewhere in the hotel, a headless man occasionally makes an appearance, playing his bagpipes despite his lack of a head, sending chills down the spines of those who witness his eerie procession.
2. Restless spirits
Europe, rich in history, is a perfect backdrop for spine-chilling experiences. From haunted Victorian cemeteries and Jack the Ripper tours to vampire castles, creepy statues, and monks haunting the streets, it has it all.
At Zvíkov Castle in the Czech Republic, an apparition haunted its inhabitants until 1597. Although this ghost eventually faded, supernatural occurrences persisted, including bizarre animal behavior and unexplained fires. According to an eerie legend, anyone who spends the night in the main tower of the castle will die within a year.
The Castle of Brissac in Maine-et-Loire, France, is home to the restless spirit of La Dame Verte. She was murdered by her husband after he discovered her infidelity. Visitors have reported seeing her ghost, dressed in a green gown, with hollow, empty eye sockets and a gaping nose. For those who don’t have the misfortune of being terrified by her apparition, her mournful moans can be heard echoing through the castle.
Then there’s the embalmed body of 2-year-old Rosalia Lombardo, preserved in a glass case in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy. Since her death in 1920, her body has remained remarkably well-preserved. Some visitors are so moved by how lifelike she appears that they become convinced her eyes still blink.
1. Spirits of the Land Down Under
Australia is home to some of the most terrifying creatures on Earth, such as great white sharks, massive spiders, and venomous snakes. But alongside these real-life horrors, there are also restless spirits who seem unable to move on to the afterlife.
At the abandoned Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, an elderly man is said to tug on tourists’ clothing, while a young girl can be heard murmuring to those who pass her by, her words unintelligible, as if desperate for someone to listen. At the Old Adelaide Gaol, visitors may encounter the ghost of Ben Ellis, the hangman, who still seeks redemption for a prisoner who didn’t die immediately but instead hung for 22 agonizing minutes before his last breath. In the Monte Cristo Homestead, the rattling chains are a constant reminder of the spirit of Harold, a mentally ill patient who was chained to a bed for 40 years before he passed away.
Australia’s most haunted town is said to be Picton, with the Redback Range Railway tunnel singled out as the most haunted spot within it. Many believe the tunnel is a site of numerous suicides, and a tragic train accident in 1916 claimed the life of a local girl, whose spirit is said to haunt the tunnel. Visitors to the site report seeing mysterious figures appearing out of nowhere, ghostly children running through the tunnel, and hovering white lights following them as they walk.
