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Throughout history, countless significant sites have been carefully maintained, including renowned landmarks like the Tower of London and George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Yet, it’s often astonishing to learn about the unusual historical locations that have been conserved for visitors to explore. From sites tied to infamous crimes to those linked to peculiar events, these destinations often become major attractions. Here are 10 of the most bizarre preserved historic places.
10. The Witch House
The Salem Witch Trials, a dark and tragic period in colonial America, led to numerous executions. Centuries later, the tales of those accused of witchcraft continue to captivate many. The Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts, is believed to be the sole surviving structure directly associated with the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Today, it welcomes visitors to explore its history.
This imposing gray clapboard house, featuring lattice windows and formerly known as the Corwin House, was once the residence of Judge Jonathan Corwin (1640–1718). As one of the two judges overseeing the witch trials, Corwin was notorious for his use of spectral evidence to convict alleged witches. His personal involvement in the witch trials adds a layer of intrigue to this historic site.
Corwin’s mother-in-law faced accusations of witchcraft, though she was never arrested, and one of his children was thought to be affected during the witchcraft hysteria. In the 1940s, the house was nearly demolished to make way for road expansion, but local residents funded its relocation 35 feet (10.6 meters) back. It became a museum in 1948, providing a fascinating glimpse into the lifestyle of the wealthy in 17th-century New England.
9. Bodie, California
Once a bustling gold mining town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Bodie, California, now stands as a ghost town that revives during tourist seasons. After its gold rush in 1875, Bodie was nearly deserted by the 1940s. It was designated a State Historic Park and a National Historic Landmark in 1962, preserving it in a state of “arrested decay.”
What makes this ghost town particularly intriguing is the abundance of personal items left behind, largely because transporting belongings was costly and the town was remote. Abandoned houses still contain old furniture, and remnants of daily life, like a roulette wheel in the saloon, create a surreal, frozen-in-time atmosphere, making Bodie more haunting than typical ghost towns.
8. Franklin Castle
Despite its rich and distinguished history, the Tiedemann House, famously known as Franklin Castle on Franklin Avenue in Cleveland, is most renowned for its reputation as a haunted house. This grand, stone Victorian-style mansion was constructed in the early 1880s by Hannes Tiedemann, a prosperous local businessman who had emigrated from Germany.
Tiedemann not only lived in the house with his family but also hosted friends, relatives, and newly arrived German immigrants. Over the years, it served as the headquarters for the German-American League of Culture and passed through various owners, including Judy Garland’s fifth husband, musician Mickey Deans, who spent a fortune renovating the property. After Deans sold it in 1999, an arsonist set the house on fire, leading to further restoration efforts.
Rumors of paranormal activity had swirled for years, and in the mid-1970s, one owner capitalized on the public’s fascination by offering haunted house tours. The tragic events surrounding the Tiedemann family during their time in the house added fuel to the ghostly legends.
It is said that four of the Tiedemann children died in a house that previously stood on the same site as Franklin Castle. In late 2022, the current owners began renting out rooms to overnight guests in this imposing yet eerie structure, which, as reported by cleveland.com, was once deemed the most haunted house in Cleveland.
7. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, near Wall, South Dakota
At the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, visitors can explore a site that played a crucial role during the Cold War. During that tense period, more than 1,000 Minuteman missiles were hidden across the U.S., and teams stationed in launch command centers like this one monitored classified frequencies, ready to respond to threats at a moment’s notice.
The launch center’s cramped and unremarkable appearance starkly contrasts with its terrifying purpose. Preserved since its deactivation in the mid-1990s, the site features intricate equipment and nostalgic touches, such as a vintage coffee pot in the snack area and old reading materials like Byte Magazine and Reader’s Digest, which once helped pass the monotonous hours in this secure bunker 80 feet (24 meters) below ground.
6. Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway in Baltimore
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway, a once-majestic Baltimore movie theater built in 1915, now appears rundown or incomplete to many visitors. Despite a $19 million preservation effort, the theater is intentionally maintained to reflect its abandoned state from 1978, preserving this Renaissance Revival–style movie palace in a state of arrested decay.
Traces of the theater’s history, such as sections of wallpaper from different decades, offer insight into its evolution. Years after the city acquired the building, architect Steve Ziger and Jed Dietz, director of the Maryland Film Festival, collaborated to modernize the structure while preserving its original appearance, allowing its visible transformations to narrate its unique story.
George Arendt, senior project manager for Southway Builders, was taken aback by the plan: “I thought, ‘Wait, they just want to keep it as it is?’” The decay is evident in numerous ways, including cracked plaster, peeling and mismatched paint, missing decorative elements, and a crumbling sunburst medallion.
While Steve Ziger aimed to avoid recreating lost features, a new marquee was constructed to replace the one removed in 1980. The result is a unique setting for film screenings, offering not just a cinematic escape but also a journey through history at this iconic theater, which reopened its doors in 2017.
5. Alcatraz
Preserving an abandoned prison as a museum might seem unusual, but Alcatraz, situated on a small island near San Francisco, boasts a fascinating history. Before its fame as a federal penitentiary (1934–1963), the island served as the site of the first Pacific coast lighthouse, a mid-19th-century fort, and a military prison. It was also occupied by Native Americans from 1969 to 1971 before becoming part of the National Park Service and opening to the public in 1973.
Alcatraz is best known for its maximum-security prison, nicknamed “The Rock,” which remains a major tourist attraction. Infamous inmates, daring escape attempts, and its portrayal in films have all fueled public fascination with this historic site. Despite damage from fires and graffiti, the main cell block has been remarkably preserved, offering visitors a vivid glimpse into the harsh living conditions endured by its prisoners.
4. Glore Psychiatric Museum
The Glore Psychiatric Museum offers a chilling insight into why mental hospitals were once feared. Located in St. Joseph, Missouri, this former mental institution, originally named State Lunatic Asylum #2, opened in 1874. The museum showcases tools once used in the hospital, including restraining belts, early tranquilizers (clubs), electroshock machines, and lobotomy instruments, alongside replicas of other torturous devices. These exhibits, housed in the former surgery and outpatient building, provide a stark glimpse into the grim history of mental health treatment. The old hospital itself has been repurposed as a correctional facility.
Among the most fascinating displays are those highlighting the hobbies and activities of former patients. Alongside patient-created artwork, there’s a collection of 108,000 cigarette packs amassed by a male patient who hoped to exchange them for a new hospital wheelchair. Another exhibit features 1,400 metal objects, such as bolts, screws, pins, and bottle caps, swallowed by a woman with a compulsive disorder.
3. Lizzie Borden House
The scene of a notorious double murder might seem an unlikely location for a bed and breakfast, yet that’s precisely what Lizzie Borden’s former home has become. Borden, a 32-year-old Sunday School teacher from a wealthy family, lived in this Fall River, Massachusetts, house with her father Andrew, stepmother Abby, and sister Emma (who was away during the incident). In 1892, Andrew and Abby were brutally killed with a hatchet. Despite being acquitted, Lizzie Borden remains widely suspected in this unsolved case, adding to the house’s eerie allure.
The Lizzie Borden House, now operating as a bed and breakfast and museum, is meticulously preserved and offers various tours, including ghost hunts. While the interior decor has been recreated, the original doors and hardware remain unchanged. The site also showcases artifacts related to the infamous murder case.
2. Ohio State Reformatory
Thanks to the efforts of local activists, the Ohio State Reformatory was saved from demolition. Purchased from the state for just $1.00, volunteers have dedicated themselves to maintaining, repairing, and restoring the former prison. Beyond becoming a popular tourist destination, it served as a filming location for the acclaimed 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption shortly after its closure in 1990. Other films, such as Tango and Cash and Air Force One, also featured scenes shot here.
Built in 1896, the Mansfield-area facility was initially known as the Intermediate Penitentiary, housing inmates too old for juvenile detention but whose crimes were less severe than those in the Ohio State Penitentiary. Its Romanesque-style limestone architecture, designed by Levi Scofield to be “uplifting, inspiring, and intimidating,” has made it a favorite among filmmakers. Additionally, its reputation as a haunted site attracts visitors, with the venue offering special ghost tours.
1. Death Valley
Death Valley National Park, located along the California-Nevada border, is known for its extreme heat and arid conditions, with places like Furnace Creek and Devil’s Hole highlighting its unforgiving environment. Historically viewed as a barren wasteland, its mining potential was the only redeeming feature. However, the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 transformed 3.3 million acres into a protected national park.
Despite its harsh climate, Death Valley is home to rare plant and animal species, making it a site worth preserving. Beyond its natural wonders, the park also boasts unique man-made landmarks, such as Marble Bath—a large claw-footed bathtub filled with marbles, placed in the Mojave Desert by someone with a clear sense of irony.
Teakettle Junction, another quirky attraction, features a signpost adorned with tea kettles left by visitors. Other notable sites include ghost towns, remnants of 19th-century Borax Works, and Scotty’s Castle, a 1920s vacation home that stands as one of Death Valley’s most unexpected treasures.
