Compiled by Gary Seven
CALIFORNIA: HOLLYWOOD’S HAUNTED HERITAGE
California’s Hollywood area is synonymous with glamour and cinema, but it also carries an undercurrent of ghostly tales. Reported apparitions of Marilyn Monroe in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel indicate a haunting history. Additionally, Alcatraz Prison, known for its ghastly past, shows increased paranormal activity. A 2019 YouGov survey discovered that over 60% of Californians believe in ghosts, reflective of the state’s supernatural reputation.
OHIO: OVERSHADOWED BY THE PARANORMAL
Known for the ominously haunted Ohio State Reformatory, the Buckeye State is no stranger to ghostly phenomena. Frequented by paranormal investigators, the reformatory offers an uncanny display of phantom footsteps and mysterious whispers. Ohio leads the nation with a whopping 61% of residents admitting belief in ghosts in a YouGov poll.
LOUISIANA: BAYOU AND BEYOND
Louisiana, with its rich cultural history, is rife with haunting anecdotes from iconic locales like the LaLaurie Mansion and Myrtles Plantation. A Chapman University survey of 2018 found that more than 57% of the populace in this lively southern state believe in the supernatural.
PENNSYLVANIA: EERIE EVIDENCE
Pennsylvania, a historical centrepiece, embraces haunting legends and eerie tales from places like the Eastern State Penitentiary and the iconic battlefield of Gettysburg. Here, nearly 59% of residents affirm their belief in spectral entities, as revealed in a YouGov poll.
TEXAS: HAUNTINGS IN THE HEAT
The Lone Star State’s supernatural map highlights The Alamo and the Excelsior Hotel as key haunting hotspots. Paranormal believers represent over half of the state’s population, with 54% affirming their belief in ghosts according to a YouGov survey.
NEW YORK: EMPIRE OF APPARITIONS
The Empire State is home to popular haunted locales like the Shanley Hotel and the Rolling Hills Asylum, renowned for their spectral sightings and mysterious happenings. In a study by Chapman University, over 45% of New Yorkers admitted believing in the existence of spectral apparitions.
ILLINOIS: HAUNTED HEARTLAND
Illinois, particularly the bustling city of Chicago, features prominently on the paranormal map of America. Locations like the Congress Plaza Hotel and Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery are rife with ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena. A 2020 Ipsos poll found that about 39% of people in Illinois believe in ghosts.
GEORGIA: GHOSTS OF THE SOUTH
In Georgia, the city of Savannah is often dubbed one of America’s most haunted places. The city’s history is rich with tales of spectral figures and mysterious happenings at locations like the Sorrel-Weed House. About 41% of the state’s population believe in the paranormal, according to a recent Ipsos poll.
ALASKA: NORTHERN NIGHTMARES
Even the remote state of Alaska is not exempt from ghost stories. The Kennecott Copper Mines and the Historic Anchorage Hotel are prominent locations known for unexplained apparitions and bizarre incident reports. Reflecting this propensity for the paranormal, a recent YouGov survey revealed that nearly 47% of Alaskans admit to believing in ghosts.
Across these various states, each haunted tale and reported sighting contributes to the burgeoning spectrum of belief in ghosts and the supernatural. Such ethereal accounts and profound beliefs, which a significant portion of the American population professes, speak volumes about the timeless allure of the unexplained and the unknowable, weaving a captivating narrative of America’s haunted history.
The Secret Paranormal Investigator 