Most Budget-Friendly Haunted U.S. Cities to Visit
With Halloween just around the corner, it’s worth taking a look at some of the most budget-friendly haunted U.S. cities: great destinations for families, couples, or even solo travelers looking for a little spookiness! Just because you adore ghouls and ghosts doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to experience a taste of the otherworldly. Here are five of America’s spookiest cities that don’t come with hair-raising prices…& we’ll start with Williamsburg, Virginia.
Haunted Colonial Williamsburg is first on our list. Photo: US Ghost Adventures.
Williamsburg, Virginia
- Peak Season: Summer
- Shoulder Season: April to June; September to November
- Off Season: January to March
Although most affordable during the winter, Williamsburg is also reasonable during spring and fall, making it an ideal destination in October. Fall foliage creates the perfect setting to explore a colonial town rich with historic buildings and cute cobblestone streets.
Most Haunted Hotel in Williamsburg: The Williamsburg Inn, which is known for ghostly sightings!
Haunted Destinations in Williamsburg
When it comes to ghostly locales, there are quite a few within Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Haunted highlights include the Public Gaol (Jail), where ghosts of criminals and pirates manifest in sinister shadows and bodiless voices. There’s also the death-soaked Peyton Randolph House, which has had many documented hauntings since the 1800’s.
Free Haunts in Williamsburg
Those looking to walk should take a stroll through Merchants Square, where the figure of a murdered man dressed in black has been spotted. There’s also Bruton Parish Church Cemetery, where Reverend Jones’ first wife wanders in woe at seeing her husband’s headstone beside another’s grave. Or, the 3-½-mile-long Crawford Road is a site where legends persist. Numerous bodies have been found along this road over the years, but its creepiest lore revolves around the spot nicknamed Crybaby Bridge — said to bring on peculiar happenings if you drive underneath.
Savannah, Georgia
Trees dripping with moss lend an eerie yet beautiful feel to Savannah, Georgia…
- Peak Season: March to July
- Shoulder Season: August to December
- Off Season: January, February
Often called America’s most haunted city, Savannah also happens to be one that’s quite affordable, especially if you travel outside of peak season. In the peak season of spring though, many are drawn by the breathtaking azalea blooms. But once fall sets in, the crowds begin to thin, just in time for spooky season.
The Most Haunted Hotel In Savannah: The Marshall House was used as a hospital during the Civil War ~ so you can imagine all the ghosts that may still live here! Rooms 214, 314, & 414 are said to be the most haunted.
Haunted Destinations in Savannah
Savannah’s haunted attractions are many, but one of its most notable is the Kehoe House, a beautiful Queen Anne-style building that served as a funeral home before becoming a bed & breakfast. Said to be haunted by various members of the Kehoe family, it has long carried tales of phantom children disturbing guests!
There are plenty of ghostly dining options to choose from in Georgia’s oldest city, including Six Pence Pub, which is said to be frequented by specters of Civil War soldiers, and the Olde Pink House, which is noisily haunted by a ghost who hates the property’s pink coloring!
Free Haunts in Savannah
Once the site of a gallows, Wright Square holds many colonial spirits, including the weeping woman, who fills this imposing space with sadness. As for burial grounds, Bonaventure Cemetery is exceptionally chilling. Brimming with monuments and dripping with swaths of Spanish moss, it’s home to multiple haunted statues, one of whom is said to cry ghostly tears.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Don’t let this serene setting fool you: the Bourbon Orleans Hotel is one of the most haunted spots in the city. Photo: Tripadvisor.
- Peak Season: February to May
- Shoulder Season: September to January
- Off Season: June to August
As long as you avoid Mardi Gras (usually late February or early March), New Orleans is a highly-haunted city that won’t break the bank. All manner of strange beings are attracted to this vibrant locale, where death tends to be celebrated rather than feared.
The Most Haunted Hotel In New Orleans: The elegant Bourbon Orleans Hotel contains several mysterious figures within its grand walls, from spectral nuns who died of yellow fever ~ to a lone dancer who is rumored to sway beneath the hotel’s crystal chandelier.
Haunted Destinations in New Orleans
New Orleans’ most haunted property is considered to be the LaLaurie Mansion, where spirits of its tormented residents refuse to be forgotten. But this morbid manor (& now a private residence) isn’t the city’s only creepy offering. There’s also the eerily authentic Pharmacy Museum, where the phantom of a malicious doctor is said to loiter around the exhibits. Additionally, the intimate Andrew Jackson Hotel harbors its own band of phantoms, as it used to be an orphanage, where several boys tragically died in a fire.
Free Haunts in New Orleans
Although many of New Orleans’ cemeteries can only be entered via guided tour, there are still a few free stops. Jackson Square and Pirate’s Alley, two locations next to the haunted St. Louis Cathedral, are sites where apparitions have been seen. Faulkner House Books, where renowned author William Faulkner is said to haunt his former home, is also free to enter.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The view from Little Round Top, at Gettysburg.
- Peak Season: Summer
- Shoulder Season: September, October; March to May
- Off Season: November to April
Appealing year-round, Gettysburg is especially pleasant in September and October, when temperatures start to drop & the city begins gearing up for ghost season. The site of the deadliest battle in the American Civil War, Gettysburg remains a community forever shadowed by the scars of combat.
The Most Haunted Hotel in Gettysburg: The famed Hotel Gettysburg housed many of the wounded during battle. Noteworthy ghosts include a Civil War nurse named Rachel, injured soldiers, and a spirited set of ballroom specters.
Haunted Destinations in Gettysburg
Besides the battlefield itself, Gettysburg offers countless stories woven through its historic streets. Consider the tragic tale of Jennie Wade — the only civilian to die in the brutal Battle of Gettysburg, leaving her lost soul to wander in the afterlife. The Jennie Wade Birthplace House is a popular draw for paranormal enthusiasts — where visitors can conduct ghostly investigations of their own, first-hand.
Free Haunts in Gettysburg
The haunted Gettysburg Battlefield is free to visit and open daily. Inside, you’ll find multiple sites stained by bloodshed, including Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, and Spangler’s Spring. The striking landmark known as Sach’s Covered Bridge is not to be missed, where the ghostly apparitions of hanged soldiers are believed to linger.
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine’s lighthouse, old city streets, & City Gates are some of the most haunted places in the city…
- Peak Season: June to August
- Shoulder Season: March to May; September to November
- Off Season: December to February
As the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the nation, St. Augustine holds more than 450 years of history, much of it filled with battles, disasters, and disease. Subject to colonial wars and pirate raids, its residents had no shortage of struggles to leave them with their fair share of ghosts.
Haunted Destinations in St. Augustine
The most renowned of St. Augustine’s haunted landmarks is the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where ghostly figures are rumored to lurk, including a former lighthouse keeper. The surrounding grounds are said to be haunted by children who died nearby. Further inland is the Castillo de San Marcos fort, built in 1672 and plagued by spirits of shadowy soldiers, ill-fated lovers, and even a headless phantom! Another macabre must-see is the Old Jail, where disembodied footsteps and ghostly groans are heard late into the night — likely the grim echoes of several botched executions that took place there.
Free Haunts in St. Augustine
The legendary Huguenot Cemetery and Tolomato Cemetery offer free guided tours once a month. Or, you can visit The St. Augustine City Gates anytime, where the child spirit of a small girl may appear after sunset. The Spanish Military Hospital on Avila Street sits atop thousands of bones, and some say you can still hear its former residents’ ghostly screams from outside.
Most Budget-Friendly Haunted U.S. Cities
Some (Final) Hauntingly Good Travel Tips
- Consider using public transit over car rentals and ride-sharing apps. Many of the cities listed have excellent bus and trolley services in their walkable downtown areas to shepherd you from one haunted place to another.
- Try to avoid peak travel season. These locations are great in the shoulder season as well as the off-season, when streets are more eerie and empty.
- Keep your eye out for free haunted destinations, such as cemeteries, squares, and parks. That way, you can reserve funds for a spine-tingling ghost tour in the evening….
xoxo Noelia
Read Next: Where Do Celebrities Stay in Charleston?
Discover more from Girl Who Travels the World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Welcome to GWTW!
