So, perhaps all we need to do is say hello to the ghosts.
Use their name if we think we know it.
Let the ghosts know that, yes, they are remembered.
Treat them like… well… people.
At some point, they may find the reassurance they seek, and let go of their earthly attachments.
Meanwhile, let’s not push them, trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.
A few more acknowledgements that yes, we remember them… that may be all they need.
However, some ghosts (and other entities) can hide behind that benign manner.
At haunted sites, always be on your guard.
If you let the ghost know they’re remembered, but then – despite repeatedly acknowledging them – you sense that nothing has changed… watch out.
They could have been pretending to be sad, lonely, or feeling forgotten.
And, they may have used that to get you to drop your usual defenses and precautions.
Most ghosts are fairly ineffective. That is, they’re just lingering for personal reasons (or grudges), and they’re generally harmless.
I’d say that’s true of at least 95% of ghostly entities.
The rest of them…?
Well, angry, bitter, and even evil energy could be lurking behind their “sad” exterior.
They may pretend to be a ghost that needs to be remembered, but… they’re not actually ghosts. They’re something else. Maybe not demonic, but dangerous anyway.
If you ever feel at risk, especially after being sympathetic to a ghost’s distress, leave the site immediately.
Many people dearly want to have a true, ghostly encounter… something they can be sure is genuine.
They’re hoping to see or sense “a real ghost,” perhaps just once.
After all, that’s why most people attend ghost hunting events, and why some go on ghost tours.
But then, the reality of encountering a ghost… it can be unsettling. Even terrifying.
Today, many people look at ghost hunting as entertainment.
That’s partly because movies and TV shows seem to have categorized them as such. As if “a good scare” is kind of fun, and – like TV – one can change the channel and cut short the experience at any time.
Real life is different, especially when something ghostly (or worse, a sinister spirit) actually shows up.
When it’s something sentient, perhaps actually in command of the experience… ghost hunting can be terrifying. Even the most stalwart ghost hunters will admit that.
I sometimes wonder how many of us start by debunking the investigation site, to postpone the reality of dealing with actual entities, good or bad.
Yes, ghosts may seem relatively powerless.
But even the ability to manifest – affecting one or more of our senses – suggests they’re more powerful than even they may realize.
There are no known limits to what a disembodied spirit can do.
When we talk about ghost hunting or portray it as entertainment, let’s not forget the impact of the encounter, especially on those unprepared for it.
Every Halloween – or whenever ghost hunting is trending – people ask, “Where can I find ghosts?” They’re not just looking for places to find ghosts.
Most are looking for places guaranteed to be haunted.
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees, but some locations are more haunted than others.
The top 10 places to look for ghosts
Of course, you’ll ask local friends if they’ve heard of any place that’s known to be haunted.
That may sound silly, but sometimes people think “everyone knows” about a haunted spot, so they neglect to mention it.
Local newspapers and magazines usually feature noteworthy haunts in their Halloween issues. Check past years for those stories.
If all else fails, here’s where I start when I’m scouting locations for TV shows and movies.
1. Old hotels… and their ghost stories
Every old hotel has witnessed a tragedy – and has a ghost story – even if they don’t admit it.
Ask to stay in their least expensive room (because people avoid it) or their most expensive room (because that’s where some of the greatest dramas were played out).
If neither are available, choose a room on a top floor, preferably with an unattractive view out the window.
In the past, those rooms may have been where the servants and hotel staff lived. Their lives were often tragic, and those rooms may harbor residual energy at the very least.
2. Neglected cemeteries… waiting for investigators!
Well-kept cemeteries may have ghosts, but the older, more neglected cemeteries are usually more haunted.
They may also be the most interesting to investigate.
You can use Google Maps to find those overlooked cemeteries.
When you visit them with a group of friends or your team, follow the same steps you’d use to investigate any haunted cemetery.
If this is your first time, here are a few tips.
First of all, never go to an isolated site alone. In fact, when visiting neglected cemeteries, I recommend a group of friends (or a team) of at least six people.
Park as close as you can to the cemetery entrance, in case you need to make a quick getaway. After all, there’s a reason people stopped visiting – and maintaining – that cemetery.
Start outside the formal entrance to the cemetery… the gate through which hearses pass. See if any spirits got that far and – seeing where they were going – halted. In some cases, they’re still waiting there, refusing to admit that they’re dead, and unwilling to see their own graves.
Then, start at the most popular entrance to the cemetery. Sometimes, that’s not the formal entrance. It might be a shortcut through the cemetery, or closest to the parking lot.
From there, walk to the back left corner of the cemetery (relative to that entrance). From my experience, if the cemetery is haunted, that corner is where you’ll find ghosts.
3. Very old restaurants, or places that used to be restaurants
Between raucous parties that went very wrong, to emotional break-ups that happened over dessert, restaurants can harbor very odd – and ghostly – energy.
Old and haunted restaurant’s “hot spots” tend to be the rest rooms (bathrooms), the kitchen, and outdoors, just outside the kitchen door (often in an alley).
You’re looking for the ghosts of people who died soon after whatever happened there… the kinds of things done and said when a person has too much to drink, and turns morose.
Other ghosts might be former kitchen staff. Often, they weren’t paid well or treated right.
A restaurant with a high rate of staff quitting is a major sign of a haunting. Truly haunted restaurants can have startling poltergeist activity… which the current owners/managers would like to stop. (Either that, or they pretend it doesn’t happen… and look very uneasy when the subject is raised.)
No matter who’s haunting the restaurant (or just outside it), they almost always want to turn back the clock and either say or do something differently. They have the idea that – if they fix things – they can resume their lives and everything will be fine.
4. Racetracks, or places that used to be racetracks
These are among the most overlooked sites for residual energy hauntings.
Racetracks are where emotions consistently run high, whether it’s tension as the crowd watches the race, or the windows where people received their winnings, or the sad walk from the track after losing money the person shouldn’t have bet in the first place.
An audio recording of a past, major race can trigger a residual energy response, or attract an actual ghost who won (or lost) it all at the track.
In Colonial times, before there were funeral parlors, ministers often accepted responsibility for tending the dead.
Those ministers’ literal parlors – today, what we might (ironically) call a living room or a reception room – were where the dead were placed for several days, prior to burial.
There, you’re not necessarily looking for ghosts of the people whose bodies had been on display during the wake and morning period. You’re just as likely to encounter ghostly energy from those who sat near the body, hoping the person was actually catatonic and would wake up.
Today, many of those old homes are restaurants or other places of business, and some may welcome ghost hunters during their off-hours. A local historical society may be a good resource to identify them.
6. Crossroads
Though in history and legend, crossroads are often associated with death, the “between worlds” and the afterlife, there’s another reason to investigate crossroads.
Simply, it’s a natural crossing of ley lines.
I’ve talked about ley lines before, especially in Salem, Massachusetts. If you extend the “Judges’ Line” in either direction, you’ll find even more haunted places.
However, there’s a lingering question: Which came first, the ley line or the roads (and energy) that flow along it?
When two ancient, busy roads cross, that’s a place to investigate. Old maps can be most helpful. Try OldMapsOnline.org.
7. Desanctified churches, redundant churches, and closed churches
Over the centuries, as populations shifted, many church sites – and adjoining churchyards (burial places) – were desanctified. (They may also be described as “redundant” or “closed churches.”
Those sites can be very haunted, and sometimes dangerously so. After all, when they were desanctified, they ceased being protected by their previous sacred status.
At those locations, the ghosts and ghostly energy you’ll most likely encounter is related to two or three kinds of spiritual energy.
First, there are the ghosts of people who died with a guilty conscience. Some of them are still trying to get into their local (but now desanctified) church to ask forgiveness.
Then there’s the burial yard. Many churches make sure the graves are either protected for the future, or moved to another location.
The cost of that – either maintenance or removals – may be beyond the budget of the church that’s had to close its doors.
So, those neglected graves may harbor some ghosts.
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a minister next door to Salem, Massachusetts’ “Witch House.”
He explained that when the Witch House was moved, it was placed on land that had been part of the church’s cemetery.
At the time, the church’s staff tried to be certain all the graves had been moved, but it was long before ground-penetrating radar, and the churchyard records weren’t complete.
Add the possibility of unmarked graves, and there are good reasons for that site to be haunted: Graves may still be there, and at least partially under Witch House. That’s probably not an association some of the deceased aspired to.
Finally, there may be residual energy at the site of the closed/desanctified church. After all, people attended that church for joyous reasons and tragic ones, through good times and bad.
Realtors may be helpful in identifying those locations. Newspapers – including USAToday – sometimes write about them, as well.
8. The “creepy old house”
In or near almost every community, you’ll hear about a “creepy old house.” It’s the place kids whisper about, saying it’s haunted. Often, it’s an abandoned site, so I can’t recommend it for ghost hunting. Not without permission, at the very least.
Don’t expect much. The eeriness of the house may be due to its disrepair, or even amateur carpentry when it was originally built.
(From my experience, 90% of “haunted stairways” seem troubling because they were badly built.)
However, by exploring the history of that house and what used to be in that part of town, you may stumble upon a neglected cemetery or other sites that are truly haunted.
That’s the main reason I recommend asking teens and pre-teens about rumored ghosts and nearby haunts. If they even hint at a “the creepy house,” that may point to the most haunted part of town… even if the actual house isn’t the focal point of ghosts.
9. Where the factory workers lived
In the late 19th century, most communities had factories or mills, big or small.
The people who worked at there, also lived nearby, often in multi-family homes or other communal housing. (These may be “outsider” haunts.)
Today, many of them are apartments or condos, or even single-family homes, and almost 100% of those residences are haunted.
I lived in one in the 1990s, and I’m living in one (a different one) as I write this.
In those kinds of locations, when I mention the ghosts in our home, the neighbors look at me and say, “Of course.”
It’s as if I’d just said “the sky is blue,” or “rain is wet.”
And then they tell me about the ghosts in their homes. The topic seems so mundane to them, they’re amused that anyone is interested.
Realtors may avoid the topic, but – quietly – they’re among your most likely resources, at least in terms of general areas where several homes or businesses may be haunted.
If there was a factory or mill in the area, and mill workers lived there, you’ll find haunted residences. Some of their owners or tenants may be thrilled to tell their stories, or even invite you to investigate their haunted home.
And, of course, many actual mill buildings are haunted, but they can be dangerous (or illegal) to explore.
If you’re not sure what kinds of mills to look for in your area, see this British article about mills in Cumbria. (Often, it’s easy to overlook what may have been a thriving mill, centuries ago.)
Once you’ve identified the kinds of mills that may have been near your current location, you can use old city directories and maps to spot where they were, and where the mill workers lived. Historical societies and museums can be helpful, too.
10. Places of battles, feuds, and duels
Famous battle sites are well-known for their ghosts. However, I believe the ghostly energy may be so diluted by the energy of hundreds (or thousands) of ghost hunters trekking through the site, it’s just not that interesting any more.
On the other hand, some locations witnessed skirmishes or feuds that people have almost forgotten about. They can still provide powerful residual energy for an investigation, and perhaps a few ghosts.
And then there are the isolated parks and other locations where, at dawn, a few people would gather for a duel “to the death.”
Those are among the most overlooked and obscure haunts, but they can also have dramatic ghostly energy. After all, the duelists in Disney’s Haunted Mansion are there for a reason: They represent long-forgotten ghosts. You may have some near your home and not realize it.
For example, you may find clues to these dueling locations and sites of feuds mentioned at a local public library, historical society, or family history (genealogy) library.
And finally… Your childhood home or neighborhood
Almost everyone I’ve ever met with an interest in ghosts… that interest goes back to childhood.
And most of them have a ghost story to share with me, related to their own home or a friend’s house.
If that’s you, find out who lives in that house now. Or chat with childhood friends about your shared “haunted house” memories, and see if they’re interested in ghost hunting now.
By sharing your experiences and memories, you may recall haunted places close to home.
As you can see, there may be an abundance of haunted places near you. You may need to think creatively and use historical maps and records, but it’s likely you’ll find a genuinely haunted site close to where you are right now.
Even better, you and your team may be among the first to explore it and encounter its ghosts.
Can you suggest more classic haunts, or share tips for finding them no matter where the person is? (I’m thinking about haunted bridges, abandoned castles, eerie museums, etc.)
If so, I hope you’ll leave a comment to share with others. (All comments are moderated, but I try to approve them as quickly as possible.)
What are you looking for when you hope to see a ghost?
Do you expect a specific shape or figure, or are you just looking for something odd?
The latter may be your best way to see something ghostly. As we’ve learned in recent years, the old models of “what a ghost looks like” may not apply. If you’re looking for something wispy or shadowy or pale, you might not notice a ghost right in front of you. (I’ve done that myself.)
The old rules may not apply.
In the 19th century, many people wanted to believe in ghosts. In most cases, they expected ghosts to look translucent.
In even earlier times, the ghosts-in-sheets image probably referenced shrouds (usually light-colored sheets) that people used to wrap the decease
Today, we need to keep an open mind. Consider other possibilities.
Though some ghosts seem to appear as see-through, translucent figures, others can look entirely real. That is, they seem as solid and alive as anyone else you’d meet in a social setting.
Is that the ghost’s form of humor? Or are we seeing truly ancient spirits in their white shrouds?
Then there are shadowy figures, often called “shadow people.” Are they ghosts, too? So far, I’m not convinced they are, but can’t suggest what else they might be. Not yet, anyway.
But those are just visual effects. We have other senses. A total of five or six, depending on what you believe.
In ghost hunting, your attitude matters. A lot.
The surest way to decide that a site isn’t haunted, or that ghosts don’t exist at all, is to insist that they have to appear as you want them to, and when you want them to.
If you’re exploring haunted places to prove to yourself that ghosts aren’t real… Well, that’s one way to do it.
Be honest with yourself (and perhaps others) about your ghost hunting goals.
However, if you want a genuine encounter with a ghost, it’s vital to keep an open mind.
Ghosts will appear — if they appear — in the form that they want to, or perhaps by whatever means they can.
Look for anomalies. Note anything that seems odd, strange, or unlikely.
That could be a ghost, doing what they can to let you know that, yes, ghosts exist. And they are there with you.
Every Halloween, people visit haunted places to see what ghost hunting is really like.
Maybe a ghost will appear or do something weird, just like on TV.
But then, starting the day after Halloween, I hear about people who regretted going out that night.
That’s not because they actually encountered a ghost.
The problem was: the living.
Here’s why the living can be the biggest problem at “haunted” sites…
Haunted places are often badly maintained, and off-the-beaten-path.
At the very least, most people avoid them.
So, those same sites are attractive to people who want to stay off-the-radar of the public, and especially the police.
I can’t even guess how many times I visited Gilson Road Cemetery (before the nearby subdivision was built), and discovered teens enjoying a raucous party in the woods behind the cemetery.
Of course, they wanted us to leave. The sooner, the better.
Ditto the number of abandoned, haunted buildings where my team and I stumbled onto drug deals in progress, and so on.
Can ghosts be dangerous? Yes.
This website is filled with articles about the paranormal dangers of ghosts and ghost hunting.
However, the following poignant quote from Washington Irving made me pause and think.
What if many – even most – ghosts are actually lonely?
That may be an important aspect to consider for successful ghost investigations, and not just at rarely visited sites.
Even if researchers actively visit a particular haunted place, do they actually communicate with the ghosts?
Sure, investigators often ask the ghost’s name, and request a specific reaction (approach the EMF meter, or close a door, or turn a flashlight on & off).
But how often do we introduce ourselves as if we’ve just encountered a living person and want to start a friendly conversation?
Ghosts shouldn’t be ordered around, apparently to prove they exist. That could be worse than feeling ignored.
Maybe we should be more sympathetic to how lonely a spirit might feel.
They may feel trapped at a haunted site, and abandoned by friends and family. That would upset anyone.
Their experiences may included loneliness, vulnerability, and confusion.
Perhaps a lot of “why am I here, and why do people not seem to see me?”
Though I think the majority of ghosts have a reason to remain (or visit) our reality, some probably feel lost and alone.
Let’s see what happens if we first offer comfort rather than barking commands at them, as if they’re performers.
Well-kept cemeteries may have ghosts, but the older, more neglected cemeteries are usually more haunted.
Over the centuries, as populations shifted, many church sites – and adjoining churchyards (burial places) – were desanctified. (They may also be described as “redundant” or “closed churches.”
