While there are great famous ghost stories from many countries, you may be surprised to learn that you can visit some famous ghosts in your own backyard. Take a look at these famous American ghosts, as well as links to some lists of famous ghosts to learn more about hauntings and ghostly sights.

Many of the best ghost sites are open to the public, and a lot of them offer tours. This is a great way to learn more about hauntings, the history of the site, and the ghosts that inhabit it. It’s also a fun activity for a date, or a night out with older kids or teens. If you want to learn more about ghost hunting on your own, you will find that there are TV shows devoted to famous ghosts, as well as websites, ranging from local ghost hunting sites to large sites devoted to ghosts all over the country.

While you will find haunted sites and ghostly happenings in most areas, some are more famous than others.

Perhaps the most famous ghost in America is the Bell Witch, found in Adams, Tennessee. One of the most famous ghost stories, the Bell Witch is said to have tormented and even led to the death of one John Bell in 1817. Many believe that after his death, the Bell Witch fled to the nearby Bell Witch Cave.

The next in lists of famous ghosts is the haunted Lincoln Theater in Decatur, Illinois. Multiple instances that point to famous ghosts have occurred at the Lincoln, with suggestions that it is haunted by the ghost of an old stagehand or perhaps the spirits of those who died in a fire on the site before the theater was built.

Another home for one of the most famous ghosts in America is the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky. Waverly Hills was a hospital devoted to treating those affected with tuberculosis. Many experimental treatments were attempted at Waverly Hills, and of course, patients died in very large numbers. While the site is in significant disrepair, the stories of hauntings at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium make it one of the famous ghost stories in America today.

Many of the most famous ghost stories take place in homes, particularly those where violence has occurred. The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis is one such famous ghost site. The Lemp family was involved in brewing in St. Louis in the early part of the 20th century. During a period of some years, multiple members of the family committed suicide in the family manor. Today, the manor is open to the public, and its famous ghosts are just part of the charm. Another Midwestern home, the Moore House in Villisca, Iowa is another one of America’s famous ghost stories. The family, who lived in this home, and two overnight guests, were brutally murdered in 1912.

Cemetaries and battlefields are also among American’s most famous ghost sites. The Bachelor’s Grove cemetery near Midlothian, Illinois has been home to many a famous ghost story. Sightings of a variety of ghosts, and even a phantom farmhouse have made this a famous American ghost site. The Gettysburg Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is not only reputed to be one of the famous ghost sites in America, but other buildings and sites in the town are as well.

The Myrtlesville Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana may be home to more famous ghost stories than any other building in America. While there is truth to some of the famous ghosts in the Myrtlesville Plantation, some of the famous ghost stories connected to the building are just that, stories.

The Hickory Hill Old Slave House in Equality, Illinois is another one of the most famous ghost sites in America. With a horrible history of the brutal treatment of slaves, the old slave quarters and attic of this site are home to many famous ghost stories. The site is not currently open to the public.

The Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas offers a relaxing retreat in the beautiful Ozark Mountains during the day, but an encounter with famous ghosts at night. While the building began and is today a hotel, for a time it was a cancer hospital, and home to many brutal and experimental treatments. There are said to be a number of different famous ghosts in the hotel today.