Students planning to study abroad in the United States have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to educational resources. Whether you are interested in enrolling in an Ivy League school or a technical university, there is a broad range of programs that will cater to your personal academic needs.
Take a Course in Haunted History While Visiting These Spooky Cities
Those who decide to study in America can take part in the rich culture, fast-paced city life, and useful networking opportunities this country provides. All while enjoying the beautiful landscapes inside the bustling urban areas and rural national parks. But if you have an interest in the haunted history of the U.S., there are a few cities that we highly recommend for a spooky good time during your stay.
St. Augustine
Haunted St. Augustine – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
St. Augustine, FL, is known as the Nation’s Oldest City. It was founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menéndez de Aviles of Spain. This location is a history buff’s dream, with plenty of historic landmarks to visit and learn about. With a history that spans more than four centuries, it’s only natural that St. Augustine would have many ghost stories and haunted locations. Here are a few of our favorite spooky places to visit that will also teach you a lesson about America’s history.
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
The beautiful lighthouse featuring a 219-step climb has been a beacon of light in the area long before the City of St. Augustine existed. Located at the north end of the island, this wooden watchtower has stood for centuries, with its first documented reference found on a map published by the Italian cartographer Giovanni Battista Boazio in 1589. While it offers a breathtaking sight from the top, some guests are stunned by other sightings they’ve experienced at the lighthouse museum.
On a summer day in 1873, the Pittee children were riding a construction cart down the hill to the water. Suddenly, the cart flipped into the water, trapping the two young Pittree girls and a friend underneath. Since the accident, many strange occurrences have been reported. Some have mentioned seeing a young girl standing by the bed of the Keeper’s house renter. Others have reported seeing the ghosts of the girls playing hide and seek on the grounds.
The Old Jail Museum at St. Augustine
The Old Jail was constructed in 1891 by Henry Flagler, who contracted the same company that would later build Alcatraz. It was built to resemble a hotel and was home to some of the most notorious criminals during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Visitors have claimed to feel an overall sense of unease as soon as they enter the building. There is a dark side to the old jail that has attracted ghost hunters to the area for years. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions of prisoners in chains and hearing the loud clunky noise of their chains against the floor. They’ve also mentioned smelling unpleasant aromas, hearing barking dogs and the sound of prisoners wailing and sinister laughing in the shadows.
New Orleans
The LaLaurie Mansion – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
The grand city of New Orleans has more than three centuries of rich history and a vibrant mix of culture that includes magic, mystery, and haunting tales of witches, vampires, and voodoo. It is no wonder the Big Easy is one of the most recommended places to visit if you love a good haunting.
NOLA is famous for its cemeteries filled with majestic tombs and raised crypts, ancient hotels and mansions with dark secrets in every room, and let’s not forget the entire French Quarter is filled with legends and lore of tragic death and supernatural occurrences. Here are a few of our top recommendations when you want to visit a location filled with true haunting tales that are stranger than fiction.
LaLaurie Mansion
The former home of New Orleans socialite Madame Delphine MacCarthy Lalaurie and her third husband Dr. Leonard Louis Nicolas LaLaurie, commonly known as the LaLaurie Mansion, has a chilling reputation for being haunted. But aside from the sightings of spirits, the true tale of Madame LaLaurie’s devious deeds is far more frightening than any fictional tale one could dream up.
The couple was well-known for throwing lavish parties that showed off their wealth. But in 1834, something happened that shattered Delphine’s reputation and revealed her true nature.
When a fire broke out at the mansion, firefighters arrived to put out the flames. And what they uncovered has haunted the French Quarter for more than a century. Inside the attic of the mansion was a torture chamber where Madame LaLaurie would mutilate and torture her slaves. She performed horrifying experiments on the victims, severing their limbs and keeping them in cages.
There have been many reports of paranormal activity occurring at the mansion over the years. People have heard moans coming from the attic where the slaves were kept. They’ve also heard phantom footsteps following behind them, and some even mentioned feeling as if their body was taken over by negative energy.
Ursuline Convent
The story behind the Ursuline Convent is one of the reasons why New Orleans has a history of being associated with vampires. In the 1700s, the Catholic Diocese would send young girls from the French convents to New Orleans to find husbands. The convent was established by the Sisters of Ursula in 1727.
The girls who were sent to New Orleans would pack all of their belongings in coffin-shaped chests. This is how they became known as “The Casket Girls”. And some believe that the caskets actually held real vampires. According to the lore, the nuns at the convent began to notice strange occurrences after the girls arrived. Mysterious deaths and disappearances of young men in town led people to believe that some of the girls had dark and evil intentions.
To this day, there are many who believe the Casket Girls still haunt the convent. The window shutters in the attic remain sealed. Local say the shutters have never been opened since they were nailed shut centuries ago. And anyone who attempts to open them will unleash a terrible curse upon the city. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions and glowing eyes peering at them from the attic windows at night.
Savannah
The haunted 17Hundred90 Inn in Savannah – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
The city of Savannah has earned the title of “The Most Haunted City in America” and for good reason. While this southern town is very beautiful during the day, after the sun goes down, it brings out the sinister side of Savannah as the ghosts come out to play. Take a moment to learn more about the most haunted homes, cemeteries, and other locations throughout Savannah while studying abroad in Georgia.
Colonial Park Cemetery
Colonial Park Cemetery was established in 1750, and it is the oldest cemetery in Savannah that has been covered up or paved over. In fact, the City of Savannah has built over so many burial grounds that it has been given the moniker “City that Lives Upon Her Dead”. Many people believe that the old Colonial Park cemetery is the most haunted location in the city. One of the most popular entities there is the ghost of Rene Rondolier.
Rene was a towering individual who stood nearly 7 feet tall, making his ghost difficult to miss. He’s been seen walking through the graveyard and even hanging from what is known as the “Hanging Tree”, near the back of the property.
According to the lore, Rene was caught murdering two girls many years ago inside the cemetery. A mob of locals gathered to hunt him down. They hanged him from the tree in the nearby square. Soon after his death, residents of town started seeing a tall, dark and shadowy figure walking the grounds of the cemetery.
The Mercer-Williams House
One of the most famous historic homes in Savannah is the Mercer-Williams house. The property is well-known for its beautiful architecture as well as its dark history. The house has been the site of more than one tragic deaths over time, including the death of a boy named Tommy Downs and the infamous shooting of Danny Hansford in 1981.
The house became famous after it was immortalized in the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which made it a popular tourist attraction. Today, the house is a museum that is dedicated to showing off its rich architecture and historical attributes. Despite all the efforts to focus on the home’s historical significance, the Mercer-Williams house still manages to attract many visitors who are fascinated by the dark history and ghost tales associated with it.
The home has gained a reputation over the years for being haunted. Visitors and staff members have reported hearing lively music around the holidays. Several people have mentioned seeing ghostly apparitions, hearing disembodied voices, and having the unnerving feeling of being watched.
Want to learn more about Savannah’s haunted past? Join a haunted Savannah ghost tour for a chilling and exciting educational experience.
Williamsburg
The Wythe House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Some historians refer to Williamsburg as a town that doubles as a living history museum. You can take a walk through a colonial village with many buildings and landmarks that have stood there the same as they did during the 18th century. Before it was home to English colonists, this Virginia town was home to a Native American tribe known as the Powhatans. Williamsburg is known for being the most haunted city in Virginia, and many believe it is because a portion of the land Williamsburg was built upon was once a sacred burial ground for the Powhatans.
Here are a couple of suggestions for haunted locations to visit while staying in Williamsburg.
The Public Gaol
The Public Gaol, also known as the public jail, opened in Williamsburg in 1704. It was designed to hold only a few prisoners as they awaited their trial. Colonial prisons weren’t known for being comfortable, and the conditions inside this jail were considered very unsanitary and inhumane. Many of the inmates became sick and died while they were held there. The jail was home to many prisoners over the years, including members of the infamous pirate captain Blackbeard’s crew.
Today, those who visit the former jail say they have seen strange figures in the shadowy corners of the cells, objects moving without any explanation and some chains on display moving and swinging when no one is around.
The George Wythe House
George Wythe was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and the United States’ first law professor. His home in Gettysburg is where he lived with his wife Elizabeth and taught law students including Thomas Jefferson, who became one of his closest friends.
During the Revolutionary War, the house was used by George Washington as his headquarters. It is believed this is where Washington planned the siege of Yorktown. The home was restored in the 1920s and once again in 1940 by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which opened it to the public the same year.
Today, there is a dark presence inside the Wythe House that is difficult to ignore. While it is believed that several ghosts haunt the property, one of the most popular is that of Lady Ann Skipwith.
The story of Lady Skipwith is very tragic. She and her husband attended many parties held by Geroge and Elizabeth Wythe in their home, and the families became good friends. However, according to the lore, the Skipwiths did not have a happy marriage.
One evening, during an event held at the Governor’s Palace, Lady Ann was seen arguing with her husband before she left in tears. She ran down the street to the Wythe’s home, and on her way she lost one of her red shoes. Once she arrived, she ran upstairs, the staff members said they could hear the distinctive ‘clank’ sound as she went up the steps wearing one shoe.
There are several versions of the story that have been passed down over time. Some say Lady Ann was murdered inside the Wythe home that night, while others claim she committed suicide after learning her husband had an affair. Another tale says she was pregnant and suffered a miscarriage, then died after bleeding to death.
Today, visitors have reported seeing the apparition of Lady Ann inside the home, as well as feeling a drop in temperature in some areas. There’s been reports of disembodied voices, and unexplained noises similar to the clanking sound on the stairs that the staff members heard many years ago.
Gettysburg
The Jennie Wade House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Gettysburg is filled with historical places, many of which are connected to the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place during the Civil War. This battle was considered one of the bloodiest of the war, and many historians say it was the turning point that shifted the power in favor of the Union.
Ghosts are known to cling to locations where tragic deaths have occurred, and there are few places that experienced as many horrific deaths as the City of Gettysburg. Therefore, if you are hoping to experience a real ghostly encounter while you are studying abroad, you will have a good chance if you stay in Gettysburg.
Here are a few of our favorite haunted places to visit in the area.
The National Homestead Orphanage
Also known as the National Soldiers’ Orphans’ Homestead, this home that was once used by Major General Oliver Howard of the XI Corps was opened in 1866 to house the children in the community who became orphans following the events of the Civil War. In 1869, the original matron of the orphanage remarried and moved away, and a new matron, Rosa Carmichael, was appointed the following year. After that, things started to go downhill for the orphanage.
By 1873, rumors spread throughout Gettysburg about Rosa abusing the children. And in1876, when the children didn’t attend the Memorial Day Parade like they had every year before that, the people in town were very concerned. The Gettysburg chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic conducted an investigation and found disturbing evidence where Rosa had locked and chained the children in a room inside the basement that resembled a dungeon.
Today those who visit the former orphanage report seeing small visions of ghosts running around in the shadows, seeing bright orbs of light floating around, and hearing faint laughter and sobbing from the spirits of those who have long departed.
The Jennie Wade House
The Jennie Wade House is one of the most historic locations from the Civil War era that is home to one of the most tragic tales from the war. It is where Jennie Wade, a 20-year-old woman, was shot and killed by a stray bullet during the Battle of Gettysburg. Jennie was the only civilian casualty of the battle. She was baking bread for the Union soldiers inside the kitchen when the tragic incident occurred.
Today the house still stands practically untouched from how it was back in 1863. Visitors have claimed hearing whispers inside and feeling sudden drops in temperature as they walk through the home. Some have also said they have seen Jennie’s ghost walking through the rooms. The bloodstains from the gunshot remain on the hardwood floor in the kitchen, even though many have tried to remove it over the years.
