Are ghosts real? If you ask the people who’ve visited these places or live near them, they would swear that they are. Belief in ghosts or not, there are certain places where it’s hard to believe that they aren’t haunted, and these places definitely fit the bill. Learning about their legends and histories and seeing them will surely make you feel at least a tiny bit freaked out.
Island of dolls, Mexico
This place is just living proof that dolls are creepy! Legend tells a story of a man who was haunted by the spirit of a girl who died in the island previously. He bought dolls and hung them all over the island to please her. Even creepier is the fact that he was found dead having drowned in the same canal as the ghost after telling his nephew that the ghost wanted him to join her as a playmate in the afterlife! If you go there today, you might feel the eyes of the dolls follow you and hear the whispers and giggles of the dolls, just as other visitors have claimed.
Ancient Ram Inn, Gloucestershire, England
Are you gutsy enough to stay at this inn? It was built in 1145, on top of what is said to be a Pagan burial ground. Since then it has been believed to be involved in horrendous activities like child sacrifices and devil worship. Evil spirits are said to roam the halls, and guests have been woken up in the middle of the night to flee after seeing and hearing ghostly apparitions and feeling like they are being pulled. John, the current owner, reports that he was pulled out of bed and across the room on his first night there. He also said he has since found the skeletons of two children under the staircase, broken daggers and other evidence of ritualistic sacrifice.
Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
This fort is said to be the most haunted place in India. It was built in 1547; today it is a collection of ruins of temples, palaces and houses. A tantric -or wizard- cursed the town and its people as he was dying due to a backfiring curse. The curse was one he had tried to put on the princess of Bhangarh after falling in love with her. Needless, to say he was unsuccessful. The town was later invaded and all the people killed. Today, the ghosts of the people and the wizard are said to haunt the place. Locals and foreigners are forbidden from going into the fort at night, and there have been reports of trespassers who have never returned!
The Queen Mary Hotel, California, USA
A former ocean liner turned hotel, it has found its home in Long Beach California. Said to be one of the most haunted places in America, there have been many reports of paranormal activity. The ghosts of two women who were reported to have drowned in the swimming pool and two children near the storage rooms have been sited. Some also report a gentleman dressed impeccably in a 1930s suit roaming the first-class suites and a woman dressed in white in the Queen’s Salon. What’s more, Cabin B340, often associated with such sightings is no longer available for rent, although there has been no confirmation about the reason for it.
Aokigahara Forest, Japan
This spooky forest, located at the base of Mount Fiji is said to see the deaths of more than 100 people who commit suicide every year! It’s been touted as the “perfect place to die” and currently is second most popular place for suicide in the world. How horrendous! Volunteers scour the forest for dead bodies and the government has stopped publishing the statistics about them in an attempt to not glorify or romanticize the idea of suiciding here.
The trees swaying in the wind give the forest an eerie feeling, and it is said the spirits of the dead who regret their suicide roam the forest aimlessly. It is an easy place to get lost in, which is why guests are visitors often mark their trails using plastic tape so they can find their way back.
