5 U.S. Spots to Travel Like a Ghostbuster

If Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, then its Haunted Mansion ride might be the exception. Located in the Anaheim, California, theme park, 40 kilometers southeast of Los Angeles, the Southern-style manor is stocked with cemeteries, ghosts and floating objects. Ghostly voices guide visitors on vehicles through a candlelit foyer and down long hallways, dark staircases and a grand ballroom, where the spirits are having a raucous party. Don’t miss taking on a thrilling mission aboard Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! in sister theme park Disney California Adventure for more thrills. The on-site Disneyland Resort Hotel is convenient for staying the night to visit. 

Mary Shelley’s 19th century novel Frankenstein is the inspiration for this eerie attraction at Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort in Monticello, Indiana, about 180 kilometers southeast of Chicago, Illinois. You’ll walk through the carnival-style attraction on your own — there’s no car on a track to help navigate away from pop-up monsters, neon skeletons and other frights lurking around dark corners. Once you escape Dr. Frankenstein’s Haunted Castle, which costs an additional fee, take in sweeping views of Lake Shafer on the giant gondola wheel.

Don’t be fooled by the sight of this dilapidated house with green shingles, Ghostwood Estate is actually one of the newer rides at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, 469 kilometers west of Philadelphia. Animatronics monsters and ghoulish video projections make Ghostwood Estate the theme park’s creepiest attraction. Fear not: You can channel your inner Ghostbuster here. Armed with blasters, you can shoot at moving targets while cars guide you through the eight-room haunted house. 

No need to wait for Halloween to experience this spooky year-round attraction in New Orleans, Louisiana. Unlike many other popular U.S. haunted houses, this three-story 19th century mansion has a reputation for being actively haunted. The property served as a funeral home from the 1920s until it was converted into a ticketed walk-through maze in 2007. Today, costumed serial killers carrying chain saws roam the halls and interact with visitors who are bold enough to enter. Afterward, walk past the historic Cypress Grove Cemetery to enjoy local Creole specialties like fried shrimp and crawfish at the neighborhood bar Mid City Yacht Club. 

This Gothic-style prison was among the last places you’d want to end up in the late 1800s. Now, it attracts visitors from all over the world to learn about the walled fortress’s history. Daily tours, which depart every hour, focus on the realities of life — and death — behind bars. Feeling adventurous? The West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia, about 570 kilometers west of Philadelphia, also has escape rooms, three-hour paranormal investigations and even private sleepovers, available by reservation.