#7. Yunker Farm Children’s Museum – Fargo, North Dakota
The Yunker Farm house was first owned by the Newton Witman family. A farmer named Newton Whitman, his wife and their 8 children built the red brick house in 1876 as a farmhouse. In 1905, John and Elizabeth Yunker purchased the property, where they raised their 10 children. Today, it is converted into a famous children’s museum that provides fun activities. The house was named after Elizabeth Yunker and is believed to be haunted. The elevator inside the house is known to operate by itself. Visitors at the children’s museum also report seeing a vision of a young boy standing next to a well, close to the house.
#8. Mental Asylum – Athens, Ohio
Formerly called the Athens Lunatic Asylum, the mental hospital provided services for children, veterans and even violent criminals. The hospital performed inhumane procedures on its patients and functioned from 1874 until 1993. Today, this abandoned and decaying spot is filled with paranormal enthusiasts and visitors. Many people have reported seeing paranormal activity within the building. One specific story surrounds a patient who was lost inside the building. She was unable to find her way out of the maze-like building. A year later, her naked body was found lying on the ground, next to her neatly folded clothes.
#9. Bulowville – Florida
Charles Bulow cleared a forest in 1821 and established a 2,200 acre sugar plantation. The new establishment grew sugarcane, cotton, rice and indigo in East Florida. Bulow’s son, John, then made a sugar mill, which was the largest in the area. The large plantation also contained a village that housed its workers. During the second Seminole war, the plantation owner fired warning shots to scare the Seminole Indians patrolling the area. The tactic didn’t work and the Seminole Indians took over the plantation, which they later torched and destroyed. The fire was so massive that it was seen some 40 miles away.
#10. Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia
The Eastern State Penitentiary was a former prison located in Philadelphia. Built in 1892, the Gothic-style prison was the first to implement the punishment of solitary confinement. The prisoners were placed in stone cells and had no contact with other humans. Even when they were moved from one cell to another, their heads were covered using hoods. The punishment was believed to calm the prisoner but it was actually torturing them emotionally. The prison was ultimately closed in 1971 but believed to be haunted by those who died in the cold cells. Visitors have claimed to see strange apparitions and hear whispers from the cells.
#11. R.M.S. Queen Mary – Long Beach, California
The R.M.S. Queen Mary was an ocean liner that sailed the Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. She was built as a luxury ship and carried Hollywood celebrities and famous personalities for the first three years. Though her life of serving the famous dignitaries was short-lived. In 1939, all of her amenities were stripped off and she was used as a World War II troopship. She served her part and after the conclusion of the war, she was restored to her original state; sailing the seas for two more decades.
The R.M.S. Queen Mary has claimed several lives during her voyage. One specific story explains how a young sailor was crushed to death by the steel door in the engine room. Several other deaths and murders have also taken place aboard the ship. She was finally docked in Long Beach, California in 1967, as her final resting place.
#12. Essex County Correctional Facility – North Caldwell, New Jersey
The thought of being stuck behind bars itself is a scary thought but when it is an abandoned one, it’s more like a nightmare. Built in 1873 in New Jersey, the austere Victorian-style Essex County Jail Annex was abandoned by 1990. The building has been trashed and vandalised by thrill seekers and drug users. Rap sheets and mug shots are spread throughout the auditorium floor. Shot gun ports and tear gas modules on the ceilings reminds us of the struggles that the authorities underwent to control the convicts. Today, the abandoned and ruined jail looks more like a set for a horror movie.
