What are the odds of seeing a ghost in your state? Interactive map compiles ghost sightings from 1972 to present
Some people have a weird fascination for the supernatural and often find themselves searching far and wide for spooky stories that might as well knock their socks right off. While there are skeptics out there who assert a valid explanation for things that may well be inexplicable, there are those that wholeheartedly believe in the afterlife. Real-life experiences and frightening encounters have gained notoriety and propelled many locations to haunted fame. Over the years, there have been many reports of ghostly sighting emerging from various states across the country, some even in thousands.
You might be living near a haunted hotspot, according to popular stories, and you might not even know it. If you live on the East Coast, then you might be familiar with the Crying Lady in The Dakota, New York City. Heck, even John Lennon once claimed to have seen a ghost roaming the halls of his residence. When Fred Jones said, 'There's no such thing as ghosts,' he just might have been wrong. Online poker community CardsChat.com has compiled years' worth of data and research of active ghost sightings between 1972 and the present and created an interactive map that calculated the odds of seeing a ghost in each state.
CardsChat.com's research found that there have been 62,482 ghost sightings between 1972 and 2020. Texas is pretty much the most haunted state in with the largest number of reported sightings at 7,099. There are a lot of places in the Lone Star State in the Lower 48 with dirt roads, bridges and other creepy places that are the stuff of mythical stories, so it makes sense that there are a lot of haunted places. Delaware has had the least amount of ghost sightings in the 48-year timeframe.
The poker website collected statistics on every recorded ghost sighting and organized it according to the state that they were documented in. It then calculated the odds of seeing a ghost in each state, by working out the number of ghost sightings with the current population. It is highly likely that one may spot a ghost in Illinois (+110,900), that has a population of 2,659,682 with 2,398 recorded sightings. Your chances of a sighting are least likely in Florida (+1,296,000) where the population is 21,992, 985 with 1,697 known sightings to date.
Top 5 terrifying ghost stories
The site has a library of the 'best' ghost stories and known sightings by year. The following five are among the bone-chilling encounters narrated by those who had otherworldly experiences.
Flight 401, Florida (1972)
An Eastern Airlines Tri-Star jetliner, Flight 401, crashed into a Florida swamp in December 1972, killing 101 people on board, including pilot, Bob Loft and flight engineer, Don Repo. Crew members have claimed to see the ghosts of Loft and Repo on more than 20 occasions on other Eastern Tri-Stars, especially those planes that had been fitted with parts salvaged from the wreckage.
Keller Dorm, State College, Pennsylvania (1990)
A student committed suicide in a stairwell in the Keller Dorm of the Pennsylvania State College. Since then there have been rumors of certain rooms being the site for stage and unexplained activity. In the early 1990s, a student was repeatedly locked out and even fled their room one night screaming about someone having occupied their bed, even though there was nobody there. When the student came back with help, the door was locked from inside and they heard the whole room being trashed by a poltergeist entity.
Everett, Washington (1999)
Bill Stein, a taxi driver employed by Everett Yellow Cab Co, suffered a heart attack and died while on the job, in the parking lot at Mallard Cove Apartments. Since then, he is said to be haunting the building. The ghostly drive sneaks into people's apartments during the evening, picks up the phone, and writes down a real address. In the morning residents have found the mysterious notes penned by him beside the phone, with the door left wide open. People who have seen Bill's apparition, describe him to be in his late 40s, donning a Mariner baseball cap, sweats and holding a beer.
Fayetteville, Pennsylvania (2002)
A woman is believed to have taken her life as well as her baby's, in the 1990s, in a pond in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, spurning the ghost story of 'the white lady'. Since then, she is believed to come back looking for her baby at night and has spooked drivers by riding on the back of their cars and trucks. In 2002, she appeared to a man who was on his way back home one evening and driving by the banks of the pond. She stepped in front of his car, causing him to lose control and crash. He later told the police about the lady, but all but one believed him as the same had happened to him, some nine years prior.
GE Plastics, Albany County, New York (2004)
GE Plastics was originally the Becker Farm, a farmhouse which was used as offices on and off until 2004. The building is reportedly haunted and employees have had first experiences with the supernatural. The story goes that the former farm owner, Mr Becker, caught his wife cheating on him with a slave and pushed his love rival down the stairs to his death. He then brutally murdered his wife before hanging himself in the basement. Ever since, people have recalled seeing lights blowing out in the basement, the smell of perfume where Becker's wife had been murdered, and even a sense of being watched on the stairs. Guards have also said that motion detectors and alarms have randomly gone off in a bizarre order even when the building is empty and that it sometimes appears as if someone walks through the house, even though there is nobody there.
Top 5 haunted places in US
According to CardsChat.com, here are the top five haunted locations that one must visit if they are seeking a paranormal experience.
LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans, Louisiana
The grand mansion located in the French quarters of New Orleans was once home to Louisiana socialite, Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie. She was known to host ritzy soirees during the early 19th century and entertained her guests with fine food and champagne. In 1834, the local police responded to a kitchen fire in the mansion lonely to make a gruesome discovery. Bodies of severely mutilated slaves were found in the attic, following which a mob stormed the house, causing LaLaurie to flee to France. Since then, people have claimed to hear disembodied screams of her victims from the house in the dead of night.
The Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, Oregon
Some 150 years ago, Portland was considered among the most dangerous port cities on the West Coast. It was the epicenter of 'Shangaiing', a term used to loosely describe human trafficking. According to local lore, the labyrinth of interconnected basements beneath Old Town Chinatown was a hub of illegal and shady activity. Sailors were taken onboard vessels without consent, alcohol was smuggled in during Prohibition, boxing matches were hosted when the sport was illegal, and women were also largely shanghaied for prostitution, grabbed right off the streets and held captive in underground cells. The tunnels were allegedly also passageways for underground brothels, gambling houses, opium dens, and even catacombs. They are now deemed to be haunted by other-worldly presences and aggrieved spirits of victims who perished there.
Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia
The menacing, Gothic-looking penitentiary was opened in Philadephia in 1829 and was also the first prison in the US to implement solitary confinement. Prisoners would be immured in gloomy cells, devoid of human contact and with hoods placed over their heads when they were moved. It was believed that this would lead to the prisoners receiving penitence and ultimately rehabilitation. But others believe it incited a trauma comparable to physical torture. The prison closed in 1971, but the ghosts of inmates who died there still haunt the building. Visitors have claimed to see apparitions wandering the corridors and even heard whispers in abandoned cell blocks.
RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
RMS Queen Mary was an ocean liner that sailed the Atlantic Ocean from 1936 and 1967. Often aboard the ship were socialites and Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. In 1939, she was stripped of her amenities and prepared to serve in World War II as the 'Grey Ghost' troopship. After the war, she was restored to her former glory but had her final voyage on Halloween in 1967. She was eventually docked in Long Beach California, which is now her final resting place. The ship is reportedly haunted by the spirits of people who died on board. A young sailor was crushed by a door in the engine room, while a crew member was murdered in cabin B340.
Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, Fall River, Massachusetts
The bodies of Andrew and Abby Borden were discovered in August 1982, having been bludgeoned to death in their home. Their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition and the prime suspect was their youngest daughter, Lizzie. The murders became a high-profile case garnering nation-wide media attention and the story was also adapted into a Lifetime movie. Allegations said that Lizzie had a financial motive to kill her parents, but she was ultimately acquitted of the charges due to a lack of physical evidence. The Borden house has since been converted into a museum and bed-and-breakfast, where guests can view the gruesome photos from the original crime scene and also stay in one of its reportedly haunted rooms.