Both the Southern US and Mexico are home to numerous haunted houses and spooky mansions. If you’re in the mood for a ghoulish, otherworldly experience this Halloween, check out these haunted locations in the Southern US and Mexico.
The Marshall House – Savannah, Georgia
The Haunted 17Hundred90 Inn, Savannah – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Savannah, Georgia, is one of the most haunted cities in the Southern US. There’s no surprise there, really. Savannah was devastated by a yellow fever epidemic not once, but twice. At the same time, several fires raged through the city on different occasions, ravaging entire neighborhoods.
The Marshall Hotel served as a temporary hospital both for yellow fever victims and war casualties during the Civil War. The hotel is still currently operating, but guests and visitors report eerie occurrences of faucets turning on by themselves and the sound of children laughing as they run down the halls. Room 306, in particular, is said to be haunted, as strange noises and wails are often heard from that room.
A stay in the Marshall House costs around $140 a night, but it’s well worth the experience if you’re brave enough.
To truly experience the city’s most haunted aspects, I recommend going on a Savannah ghost tour. During the tour, you’ll visit additional haunts, such as the Davenport House and the 17Hundred90 Inn. Also, there is more to Savannah too, details can be discovered on the Staying Adventurous podcast – the sweetness of sassy Savannah.
The LaLaurie Mansion – New Orleans, Louisiana
The LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
The LaLaurie Mansion is well-known as one of New Orleans’ most terrifying haunted houses. It was owned by Frenchman Dr. Leonard Louis Nicolas LaLaurie and his wife, Madame Delphine MacCarthy Lalaurie.
The couple was popular and threw lavish parties at their residence regularly. However, they kept a dark and sinister secret from the population. In the upper floors, Madame LaLaurie kept slaves locked in cages, whom she tortured and conducted experiments on.
One of the slaves started a fire in an attempt to escape. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw the terrible mistreatment that was taking place there. A crowd gathered – enraged, they started to ransack the place, but the LaLauries fled and returned to Paris.
While the LaLaurie Mansion doesn’t offer nightly stays or tours, you can learn about it from the sidewalk as part of a ghost tour.
The Driskill Hotel – Austin, Texas
The LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Colonel Jesse Driskill opened the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas, in 1886. Unfortunately, Jesse Driskill was a womanizer and a gambler, and he quickly became indebted and unable to pay it back.
Although he was forced to forfeit the hotel, which was his pride and joy, it was a blow he couldn’t bear. Legend has it that his ghost continues to haunt this hotel. Guests report smelling cigar smoke in the halls when nobody is around, and despite the fact that the hotel is smoke-free.
Staying at the Driskill Hotel costs around $150 a night.
Haunted Places in Mexico, Travel South of the Border
Haunted places know no border, so you can expect to find places south of the border too. In a place famous for its Day of the Dead celebrations and also a mysterious past filled with ancient civilization, we decided to share a few places for your next visit.
Casa de la Tía Toña – Mexico City, Mexico
In the Chapultepec neighborhood of Mexico City, urban myths about the haunted mansion in the forest – the Casa de la Tía Toña – abound. As the story goes, a wealthy, reclusive woman lived alone in this mansion in the Chapultepec forest.
She wanted to use her wealth for the good, so she invited homeless children to come and live with her. However, the children disrespected her and even stole from her. Angry, she decided to poison their food. The children died, and taken over by guilt, she ate the food herself and died with them.
You can see a video of the exterior of the house in the forest. If you’re daring enough, try to find it during your next visit to CDMX, but don’t get too close!
Island of the Dead Dolls – Mexico City, Mexico
Wa17gs, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Island of the Dead Dolls (La Isla de las Muñecas) is one of the creepiest places in Mexico. This small island, located in the channels of the Xochimilco neighborhood in Mexico City, has hundreds of dolls hanging from its trees. Some of the dolls are missing limbs or heads, and some are missing eyes.
The island used to belong to a recluse called Don Julián Santana Barrera, who collected and hung the dolls. He died in 2001, and his family has since opened the island to the public. There are many legends surrounding this island, with some saying that the dolls are now possessed by the spirit of a girl who drowned near the island years ago.
The island can be reached by trajineras, which are gondola-like boats, even if you are in Cancun you can experience these boats with the Xoximilco.) Rowers are available to bring tourists to the island. A round trip ticket costs around $2000 Mexican pesos and takes around two hours each way.
Panteón de Belén – Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Eloy de la Torre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This historic cemetery in Guadalajara is the source of many legends. Stories tell of a boy who rises from his grave and of a vampire who was buried under a tree in this cemetery. It is said that if you break the branches of this tree, blood will come out. Additional stories of pirates, nuns, monks, and demons are told in hushed whispers by Guadalajara locals. The cemetery is open to the public and is now a museum. Night tours are available, and entry costs $37 Mexican Pesos.
Finally, so when you are considering your next spooky adventure in the Southern states or south of the border, you can find your use this to determine a haunted destination to discover.
