Whether you’re the type of person who seeks out all things spooky or goes out of their way to avoid anything remotely scary, it might be useful to know which state in the U.S. is considered to be the most haunted of all.
Luckily, thanks to a study from the online gambling platform Playcasino.com that was shared with Travel + Leisure, now aspiring spirit hunters and scaredy cats alike can make their travel plans armed with the knowledge that one state has racked up more ghost sightings and scary encounters than any other…and it’s probably not the first location that comes to mind.
With a reported total of 6,845 sightings, Texas is ranked the most haunted state — not Massachusetts, home of the Salem witch trials, or even Louisiana, where thousands of tourists roam the streets of New Orleans in the hopes of meeting an otherworldly being every year.
Among the Lone Star State’s scariest spots are the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, the city of San Antonio (where the Battle of the Alamo happened), and the Haunted Hill House, a 3,800-square-foot Victorian mansion in Mineral Wells, Texas, which was rated by Playcasino.com as the second-most haunted site in America. Anyone looking to book a stay in a haunted hotel, meanwhile, can choose from the Driskill Hotel in Austin, founded in the 1880s by Col. Jesse Driskill (who continues to make his presence known to guests) and the Magnolia Hotel in Seguin, reportedly haunted by 13 different entities.
California ranks as the second most haunted state in the country
While the Golden State came in second on the list of most haunted states with 6,444 reported ghostly encounters, it happens to be the place where the most haunted site in the U.S. can be found: the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, California, a former ocean liner which now functions as a floating hotel offering paranormal tours.
Graffiti on the Queen MaryPhoto by PATRICK T. FALLON on Getty Images
Here’s how the top 10 most haunted states rank, with their corresponding number of ghost sightings:
As for specific locations, California also took the third place for spookiest spot with The Whaley House in San Diego, which is allegedly haunted by descendants of the Whaley family, while the The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, was ranked as fourth, and the Franklin Castle in Cleveland, Ohio took fifth place.
Related: This Eerie ’70s Chart-Topper Makes a Comeback Every Halloween
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
