American Ghost Stories

There is nothing better at Halloween than telling an ultra spooky ghost story so a selection of American ghost stories will definitely go down a treat. Ghost stories have been around for hundreds of years and evolve from true events, folklores and fiction. With some popular American ghost stories being based on true events and some being the fictitious work of the creative mind you can choose how creepy you want your ghost story to be. Haunted places are a great subject for any chilling ghost story and searching the internet will give you a few ghostly experiences to convey this Halloween.

Alcatraz Prison

Alcatraz Prison

Located off San Francisco bay probably one of the best known prisons in the world Alcatraz was seen to be one of the most secure prisons of its time, holding some of the worlds most hardened and dangerous criminals. Finally closing in the 1960s prison guards and tourists alike have reported strange goings on from creepy noises to strange smells and ghostly apparitions. It is said that a number of prisoners at Alcatraz suffered greatly and literally lost their sanity especially in the ‘hole cells’ where one in particular, cell 14D, has been reported to have a strong ghostly aura about it. Footsteps have been heard from empty upper levels and sounds of a banjo have also been heard near the old shower room. It is said that notorious gangster Al Capone, who was imprisoned in Alcatraz was given a banjo by his wife and played in a prison band. Due to his deteriorating mental health Capone was later allowed to practice his banjo, and he did so in the corner of the shower block rather than go into the yard where he feared for his life. The faint sounds of the banjo heard near the shower blocks today are said to be from the long dead spirit of Al Capone. It is also said that a light house tower that has long been demolished can still sometimes be seen through dense fog with its light on and all of a sudden vanishes.

Amityville Horror

Amityville Horror House

Most people have probably seen the Amityville horror film but being based on true events certainly makes it a hell of a lot scarier and spine chilling. On the night of November 13th 1974 a young man, Ronald ‘Butch’ DeFeo brutally murdered his family in their home while they slept, shooting them with a .35 calibre rifle. A year after the murders a new family moved into the house where eerie and creepy things began to happen almost instantly. A priest who was blessing the house was the first target of the paranormal activity when a male voice strongly told him to ‘get out’ and later is said to have developed a high temperature and painful blisters on his hands. The family moved in and lived a total of 28 days in the house before they fled in fear. Strange odours came and went, loud eerie noises interrupted phone calls to the priest, and doors would slam even though they were locked shut and were often torn completely off their hinges. The husband often woke at 3:15am (the time of the murders) sometimes pinned to the bed by an invisible force and even saw his wife levitating off the bed. A mysterious secret room painted red was discovered which was not on the blueprints of the house, the family dog took an instant dislike to this room, cowering and refusing to go near it. Demonic figures appeared and disappeared inexplicably and the youngest child developed an imaginary friend with a demonic pig like character. Whether the paranormal haunting of the family was true or not the thought of living in a house which has been the scene of multiple murders is enough to unnerve even the toughest of people.