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Scariest Ghost Towns in the US

From empty cities and haunted houses … to busted wild west boomtowns ... Here are 15 of the Scariest Ghost Towns in the US



#15 Baltimore, Indiana
Did you know there was another Baltimore in the US that was located outside of Maryland? This one was established in 1829, and had a peak population of about 70. Although the town had a few merchants, the construction of a canal caused the population to dwindle. Today there’s only a house from the 1880s that remains standing. Although we didn’t find any paranormal activity linked to the location, it definitely looks like it could be haunted. What do you think?





#14 Ashcroft, Colorado
Located about had one of the fastest boom and bust cycles of any town. In 1880, two prospectors found silver. With 23 other prospectors they formed a Miner’s Protective Association. Within two weeks they had laid out streets and built a courthouse. By 1885 there more than 3,500 residents, along with 20 saloons and six hotels. That peak year was also the start of the city’s decline. Expectations of large silver deposits were never realized, and prospectors moved elsewhere. Only a few people remained at the beginning of the 20th century. When the last resident died in 1939, Ashcroft officially became a ghost town.



#13 The Bulow Ruins, Florida (bew-loe)
In 1821 Charles Bulow cleared some 2,200 acres of land to develop a plantation to grow sugar cane, rice, and cotton. It became known as the largest plantation in East Florida, which housed the region’s largest sugar mill. The notoriety didn’t last for long. Seminole (seh-min-nole) Indians burned down the plantation in 1836, and the operation was destroyed. The eerie ruins of the mill can still be seen among the oak trees today. Crumbling ruins of the plantation house itself are also on display. Today it’s known as Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park.




#12 Moonville, Ohio
At its peak in the 1870s this small community in Ohio held about 100 residents. Its curious name was allegedly inspired by a local shopkeeper. The town’s economy was based on local coal mines and a railway line that passed through it. As the coal reserves dwindled and rail activity increased, Moonville steadily declined. Established in 1856, the town was abandoned within 25 years. By the 1960s almost all the buildings were gone. Its most visible legacy is the scary-looking Moonville railroad tunnel that has inspired countless ghost stories. It’s still there, and is part of the Moonville Rail-Trail. That’s a 16-mile trail (25 km) open to hikers, and it passes right through the tunnel.











#11 Thurmond, West Virginia
Five people allegedly reside here. But Thurmond is a ghost of what it once was. A post office was established in 1882, and the town was incorporated in 1900. Much of its prosperity was tied to coal mining and for being a major railway stop. It had two hotels, one of which became famous (or infamous) for hosting a card party that lasted around 14 years! Guinness has cited it as the longest-lasting poker game ever. When the hotel burned down in 1930, it marked the beginning of the city’s end. The city was deserted by the 1950s. It’s still open for business since the railway depot was transformed into a visitor center. Because Thurmond still retains the look of an Appalachian coal town, it’s shown up in movies depicting that era.





#10 Terlingua, Texas (tur-ling-g’wah)
In the case of this settlement located near the Rio Grande, it wasn’t gold that triggered a boomtown. It was the discovery of cinnabar, which yields the metal mercury. Miners flocked to Terlingua in the late 1880s, and the town’s population swelled to around 3,000. The residents fled when the mercury market crashed, and the town was abandoned by the 1940s. Remains of the mine shafts, homes, and the jail can still be seen. It’s one of the better-known ghost towns in the Lone Star State, and it still has a few inhabitants. After exploring the ruins you can even visit an operational restaurant or saloon there..

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