5 Spooky Spots You Can Visit In The Midwest

Whether you enjoy feeling terrified or just want to know what places to avoid for the rest of your life, it’s always nice to have a handy list of creepy and spooky places.

But, strangely, so many lists featuring scary places within America noticeably lack locals from one specific region. Sure, there are New England B&B’s that were once the sites of infamous murders for the East, plantations haunted by the horrors of their histories for the South, and mansions built by insane owners to represent the West. But where are the Midwestern creep spots? The chilling destinations that you can stop by in arguably the most American area of America (and also dead center of the country)?

 Well, buckle up reader, here are five spooky spots to visit on your next road trip through the wholesome heartland.

Just off Highway 37, lies the abandoned cemetery that’s home to a legion of local legends and modern folklore. The most popular tale is that of a woman in black who can be seen walking through the cemetery, and sometimes along the nearby road, making an eerie moan. The spot has become a popular stop for ghost hunters and fans of the supernatural over the years.

 The Villisca Axe Murder House, Villisca, Iowa

In 1912, eight people (six of them children) were murdered during the night in the small town of Villisca, Iowa. The crime was never solved and the house in which the mass murder occurred has become a tourist attraction, where visitors can pay to tour the house and even stay the night.

 Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Bremen Township, Illinois

This abandoned cemetery in suburbs of Chicago is home to a plethora of reported ghost sightings and was even the site of some serious paranormal investigations at one point—supposedly even generating photographic evidence of the existence of ghosts.

 Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio

Is there anything creepier than an old prison? The answer, of course, is no. And the historic landmark that is the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is proof of that. Although the site has been the location for plenty film shoots and private events, it’s also does a good bit of business hosting ghost tours and Halloween experiences.

 Lemp Mansion, St. Louis, Missouri 

Mansions aren’t exactly the most un-spooky places to visit (think pretty much every ghost movie you’ve ever seen) and if there’s any place that proves that it’s this family home in St. Louis that was the site of four suicides by the same affluent family, who are said to haunt the building…which is now restaurant and inn.

 Have you visited one of these spooky spots? Or have you been to a place even scarier? Upload it to our Spookiest Spots in America Photo Contest or post on Instagram or Twitter with #OTspookyspots! You could win $250 in OneTravel giftcards! Hurry, it all ends on October 30th!