Thedailymiaminews– Given West Virginia’s long history, it is not surprising that there are many ghost stories associated with the state. The Mountain State has five locations that are considered to be the most haunted. You can visit them all.
1. Amusement Park in Lake Shawnee
In the late 1700s, a violent fight broke out between settler Mitchell Clay and the Shawnee Native American tribe. The fight resulted in the deaths of three of Clay’s children and several Shawnee warriors. A local businessman bought the area in the 1920s and transformed it into an amusement park. However, there are many who claim that the land is cursed.
The park was finally abandoned in 1966 after a number of deadly accidents occurred there over the course of the next few decades. People who have visited the area have claimed to glimpse the spirits of a man and a little girl wearing a pink dress next to the corroded ruins of the Ferris wheel and swings. Is the land under a curse? You can decide. Private ghost tours at Lake Shawnee Amusement Park (link is external) are available by appointment only.
2. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (link is external) is a Civil War-era hospital located in Weston. Its Gothic sandstone structure appears creepy, therefore it is not surprising that there are ghost stories connected to it.
The asylum was under construction in 1858, but the work was interrupted when the grounds were utilized as a camp for Union soldiers. The hospital, which was originally established to accommodate 250 people and was once known as Weston State Hospital, reached its highest number of inmates in the 1950s, when it housed 2,400 patients.
In 1994, the hospital stopped accepting patients for good, although it was later reopened to serve as a tourist attraction. The asylum is open for ghost tours and history excursions until mid-November, when it closes for the winter season.
3. Harpers Ferry is haunted.
Harpers Ferry, a hamlet in the Eastern Panhandle, is home to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (link is external). It is reported to have a number of restless spirits that date back hundreds of years.
Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry (link is external) takes visitors on a walking tour of the town’s most haunted places in the evening. Discover the tales of a woman dressed in 18th-century clothing, gazing out from the window of Harper House. Visitors at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, which was used as a hospital during the Civil War, have reported seeing the ghost of an injured soldier and an elderly priest.
4. The Legend of Mothman and Point Pleasant
The first report of a tall, winged creature with bright red eyes was made by the people of Point Pleasant in 1966. It was claimed that this creature– nicknamed Mothman– was an alien being.
Mothman is now a pop culture figure in Point Pleasant, where a 12-foot-tall metallic monument of him can be found. You can learn about Mothman relics and other displays at the Mothman Museum (link is external).
5. West Virginia State Penitentiary
The West Virginia Penitentiary (link is external), which is located in Moundsville, opened in 1875 and is considered to be one of the most haunted jails in the United States. It is not surprising, given that the prison was the site of riots, fires, and almost 100 executions during its years of service.