5 Unusual Haunted Places Where You Can Actually Spend the Night

There are a lot of unusual places in the world, but there are few where you can actually spend a night. These five haunted hotels, though, allow you to actually book a room for the night – if you can handle it. If you’re down for spending a night surrounding by creepy clowns or sleeping in the same house where gruesome murders took places decades ago, this collection of historical haunted hotels is for you.

The Haunted Axe Murder House

Did you know that you can spend the night in a house where vicious, gruesome, and still unsolved murders took place over a century ago? The place in question is called the Villisca Axe Murder House, and yes, it’s where horrific axe murders took place over a century – and yet the killer was never found.

On June 10, 1912, Josiah Moore and his family were discovered brutally murdered in their house by their neighbor, who noticed they had not left the house to do their morning chores as they typically did. The entire family had been bludgeoned with an axe that was later found in the guest room, where two guests, the Stillinger sisters, were also found dead.

In total, there were eight victims murdered in the dead of night, including the two Moore parents, their four children, and the two Stillinger sisters (also children), who were spending the night with the Moores.

Although there were several suspects, nobody was charged. The first trial resulted in a hung jury, the second in an acquittal. Until this day, the murders remain unsolved – and the house remains haunted by spirits, most likely the Moores themselves.

The Villisca Axe Murder house remains preserved in the general condition it was in when the murders happened in 1912. That means that it doesn’t have electricity and only elementary plumbing. This makes the experience all the more authentic and real.

Pro tip: Combine a visit to the Villisca Axe Murder house with a tour of the cemetery where the victims and one of the suspects is buried. Both audio-guided and in-person tours are available.

The Infamous Lizzie Borden House

As a child, you may have sung a nursery rhyme that went something like this:

“Lizzie Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father forty-one”.

This nursery rhyme, while not entirely accurate (the number of hacks is wrong, and the murder weapon was a hatchet and not an axe), is based on a true story. In 1892, Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother were found brutally killed in their homes, and suspicion immediately fell on Lizzie. The Borden’s maid, Sullivan, testified that she heard Lizzie laughing at the top of the stairs when she came to check on the Bordens, at a time when Andrew was already dead.

Lizzie was also known to quarrel with her stepmother. She believes that her stepmother was only with her dad because of his wealth.

Although Lizzie was arrested and tried, she was acquitted by the jury. Other suspects were also put forward, but to this day, the murder remains officially unsolved.

Nowadays, the Lizzie Borden House has been restored and offers nightly accommodation to those brave enough to stay here. Under its new ownership, it now boasts luxury beds with comfortable mattresses and linen, along with blackout curtains to make your stay more enjoyable.

That doesn’t mean it’s not haunted, though! All sorts of strange things occur at the house, from creaking footsteps to strange voices. Some guests even swear they have heard the creepy, cackling sound of Lizzie Borden’s voice from the top of the staircase.

The Brickhouse Inn

Have you ever spent the night in a historic battlefield? The Brickhouse Inn is about as close as you can get. Located in what was the center of the fighting during the Battle of Gettysburg, the Brickhouse Inn is a Victorian house that still retains its 1898 flooring. It encompasses the nearby historic Welty House, which makes up part of the inn. Here, Solomon Welty’s family hunkered in the basement as gunshots rang out all around them.

The smell of cigarette smoke lingers in the lobby, despite nobody smoking in the area. Late at night, you can hear the crisp sound of gunshots – if you’re lucky, you may see a Confederate or Union soldier casually strolling down the hall or sitting in the lobby.

The Jennie Wade Birthplace House

While you’re in Gettysburg, make sure to join an overnight ghost hunt at the Jennie Wade Birthplace House? Jennie Wade was made famous as the only civilian to be killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. She was baking bread in her house when a gunshot pierced through the wall and hit her, killing her instantly.

You can now explore her birthplace home, where she was born and spent her later years and which is rumored to be infested with a ghostly presence. This historic building just opened recently, and while accommodation is not available, an overnight ghost hunt will give you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night here. Using top of the line ghost hunting equipment, including REM Pods, EMF detectors, and laser grids, you can search for the presence of the paranormal in the dead of night.

Who exactly haunts this old structure? Is it Jennie Wade herself, returning to where she was first brought into the world, or one of the many Civil War soldiers whose life was taken on this battlefield?

The Clown Motel

The Clown Motel, which may or may not be haunted, is incredibly odd and creepy. This motel, opened in 1985, is decorated with over 100 clown statues and figures, giving the rooms and hallways an unforgettably eerie vibe, with creepy clowns staring at you wherever you go.

Not only that, but the hotel has been poorly maintained over the years and is run down, and it’s also located right next to a cemetery, adding to its creepy aura.