For a state that many people don’t even know exists, there’s actually a lot to do in West Virginia, especially at Halloween time. There are numerous locations around the state that are considered to be haunted. So this Halloween, round up your friends and head on a road trip to get your scare on.
1. North Bend Rail Trail Tunnel No. 19
(photo from http://www.hauntedhocking.com/Haunted_West_Virginia_Silver_Run_Tunnel.htm)
More commonly known as Silver Run Tunnel, this tunnel is located in Cairo. The tunnel is 1,376 feet long and extremely dark, even in the daytime, so you’re going to need a flashlight. Legend has it that engineers in the late 1800s to early 1900s have claimed to see a ghostly woman figure standing along the tracks of the tunnel. She was supposedly a new bride on her way to Parkersburg to see her groom when she was killed near the tracks. The eerie coldness and water-dripping sounds of this tunnel will definitely have all the hairs on your body standing up straight.
2. The Blennerhassett Hotel
Located in downtown Parkersburg, the Blennerhassett Hotel is said to haunted by William Chancellor, the man who built the hotel in the late 1800s. Guests have reported a man in a tuxedo in the hotel’s mirrors, ghostly children in the hallways, and music coming from the ballroom late at night. You can take a tour of this haunted hotel, or you can even stay the night in one of the rooms to experience the night-time hauntings yourself.
3. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is in Weston, West Virginia. The asylum was a fully operating facility until 1994. Soon after, the asylum opened back up as a tourist attraction. The asylum becomes a haunted house during Halloween time and also offers brave individuals the chance to spend the night locked inside. There have been reportings of doors slamming, echoing screams, and ghostly figures roaming the halls of the asylum where hundreds have died.
4. West Virginia Penitentiary
The West Virginia Penitentiary, also known as Moundsville Penitentiary, is located in Moundsville, West Virginia. It opened its doors in 1875 and was home to many prisoners until 1995. Today the penitentiary still gets much recognition for being one of the most haunted prisons in the United States. Visitors have reported seeing shadowed inmates and hearing unexplained voices. Many prisoners were executed here, giving reason to the hauntings. The prison hosts a haunted tour in October every year, so gather your friends and take a trip- maybe even stay the night if you’re brave enough.
5. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park
Abandoned in 1966, the amusement park in the Mercer County, West Virginia has always been claimed to be cursed. Dating back to the 1700s, a battle between a white settler and a Shawnee Indian resulted in the multiple deaths. In the early 1900s, a man bought the land and turned it into an amusement park. Several people died at the amusement park before it finally shut down. People say they have seen human figures on the old rusty swings and ferris wheel. Bones of the men and children who died in the original battle have been found at the site. Find out for yourself if the land is truly cursed at the parks Dark Carnival this Halloween.