The Creepiest Cemeteries Around The World

emiliegardham|En Route|23 Jul 2024

Cemeteries have always been places that come with stories of ghosts, bright lights, and unforgotten pasts. They're always creepy places to visit, even during the day. But there are some that are a bit more spooky than others. Maybe it's because they are home to ghosts that many have seen, or because some are known to make people feel unwell.

These are some of those spooky places.

Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland

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Greyfriars is a cemetery that is full of lore and scary stories, some of which are true, and some of which are harder to prove.

It's been victim to body-snatching in the 1800s, and it is allegedly haunted by the ghost of George Mackenzie, whose spirit is said to have been released by a homeless man who broke into his grave in 1999.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans

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There are three cemeteries in New Orleans, but number one takes the cake. It's the oldest of the three and the only one that's reported to be haunted. It was built to replace the St. Peter Cemetery which was burnt down in 1788.

It's believed that a voodoo priestess named Marie Laveau haunts the grounds, and if you leave three X's on her tomb, she'll grant you wishes.

Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, Australia

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Rockwood Cemetery has become the final resting place of over a million people! But that's not what makes the cemetery so spooky. It's the home of the Davenport Brothers, two famous spiritualists. It's believed by many that the Davenport Brothers act as a bridge between the spirit world and the living, inviting spirits to the graveyard.

Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France

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Père Lachaise was once thought to the be cemetery of the stars after it was established by Napoleon. Now, famous people such as Marcel Proust and Jim Morrison are buried there. But it is the crypt of Allan Kardec that makes the cemetery so spooky, as he was considered the father of Spiritualism.

Highgate Cemetery, London, England

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Highgate Cemetery is no stranger to mystical happenings and hauntings. At one time, many believed that vampires wandered around the cemetery grounds, and two magicians had a duel to see who would be the first to slay a vampire. Of course, none were found.

It's also said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who has long dark gray hair.

Howard Street Cemetery, Salem, Massachusetts

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Howard Street Cemetery is one of the most famous in the world because Massachusetts is home to so many witches. It's said that Giles Corey cursed the land right before he was executed. There have been numerous reports of ghosts in the graveyard, especially at night.

South Park Cemetery, Kolkata, India

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It is believed that the South Park Cemetery is one of the most haunted cemeteries in India. It was built for those who died working for the East India Trading Company and is the resting place of soldiers, treasure hunters, traders, civil servants, and their families.

People report feeling dizzy and sick after visiting the site and have even said that their cameras and phones won't work while they're there.

La Noria Cemetery, Chile

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The Atacama Desert, which is where La Noria is located, is one of the driest places in the world. Because of this, all the people who lived around it have since left to find better, safer places to live. When they left, they left behind their dead loved ones who are now said to haunt the cemetery and the town.

Hollywood Forever, California

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Hollywood Forever is the final resting place of many, many famous people, but it's also home to a plethora of ghost stories. The Psalms Mosoleum where people hear creepy voices and feel cold drafts is thought to be haunted by Clifton Webb, and people report seeing the ghost of Virginia Rappe, whose murder still goes unsolved.

Monumental Cemetery Of Staglieno, Genoa, Italy

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The Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno will leave you breathless, but for a different reason than the other resting places on this list. It is believed to be the most beautiful cemetery in the world. It's full of masterfully created statues of people mourning the passing of their loved ones. It is certainly an overwhelming place to visit.

Boot Hill Graveyard, Tombstone, Arizona

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This may not be the fanciest graveyard on the list, but it certainly has a rich history. It's the final resting place of historical western heroes like Seth Bullock, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok. It was established in 1879 and has been the home of many ghostly cowboy sightings.

Stull Cemetery, Missouri

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Stull Cemetery is considered by many to be a place where you can find the gates of Hell. People who visit report feelings of being grabbed by unseen hands as you enter the church. It's said that this land has always been evil, and the church was put there to try and change that, but it wasn't long before the church was closed because it wasn't believed to be working.

The Lychakiv Cemetery, Lviv, Ukraine

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The Lychakiv Cemetery is home to more than 400,000 souls since it was established in 1786. It has seen many great changes in the country during its time, and those changes can be seen in the different parts of the cemetery, from the humble graves of communists to huge gothic monuments for wealthy citizens.

The Catacombs, Paris, France

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What would a list of creepy resting places be without the Paris catacombs? They are thought to be the final resting place of more than six million people. It's no surprise that this place is home to many scary stories, including people getting lost and going crazy in the tunnels, people hearing voices, and many ghost stories.

Valley Of The Kings, Cairo, Egypt

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Most of us know stories about the Valley of the Kings. It's known to be the home of 63 tombs, and it was thought to be the burial place of prominent figures and royalty. There have been many deaths reported in connection to King Tut's tomb in particular by those who have explored them, but it's up for debate whether the mummy's curse is real or not.

Bachelor's Grove, Chicago, USA

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Bachelor's Grove is no stranger to ghosts stories and has been on the paranormal radar since the 1950s, when seven spirits were seen in the area. There have been reports of bright lights floating around tombstones, a two-headed ghost, a man wearing yellow, and a large black dog that guards the entrance.

Gladiator Graveyard, Ephesus, Turkey

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

The Gladiator Graveyard in Turkey is the best-preserved one of its kind. Every person that was buried there was a young man between the ages of 20–30. There is much that is not known about the burial practices of the site, and many speculate that it's been the home to pagan rituals.

Capuchin Catacombs, Sicily, Italy

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The Capuchin catacombs are a spooky place to visit. For 300 years, people were buried in the church crypt, but they were embalmed and left out for other people to see. They were often dressed in their Sunday best so they could show off their family's wealth.

Some of the bodies have seen decay, but others have remained perfectly preserved.

City of the Dead, Ossetia, Russia

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They may look like a bunch of cute little houses, but each building is actually the home of a member of an Ossetian family. Inside each little hut, the bodies are buried along with all their prized possessions. If you peek through the windows, you can see the finely dressed skeletons among their things.

Sedlec Ossuary, Kutna Hora, Czech Republic

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The Sedlec Ossuary is a sight to see, to say the least. It's thought to be home to at least 70,000 people. In 1870, a local woodworker took bones of plague victims that had been exhumed from a mass grave that had been there since the 14th century. He used them to create intricate statues and, most famously, a chandelier.