#23. Stull Cemetery – Kansas
For some reason, most Kansas residents believe that this cemetery is the gateway to Hell. But why? Legend has it that Satan and a human woman had a son who is buried in this cemetery. I know, very doubtful… but this is not all!
Reportedly, many locals have seen lights at night and different Satanic cults use the cemetery’s grounds to perform different sorts of rituals. There used to be a church within its premises, but it now lays in ruins, adding a bit of spookiness to the site.
#22. Valley Of The Kings – Egypt
Located near Luxor, Egypt, the Valley of the Kings is the resting place of some of the country’s most legendary rulers ever. However, as charming as this site sounds, you should know that it is allegedly cursed since legend has it that anyone who disrupts the tombs will die.
As a matter of fact, many believe that this curse has taken the lives of many members of archaeologist Howard Carter’s search team. Historians claim that they died from infectious diseases, but locals blame it on the curses of the sealed tombs.
#21. La Recoleta – Argentina
La Recoleta is a beautiful cemetery located in one of Buenos Aires’ poshest neighborhoods. Its 19th-century architecture and art make it a major tourist attraction, but don’t be fooled, as this place has its dark side too.
We’re lucky that the cemetery closes its doors after 6 PM because it has its fair share of chilling ghost stories. According to the most famous urban legend, the ghost of a night watchman who killed himself within the cemetery’s premises roams its narrow alleyways.
#20. St. Louis Cemetery – New Orleans
One of the constitutive elements of New Orleans’ cultural identity is the voodoo religion, which was brought in by the African slaves. To this day, these African roots have a strong influence on the local culture, and the St. Louis Cemetery is a chilling example of this.
The cemetery houses voodoo queen Marie Laveau, which is said to grant visitors’ wishes. But watch out, because rumor has it that the site is haunted and that spirits appear during the evening.
#19. Ganges River – India
It’s a widely known fact that the Ganges River is the holiest site in India, at least for Hindus. What makes this river so creepy is that its 1,569 miles are lined with crematoriums known as ghats, and after the bodies are burnt, their ashes are thrown to the river.
Did you notice the clouds of smoke in the picture? Well, it means that bodies are being burnt in some of the ghats. Sometimes, corpses are thrown to the river without being cremated, and they end up being washed up on the shore and eaten by dogs. Yikes!
#18. Highgate Cemetery – London
The Highgate Cemetery is located in London and it covers a territory of nearly 40 acres. It is brimmed with statues of people, animals, and angels, some of which are in decay. Part of its architecture has been inspired by ancient Egyptians and the graveyard’s main path is named Egyptian Avenue.
But what is it that makes this place so grisly? Well, it is said that Bram Stoker, the author of the all-time horror classic Dracula, was inspired by this cemetery’s creepiness while writing the novel. What is more, ever since then, many ghost figures have been spotted on the site’s premises.
#17. La Noria – Chile
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and get to know La Noria, Chile, a former mining village that is now a ghost town. As we all know, labor rights were practically nonexistent back in the 1800s, and in this town rest hundreds of corpses of those who lost their lives as a result of work accidents or deplorable living conditions.
But the creepy part is that many of the graves have been unearthed and the coffins opened, and – what is worse – many of the corpses belong to children. Rumor has it that a group of grave-robbers was looking for hidden treasures inside the area, and that is why they dug up and opened the coffins.
#16. Resurrection Cemetery – Chicago
No photo does justice to exactly how creepy this site is. The Resurrection Cemetery is located in the outskirts of Chicago, and it is famous for being home to a ghost named Resurrection Mary, which is the spirit of a young girl.
Legend has it that Resurrection Mary appears in real life in the form of a young hitchhiker dressed in a white party dress. She shows up right off the road and asks truckers to pick her up and drop her off near the cemetery, where she eerily vanishes. I know, it sounds 100% fictional, but many truck drivers have reported dropping off the same young girl near the cemetery!
#15. Chauchilla Cemetery – Peru
Peru’s Chauchilla Cemetery is one of the most terrifying sites from Ancient times. It was built somewhere around the 2nd century AD and was used for 700 years. It used to be one of the Inca’s largest burial grounds and can be visited up to this day.
Apparently, the Nazca people were extremely skilled as regards their preservation techniques, to the point in which some of the skeletons still preserve their hair and skin. Scientists believe that the dry heat of the desert has helped prevent the decomposition of some of the bodies. Some corpses can be seen wrapped in cotton, which is deeply unsettling.
#14. Cemetery Café – Ahmedabad
Ever fancied dining with the dead? Your prayers have been answered! Cemetery Café is a restaurant located in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, which has literally been built over an ancient graveyard. But the worst part is yet to come.
The owner could’ve simply dislodged the cemetery to make way for the restaurant, but no! These guys thought it would be a good idea to place tables between the graves and coffins, paving the way to what is probably the most gruesome restaurant ever. Is your stomach strong enough to stand this?
#13. Glasnevin Cemetery – Dublin
Glasnevin Cemetery is one of the most famous cemeteries in Ireland, as it is home to many patriots and revolutionaries like Michael Collins and Charles Stewart Parnell. But there’s something about this site that’s a bit unsettling.
When the cemetery’s watchtowers were built, body-snatchers kept breaking into the property and as a result, some graves were vandalized and some corpses were stolen. If you ever visit this site and end up overwhelmed by its eeriness, then go for a glass of whiskey at the pub next door, John Kavanagh. I know, it’s all very bizarre!
#12. Greyfriars Kirkyard – Edinburgh
Greyfriars Kirkyard was first built as a monastery somewhere around the mid 15th century and it is known thought to be the most haunted site in Scotland. Many paranormal activities have been reported here, which are mostly attributed to the spirit of ‘Bluidy’ George Mackenzie.
Mackenzie was a young man buried in this site in 1691, and coming in contact with his spirit is thought to cause bruising, bites, and cuts. You can actually explore this site by booking a ghost tour, although I should warn you that many people have felt strange sensations during it.
#11. Old Jewish Cemetery – Prague
Prague’s Old Jewish Cemetery is, without a doubt, one of the most historic burial grounds in Europe. It’s located in the core of Josefov, the city’s old Jewish Quarter. As you can imagine, thousands of Holocaust victims were buried in this site.
According to religious law, Jews cannot destroy Jewish graves, nor can they take away a tombstone from the cemetery. Thus, the cemetery eventually began to run out of space for more corpses, but can you guess what the authorities did? They covered the existing tombstones in soil, and on top of this new layer of soil, they erected new tombstones. All in all, there are 12 layers of graves with tombstones, all packed like sardines.
#10. Père Lachaise Cemetery – Paris
Here’s another famous cemetery, as Père Lachaise is home to iconic legends such as Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. The scary part is that many people believe the site is haunted by the spirits of Holocaust victims, which are thought to roam the premises in search of a safe place to rest in.
The cemetery is also home to three World War I memorials, so no wonder so many urban legends revolve around this site. But as if this weren’t enough, the cemetery’s marketing team decided to bring in the bodies of other famous French icons, such as Molière and Abélard.
#9. Chamula Cemetery – Mexico
Even though there haven’t been many supernatural sightings in this cemetery, it’s still not a place I would dare visit alone. At the beginnings, during the 1960s, this graveyard was intended to house a Catholic Church, but the priest would only perform a mass once a month.
During the rest of the month, shamans would show up and prepare and spread potions and sacrifice chickens as part of healing rituals. Therefore, you may find chicken corpses between the graves, and I assure you that it is not a pleasant thing to see.
#8. Cimitero Di San Michele – Venice
Sure, the picture may seem a bit dreamy, but don’t be fooled, because Cimiterio di San Michele is one of the most morbid sites in Italy! In the 19th century, Napoleon passed a decree which prohibited the burial of bodies in Venice. Thus, this cemetery was established on the nearby island of San Michele.
The idea of a whole island being handed over to the dead is freaky enough, but what if we told you that countless ghostly encounters and paranormal sightings have been reported? I suggest you stay away from here, I’m sure you don’t wanna be stranded in such an island!
#7. Bachelor’s Grove – Chicago
OK, the picture may not look scary enough, but you would be surprised to know that Bachelor’s Grove is one of the most haunted sites in the USA. This cemetery was opened back in 1844, but the alleged paranormal activity reached its peak during the 1980s.
People have seen from phantom vehicles to strange orbs, and some visitors have even reported witnessing ghosts emerging from the graves wearing monk’s robes. Is this not enough? Well, this one day, a couple spotted a black dog near the cemetery’s entrance, but just as they approached it, the animal mysteriously vanished! I know, it’s all a little bit out there… but I still wouldn’t dare set foot in such a site!
#6. Catacombs – Paris
Commonly known as the world’s largest grave, the Catacombs has been one of the main tourist attractions in Paris during the last 150 years. Stretching below Paris’ streets, they house nearly 6 million people. Beat that!
Walk along the site’s ghastly passages and you’ll find thousands of skulls and bones piled in a somewhat artistic fashion. It comes as no surprise that paranormal sightings such as shadow ghosts have been spotted in some of these underground corridors.
#5. Okunoin Cemetery, Japan
The Okunoin Cemetery is located in Okuno, a sacred Japanese village home to over 100 Buddhist temples. Followers believe that the founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kobo Daishi, rests in this graveyard, and legend has it that someday he’ll be reborn.
What is more, these tiny statues which look like child monks are as creepy as it gets. If you were wondering why these statues are dressed in bibs and caps, you should know it’s the way in which parents grieve for their dead children.
#4. Capuchin Crypt – Rome
If you went to your weekly Sunday mass, would you expect to find this in the church’s basement? Well, believe it or not, this terrifying chamber lies beneath the Santa Maria Della Concezione Dei Cappuccini church, located in the Italian capital of Rome.
The Capuchin Crypt is home to 3,700 Capuchins, which were an order of Catholic friars that existed throughout the 16th century. The freakiest part is that the skeletons and the skulls lie against the walls of the crypt as if they were mannequins. But if you find this creepy, you’ll be in for a big surprise with #3…
#3. Capela Dos Ossos – Portugal
The ancient Portuguese city of Evora is home to a chapel known as Capela dos Ossos – which translates to “Chapel of Bones” – and as its name suggests, it’s filled with human corpses. The chamber is even larger than the Capuchin Crypt, as it houses over 5,000 corpses.
Inside this chamber lie hundreds of bones that were drawn from different church cemeteries of the region. Perhaps the spookiest feature of this site is the two desiccated corpses that hang from the ceiling. This is as creepy as it gets!
#2. Howard Street Cemetery, Salem
Ever since the 17th-century witch hunts, Salem has been deemed as one of the USA’s most haunted towns. In 1692, one of the city’s residents, Giles Corey, was tortured to death after refusing to admit guilt for performing witchcraft. And guess what? He was killed in the very same site where the Howard Street Cemetery was erected.
But the most gruesome part of this legend is that right before dying, Corey cursed the whole town for eternity. Furthermore, legend has it that Corey’s ghost appeared in the days before the Great Fire of 1914 and that to this day he roams around the graves.
#1. Sedlec Ossuary – Czech Republic
The Sedlec Ossuary is a tiny Catholic chapel found right beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in the Czech town of Sedlec. This chapel is home to nearly 70,000 skeletons which have been arranged in an orderly yet creepy fashion.
As you can see, skeletons and skulls have been used to create different types of decorations and furnishings. As if this eerie ornamentation weren’t enough, many people claim the site is haunted and ghost figures have reportedly been seen.