Haunted Places: Gettysburg, Hollywood, Salt Lake City, Ghosts And Paranormal Activity

The allure of visiting haunted places isn't hard to see. Though many people find the experience genuinely unsettling, the thrill of a good scare is too tempting to pass up. Haunted places are where ghost stories seem to intrude upon real life. The origins of haunted places are never the same, as they are always rooted in local history.

Mysterious deaths are not a requirement, though they are common in the legends surrounding various haunted places.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was a crucial site during the Civil War, and the city is full of haunted places that trace their paranormal heritage back to that time. One of the most haunted places in Gettysburg is the Farnsworth House, a location that has been featured on several different television shows, including "Unsolved Mysteries." The attic of the house was used by sharpshooters during the battle. A restaurant and inn has operated there for decades, and paranormal activity has been reported by staff and guests. The identity of the ghost is in question; one theory is that it's a former housekeeper, while another suggests that it's a neighbor who was accidentally killed by friendly fire. Devil's Den is another one of the city's notorious haunted places, famous as the location of the most intense and chaotic fighting during the Battle of Gettysburg. Reports of ghosts have been common around the area, and most frequently involve photographers. One of the legends surrounding Devil's Den is that after the battle, a photographer was taking pictures of the carnage, and had one of the bodies moved to a different spot in order to get a better shot.

Among haunted places in Hollywood, the Roosevelt Hotel is probably the most famous. The hotel was designed to serve the film industry, and the ghosts of several different actors are said to haunt the building, including Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. Monroe often stayed in Suite 1200, and a number of people have reported seeing the reflection of a blond woman in the long mirror. That particular mirror now hangs near the lobby elevators, with paranormal activity still occurring. Montgomery Clift stayed in room 928 for three months while he filmed "From Here To Eternity," and the paranormal activity isn't confined to his room. His ghost is said to pace the halls of the ninth floor, rehearsing his lines and playing the trumpet just as he did during his stay. Other Hollywood haunted places include the Vogue Theatre; not only is it haunted by a projectionist who died in the booth, but also by a teacher and several schoolchildren who died in a fire on location before the Vogue was ever built.

Salt Lake City is filled with numerous haunted places, including private mansions, the old jail and a downtown movie theater. Salt Lake City is also known for one of the most famous ghosts of all time - that of John Baptiste. Baptiste was a notorious graverobber in the late 1800s, using his job as a gravedigger to steal clothes from numerous corpses. Some of this clothing was resold, while some of it decorated his house. After he was caught, he was exiled to one of the remote islands in the Great Salt Lake, though no body was ever found. His ghost is said to haunt the beaches of the Great Salt Lake.

These are merely some of the most notorious examples, though. Haunted places can be found anywhere, and many areas have local groups with an interest in such locations. Chances are, there's at least one location nearby with a haunted reputation. Of course, always know in advance whether these places are open to the public; many are still privately owned, and some don't like the notoriety. As long as they're open, haunted places are among the most exciting places to visit.

Sources:
"Gettysburg Ghosts." Beauregard's Tuxedo Tails. July 2005. 14 Nov. 2007. http://www.2bridges.com/gettysghosts.htm.

"Haunted Places In Pennsylvania." The Shadowlands. Oct 2007. 14 Nov. 2007. http://theshadowlands.net/places/pennsylvania.htm.

Taylor, Troy. "Haunted Hollywood Hotels." Haunted Hollywood. 2001. 14 Nov. 2007. http://www.prairieghosts.com/hollywood.html.

"Spirits of the Civil War In Gettysburg." America's Most Haunted Places. 1999. 14 Nov. 2007. http://www.prairieghosts.com/gettysburg.html.

"The Ghost of the Great Salt Lake." Haunted Utah. 2003. 14 Nov. 2007. http://www.prairieghosts.com/baptiste.html.

Wagner, Stephen. "Paranormal Focus: Salt Lake City." About.com. 2007. New York Times Company. 14 Nov. 2007. http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa02040 2a.htm.

Wayne, Gary. "Hollywood Ghosts and Haunted Houses." Seeing Stars in Hollywood. 2007. 14 Nov. 2007. http://www.seeing-stars.com/Died/Haunted.shtml.