When it comes to scary places and haunted hangouts, Florida is among the top states for hallowed Halloween turf in the U.S.
A ranking from moveBuddha[1] placed Florida as the 10th-most haunted state in the country. The analysis[2] used data from all 50 states and compared factors such as reported ghost sightings, abandoned buildings, ghost towns and unsolved murders to compile the list.
Florida’s steep historical background played a key factor in its high ranking among the most haunted states. After all, St. Augustine, “The Nation’s Oldest City,” was founded in 1565 and has the oldest known cemetery in America. Anyone visiting St. Augustine is inundated with tales of hauntings, from the lighthouse[3] to the downtown traditional alley ways.
“The state’s age and eerie legacy secure its place in the top 10,” the moveBuddha analysts concluded.
On a grimmer note, though, high crime and a long string of unsolved killings contribute to the Sunshine State’s dark reputation.
“Florida hides a darker side beneath its beaches and swamps — 20,000 unsolved murders and 263 ghost towns,” the moveBuddha commentary concluded.
The analysis of Florida also noted there are endless ghost stories that spark scary perceptions of Florida. The moveBuddha comparison even brought up terrifying tales surrounding the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables[4], where notorious gangster Thomas “Fatty” Walsh was shot to death in 1929.
Modern-day lore holds that Walsh’s spirit haunts the 13th floor of the South Florida hotel and routinely shakes glasses and slams doors, and that a phantom body sometimes appears in mirrors, among other spiritual encounters.
New Mexico was ranked the most haunted state in the nation. The Southwest state has an intense history dating back 418 years and shares shaky tales among Native Americans, Spanish residents and other frontier myths. The Acoma Indian tribe’s presence dating back to the year 600 also helped boost New Mexico’s scary score.
West Virginia came in second, with an inventory of nearly 20,000 cemeteries. New Hampshire was ranked third, with an unusual tally of UFO sightings and ghost stories contributing to its unsettling reputation.
References
- ^ moveBuddha (www.movebuddha.com)
- ^ analysis (www.movebuddha.com)
- ^ lighthouse (www.staugustinelighthouse.org)
- ^ Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables (biltmorehotel.com)