The Most Haunted Places in Ohio

Ranked

1. 

   1. Franklin Castle Cleveland · Haunted House / Historic Home · Family Comfort: Moderate

   Hannes Tiedemann, a German-born grocer and banker, built Franklin Castle in Cleveland between 1881 and 1883; several family members died during his ownership, though none died inside the house. The haunted reputation took shape in the 1960s, when a family there from 1968 to 1974 described cold rooms, a child crying from the carriage house, and music from the third-floor ballroom when empty. Later research confirmed none of the Tiedemann children died on the property.

   5 original accounts · documented across 3 decades, 1968-2016 · retold in 1 later publication

   Disputed by a historical authority Wikipedia's account states the human bones discovered in a closet in 1975, one of the house's most famous pieces of evidence, are believed to have been planted by a later owner to publicize his ghost tours of the property.

2. 

   2. Madison Seminary Madison · Asylum / Hospital · Family Comfort: Low

   Madison Seminary opened as a boarding school in 1846, became a home for Civil War widows and Army nurses in 1891, and served as a mental-health annex from 1962 to 1975. A 1962 sale advertisement described the building as 'May Be Haunted.' The reputation drew two 2019 television productions, A&E's Ghost Hunters and Travel Channel's Destination Fear, whose crews described voices, shadow figures, and unexplained contact; the building runs as a ghost-hunt venue.

   5 original accounts · documented across 5 decades, 1977-2019 · retold in 5 later publications

3. 

   3. Thurber House Columbus · Museum / Historical Site · Family Comfort: High

   HauntBound identified six distinct published accounts at this museum site, across four kinds of published source. One later publication retells those accounts. Reported phenomena include phantom footsteps.

   6 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1915-2022 · retold in 1 later publication

4. 

   4. Punderson Manor Newbury Township · Haunted Hotel / Inn · Family Comfort: Low

   HauntBound identified nine distinct published accounts at this working hotel, across four kinds of published source. Four later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and cold spots.

   9 original accounts · documented in 1978 · retold in 4 later publications

5. 

   5. Moonville Tunnel McArthur · Outdoor / Natural Site · Family Comfort: Low

   HauntBound identified two distinct published accounts at this outdoor site, across five kinds of published source. Three later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices.

   2 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 2003-2012 · retold in 3 later publications

6. 

   6. Arnold's Bar and Grill Cincinnati · Haunted Dining / Bar · Family Comfort: Moderate

   Arnold's Bar and Grill has operated continuously since 1861, making it Cincinnati's oldest bar, and during Prohibition owner Elmer Arnold reportedly distilled bootleg gin in a second-floor bathtub, now the Bathtub Room. The bar's best-known spirit is Steve Black, a beloved chef who died in 2012 and is described as a white-sweater-clad figure moving between the kitchen and bar, his routine. A second presence tied to the Bathtub Room is attributed to that Prohibition-era bootlegger.

   2 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 2017-2020 · retold in 1 later publication

7. 

   7. Twin City Opera House McConnelsville · Theater / Performance Venue · Family Comfort: Moderate

   HauntBound identified four distinct published accounts at this working theater, across five kinds of published source. Six later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices.

   4 original accounts · documented in 1960 · retold in 6 later publications

8. 

   8. Cincinnati Music Hall Cincinnati · Theater / Performance Venue · Family Comfort: Moderate

   HauntBound identified six distinct published accounts at this working theater, across four kinds of published source. Three later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices.

   6 original accounts · retold in 3 later publications

9. 

   9. Buxton Inn Granville · Haunted Hotel / Inn · Family Comfort: Moderate

   HauntBound identified five distinct published accounts at this working hotel, across six kinds of published source. Three later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and cold spots.

   5 original accounts · retold in 3 later publications

10. 

    10. National Museum of the United States Air Force Dayton · Museum / Historical Site · Family Comfort: High

    HauntBound identified five distinct published accounts at this museum site, across four kinds of published source. One later publication retells those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices.

    5 original accounts · retold in 1 later publication

Superlatives