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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Altoona's Baker Mansion ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Baker Mansion in Altoona ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index. The index ranks 245 Pennsylvania sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Baker Mansion ranks #1. Ironmaster Elias Baker built the Greek Revival mansion in Altoona between 1845 and 1849, and the house is now a museum run by the Blair County Historical Society. Eight separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1852. Guests describe the wedding dress Baker's daughter Anna kept until her death in 1914 moving inside its display case, and visitors report phantom screams from the basement tied to her brother, David Woods Baker, who died in a steamboat boiler explosion.

Statewide, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Baker Mansion, 3419 Oak Lane, Altoona, is a house museum with docent-led tours Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and seasonal evening lantern tours for $5.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/pennsylvania/The fact sheet, with Altoona numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/pennsylvania/Photo: Baker Mansion, on the fact sheet.Venue contact: blairhistory.orgA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Altoona's Baker Mansion ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places
A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Baker Mansion in Altoona ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index. The index ranks 245 Pennsylvania sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Baker Mansion ranks #1. Ironmaster Elias Baker built the Greek Revival mansion in Altoona between 1845 and 1849, and the house is now a museum run by the Blair County Historical Society. Eight separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1852. Guests describe the wedding dress Baker's daughter Anna kept until her death in 1914 moving inside its display case, and visitors report phantom screams from the basement tied to her brother, David Woods Baker, who died in a steamboat boiler explosion.

Statewide, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:
Baker Mansion, 3419 Oak Lane, Altoona, is a house museum with docent-led tours Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and seasonal evening lantern tours for $5.

For media:
The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/pennsylvania/
The fact sheet, with Altoona numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/pennsylvania/
Photo: Baker Mansion, on the fact sheet.
Venue contact: blairhistory.org
A short version follows.

About HauntBound: HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

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Short version

SHORT VERSION

Altoona's Baker Mansion ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places

Baker Mansion in Altoona ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. Ironmaster Elias Baker built the Greek Revival mansion between 1845 and 1849. Guests describe the wedding dress his daughter Anna kept until her death in 1914 moving inside its display case, and visitors report phantom screams from the basement tied to her brother, David Woods Baker, who died in a steamboat boiler explosion. The house museum offers docent-led tours Friday through Sunday.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/pennsylvania/

SHORT VERSION
Altoona's Baker Mansion ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places
Baker Mansion in Altoona ranks #1 among Pennsylvania's most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. Ironmaster Elias Baker built the Greek Revival mansion between 1845 and 1849. Guests describe the wedding dress his daughter Anna kept until her death in 1914 moving inside its display case, and visitors report phantom screams from the basement tied to her brother, David Woods Baker, who died in a steamboat boiler explosion. The house museum offers docent-led tours Friday through Sunday.
Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/pennsylvania/