From Ohio The Heart of It All
As we celebrate a month of all things creepy and spooky, it’s a great time to explore some of Ohio’s scariest places—at least the ones highlighted by the Ohio tourism department.
Several Northeast Ohio places made the list. Ghost stories aside, any one of the places on the list would be worthy of an autumn jaunt.
Places on Haunted Ohio’s top 24 most haunted places include state parks, old prisons, hotels and tunnels. Download the state’s handy map to find your way to scary places.
Here are a few on the list to get started on your haunted way, according to Ohio’s tourism officials:
Franklin Castle in Cleveland
The notorious building, also known as the Tiedemann House, is a landmark for its haunted history. The stone house was built by Hannes Tiedemann between 1881-83 and was designed by Cleveland’s renowned Cudell and Richardson architectural firm.
Hannes’ wife died in the house, and he sold it a year later in 1896. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that rumors about the building being haunted started. People report flickering lights, sounds of crying babies, and even the ghostly image of a woman in black (who some believe is the ghost of Hannes’ wife, Louise).
Everett Covered Bridge in Peninsula
At the Everett Covered Bridge in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, visitors report ghostly sightings and strange, disembodied voices pleading for help. Perhaps it’s the pleas of a local farmer and his wife.
In 1877, Farmer John Gilson and his wife visited friends one cold winter night. A storm arose as the couple returned home. They needed to ford Furnace Run with their horse-drawn wagon, but rising water and ice blocked their usual crossing. Mr. Gilson began leading his horses across the creek at another crossing, but he and the horses lost their footing. Mrs. Gilson survived the incident, even though she fell into the water as well, but Mr. Gilson did not.
Punderson Manor State Park Lodge in Newbury
Sitting on the edge of Punderson State Park’s lake, the manor falls into the “most haunted hotels” category of haunted attractions, as it is one of the state’s most active sites for ghost sightings. There have been reports of a woman’s laughter drifting through Punderson near the circular staircase that goes from the main lobby to the second floor. Many of Punderson’s visitors and employees also report hearing ghostly children’s laughter in the lodge when there are no known children in the building.
Photo of Punderson Manor Lodge gargoyle, courtesy of Ohio Office of Tourism.
