Every October, ghost stories and real estate cross paths more than you might expect. Some of the country's most famous "haunted houses" aren't urban legends with no address — they're real, documented properties with deeds, sale histories, and in a few cases, price tags. Here are five of the most well-documented haunted properties in the U.S., where they're located, and what's verified fact versus long-running legend.
1. The Amityville Horror House — Amityville, New York
The history: On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six members of his family inside this Dutch Colonial at what was then 112 Ocean Avenue. That part is a documented, tried-and-convicted criminal case, not legend. The haunting claims came a year later, when the Lutz family moved in and reported paranormal activity so severe they fled after 28 days — a story that became the basis for the best-selling book and film "The Amityville Horror."
Status today: The house is privately owned. A later owner changed the address to 108 Ocean Avenue and altered the distinctive quarter-moon windows, largely to deter sightseers. It sold in 2017 for $605,000 and remains a private residence — not open to visitors.
2. Winchester Mystery House — San Jose, California
The history: Firearms heiress Sarah Winchester spent 36 years (1886–1922) continuously building and rebuilding this sprawling Victorian mansion, reportedly guided by spiritualist advice she sought after the deaths of her husband and infant daughter. The result is a maze of staircases to nowhere, doors that open onto walls, and 160 rooms across 24,000 square feet.
Status today: It's one of the country's most-visited haunted attractions, operating daily as a museum with guided mansion tours, self-guided attic and basement access, and seasonal flashlight tours around Halloween.
3. The Whaley House — San Diego, California
The history: Built in 1856 by Thomas Whaley, this Greek Revival home sits on the site of San Diego's original gallows, where a man named Yankee Jim Robinson was hanged in 1852 — before the house was even built. The Whaley family lived through several personal tragedies here, and the U.S. Department of Commerce has referred to it as "a certified haunted house," a rare official-sounding nod for a private historic site.
Status today: Operated today as a museum in San Diego's Old Town, with daytime self-guided tours, evening guided tours, and after-hours paranormal investigations open to the public.
4. The Myrtles Plantation — St. Francisville, Louisiana
The history: Built in 1796, this plantation home is often billed as "one of America's most haunted houses," largely thanks to the legend of "Chloe," an enslaved woman said to have poisoned the family. Historians have found no records supporting that specific story — the documented deaths in the home were actually from yellow fever — but a separate, verified murder did occur on the property's staircase in 1871, when William Drew Winter was fatally shot and reportedly died on the 17th step.
Status today: Operates as a working bed and breakfast and event venue, with ghost tours offered on-site.
5. The Lizzie Borden House — Fall River, Massachusetts
The history: On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were killed with a hatchet inside this home. Their daughter Lizzie was tried and acquitted, and the case remains one of America's most famous unsolved murders.
Status today: The house now operates as a six-bedroom bed and breakfast and museum offering guided tours, and it has genuinely changed hands as real estate — it was listed for sale at $2 million.
A Real Estate Footnote: Do Sellers Have to Disclose a "Haunted" History?
Here in Florida, the answer is no — Florida law (F.S. 689.25) specifically states that a property's history of death, or a reputation for being haunted or psychologically impacted, is not a material fact that a seller or their agent is required to disclose. Buyers who care about a home's history are welcome to ask directly, but it's not something you'll find flagged on a standard listing. It's a fun bit of real estate trivia worth knowing, whether you're house hunting this October or just enjoy a good ghost story.
Happy haunting — and happy house hunting.
