It’s spooky season, and nothing screams Halloween like a haunted house.
In the US, haunted homes are not only a seasonal staple but also a highly lucrative industry, often raising a town’s profile as a tourist destination.
Haunted houses can make paranormal tourism a profitable economic strategy for cities. American Haunts, an industry trade group, estimated that the haunted-homes industry makes between $300 million and $500 million in ticket sales annually.
However, some homes have such dark histories that they’re better left alone.
To find the most haunted home in every US state, Business Insider considered properties that are known locally for their spooky occurrences or ghost sightings, or ones with horrifying backstories.
Some of these properties are open to the public, while others have undergone transformations and are entirely private residences.
From abandoned mansions to historic hotels, here’s where the spookiest haunted building is hiding in every US state.
WYOMING: Occidental Hotel
Over the years, this historic 1880 hotel has been home to gold miners, criminals, and even served as a brothel at one point.
Guests reported various sightings of a female ghost on the first floor as early as the 1880s, per the hotel’s website.