- The earliest records of haunted houses go back
as far as the ancient Greeks.
Even today, the legends and whispers of things
that go bump in the night continue.
Some of these houses have been so stained
by malevolent ghostly spirits that
they have been abandoned altogether,
and the visitors there are made unwelcome by both the living
and something much worse.
(creepy music)
Here are 10 paranormal abandoned haunted houses.
Number 10 is St. Peter's Seminary.
Built in 1966, St. Peter's Seminary in Cardross, Scotland
was to be a seat of learning for the priesthood.
Slowly but surely, however, it gained a demonic reputation.
After shutting down as a seminary,
the building was repurposed as a drug rehabilitation center.
By the end of the 1980s, it was completely abandoned.
Since then, fire vandalism and the elements
have eaten away at the building, and yet still it stands.
The Catholic Church still pays to insure the building
and has described it as an albatross around
the church's neck.
Ghostly sightings such as phantom priests,
spectral screams, and spontaneous fires
have all been recorded there by those brave enough
to sneak into this place.
All attempts to renovate it have failed,
and some believe this is due to the ghostly figures
which stalk its abandoned rooms and halls.
Number nine is the Sheriff's House.
The Cater House in Buffalo, New York was one
of the most haunted houses in America.
It was so haunted in fact, that it was boarded up,
left to rot, and eventually demolished in 2013
in order to remove the source of spiritual infestation
once and for all.
Like many such places, the house had a checkered history
of both accidents and tragedies, but it was only once
it became vacant due to foreclosure in 1968
that the malevolent spirits really took over.
Many have seen the apparition of Sheriff Donald Caters,
who was the house's last resident.
It was said that the muffled, angry voice
of the sheriff could be heard inside
the dilapidated structure.
Trespassers were urged not to enter the house due
to its fragile state, but some believe this
was a cover story and that the true threat came
from a vengeful spirit.
Number eight is 300 Kim Ma.
This bizarre house in Vietnam is both forbidden and haunted.
Originally constructed to be the Bulgarian embassy,
it was abandoned for an unknown reason.
Unlike many of the surrounding homes,
the building is relatively new, but no less feared
than a creaking old mansion.
Most in the neighborhood refuse to set foot in the building,
and despite efforts as recent as 2014, no one was willing
to renovate it and move in.
Experts in Vietnam have concluded that the land upon
which it lies is bad and this cursed land has brought about
the terrifying apparitions as well as noises
that occur there.
Most frightening of all are the descriptions
of floating white entities with glowing eyes
which have attacked those brave enough to enter
the abandoned building.
300 Kim Ma is now owned by the government
and is still off-limits.
Number seven in Chaonei No. 81.
This house in Beijing is one of the most famous
haunted houses in China.
Because of incomplete historical records,
no one is certain who built the house.
One theory's that it was completed in 1910
and was owned by a man who fled the country,
leaving his wife or mistress behind.
This ties into the terrifying ghost
which is often encountered there.
During the 1960s, communist guards moved in, but soon fled.
Stories circulated that they were chased from the residence
by an unspeakably grotesque spirit.
Lying empty for so many years, locals feared the house,
citing bloodcurdling screams which emanated from it,
especially during thunderstorms.
In just the last year, attempts have been made
to renovate the house and restore it, but for some,
this will only enrage the spirits who walk there even more.
Number six is Manuel Varela House.
Known as the Devil House, this abandoned mansion
in Colombia has a macabre history.
The mansion was owned by a man named Manuel Varela.
He was a physician, but instead of healing people,
it was rumored that he carried out yearly sacrifices
and made a pact with the Devil.
Varela arrived in the area in 1908 from abroad
and quickly accumulated wealth.
Many believed at the time that he was sacrificing
his loved ones who disappeared mysteriously,
and by doing so was rewarded in turn with further fortunes.
Those who live nearby today say that the abandoned house
and its grounds are a hive of paranormal activity
and few dare go there at night.
Some go as far as to say that a shadowy figure
has been seen walking through the grounds
and is none other than the Devil himself.
Number five is Bern's Ghost House.
In the city of Bern, Sweden, there is a medieval house
which has a notorious reputation as one
that you would not want to sleep in.
For much of its most recent life,
it has remained uninhabited, abandoned to silence itself.
There have been several ghostly encounters
at number 54 Junkerngasse.
One of the most compelling involves repeated eyewitnesses
who have seen the body of a headless woman staring
at one of the windows as they walked past.
Many have seen this ghost, most often just after midnight.
Those who have seen her say that her appearance
is accompanied by a horrid cackling laugh.
Despite being in a desirable part of the town,
the house continues to scare away any brave guest,
and has remained on the market for some time.
Number four is the most haunted house in Korea.
This old two-story building in South Korea is feared
by many for more than just its loneliness,
a when tourists ask to see it, many tell them not to go
for fear of disturbing evil spirits which haunt it.
The building can be found north of Pohang Town,
and is often known as Yeongdeok Ghost House.
No one knows why it's abandoned,
as in its heyday during the 1980s, it would have been
an attractive house with beautiful countryside around it.
Several paranormal groups and television crews
have investigated the house, picking up the sounds
of strange disembodied voices as well as seeing apparitions
of soldiers on the property.
It has recently been revealed that the house sits
on top of a mass grave, which is now seen as the cause
of the activity.
Number three is Coolbawn House.
This 19th-century mansion in Ireland has developed
a fearsome reputation as a paranormal hotspot.
Built between 1840 and 1855, the house was once
a lavish spectacle for its owner, Francis Bruen,
who built it for his bride-to-be.
The family had no children, and with its owner spending most
of his time in London, the house and its sprawling grounds
were overseen by a fearsome landlord.
As the Bruen family withered away by 1911,
it was occupied by four servants and then burned
to the ground by the IRA in 1923.
Several apparitions haunt the ruins,
but it is the ghost of a servant girl
which has caused most distress to those trying to visit it.
She was struck by lightning while standing next
to a window, her outline burned into the glass.
Many believe her anguished spirit brought about
the eventual destruction of the house.
Number two is the Old Stone House.
Known as the Herrera House, the Old Stone House can be found
in Taiong in the Philippines.
Built in 1927, the house has a creepy colonial appearance
with lifeless stone statues staring blankly at visitors.
It's been abandoned for some time, and with good reason.
The house was used by Japanese soldiers during
the occupation there, and it's said many atrocities
were committed within the house.
Those atrocities have left an imprint,
with visitors hearing the shackled footsteps
of spectral prisoners of war shuffling across
the stone floors.
The rooms inside have been stripped
of its past regal appearance, but several other spirits
continue to haunt the emptiness.
This includes an elderly couple, a headless apparition,
and another lady whose children can be seen,
but who remains invisible to any adult.
And number one is Al Jazirah Al Hamra.
This is more than just one haunted house,
it's actually an entire village which once housed
nearly 3,000 people.
Local competing groups laid claim to the village throughout
the early 20th century, resulting in an agreement
for most of the people living there to leave.
However, some believe that there's more to it than that.
Those who still live in the region believe
that the empty, abandoned houses attracted something
from the wilderness.
They believe the houses are now haunted
by powerful demonic entities known as djinn.
Brave souls who visit the derelict village have seen
creeping demonic figures between the crumbling buildings.
Visitors are encouraged to leave the houses alone at night,
but several people have ignored this warning
and ran afoul of the djinn, who are said
to feast on the flesh of the living.