10 Terrifying True Ghost Stories That Will Haunt Your Dreams

Ghost stories have a way of gripping us, don’t they? There’s something about the idea of spirits lingering among us that sends chills down our spines. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, true ghost stories, accounts from real people, backed by witnesses or historical records, have a unique power to unsettle. These aren’t campfire tales or Hollywood fiction. They’re experiences that left people shaken, questioning what they saw or felt. In this two-part blog, we’ll dive into ten terrifying true ghost stories that might just keep you up at night. From haunted houses to restless spirits, here are the first five stories that will haunt your dreams.

1. The Bell Witch of Tennessee

In the early 1800s, the Bell family in Adams, Tennessee, faced a terrifying ordeal that became one of America’s most famous hauntings. It started in 1817 when John Bell, a farmer, saw a strange creature in his fields—a dog-like figure with glowing eyes. Soon after, his family heard knocking sounds, whispers, and chains dragging across their home at night. The disturbances grew violent. An unseen force slapped the Bell children, pulled their hair, and even attacked John’s wife, Lucy, with scratches.

The entity, known as the “Bell Witch,” seemed to have a voice. It spoke to the family, claiming to be the spirit of a neighbor, Kate Batts, who had a grudge against John. The spirit tormented the family for years, focusing on their daughter Betsy, who was slapped and pinched relentlessly. Visitors, including future president Andrew Jackson, reportedly witnessed the haunting. Jackson’s men fled the property after experiencing unexplained noises and physical attacks.

Historical accounts, including diaries and interviews with neighbors, document the Bell Witch’s terror. The family’s suffering ended only when John Bell died in 1820, possibly poisoned by the entity, which claimed responsibility. The Bell Witch legend, detailed in books like An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch by M.V. Ingram, remains a chilling reminder that some spirits don’t rest easy.

2. The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England, is home to one of the most famous ghost photographs ever taken. The “Brown Lady” is said to be the spirit of Lady Dorothy Walpole, who died in 1726. Her husband, Charles Townshend, reportedly locked her in the mansion after suspecting her of infidelity, and she died under mysterious circumstances. Since then, servants and guests have reported seeing a figure in a brown dress gliding down the grand staircase.

In 1936, two photographers from Country Life magazine captured a now-iconic image of a misty, ghostly figure on the staircase. The photo, published widely, shows a translucent shape that matches descriptions of Dorothy’s ghost. Witnesses, including a British Army officer in the 1830s, described seeing her with glowing, empty eye sockets—a detail that still gives chills.

Skeptics have questioned the photo’s authenticity, but no definitive proof of fraud exists. The Brown Lady’s appearances have slowed in recent decades, but Raynham Hall’s eerie reputation persists. The combination of historical accounts and photographic evidence makes this one of England’s most haunting true ghost stories.

3. The Amityville Horror

The Amityville house in Long Island, New York, became infamous after the Lutz family’s terrifying 28-day stay in 1975. The house had a dark history: a year earlier, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his family there, claiming voices told him to do it. When George and Kathy Lutz moved in with their three children, strange things started happening. They reported cold spots, slamming doors, and a sinister presence. George woke every night at 3:15 a.m., the time of the murders, feeling compelled to check the boathouse.

The family described seeing red eyes glowing outside windows and hearing footsteps in empty rooms. Their daughter, Missy, spoke of an imaginary friend, “Jodie,” who some believe was a demonic entity. Priests called to bless the house fled, warning the family to leave. After 28 days, the Lutzes abandoned their belongings and moved out.

While some question the story’s details, the Lutzes’ accounts, backed by interviews and their book The Amityville Horror, align with neighbors’ reports of odd occurrences. The house still stands, and its chilling legacy continues to draw curiosity and fear.

4. The Ghosts of the Myrtles Plantation

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, is often called one of America’s most haunted homes. Built in 1796, the plantation has a grim history of slavery, murder, and tragedy. One famous ghost is Chloe, an enslaved woman who, according to legend, was hanged after poisoning her master’s family. Guests and staff have seen her apparition, wearing a green turban, wandering the grounds.

Other spirits include the children of the poisoned family, who appear in mirrors or at the foot of beds. Visitors report hearing footsteps, children’s laughter, and piano music from empty rooms. In the 1990s, a guest captured a photo of a shadowy figure near the house, believed to be Chloe. Paranormal investigators have recorded unexplained voices and temperature drops.

The Myrtles’ hauntings are supported by historical records of deaths on the property and countless eyewitness accounts. Today, the plantation operates as a bed-and-breakfast, where brave guests can experience its eerie atmosphere firsthand. The stories of Chloe and others make it a haunting destination.

5. The Enfield Poltergeist

In 1977, a council house in Enfield, London, became the center of one of the best-documented poltergeist cases. The Hodgson family—single mother Peggy and her four children—reported furniture moving, knocking sounds, and objects flying across rooms. The activity centered on 11-year-old Janet, who was sometimes thrown from her bed or spoke in a deep, unnatural voice, claiming to be a man named Bill who died in the house.

Investigators, including Maurice Grosse from the Society for Psychical Research, witnessed the events over 18 months. They recorded levitations, voices, and furniture sliding across floors. Skeptics suggested Janet faked some incidents, but police and journalists also saw unexplained phenomena. A BBC recording captured Janet’s eerie voice, which chilled listeners.

The case, later dramatized in The Conjuring 2, is backed by audio recordings, photos, and witness statements. The Enfield Poltergeist remains a terrifying example of a spirit—or something else—taking hold of a family’s life.

6. The Ghosts of the Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is famous for inspiring Stephen King’s The Shining, but its real-life hauntings are just as unsettling. Built in 1909 by F.O. Stanley, the hotel has hosted countless guests—and, apparently, spirits who never checked out. Staff and visitors report strange occurrences, like piano music playing in the empty ballroom or footsteps echoing in deserted hallways.

One of the most active spirits is Elizabeth Wilson, a housekeeper who survived a gas explosion in Room 217 in 1911. Guests staying in the room say their belongings are moved or unpacked by unseen hands. Others have seen a woman’s figure standing at the foot of their beds. The fourth floor, once a children’s area, is notorious for sounds of laughter and running feet, even when no children are present. Paranormal investigators, including teams from Ghost Hunters, have recorded unexplained voices and captured shadowy figures on camera.

The Stanley’s hauntings are supported by guest testimonies and historical records of deaths and accidents on the property. Its eerie atmosphere draws thrill-seekers, but many leave with stories of their own, convinced something otherworldly roams the halls.

7. The Whaley House Hauntings

The Whaley House in San Diego, California, is often called one of the most haunted houses in America. Built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley, the home served as a residence, store, and even a gallows site. Tragedy struck the family early: their infant son died, and their daughter Violet later took her own life. Locals and visitors believe these events left restless spirits behind.

Guests report seeing apparitions of Thomas Whaley, his wife Anna, and Violet wandering the house. Footsteps creak on the stairs, and chandeliers swing without cause. Some smell cigar smoke or perfume in empty rooms. A chilling account comes from a 1960s visitor who saw a man in period clothing vanish before her eyes. The house’s dark history includes executions on the property, and some claim to see a hanged man’s ghost in the backyard.

The Whaley House Museum keeps detailed records of paranormal reports, and investigators have captured electronic voice phenomena (EVPs) saying names or phrases. The combination of historical tragedies and consistent sightings makes this a truly haunting place.

8. The Ghost of Resurrection Mary

Chicago’s Resurrection Cemetery is home to one of America’s most famous hitchhiking ghosts: Resurrection Mary. Since the 1930s, drivers along Archer Avenue have reported picking up a young woman in a white dress, only for her to vanish from their cars. The legend ties her to a girl named Mary, who died in a hit-and-run accident after leaving a dance in the 1920s or 1930s.

One chilling encounter came in 1976 when a taxi driver picked up a pale, quiet woman near the cemetery. She asked to be dropped off further down the road but disappeared from the back seat before arriving. Other drivers have reported seeing her walking along the road or standing by the cemetery gates. In 1989, a man swore he danced with a cold, silent woman at a local ballroom, only to later connect her description to Mary’s.

Dozens of eyewitness accounts, documented in local newspapers and books like Chicago Haunts by Ursula Bielski, keep Mary’s story alive. Her ghostly presence, tied to a tragic death, continues to spook Chicagoans and curious visitors.

9. The Borley Rectory: England’s Most Haunted House

Borley Rectory in Essex, England, was once called “the most haunted house in England” by psychic researcher Harry Price. Built in 1863 for a rector, the site had a dark history, including rumors of a nun walled up alive in a nearby monastery. From the 1920s to 1930s, residents reported seeing a ghostly nun gliding through the garden, hearing bells ring on their own, and feeling cold spots.

The haunting peaked when the Foyster family lived there in the 1930s. Marianne Foyster experienced poltergeist activity—objects thrown, writing appearing on walls, and even physical attacks. Investigators, including Price, documented footsteps, whispers, and apparitions. A 1939 fire destroyed the rectory, but locals still saw the nun’s ghost near the ruins. Photos from the time show strange mists and shapes around the property.

Price’s book, The Most Haunted House in England, and newspaper reports from the era detail the chilling events. Though some question the Foysters’ claims, the sheer volume of witnesses makes Borley a cornerstone of paranormal history.

10. The Queen Mary’s Haunted Halls

The Queen Mary, a retired ocean liner docked in Long Beach, California, is a floating hotel with a ghostly reputation. Launched in 1936, the ship saw wartime service and numerous deaths, including crew and passengers lost in accidents or illness. Today, guests and staff report paranormal activity in its cabins, engine room, and pool area.

One famous ghost is a young girl named Jackie, believed to have drowned in the ship’s pool in the 1940s. Visitors hear her laughter or see her playing near the now-empty pool. In the engine room, where a worker was crushed in 1966, people report shadowy figures and the sound of clanging metal. Cabin B340 is so active—doors slamming, lights flickering—that it’s often closed to guests.

Paranormal investigators have recorded EVPs and temperature drops, and the ship’s logs confirm deaths on board. The Queen Mary embraces its haunted status, offering ghost tours, but many guests leave rattled by unexplained encounters.

Conclusion

These ten stories—from the Bell Witch to the Queen Mary’s restless spirits—show how real people have faced the unexplainable. Backed by historical records, eyewitness accounts, and sometimes chilling evidence like photos or recordings, these hauntings remind us that some things can’t be easily dismissed. Whether it’s a vengeful entity or a lost soul, these ghosts have left their mark on those who encountered them. So, the next time you hear a strange noise or feel a cold breeze, you might wonder if you’re alone. Sweet dreams… or maybe not.