13 Scariest Cemeteries Around the World You Should Never Visit at Night
Cemeteries remind us of the dead that once walked our earth. Some graveyards, however, break this earthly connection, and provide a chilling atmosphere that will unnerve even the boldest of souls. Some of the most mysterious and lore filled locales of cemeteries in the world are reputed to be some of the scariest cemeteries in the world, and you might not want to visit after dark.
Why are these cemeteries so scary? Is it the damp stillness of the air now, the yawning crypts proclaiming old secrets, those restless spirits prowling the fog choked grounds? Perhaps it is a combination of it all that makes its ambiance so ideal for a hair raising encounter. From thrill seekers to casual tourists, these cemeteries offer a spine tingling journey into the side of history that you may not have experienced.
Highgate Cemetery, England
London’s Highgate Cemetery is more than just a graveyard for the dead, it is a popular site for ghost hunters, especially after dark when it is overgrown with ivy and Gothic tombs. Local lore attributes the cemetery to the Highgate Vampire — an apparition said to be haunting the grounds since the 1970s. There is no definite evidence to show that the vampire actually existed but visitors have reported strange cold spots and always have a feeling of being watched.
La Noria Cemetery, Chile
Although it is remote, the desolate La Noria Cemetery in the Atacama Desert is haunting. During the day, it is a strange place for those who have an interest in the abandoned mining town nearby. At night, it becomes a backdrop for a whole host of paranormal stories including ghostly apparitions of figures walking among the ruined graves. The cemetery is macabre, due to the stark environment, and the history of hardship the miners went through.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, USA
Famed for its voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, New Orleans’s St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the Maghera of the American South. People visiting her tomb often leave their offerings of hope to the spirit world. Because of its labyrinthine layout and its history of voodoo ceremonies, the cemetery is a favorite spot for the supernatural enthusiast, especially those interested in the mix of Catholic and African spiritual practices. But the real scare is the creepy feeling that you are being followed that so many people report while visiting at night.
Aoyama Cemetery, Tokyo, Japan
Aoyama Cemetery is one of Tokyo’s oldest and largest cemeteries, which becomes eerily so at night when its dense inner pathways are blocked with modern city lights. Cherry blossoms are known in spring, but its beauty doesn’t dispel the chilling stories of apparitions seen floating between the rows of cherry trees when the flowers bloom. Locals recommend staying away at night when spirits are purported to be more active and in a less than inviting mood.
Buenos Aires La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery, in the streets of Buenos Aires, is a city of the dead with elaborate mausoleums and high profile figures buried there, including Eva Perón. Narrow pathways in a labyrinth like layout can make you feel as if there are more then just your shadow following you. Often visitors have reported a sudden drop in temperature and the inexplicable scent of roses with no source whatsoever.
Capuchin Crypt, Rome
Rome’s Capuchin Crypt is not your typical cemetery at all, but rather a macabre gallery filled with the bones of over 4,000 Capuchin monks. Chilling decorations fill the crypt, full skeletal figures are among the decorations, along with bone chandeliers, as a silent, screaming reminder of mortality. This site cannot be visited at night—and maybe for a good reason, as the dimly lit corridors and skeletal art are enough to chill anyone to the bone.
Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Chicago, USA
One of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States is Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, near Chicago. Notorious for its many ghost sightings, this small, abandoned cemetery holds infamy for the photograph of the ‘White Lady’ holding an infant, which was taken in the cemetery and still causes debate. It is said that some of the unrested souls from that era of Prohibition are still in the nearby pond, which was used for body disposal.
The Catacombs, Paris, France
The Catacombs of Paris are an ossuary, containing the remains of more than six million people. By day, its cramped, bone lined corridors are unsettling enough; at night, they become a claustrophobic nightmare. It doesn’t take much for visitors to describe feelings of hopelessness and being yanked or touched by unseen hands. The Catacombs are not traditionally a cemetery, but a mass grave which tells an ugly story of Paris’s past.
Edinburgh, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Scotland
Greyfriars Kirkyard is famous for not only its long history, but also for the Covenanters’ Prison section of the graveyard and its associated poltergeist activity. Visitors have reported scratches, bruises and fainting, but some of the incidents have been blamed on the evil spirit of George Mackenzie, who was buried here in the 17th century. It’s well known that Greyfriars has a macabre reputation, and local ghost tours are plentiful and popular, if not for, then certainly because of the spine-chilling tales.
Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic
An atmosphere of melancholy and foreboding is foisted upon you by this Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, whose tightly packed gravestones lean against each other being covered with moss. The already heavy ambiance gets added an eerie layer by stories of the Golem of Prague. The Golem is said to still stand watch over the graves … created by the local synagogue’s rabbi to defend his people, its presence is like a spectral protector in the cramped, packed stone.
Père Lachaise Cemetery — Paris, France
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the final resting place of famous people, like Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf, and draws many visitors. Its vast size and ancient crumbling mausoleums have more to them than celebrity graves. The tales of spectral figures drifting between the tombs at night and a silence so deep you’d think the city of Paris had moved miles away. Those who travel its paths after sundown say that the temperature drops suddenly and that they’re being followed by something unseen.
Waverley Cemetery — Sydney, Australia
Located on cliffs, Waverley Cemetery has a beautiful view over the ocean by day and a haunting scene at night. The isolation and relentless sea wind can fool you into thinking you’re not alone. Some say his spirit still recites verses by moonlight, and Australian author and poet Henry Lawson is buried here.
Resurrection Cemetery, Chicago, USA
One of the most famous ghost stories of the United States is the legend of Resurrection Mary, and she’s buried in Chicago’s Resurrection Cemetery. Several drivers have reported picking up a young female hitchhiker from the cemetery gates, who vanishes by the cemetery gates since the 1930s. Those who do visit at night keep an eye out for Mary, hoping to catch a glimpse of her or perhaps preferring she stay a story.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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