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America's Most Haunted: The Secrets of Famous Paranormal Places
Combining spine-tingling stories, documented evidence, and interviews with some of the top names in paranormal investigation—including the stars of TV’s “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Adventures,” and more— America’s Most Haunted gives you a terrifying chance to tour our nation’s most famous haunted places...
Throughout the United States, there are places haunted by souls both malevolent and benign. Places where paranormal activity runs rampant. Places where we can glimpse the other side.
In America’s Most Haunted , “Haunted Housewife” investigator Theresa Argie and journalist Eric Olsen team up to take you on a first-person tour of some of America’s most active paranormal hotspots.
Experience the crawl through the death tunnel where visitors have reported sightings of an inhuman creature that creeps along the walls and ceilings. Walk the decks of the Queen Mary with the hundreds of souls that met their ends in watery graves. And get to know the spirits that wait in jails, mansions, lunatic asylums, and even a stately old hotel.
Are you brave enough to take a look?
Throughout the United States, there are places haunted by souls both malevolent and benign. Places where paranormal activity runs rampant. Places where we can glimpse the other side.
In America’s Most Haunted , “Haunted Housewife” investigator Theresa Argie and journalist Eric Olsen team up to take you on a first-person tour of some of America’s most active paranormal hotspots.
Experience the crawl through the death tunnel where visitors have reported sightings of an inhuman creature that creeps along the walls and ceilings. Walk the decks of the Queen Mary with the hundreds of souls that met their ends in watery graves. And get to know the spirits that wait in jails, mansions, lunatic asylums, and even a stately old hotel.
Are you brave enough to take a look?
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2014
66 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Eric Olsen
24 books14 followersI was born and raised in Oakland—go A’s! California. I'm a journalist, editor, and occasional novelist. My sixth non-fiction book, We Wanted to be Writers: Life, Love, and Literature at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, was released August 1, 2011. It's a series of conversations about writing, the creative process, the lit biz, and more with nearly 30 classmates and teachers at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the mid-70s. Among them are TC Boyle, Jane Smiley, John Irving, Sandra Cisneros, Allan Gurganus, Michelle Huneven, Joe Haldeman, and Jayne Anne Phillips. My co-editor is Glenn Schaeffer.
As a journalist I write mostly about culture, also health, fitness, sports, and medicine. But I'll write about anything if it's interesting, and I have. For several years I was an executive editor at Time Inc. Health in San Francisco, a TimeWarner company. Later, I was an affiliate associate professor of English at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where I ran the American branch of the International Institute of Modern Letters, which advocated on behalf of censored and persecuted writers.
I received an MFA in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where I was a Teaching/Writing Fellow. After Iowa, I was awarded a James A. Michener Fellowship for fiction.
I always have a mystery novel or two in the works.
As a journalist I write mostly about culture, also health, fitness, sports, and medicine. But I'll write about anything if it's interesting, and I have. For several years I was an executive editor at Time Inc. Health in San Francisco, a TimeWarner company. Later, I was an affiliate associate professor of English at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where I ran the American branch of the International Institute of Modern Letters, which advocated on behalf of censored and persecuted writers.
I received an MFA in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where I was a Teaching/Writing Fellow. After Iowa, I was awarded a James A. Michener Fellowship for fiction.
I always have a mystery novel or two in the works.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 15, 2015
I bought this book at a recent author event in downtown Cincinnati after meeting Theresa Argie and chatting with her briefly about the haunted locations in her book. Argie and fellow ghost hunter Cathi Weber - otherwise known as the "Haunted Housewives" - have investigated some of the most haunted locations in America. In America's Most Haunted: The Secrets of Famous Paranormal Places, Argie, along with journalist Eric Olsen, has compiled a top ten list of the most active paranormal "hotspots" in the U.S.
Each chapter features a different haunted location and provides historical background information, detaile descriptions of each location, and first-hand accounts from Argie and others who have experienced paranormal activity in these locations.
As a believer of the paranormal, I am fascinated by the technology and investigative tools that allow the living to communicate with the dead. I think that it is a special person who can overcome their fears and provide opportunities for spirits to communicate with the living and possibly help them move past whatever ties their spirits to this world and prevents them from resting in peace. Reading this book was like living vicariously through the author and others whose first-hand accounts are contained within. There were a couple of nights that I was almost too scared to turn off the lights and go to sleep! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the paranormal - believers and skeptics alike!
Each chapter features a different haunted location and provides historical background information, detaile descriptions of each location, and first-hand accounts from Argie and others who have experienced paranormal activity in these locations.
As a believer of the paranormal, I am fascinated by the technology and investigative tools that allow the living to communicate with the dead. I think that it is a special person who can overcome their fears and provide opportunities for spirits to communicate with the living and possibly help them move past whatever ties their spirits to this world and prevents them from resting in peace. Reading this book was like living vicariously through the author and others whose first-hand accounts are contained within. There were a couple of nights that I was almost too scared to turn off the lights and go to sleep! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the paranormal - believers and skeptics alike!
November 14, 2014
Enjoyed this book very much. Well-written, well-researched - the book practically screams 'Primary Source!' all in caps. And though I tend to the skeptical, I respect those who earnestly believe. Plus I've had my own weird experiences, which is maybe why I sometimes gravitate to the subject.
And for the paranormal enthusiast, a must read.
And for the paranormal enthusiast, a must read.
October 26, 2017
3 1/2 stars. A good Halloween read that left me jumpy at night.
December 6, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/am...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Scott
America’s Most Haunted: The Secrets of Paranormal Places takes you through the heartland of America, recounting some of the most unusual activity in the most agreed upon haunted places in modern paranormal research. It was not an easy path to follow but the road was paved with gratuitous historical background, documented cases, and links to web sites carrying regular and infrared imaging video footage, and electronic voice phenomena (EVP) i.e. the recorded sounds of spirits inaudible to the human ear, but within the higher bandwidth of digital recording equipment..
The book is set up as a tour guide with each stop a proven site of paranormal activity, complete with eyewitness accounts, television specials, interviews and professional paranormal investigators’ opinions on any one of these interesting places and venues. The “secrets” are the ghost stories and hauntings recounted with a great deal of authenticity by active paranormal expert Theresa Argie compiled by journalist Eric Olsen.
I found the book to be a refreshing light read, and even checked out some of the web sites and links just to make sure it was accurate and up to date; I wasn’t disappointed and some of the footage is remarkable. The liberal “boxed text” provided background on the terminology, and equipment used in current paranormal investigation, easing me into the lives of the people behind some of the modern television shows dealing with phenomena and “fringe science,” that in which scientific methodology is applied, but with no physical theory to back it up.
Each of the cases were interesting, especially with the aforementioned historical insight as to why the spiritual world would integrate with ours in each of the areas. The novel is laid out in the following fashion: site ranking; historical background; casefile reports with firsthand accounts of the phenomena or a recounting of paranormal experiences that are well documented especially on television shows such as Paranormal State and Fact or Faked; often a postscript or summary of the locale; booking numbers and information lines; and even a list of hotels in the vicinity of each area!
The investigator’s reports ranged from the mundane to the downright eerie, and it’s this bit of insight that glues what would otherwise be a ghost-hunter’s travelogue. Each investigative team, or Theresa’s personal accounts of each of the places, brightens some of the more mysterious aspects by explaining how paranormal researchers conduct their investigations into the unexplained. Also, the extended bibliography in to the locales discussed gives the intrepid investigator more to sink their teeth into.
If you’re a fan of supernatural or paranormal, be it literary or on T.V Shows like Paranormal State or Fact or Faked, than there is definitely something in the book for you. If your inner “fringe scientist” gets the better of you, you might want to plan a road trip across America’s Most Haunted: Secrets of Paranormal Places.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Scott
America’s Most Haunted: The Secrets of Paranormal Places takes you through the heartland of America, recounting some of the most unusual activity in the most agreed upon haunted places in modern paranormal research. It was not an easy path to follow but the road was paved with gratuitous historical background, documented cases, and links to web sites carrying regular and infrared imaging video footage, and electronic voice phenomena (EVP) i.e. the recorded sounds of spirits inaudible to the human ear, but within the higher bandwidth of digital recording equipment..
The book is set up as a tour guide with each stop a proven site of paranormal activity, complete with eyewitness accounts, television specials, interviews and professional paranormal investigators’ opinions on any one of these interesting places and venues. The “secrets” are the ghost stories and hauntings recounted with a great deal of authenticity by active paranormal expert Theresa Argie compiled by journalist Eric Olsen.
I found the book to be a refreshing light read, and even checked out some of the web sites and links just to make sure it was accurate and up to date; I wasn’t disappointed and some of the footage is remarkable. The liberal “boxed text” provided background on the terminology, and equipment used in current paranormal investigation, easing me into the lives of the people behind some of the modern television shows dealing with phenomena and “fringe science,” that in which scientific methodology is applied, but with no physical theory to back it up.
Each of the cases were interesting, especially with the aforementioned historical insight as to why the spiritual world would integrate with ours in each of the areas. The novel is laid out in the following fashion: site ranking; historical background; casefile reports with firsthand accounts of the phenomena or a recounting of paranormal experiences that are well documented especially on television shows such as Paranormal State and Fact or Faked; often a postscript or summary of the locale; booking numbers and information lines; and even a list of hotels in the vicinity of each area!
The investigator’s reports ranged from the mundane to the downright eerie, and it’s this bit of insight that glues what would otherwise be a ghost-hunter’s travelogue. Each investigative team, or Theresa’s personal accounts of each of the places, brightens some of the more mysterious aspects by explaining how paranormal researchers conduct their investigations into the unexplained. Also, the extended bibliography in to the locales discussed gives the intrepid investigator more to sink their teeth into.
If you’re a fan of supernatural or paranormal, be it literary or on T.V Shows like Paranormal State or Fact or Faked, than there is definitely something in the book for you. If your inner “fringe scientist” gets the better of you, you might want to plan a road trip across America’s Most Haunted: Secrets of Paranormal Places.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
September 30, 2014
As someone who writes nonfiction ghost books and investigates the paranormal, both for fun, Paranormal World Seekers, and even for my books, when I had the chance to review this book, I agreed and settled in to enjoy it, which I did.
Mr. Olsen and Ms. Argie take readers through a spooky tour of what they consider the most haunted spots in the United States. Ms. Argie has teamed with fellow Haunted Housewife Cathi Weber (both are part of a three member team based along the shores of Lake Erie in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland that has done “Paranormal Challenges” on TV) for investigations in some of these places. Like the Queen Mary in Long Beach, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia, and many of the others. Some, she has done with Mr. Olsen, like at the infamous Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the same hotel where Stephen King had written his terrifying novel, The Shining. Included also, are various interviews with people who work or live at these places, along with investigations led by Zach Baggins of Ghost Adventurers and SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, too.
Both authors draw you into these their adventures with the supernatural and whether an investigator of the paranormal or of the armchair variety, or even a skeptic, this book out just in time for Halloween and the cooler nights of autumn, will bring chills skittering up your spine and have you making sure all the lights are on in your house or apartment before you continue to read on.
Read the rest of the review at http://www.ismellsheep.com/2014/09/bo...
Mr. Olsen and Ms. Argie take readers through a spooky tour of what they consider the most haunted spots in the United States. Ms. Argie has teamed with fellow Haunted Housewife Cathi Weber (both are part of a three member team based along the shores of Lake Erie in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland that has done “Paranormal Challenges” on TV) for investigations in some of these places. Like the Queen Mary in Long Beach, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia, and many of the others. Some, she has done with Mr. Olsen, like at the infamous Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the same hotel where Stephen King had written his terrifying novel, The Shining. Included also, are various interviews with people who work or live at these places, along with investigations led by Zach Baggins of Ghost Adventurers and SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, too.
Both authors draw you into these their adventures with the supernatural and whether an investigator of the paranormal or of the armchair variety, or even a skeptic, this book out just in time for Halloween and the cooler nights of autumn, will bring chills skittering up your spine and have you making sure all the lights are on in your house or apartment before you continue to read on.
Read the rest of the review at http://www.ismellsheep.com/2014/09/bo...
September 8, 2016
This book gives a lot of history to some of the most infamous haunted locations like Bobby Mackey's Music World, The Stanley Hotel (where Stephen King got his inspiration for The Shinning) just to name a couple. A very good book if you are into the paranormal, and a nice history lesson on the locations.
October 5, 2025
Adding these places to my “places I want to travel” list!
February 19, 2017
I like reading about ghosts, even though I don't personally believe (I have yet to see any real evidence of them). But I still like "spooky" things, so I picked up this book in the local library, especially once I flipped to the back and saw that is the #1 most haunted place (at least according to this book). I've been there before . And it is indeed a creepy place.
My first bone to pick, however, is the subtitle: "The Secrets of Famous Paranormal Places." Some of these places are famous, but some of them aren't. And the authors purport to be listing the most haunted places, not the most famous haunted places (which are not one and the same!). Some of those in the bottom ten, for example, I've never heard of, and I've read a lot of books in this genre.
My second point of contention is that this book just really isn't well-written. I was looking for something more carefully edited, and perhaps more about the history of said places. But, as with most books in this genre, the book is all over the place. Although it is divided into ten sections, each section feels like scattershot. There's someone's personal experience here, then some history, then more personal experiences, then a little history, then some conjecture, etc. Can we just put the absolute, known history in one section of the chapter? That's what interests me, anyway.
I don't get scared easily, and I suppose that is what I am looking for when I read these books. Nothing scary here, though. I would recommend checking out #1 if you can, though. It's definitely very creepy in person, especially at dusk.
My first bone to pick, however, is the subtitle: "The Secrets of Famous Paranormal Places." Some of these places are famous, but some of them aren't. And the authors purport to be listing the most haunted places, not the most famous haunted places (which are not one and the same!). Some of those in the bottom ten, for example, I've never heard of, and I've read a lot of books in this genre.
My second point of contention is that this book just really isn't well-written. I was looking for something more carefully edited, and perhaps more about the history of said places. But, as with most books in this genre, the book is all over the place. Although it is divided into ten sections, each section feels like scattershot. There's someone's personal experience here, then some history, then more personal experiences, then a little history, then some conjecture, etc. Can we just put the absolute, known history in one section of the chapter? That's what interests me, anyway.
I don't get scared easily, and I suppose that is what I am looking for when I read these books. Nothing scary here, though. I would recommend checking out #1 if you can, though. It's definitely very creepy in person, especially at dusk.
December 30, 2014
Part paranormal investigation, part historic accounts and chock full of things that go bump in the night, this light entertaining travelogue examines some of the more haunted places in the country. For believers, there is everything from foul smelling dogs to menacing specters to the ghosts of murder victims and more. Skeptical readers will enjoy the fascinating histories of these locations and learning about the investigative techniques employed by paranormal experts Theresa Argie and Cathi Weber. Eye witness interviews, terminology explanations, equipment descriptions along with copious information about each location allow readers to explore these sites in person. Haunted places all over the countryside including the Toilet Room of the closed Ohio State Reformatory, the Lemp Mansion in St Louis, Missouri, the Stanley Hotel in CO which was made infamous in The Shining and the decks of none other than the Queen Mary now moored off Long Beach, CA are just a few of the sites included. Regardless if you believe in hauntings or not, this guide is interesting and encourages readers to go out and discover the truth for themselves.
July 19, 2018
I had heard of some of the places listed in the book before, but there were several that I was not familiar with. There are a few pictures in the center of the book, but otherwise, each entry contains some history about the building in question and information about ghost hunting tour groups if you are interested. I would go and see most of the buildings described in the book. There is probably only one that I would not care to see in person. If you are considering visiting a place that is considered to be genuinely haunted, this book is a great place to start.
October 29, 2015
This was actually written by both Theresa Argie, a professional ghost hunter, and Eric Olsen. The final two chapters were on the Waverly Hills Sanatorium and the Ohio State Reformatory, what the authors consider the two most haunted places in America. I like the way this book is set up. There are 10 sections in descending order of their opinion of the 10 most haunted places in America. Whether or not you agree with their choices, anyone familiar with ghost hunters today has heard of these places. Each chapter begins with an introduction to the location, its history and some experiences people have had. Then they take you on the "haunted tour" through each part of the location, detailing the personal experiences of either the author or another ghost hunter, ending with a conclusion and extensive details on what to do if you plan to visit the place, including lists of local hotels, who to contact for tours, etc. This is one of the best books I've read so far on exploring haunted places, and I recommend it as a reference tool.
July 9, 2017
I'm obsessed with the paranormal. As in I watch Ghost Adventures religiously obsessed so I was excited to find a book about some of the most haunted places in America.
What started out as excitement quickly turned into disappointment with this one, unfortunately. The writing style was all over the place with one section being about history of the locations, then someone's personal experience, then someone talking, then more history, etc. Sometimes dividing a book into sections can work but this just seemed choppy.
My biggest issue was that the author seemed to be trying too hard to prove she is a ghost hunter and by that I mean every page just about was cram full of "ghost hunting words" that made it read like a B rate movie.
I appreciate what the author is trying to do, but I'll stick with Zak Bagans.
What started out as excitement quickly turned into disappointment with this one, unfortunately. The writing style was all over the place with one section being about history of the locations, then someone's personal experience, then someone talking, then more history, etc. Sometimes dividing a book into sections can work but this just seemed choppy.
My biggest issue was that the author seemed to be trying too hard to prove she is a ghost hunter and by that I mean every page just about was cram full of "ghost hunting words" that made it read like a B rate movie.
I appreciate what the author is trying to do, but I'll stick with Zak Bagans.
October 22, 2015
This book was CREEPY. There were definitely points where I needed to stop reading because I was home alone and it was late and I was scaring myself.
It's long but has a lot of natural stopping places which was nice for times when I only had a few minutes to read.
Bottom line: Check it out for some fun scares!
It's long but has a lot of natural stopping places which was nice for times when I only had a few minutes to read.
Bottom line: Check it out for some fun scares!
April 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this collection, which lists the top haunted locations in the nation. Each chapter goes in-depth on the history and the hauntings. The format of going room to room is a bit unusual, but it works well. I love the variety of first-hand accounts given, and the tidbits on terms and the technology used was a nice touch. This is a great read for those interested in the paranormal.
October 20, 2014
As a paranormal investigator, this was a great insight to some of the places I had only heard about but haven't visited yet. I have started my 'Bucket List' of sites to now visit! Road trip anyone???
August 19, 2016
I love this stuff almost as much as horror. A great addition to any person's library. Awesome pictures and detail on handling the equipment to hunt ghosts as well as the experiences. I have actually been to The Stanley, so that was extra cool. LOVED IT
August 13, 2023
3.5 stars.
This is a list of ten haunted locations in the US. Each chapter gives you a brief history of the location, a tour of the haunted rooms as well as experiences by the author, workers and other people in the paranormal field.
I think if you've watched or read or are a fan of paranormal and spooky stories none of these locations are going to be new to you and because of that a lot of the witness accounts are things that have already been mentioned in paranormal shows. So in that regard I didn't learn that much new information, but the stories were still spooky enough that I enjoyed it.
This is a list of ten haunted locations in the US. Each chapter gives you a brief history of the location, a tour of the haunted rooms as well as experiences by the author, workers and other people in the paranormal field.
I think if you've watched or read or are a fan of paranormal and spooky stories none of these locations are going to be new to you and because of that a lot of the witness accounts are things that have already been mentioned in paranormal shows. So in that regard I didn't learn that much new information, but the stories were still spooky enough that I enjoyed it.
January 25, 2019
This is a great book if you are interested in reading about paranormal activity at different locations. Loved loved loved the book...one of the places is not far from where I live in Long Beach, CA. I don't know if I would personally want to go ghost hunting...but I love reading about it.
If you like reading about people's experiences this is the book for you...and it provides details regarding if you want to visit and where to stay.
If you like reading about people's experiences this is the book for you...and it provides details regarding if you want to visit and where to stay.
March 21, 2018
This isn't so much a hauntings/ghost stories book as a kind of travel guide to the top ten most haunted places in American according to the authors. Some might agree with their list; others will not. Not a bad book for what it is but not entirely what I was expecting it to be. The personal experiences were a nice addition to the history and tales for each site but it still underwhelmed me.
October 27, 2017
Love reading about these real haunted places. My wife and I did an overnight ghost hunt at the OSR in Mansfield ~ spookiest place I have ever been in my life.
Felt the negative energy ~ caught an orb on camera in the chapel. Definitely worth the time to go walk through.
Felt the negative energy ~ caught an orb on camera in the chapel. Definitely worth the time to go walk through.
March 26, 2020
This was a really nice read. I think the only issue and it wasn't even huge was that I would rearrange some of the places number wise and save some to be towards the end.
June 13, 2021
Nice read - history, photos and some spooky encounters. Nothing overdone or over-dramatised.
December 26, 2022
Just meh. Cool information if you are looking to travel to the locations that are discussed. However, there’s no real earth shattering information in this book.
August 14, 2015
A great book for paranormal enthusiasts. Gives background and personal experiences from employees, other investigators and visitors. I only have one issue: the history and insights seemed to have much less substance as the book got down to the #1 Most Haunted - it felt like they ran out of steam towards the end.
February 16, 2015
Meh
Review must have twenty words. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Meh.
Review must have twenty words. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Meh.
November 7, 2016
Good for those who have the interest in the paranormal.
December 24, 2016
Well written, informative, interesting tales of paranormal activity in various places throughout the United States. Including, The Queen Mary, where ghostly images abound of those who died during WWI when the ship was used to carry soldiers across the sea. The Knickerbocker Hotel in Linesville, PA where spirits like to take tangible items and make them disappear, The Willoughby Coal and Garden Center where ghosts of those who live in the past frequently come though and communicate, including an old dog, and of course, the highlight is the famous hotel where Stephen King stayed, experienced paranormal activities which then prompted him to write one of his best selling books, The Shining.
Worth the read, and well researched.
Worth the read, and well researched.
April 12, 2017
I found this book quite boring despite an interest in the subject. The cases were shortly covered and talked more about what happened to the suspected spirits than actual hauntings. I would not recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews