Passport to the Paranormal: Your Guide to Haunted Spots in America

by Rich Newman

Real American Hot Spots

Every state has its spooky paranormal locations. This book lists 200 haunted hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, and other haunted spaces that you can visit for yourself in all fifty states. In Passport to the Paranormal , expert ghost hunter Rich Newman explores the nature of each location's activity and provides historical details. You also will find photos that help bring the stories alive. These active locations are operating businesses, so you, too, can experience the haunts and apparitions. Gallivant with ghostly gunfighters at Big Nose Kate's Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona. Take a twirl with the Lady in Blue at the Moss Beach Distillery in California. Try not to get pranked by the Sheriff, the resident spirit at the Grand Old Lady Hotel in Balsam, North Carolina. Discover these and hundreds more stories of hauntings, specters, and things that go bump in the night in this treasure trove of real paranormal activity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal

416 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2021

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect Halloween read! I love all things "ghost hunting" so I knew without a doubt this was going to be an enjoyable read for me. And it was! 51 different spooky places to read about. The history of each place, with some personal stories sprinkled throughout. It would have been cool if the ARC version I received had included the photos and not just blank squares, but what can you do. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always up for a good ghost story and learning the history behind the haunting of a place. I saw this title and was eager to explore some of the places in the US that are known for their ghosts.

Rich Newman started out as a hobby ghost hunter and then turned professional with shows and books to prove it. Passport to the Paranormal is being released as a ‘Best of…’ style of book on the anniversary of the release of his first book. So, it is not comprehensive of all his explorations nor of all the haunted locations in the US. That said, he included at least one location and often several for each state.

Passport to the Paranormal reads like a combination of travelogue, historical facts on locations and people, and fun ghostly venture options. Each entry is quick and engaging. Sprinkled throughout, Rich Newman shares his own supernatural encounters at a location named in the book. I’m not sure whether I envy him for having so many encounters or relieved that I’m not a ghost magnet like Rich. Or, perhaps, he has these encounters because he is out there actively trying to engage with the spirit world.

I appreciated that the author mostly included off the beaten path types of places that haven’t made the big shows or news, but he does include a few of those. I was startled to discover that places I visited in Idaho, in California, and in Michigan were on his list. Let me add that I had no ghostly visitations or weird happenings. The author gave a brief history of the location and people, why it is considered haunted, where, and by who if they have that worked out, but then he goes on to include why it is also a great travel destination, too. So, whether one experiences a close encounter with a ghost or nor, the trip is still well worth the visit.

All in all, it was an entertaining and interesting selection of places that the reader can flip to the state or the location by using the index or simply read it cover to cover. There are maps and pictures liberally sprinkled throughout. Definitely recommend for a bit of something different in a travelogue or a ghost hunter hobby read.

I rec'd an eARC from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC]

As a citizen of New York I went straight to that chapter first. I was happy to see the Merchant House museum on there (I visited it recently!) but was a little sad that the Morris-Jumel Mansion was not mentioned. It is the oldest and (supposedly) the most haunted house in the city.

That being said, this would make a cute reference/guidebook to any paranormal fans or ghost hunters. I wish each entry was a little more detailed or included photos (perhaps the final version might be illustrated).

[Bel Hernández · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dame el libro sobre lugares embrujados más machistas y racistas que tengas. No, no tanto.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked how this book is somewhat short and concise. The author compiled historical information about a handful of haunted locations within each US state, as well as some personal stories from a good number of these places. The book is organized by state.

You can read it from cover to cover, though sometimes I felt it was slightly repetitive within each state, in the case he went to multiple places within the same city (such as New Orleans). Or, you could skim through each state you’re interested in.

I really liked that this book had a nice mix of a few places I had heard of before, but also places that aren’t frequently covered by other paranormal books or tv shows. I felt this was well done within a lot of the states I personally have lived in.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read on some of the most notoriously haunted hotels, mansions, prisons, hospitals, etc in the United States.

I would have liked if I could’ve seen the photos, but I know this isn’t the fault of the author as I think it was just the format of the ARC I received. The author did reference photos, so I believe this won’t be an issue for anyone who purchases this book once it is officially released.

[Rebecca Elson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 09/01/2021.

I love books that give me excuses. Books about magical cocktails as an excuse to drink. Books about food magic as an excuse to eat. Books about magical places as an excuse to travel. I’m an enabler who loves to be enabled herself. Therefore, I read “Passport to the Paranormal: Your Guide to Haunted Spots in America” by Rich Newman. (“200 Terrifying Places You Can Visit!” the cover touts.)

There is no shortage of ways to learn about creepy locales, in America or internationally, particularly if you have access to the Discovery Channel. Even the book’s author refers to visiting many of the locations mentioned in the book while filming for a Japanese television show about the paranormal. I’m not going to lie; the paranormal location marketplace is crowded. Bordering on, too crowded? Yet here I am, writing about Newman’s latest. Why?

“Passport to the Paranormal” narrows the focus to the United States and given the lockdown way we’re living our lives these days closer to home is good. Also, I don’t know the author personally, but in writing he’s far more entertaining than many hosts of paranormal television shows. And in even more enabling, “Passport to the Paranormal” also includes tourism tips.

Rich Newman’s “Passport to the Paranormal” is a thorough and entertaining entry in the paranormal places’ genre. If you’re looking for an excuse to travel, you’ll find it here!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened this book, and it was a pleasant surprise! Passport to the Paranormal is essentially a haunted travel guide. It picks a few of the best hotels, inns, B&Bs, and attractions in each state in the US (if by best you mean most haunted) so if you’re looking to book a spooky trip away, you’ve got a handy guide right at your fingertips.

I’m not in the States and, given the travel situation currently, I’m not likely to go any time soon. So this was a pure interest book for me, and it was still absolutely worth it for that. I thought it was really well laid out - each state was listed alphabetically then each haunted locale had a historical (haunted) thumbnail description, what to expect/hope for, best areas to go/rooms to book/tours to take.

I especially enjoyed the little historical blurb each locale had. Newman managed to consolidate a lot of information down into a few really interesting and informative paragraphs. My only quibble was that I was keen for more of the history around the haunted areas, but also do recognise that this wasn’t the type of book that lends itself to that.

A must read if you’re into paranormal experiences or ghost hunting - especially if you’re planning a trip within the US!

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 4 out of 5]

trigger warning
mention of: suicide, lynching, medical fraud, earthquake
haven't read the whole book, after a while I just leafed through it, so not all is mentioned

What it says on the tin: This is a travel guide leading you to haunted spots in the USA, sorted by state. So this is to be used to either gather information or make a travel plan, and it includes public places, mostly hotels and spas, you can visit.
It comes with a short description of the place's history, and if you need to book a certain room or if the hotel has multiple buildings, it tells you where to be if you're going there to experience paranormal activity.
Some entries have descriptions of encounters the author had in those places, and a few come with photos of the places. All of them are listed with the link to the places website for the traveller's convenience.

I read the first 60 pages of this page by page, and then started leafing through. If I had the physical copy, I am sure it would be perfect for putting in the bathroom and reading a few entries now and then.
I requested this because I love ghost stories, and I got what I wanted. I am not planning to travel in the near future, because, well, world news.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

[G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected... I was hoping for more background on the goings-on and some meat-on-the-bones storytelling, but the hauntings are all dealt with in a rather dry, perfunctory fashion. It's always a little bit of history on a place, then something like "the ghost of a girl/soldier/unknown man is supposed to wander the second floor", and finally something helpful along the lines of "Don't forget to sample the breakfast!"
The Personal Experience chapters following some of the described locations were more fun, going into more depth; after a while I found myself just skimming the unaccompanied locations, focusing instead on the ones that had some personal experience attached. If I lived in the US or was planning a trip, I definitely would use this book as some kind of guide of where to go, but for armchair travel I found it a bit basic. Still, a nice, solid read, much better written than other ghost guide books out there (e.g. another Llewellyn title I recently had the privilege to review).
The Netgalley copy I received unfortunately did not include any pictures, which didn't make reviewing this any easier.

[Heather Daughrity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little travel guide type book, detailing purportedly haunted locations in each of the fifty states.

The entries are listed alphabetically by state, and each is roughly between one and five pages long. A little history of each location is given, followed by the common ghostly reports related to the place. Some entries also have personal stores from the author briefly detailing a personal experience he has had in that particular place.

Naturally I was most interested in the listing for my home state of Oklahoma. There are two listings: The Stone Lion Inn in Guthrie, which I have definitely heard of but never been to; and Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, which I HAVE been to but alas, have never experienced anything paranormal at.

This is a book that would be handy when planning a trip OR would be great as a "coffee table book" (or, dare I say, bathroom reading) as it would be fun to pick up and read a few entries at a time when you have a few minutes to spare.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast, fun read. I love reading about haunted places, and the history of a place. Why the place is supposed to be haunted is almost more interesting to me than the actual ghost story. Yes, I am a history nerd. It was interesting to read about what the author obviously considers the top haunted spots in each state.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the description of the TV program the author was filming when he had some of his personal experiences. The idea of putting an unwitting person in a haunted location and filming them, without telling them, just doesn't sit well with me. Seems like typical shock TV and and makes me question the author's motives.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

[Christine]

This is a book strictly for the people looking to take a tour around America hitting all of the hotspots for paranormal activity along the way. Separated by states this would be a great way to check out state by state where you Need to stop along the way for a spooky trip! The author does pepper his own experiences in along the book, explaining the circumstances as well as what they experienced. I loved hearing the background of all of the haunted places, as well as some skepticism along the way.

If you are looking to take a paranormal trip around the US, find places in your state to check out, or just take a virtual tour through your imagination, then this is a good book for you.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written snippets full of history and ghostly encounters. I like the way it was laid out with each story having the history, then the encounters, followed by tourist information about the particular site, making it easier to plan your visit to the location. I only wish I had been able to read it sooner - there are some places that I didn't know about when I visited some of the cities; gives me a good reason to now go back.

I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always had a healthy curiosity for the paranormal, and this book was amazing! I loved that the paranormal history was mixed between historical information and paranormal information. There was also information there that helped you plan a trip if you wanted to visit these locations, which was kind of nice. While there were a few well-known spots that even ghost shows have covered, I did notice that he managed to include some spots that I previously did not know about and that was really neat! I think my favorite spot that it talked about was The Magnolia Hotel. Living in Texas is one of the locations that has been talked about and I've known of several people that have had experiences and I think it's just fascinating! 

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passport to the Paranormal is a hauntingly good read. Overall, it's a good blend of popular and less known haunted sights in each state but not all states received the same spotlight. A perfect gift for any ghost haunting fan.

Thank you NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars. Passport to the Paranormal collects the stories of haunted spots across the United States, including the histories and occurrences for each location. Don't miss this one if you like a good ghost story -- it's perfectly spooky read for this time of year. This would be a perfect tool in planning a hair-raising road trip... I'm kind of excited just thinking about doing that.

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

I really shouldn't have read this because I added more places I want to travel to my bucket list. Haha thank you Rich Newman. This is perfect for those to love ghost stories and the love of travel. I really can't wait to travel to some of the places mentioned in this book.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me give my honest review.

[Kimberly Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so so good! Passport to the paranormal made me want to pack my bags and travel across the USA! Not only does the novel tell you the rich history of each location but also a few personal experiences from the author which I really liked! Will be buying for sure!

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would use it as travel guide if I wanted to organize a haunted place tour of USA.
I liked the stories told, the clarity of the explanations and how the book is organized.
informative and interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Brianna Kinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a long and interesting read. I had to force myself to continue reading it since it didn’t flow nicely in my mind. I was also a little disappointed that there weren’t more places for Wisconsin.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books which gives history and ghost stories. This book does not disappoint. The layout of the book gives the history then the location. I love how there is a place in each of the 50 states. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love stories about haunted locations and this book does not disappoint. It includes stories from all 50 states. This book is great for all of tge paranormal lovers and grest for this time of year.

[Debbie Means · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book that gives short info on many different haunted places.

[Wendy Eskew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book. I love that my home state of Tennessee got so many places featured. It helped me add more places to my spooky bucket list.