A Journey into Creepy and Violent Cities

America is a country with a lot of diversity when it comes to cities. Each city has its charm, its history. Some of them are known to be happy and colorful places, while others are known to be bizarre and violent.

Whether it’s a history of great violence or there are certainly strange and unsettling stories about that city, we should consider that some things are just stories passed from person to person and should not be believed. Or should we?

From haunted streets to terrifying legends, these 7 cities stand out for their strange and often dark histories. We have been digging in the past to find them!

It’s time to unveil these creepy tales and travel through the dark alleys of these cities to find out together what makes them so creepy. Are you ready to embark on a dark journey to discover the weirdest and most violent cities in America?

1. Thibodaux, Louisisana

A small town in Louisiana is known as one of the creepiest places to visit due to its negative aura stemming from history. Thibodaux is the seat of Lafourche Parish, and despite this, the events that took place there are far from Christianity.

The event I’m talking about is the Thibodaux Massacre, that occurred in 1887. At that time, there was a strike by workers on the sugar cane plantations. This strike lasted for three weeks and ended in a total disaster.

Paramilitary forces began to strike the workers, most of whom were African Americans. The exact number of victims during the attack is unknown, but it’s believed to be in the hundreds.

Locals say that there is always a negative and eerie atmosphere on the plantations. This may be due to the dark past that unfolded right there on those lands.

2. Thurmond, West Virginia

This town is not only tiny and sparsely populated, but it’s also incredibly secluded from the rest of the world. If you’ve ever thought about going somewhere where nobody knows and bothers you, Thurmond is the place for you. But wait until you hear about it; it might change your mind.

In 2018, this town had a population of just five people (pretty creepy, huh?). However, Thurmond was once a bustling and vibrant city when it served as a major coal mining hub. Today, it doesn’t seem to have changed much, aside from a few minor modifications.

Thurmond used to be a stopping point for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, but the depot has been converted into a visitor center.

This town makes me ponder how quickly certain places can transform. Once filled with life, it now resembles an abandoned ruin where no footprints can be found. It sends shivers down my spine to think that an entire town has no residents. What do you think?

3. East Bethany, New York

There isn’t much to say about the small hamlet in New York State itself, but people’s perception of it can make it creepy.

There lies the former Rolling Hills Asylum, where the popular TV series American Horror Story was filmed. This place was created as the Genesee County Poor Farm.

Over the years, the asylum has been a popular destination for ghost hunters and enthusiasts of the paranormal. One of the reasons is that it housed people with mental disorders, and it is said that they were subjected to horrendous conditions.

There have been reports of paranormal experiences there as well. Visitors and employees of the asylum have reported various paranormal phenomena, such as unexplained movements, sensations of touch, whispering voices, or the feeling of presence.

Today, if one wishes to visit this location, it is possible as group tours are organized. Perception of these events varies from person to person, but I would never rule out anything.

4. Bodie, California

Another ghost town that seems to have evaporated its inhabitants is Bodie, California. This town is known throughout the country for its fascinating history.

In 1859, a team of prospectors found a significant amount of gold in Bodie, and from that moment, the town’s population grew exponentially to about 10,000 residents. By 1876, Bodie was a very prosperous community, and people were thriving from the wealth they derived from gold.

Unfortunately, by 1915, things took a turn for the worse for the people of Bodie. The gold began to deplete, and people lost their jobs. Eventually, everyone left, and Bodie became a ghost town.

What makes this town creepy is the fact that the houses and other buildings are exceptionally well-preserved, some still containing the objects left behind. Walking through this town would give you the impression that people were abruptly driven away.

5. Centralia, Pennsylvania

Another town with almost no inhabitants is Centralia, Pennsylvania. The reason it is so deserted is not due to intentional abandonment or mass expulsion of people, but rather a fire.

In 1962, a massive fire started in an abandoned coal mine in Centralia. The mine had toxic gas leaks, and the situation escalated.

The biggest problem is that due to the gas leaks, the fire continues to burn even today. Experts say that the fire could burn for another 250 years. These flames are impossible to extinguish because they burn too deeply, and it is too hot to go down there and put them out.

What makes this town creepy is the thought that it is prone to sudden collapse. The atmosphere there is very creepy, and no one would want to live there.

6. Kennecott, Alaska

When you hear about abandoned towns, you probably think they should be in the South or Midwest of the United States, but that’s not always true.

At the beginning of the 20th century, two prospectors stumbled upon a wealth of copper in Alaska, specifically in Kennecott, Alaska. Shortly after this discovery, mines were set up to extract it, bringing great prosperity to the town.

By the end of 1938, people declared that the reserves had been depleted, and the entire town was evacuated, leaving it completely deserted. Now, Kennecott welcomes visitors and tourists can enter the mines and see what was once a bustling town.

It still feels incredibly creepy to me that a place can be abandoned so easily. And the thought of walking through those once-inhabited streets gives me a strange aura about it.

7. Wailuku, Hawaii

Hawaii is often a destination for relaxation, with its sunny beaches, palm trees, and surfers. However, not many people know that Hawaiians are a very spiritual nation. They have ancestral traditions and beliefs that include concepts such as “mana” (spiritual energy) and “kapu” (sacred laws and restrictions).

The creepy city we are referring to is Wailuku, where the 100-year-old ʻĪao Theater is located. Many dark stories have been told about this theater. It is presumably haunted by a female ghost who was once an actress and is now popularly known as “Rosie” or “The Lady in Red”.

Many people have claimed to feel her presence inside the theater, as well as experiencing unexplained movements of objects. Paranormal investigations have been conducted over the years but without conclusive results. In the ’80s, there was a proposal to demolish the theater, but fortunately, it was preserved.

You should note that the idea of haunting is subjective, and everyone’s perception of it can be very different. Regardless of where you stand on the subject, life moves forward in this matter.

Personally, I believe that some stuff is beyond our understanding, and there are still many things in this world that we have not learned. Whether someone’s spirit continues to exist alongside us, I do not know, but I can say that some creepy places do give me a strange sensation.

If you got this far, you should definitely check out our article about 6 Remarkable Discoveries of the Past Decade