It is that time of year where holding the title of spookiest, scariest or just plain creepiest place really means something. So, entertainment site Thrillist has rolled out the spider-web covered carpet for the most frightening locales in each of America’s 50 states.
In its "The best place to scare the crap out of yourself, in all 50 states," Thrillist collected the spookiest spots across the country, suggested by travel writers across the country, including a wide array of otherworldly places.
“Every state has its spooky spots, whether an annual haunted attraction, a legitimately haunted place, or just an uncomfortably eerie spot in nature. And now, right now, ‘tis the season to go to ‘em. Old mental hospitals, valleys filled by ghosts, theme park fright houses, cemeteries, historic hotels -- no matter how you scare, your state has a place to freak you out,” per Thrillist’s travel editors.
The list ranges from mental hospitals to actual cemeteries. In Georgia’s case, it is indeed a locale the dead have inhabited from as far back as the 1850s.
Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery beat out the haunted mansions of Savannah and downright frightening haunted houses across the state. Amy Schulman, New York-based Thrillist writer, noted that Oakland’s “old, eerie” vibe steeped in Civil War history made the cemetery, built in 1850, a top contender for scare stats.
As the city’s oldest and largest cemetery, Oakland has seen its fair share of dead dignataries, including Margaret Mitchell, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Gone with the Wind,” Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African-American mayor, and famed golfer Bobby Jones.
According to Schumer, the historic cemetery primarily wins the title due to rumors of some ghostly visitors that hang around the plots.
“The cemetery includes a Confederate branch where visitors insist they’ve seen uniformed soldiers wandering the grounds and even hanging off of trees,” she wrote.
Some visitors have even claimed that during haunted Army roll call, they’ve heard spirits from the past mutter their names. Creepy!
For a chance to tour Georgia's scariest place, visit Oakland cemetery's website.
If you’re still not convinced Thrillist made the right pick on Georgia’s spookiest place, vote for your favorite creepy Georgia spot below.
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