Skip to main content

5 Haunted Vacation Rental Homes Worthy of Halloween 2022

From bars to international travel to the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, it seems like COVID-19 has shut down everything except Halloween movies. Nationwide social distancing policies mean Halloween 2022 might be a non-starter, too. But, just because you can’t — or shouldn’t — throw a party or visit your neighbors’ homes this October 31st doesn’t mean you have to call the holiday off. Renting a haunted vacation home might just be the best and safest way to celebrate Halloween this year. Here are a few of the most haunted houses in America that you can rent right now.

Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort

Nice, California

Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast-Resort
VRBO

Guests of California’s Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast Resort overnight in one of nine former railroad cabooses. But, it’s the Celebrations caboose where many report ongoing supernatural activity. Over the years, innkeepers have heard claims of a man in old-timey striped pajamas wandering around the Celebrations room or even sitting on the bed. The ghost, believed to be a former railroad worker, has scared some guests so much that they’ve asked to switch rooms.

Related Videos

Belle Femme Townhouse

Salem, Massachusetts

Belle Femme Townhouse
VRBO

Like Shamrock House, many of New England’s historical homes can be seen as either charming or creepy. Belle Femme Townhouse is one such home. By day, it’s easy to appreciate its 18th-century charm; by night, it’s even easier to imagine it taking on a more sinister feel. While the house itself may or may not be haunted, the surrounding town of Salem has long been considered one of the most cursed places in America. The vacation rental is an ideal base to explore the nearby Witch Museum, The Witch House, or to take a witch-related tour around the McIntire Historic District.

Fleur de Lis Mansion

New Orleans, Louisiana

Fleur de Lis Mansion
VRBO

Thanks to its long, sordid past, New Orleans has been a popular haunt (pun intended) for those interested in ghosts, the supernatural, and the occult for centuries. The owners of the city’s historical Fleur de Lis Mansion claim three of the property’s suites are haunted. With help from paranormal investigators Michael Bill and Mario Pinheiro of New Orleans Ghost City Tours, they gathered evidence of a spirit named Billy, who is believed to live in the house. However, he appears to be more mischievous than malevolent and is known to play pranks on guests like pulling down their bedding in the night or sliding a chair out from under them in the dining room.

Shamrock House

Sunset, South Carolina

Shamrock House
VRBO

There’s something both charming and “off” about Shamrock House. It feels like either the perfect setting for a quaint, family-friendly wilderness getaway or a “cabin in the woods” slasher flick. Built in South Carolina’s Heritage Corridor, the entire compound dates back to at least 1925. Like many old homes, this one has plenty of stories — ghost stories, in particular. Guests report hearing the sounds of a woman the owners call Nancy. While they don’t confirm or deny her presence, they suspect she’s friendly, and her “weeping” is likely just the house’s creaky old floorboards. Guests can decide for themselves.

Inn at Aberdeen

Valparaiso, Indiana

Inn at Aberdeen
Inn at Aberdeen

Guests at Indiana’s Inn at Aberdeen report late-night sightings of a little girl ghost on the master staircase. After a thorough investigation, Indiana Ghost Trackers found that the inn’s original inhabitant, Sarah Ritter, and her two children died inside the home. The paranormal group recorded evidence of a door repeatedly opening and closing behind them during their stay. Other guests claim the little girl “messed with their stuff” and turned their fireplace on and off in the middle of the night.

If a Halloween road trip is in the cards this year, check out our roundup of the most haunted places in America.

Editors' Recommendations

This Scottsdale resort is the perfect golf trip getaway spot if you hate crowds
Escape into the beauty of the Sonoran Desert with The Boulders
The Waterfall at The Boulders Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Hidden on the far north end of Scottsdale, AZ, The Boulders Resort & Spa may not be ideal for travelers who are primarily coming to Phoenix and Scottsdale to eat, drink, and be merry in the region’s hottest and trendiest urban neighborhoods. If you’re looking for a hotel that takes you to the center of the action, you should probably look elsewhere.

However, if you specifically want a resort that lets you escape the stressors of 21st-century life and wander into one of North America’s most spectacularly scenic deserts, it’s hard to think of a better place for your next great escape than this Arizona resort.
The lay of the land

Read more
The most beautiful bars in the U.S. (for those extra Instagram-worthy drink photos)
Some bars are so beautiful we can't help but talk them up. Here are the 10 prettiest bars in all the land
The Multnomah Whiskey Library in Portland has one of the largest selections of rare whiskeys in the nation.

With all respect to dives, haunts, and lounges, there's something to be said for a beautiful bar. The most attractive ones are feats of bar design and places we not only want to imbibe in, but ones where we stare in awe at the many comforting details. With so many great options, deciding on the most beautiful bars in America was not easy.

What separates the elites from the rest? Well, the best bars in America wow us with a combination of outstanding drinks and remarkable service. They tend to excel at those things and offer a certain ambience you just can't find anywhere else. From the architectural details of an old, perfectly maintained structure to brilliant design approaches, these places sing — visually, anyway.

Read more
The 11 best podcasts for long road trips in 2023
Make your drive better with these great podcasts for road trips

Spring is nearly here, which means it's time to start thinking about the great American road trip. Whether you're planning to venture from coast to coast or just a few towns over, you're going to want some quality content to listen to. Enter the podcast, the road trip's best friend.

This is not to say you shouldn't embrace the sounds of the road. Nor should you avoid your fellow passengers or overlook that special quiet you get when you're driving an empty road during the wee hours. But at some point along the way, you might want a little sonic pick me up. That's where the road trip podcast really comes in handy, an audio copilot that will keep your brain running while the odometer ticks away.

Read more