Top 20 Creepiest Haunted Houses In Movies
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 haunted houses in movies. For this list, we’ll be looking at the scariest residences in movie history, whether it be houses, manors, cabins, or hotels. If you’re a fan of the horror genre, beware of spooky spoilers ahead! Would you stay a night in any of these places? Let us know in the comments below!
#20: Windward House
“The Uninvited” (1944)
One of the most popular movies of 1944 is “The Uninvited.” It follows brother and sister Rick and Pamela Fitzgerald while they’re vacationing in the southwest of England. The siblings discover the luxurious Windward House and, being enticed by its weirdly low price, decide to buy it on a whim. As we horror experts know, there’s a reason it’s so cheap. Rick and Pamela soon find out for themselves, as they begin to experience paranormal activity and hear the eerie noise of a crying woman. The house is beautiful and has a killer view–forgive the pun–but, it also plays a part in a tragic past involving a scandalous affair and a fatally steep cliff.
#19: The Dolphin Hotel
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“1408” (2007)
This film is adapted from Stephen King’s short story of the same name. It concerns author Mike Enslin, a skeptic who, ironically, writes books about the supernatural. He is mysteriously invited to a New York hotel called The Dolphin and is drawn to room 1408 in particular–probably because he’s told not to enter it. It’s in that room that Mike goes from skeptic to true believer. This room likes to mess with its occupants, and it scares them not with physical ghosts (although those are here too!), but with psychological torment. This is a haunted hotel room with malice and a sick sense of humor.
#18: The Zorba House
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“13 Ghosts” (1960)
Produced and directed by William Castle, “13 Ghosts” is a paranormal classic about the Zorba mansion. Cyrus Zorba moves into his dead uncle’s large house, which might be quite the exciting event given its grandiosity, if not for the fact that it’s inhabited by a dozen ghosts. They’re all quite grotesque in nature, featuring the likes of a homicidal chef, an executioner with a grisly possession, and a headless lion tamer. If that wasn’t scary enough, the house also comes with a threatening promise - that someone will die inside its walls and become its thirteenth ghost. How’s that for a welcome party?
#17: The Orphanage
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“The Orphanage” (2007)
An excellent Spanish film from director J. A. Bayona, “The Orphanage” follows a woman named Laura Rodríguez, who returns to her abandoned childhood orphanage in the hopes of restoring it. Naturally, things don’t go as smoothly as Laura may have hoped. Orphanages already aren’t as joyful as you’d hope, but if the building hasn’t been occupied for years? Yeah, we’ve got chills already. Laura’s young son Simón begins speaking about an invisible “friend” named Tomás who wears a sack over his face. Things only get worse (and scarier) from there, as Laura learns about the institution’s deeply tragic and disturbing past. The children are still there, and they wish to be heard.
#16: Whipstaff Manor
“Casper” (1995)
While a comedy primarily aimed at families, “Casper” was significantly darker than its cartoon counterpart. It takes place primarily within Whipstaff Manor, a large estate inhabited by a young ghost named Casper and his three dead uncles. This film takes a different approach to the haunted house genre, following most of its tropes while also offering a lighter tone. Casper is known as the Friendly Ghost, after all! Whipstaff Manor is large, gorgeous, and provided the ghosts take a liking to us, it’s somewhere we wouldn’t mind resting our heads for a night.
#15: The Manor
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“The Others” (2001)
This movie borrows from traditional gothic tales while also adding its own fresh spin, resulting in a horror classic that helped redefine a centuries-old genre. Nicole Kidman plays Grace Stewart, a widow who lives in a haunted country place with her two children. It plays out much like an old-timey gothic tale with the eerie manor, creepy noises, ghost sightings, and a tragic backstory. Speaking of the manor, it’s gigantic, all complete with surrounding forest, a front yard pool, and, of course, paranormal activity. If you’re looking for a psychological horror with a spectacular twist, “The Others” is right up your alley.
#14: Monster House
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“Monster House” (2006)
A very fun animation co-written by Dan Harmon, “Monster House” provides ghostly fun for the whole family. Honestly, we’d been waiting for a story where the antagonists aren’t the spirits in the haunted house but, rather, the haunted house itself! Here’s a narrative that concerns a sentient home that attempts to eat children as they come near. Naturally, it remains inactive whenever parents and adults are watching, so the kids are left to their own devices. Like many unearthly dwellings, the Monster House has a tragic past - one involving the unfortunate combination of an axe and a cement mixer. This movie crafts a wonderfully unique aesthetic that will thrill children and adults alike.
#13: Allerdale Hall
“Crimson Peak” (2015)
While it’s almost traditional to a fault, this gothic romance contains many stellar and imaginative visuals that can only come from the creative mind of Guillermo del Toro. A good chunk of the action takes place in Allerdale Hall, a massive estate in Northwest England. The house makes a constant groaning noise, almost as if it’s in a perpetual state of pain. It’s also sinking into the foundational red clay, so Allerdale Hall appears as though it’s bleeding–thus the nickname Crimson Peak. Despite its gorgeous name and beautiful architecture, Crimson Peak is by no means a welcoming place.
#12: The Maitland House
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“Beetlejuice” (1988)
A haunted house classic, “Beetlejuice” takes place inside the Maitlands’ residence. The beautiful country home is owned by Barbara and Adam Maitland, a young married couple who die in a car accident at the beginning of the film. Following their deaths, the house is sold to the Deetz family, but the ghostly Maitlands aren’t ready to let it go. To scare away the Deetzes, they befriend a malicious (and rather annoying) entity named Betelgeuse. The whole thing has a very “Tim Burton” flair to it, with plenty of dark visuals and imaginative situations. The Maitland house wouldn’t be a fun place to live, but it’s certainly a lot of fun to watch!
#11: Eel Marsh House
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“The Woman in Black” (2012)
A very traditional haunted house movie, “The Woman in Black” stars Daniel Radcliffe fresh off the “Harry Potter” franchise. He plays Arthur Kipps, a widowed lawyer who is sent to the abandoned Eel Marsh House to retrieve financial records. Of course, he gets in far over his head and starts unearthing the mystery behind the old manor. It’s your traditional gothic mansion, filled with spider webs and dark, empty hallways. The estate is also inhabited by the titular Woman in Black, who terrorizes poor Arthur throughout. This is good, old fashioned haunted house fun, and Eel Marsh House is a fascinating place to spend ninety minutes.
#10: Belasco House
“The Legend of Hell House” (1973)
Despite the title, this movie does not take place within Hell House. Rather, the subject is the Belasco House, which was owned by a sadistic millionaire named Emeric Belasco. He was said to be a killer, and the house reportedly haunted by his victims. Various people are hired to stay inside the home, including two mediums and a physicist hoping to explore the bridge between life and death. It’s not only extremely dangerous, but rather physically imposing as well. The Gothic Revival mansion Wykehurst Place was used for the exterior shots, and it provides the film with a suitably creepy setting. It may not be called “Hell House,” but it’s certainly a fitting nickname!
#9: The Saeki House
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“Ju-On: The Grudge” (2002)
One of the most popular Japanese horror films of all time, “Ju-On: The Grudge” is an undeniable classic of the haunted house genre. The dwelling in question is situated in Tokyo and is disturbed by the Saeki family. A social worker named Rika is assigned to the house and its sole elderly inhabitant. It’s there that she encounters the now-iconic spirits and helps uncover their violent past. The house itself isn’t particularly scary, but those who live there certainly are. Kayako’s ghost is especially horrifying, and many of her scenes are unforgettable. The staircase sequence alone is scarier than many horror movies!
#8: The Carmichael Mansion
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“The Changeling” (1980)
A classic Canadian film, “The Changeling” is arguably one of the best haunted house movies of all time. Legendary actor George C. Scott stars as John Russell, a composer who loses both his wife and daughter in a horrible accident. He moves to Seattle to deal with his grief and rents a long-abandoned mansion from a local historic society. John soon learns why the gorgeous house has been sitting empty for so long, and he comes into contact with the vengeful spirit of a young boy named Joseph Carmichael. The home may be beautiful, but it becomes increasingly obvious that it was the site of some brutal atrocities that have left it with a threatening paranormal aura.
#7: Hill House
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“The Haunting” (1963)
Widely regarded as one of the best horror movies ever made, “The Haunting” is an exercise in supernatural scares and tantalizing ambiguity. The story was adapted from Shirley Jackson’s acclaimed novel “The Haunting of Hill House” and concerns a small group of people holed up inside the titular mansion. The abode has it all, including rattling door knobs, odd noises, and ghoulish hands that famously grasp the protagonists. But, the most intriguing part of the movie has to be its ambiguity - the manor may not be haunted at all! It may all be in the head of lead character Eleanor Lance. One thing’s for sure: the differing interpretations have made Hill House an iconic fictional mansion.
#6: The Perron Farmhouse
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“The Conjuring” (2013)
This movie was enormously successful and led to an entire fictional universe encompassing different time periods, fictional demons, and eerie dolls. But, the original “Conjuring” is nothing if not an effective, well-told ghost story. It follows the Perron family, who move into an old and isolated farmhouse in Rhode Island. They quickly begin experiencing eerie phenomena before the story descends into all-out madness involving possession and an alleged witch named Bathsheba. This estate has it all. Not only does it creep out the inhabitants, but it’s also extraordinarily damaging to their physical and mental health. In short, it’s one of the scariest haunted houses put to film.
#5: The Freeling House
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“Poltergeist” (1982)
Co-written by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, “Poltergeist” follows the trials and tribulations of the unfortunate Freeling family. Their house in Cuesta Verde, California is attacked by malevolent poltergeist entities, who seemingly enter through the television. Following their invasion, the family encounters some of the most famous scares in movie history. Sentient tree branches shatter windows. Clown dolls come alive and attack. People experience highly disturbing and grotesque visions. And, of course, young Carol Anne is abducted and sent to another dimension that opens inside a bedroom closet. It doesn’t get much more freaky than this!
#4: The House on Haunted Hill
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“House on Haunted Hill” (1959)
Many of these movies share a very similar premise. This one bears a striking resemblance to both “The Haunting” and “The Legend of Hell House,” as it concerns a small group of people being invited to stay inside a supposedly ghostly manor. Those who can survive the night will earn a handsome cash reward. However, this is more than a simple haunted house movie, as its story twists and turns with various clever machinations. Like “The Haunting,” the manor’s status as a “haunted house” is up for debate and interpretation. Maybe it was all an elaborate scheme, or maybe there is something truly supernatural occurring within its walls.
#3: The Amityville House
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“The Amityville Horror” (1979)
This is a historic film, and it contains one of the most iconic haunted houses in movie history. It’s based on a supposedly true story involving the Lutz family, but their tale has long been disputed. Either way, the fictional family certainly moves to Amityville, New York, into a home that was the recent site of a mass homicide. They experience several paranormal phenomena, like booming voices, bleeding walls, and a ghostly girl named Jody who sometimes appears as a giant red-eyed pig. Heck, there’s even a passage to Hell in the basement! Real or not, it certainly makes for one heck of a story, and it made the Amityville House one of the most famous in America.
#2: Bly Manor
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“The Innocents” (1961)
Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” is one of the most renowned horror novellas in literature, and “The Innocents” is arguably its greatest adaptation. Similarly, the very name of Bly Manor is synonymous with haunted houses - even if the place might not be haunted at all. It’s home to apparitions that seemingly possess children, not to mention creepy voices that emanate through the empty halls. Much scholarly material has been written about Bly Manor and its supposed hauntings. Some argue that the paranormal activity is not real, but imagined by protagonist Miss Giddens. The wildly different interpretations have helped keep the story fresh, and this movie does a fine job of toeing the line.
#1: The Overlook Hotel
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“The Shining” (1980)
Struggling writer Jack Torrance is hired to care for the Overlook Hotel as it closes for the winter season. The rest is cinematic history. Left all alone in the unearthly hotel with his wife and child, Jack slowly loses his mind, and it all culminates in one of the most famous climaxes in movie history. Stanley Kubrick takes already-solid source material and works his magic, crafting one of film history’s most ambiguous, unsettling, and outright bizarre settings. The hotel has a very distinctive character, and it’s filled with memorable ghosts and terrifying visions. Countless articles can be written about this movie’s themes, but at the end of the day, it’s also just a spooky story about a very haunted hotel.
