I know Halloween has come and gone and most of you are probably still recovering from the weekend, but it's never too early to start thinking about Halloween next year. Here are the top ten haunted places in West Virginia to check out next fall:
1. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum–Weston, WV.
Built in 1881, this asylum once held over 2,000 patients with problems ranging from insanity to laziness. It was shut down in 1994, but there are rumors that the souls of the insane who died there still roam around.
2. Camden Park–Huntington, WV.
(via: www.onlyinyourstate.com)
This haunted amusement park was built near an Indian burial ground, where the ghosts of Native Americans are said to scare visitors. This Big Dipper, an old wooden roller coaster, is one of the last of its kind.
3. Darkish Knob–Parsons, WV.
(via www.onlyinyourstate.com)
In Darkish Knob, there used to be a small house hidden in the woods. A little girl was riding her horse when it slipped and fell down the hill–killing the girl. Rumor has it that she likes to linger where she fell to her death.
4. West Virginia State Penitentiary– Moundsville, WV.
(via www.flickr.com)
Located near the largest Indian burial ground in the state, the West Virginia State Penitentiary topped the list of the Department of Justice's Top Ten list of most violent correctional facilities in the country. 85 executions, nine deaths by electric chair, and 35 murders took place here. Tours take place April through November. If you think you're brave enough, you can spend the night in a cell!
5. The Haunted Barn–Charleston, WV.
(via www.onlyinyourstate.com)
This massive barn, located in our state's capitol, spans 12,000 square feet. During the 35-minute tour, you are led through dark rooms, some of which have bodies hanging from the ceiling. Good luck making it out of here alive!
6. West Virginia University–Morgantown, WV.
(via www.flickr.com)
Yep, right here in Morgantown is rumored to be haunted! Many of the buildings have ghosts roaming the halls. E Moore Hall, named after Elizabeth Moore, is said to be the most famous haunted building on campus. Elsewhere, Decker's Creek was the home to a deadly massacre that killed eight settlers in 1759.
7. Cheat Lake–Cheat Lake, WV 
This area is known for a much more recent murder mystery that took place in the 1970's. Two students were hitchhiking and were never seen again until their decapitated bodies were found. The murder has never been solved, but when you turn down Dead Man Curve, many claim to have seen the students running around looking for their heads.
8. Mothman–Point Pleasant, WV.
(via www.monster.wikia.com)
Point Pleasant is known for its sightings of a large moth-like man that has been rumored to be connected to a deadly bridge collapse that killed 46 people back in 1967. To learn more, watch the movie "The Mothman Prophecies."
9. Haunted School of Terror–Weirton, WV.
(via www.hauntedschoolofterror.com)
Weirton's Haunted School of Terror is one of the Ohio Valley's largest indoor mazes that has two full floors bound to scare the sh*t out of you!
10. Old Stone Presbyterian Church Cemetery–Lewisburg, WV.
As if cemeteries weren't scary enough, check out the legend behind one of the tombstone markers. Named "The Angel of Death," this statue marks the grave of a girl named Maud who died of influenza when she was only 11. During the burial, two young girls kissed the angel. One died of influenza, and the other died in an accident. Rumor has it that anyone who kisses the Angel of Death will die within the year.
