This Creepy Day Trip Through The Spookiest Places In And Around Cleveland Is Perfect For Fall

Every Clevelander knows the story of Gore Orphanage. Located near Vermilion in Lorain County, Gore Orphanage Road once was run by the infamous Old Man Gore, who wasn't too fond of the children he oversaw. The orphanage is said to have burned down, taking many young lives with it; however, many argue that the orphanage never existed. The street, Gore Orphanage Road, is named for a mapmaker's mistake in the area (a gore is an irregular plot of land) and the Light of Hope Orphanage that once existed on the road. The old Swift Mansion in the area that's often identified as the site of Gore Orphanage does exist, though it's in ruin... and its owners did host seances there. Whether or not this stretch of road is haunted, it certainly has a creepy "Children of the Corn" vibe.

If you think the Ohio State Reformatory looks like a church, then you're absolutely right. Designed by famous Cleveland architect Levi T. Scofield, the thought was to help inmates find rebirth at the reformatory. They must have found something, because the old reformatory is now considered to be one of the most haunted places in the nation. Disembodied voices, spooky pokes and prods, and shadow people keep this location active in local legend.

As we head south on our journey, you might consider expanding your haunted adventure into an overnight trip. If you do, plan to stay in Medina's Spitzer House. This welcoming B&B is so cozy and darling, in fact, that some have decided to stay here a bit longer than most visitors would. If you stay in Ceilan’s Room or Anna’s Room, you just might meet these eternal ghostly guests. General Ceilan Milo Spitzer was the individual for whom the home was built, and he appears via full-body apparitions. In Anna's Room, the ghost of a servant is said to linger. Neither has any ill intentions, but they definitely like to be up-to-date on what's going on in this historic home.

This spooky little cemetery was established in 1841, and according to old articles, a few murder victims have come to call this cemetery home over the years. In 1906, Minnie Peters was found with a hammer next to her corpse and dents in her head... but a suicide note claimed that she took her own life. Naturally, locals assumed it was murder, though it was never solved. Anna Neumeister met her own unfortunate demise five years later when her body was found floating in Lake Erie... and those are just two of the cemetery's many legends. Ohio City in particular is supposed to be full of hauntings... so don't be afraid to explore the area after your cemetery visit!

The West Side Market is one of the oldest public places in Cleveland, and it's a fun day trip during any season. The original market got its start in 1840, across the street from the building we now know and love, but it kept growing year after year. Eventually, the current building was a necessity, and it was built in 1912. According to legend, a lady in black dubbed "Black Mary Ann" wanders around the market. Purportedly, she's the ghost of a woman murdered in the area in the 1930s... and she's searching for her killer. Unfortunately, he seems to have evaded capture - if the murder ever truly happened at all - so she's got an eternity of haunting ahead of her.

The old Rhodes Mansion is gorgeous, and boy, does it have a story to tell. It once hosted the Cleveland Archives, and during that time reports of hauntings popped up... and even yours truly had a haunted experience there during this time. While the home was built in 1874, the bulk of its potentially haunted history came after the county purchased it in 1914. Following this, it was a detention facility for juvenile delinquents, a nursing home, a school for disabled children, and more. The home is purported to be haunted by a mischievous little boy that bounces a nonexistent ball down stairs, moves chandeliers, and appears in mirrors.

While I usually try to keep my own stories to myself, I want to contribute one about his helpfulness since so many have described him as mischievous. When I was at the archives looking for records on an old family shop in Cleveland, I stood in front of a case muttering the year I was looking for. I couldn't find the record book from that year... until I saw a book shift on a lower shelf. I froze, then leaned in closer to look at it... and it was the exact book I was looking for. Thanks for the help, ghost boy!

The Renaissance is a lovely four-star hotel, and it's a great place for a stay... no wonder some decide to stay for an eternity! It was built in 1917 and 1918, which is fairly recent. So where did the on-site spirits come from? According to legend, they dwell at the site because it was where Cleveland's first hotel, Mowry’s Tavern, stood. The ghosts are just like any other guests: they slam doors, flush toilets, and make noise while you're trying to sleep. Fortunately, they don't seem to be active all the time, as many guests enjoy spirit-free stays.

As the city's oldest cemetery, Erie Street Cemetery is... well, eerie. It was originally built at the edge of the community, but the city grew and eventually swallowed it up. Now, it's Downtown... and right across the street from Progressive Field. From Cleveland's first-ever settler to unmarked graves, many Clevelanders of yore have made this their final resting place. According to legend, one permanent resident, Joc-O-Sot, intended to die in his ancestral homeland. He didn't make it. He passed away in Cleveland and was interred in the cemetery, much to his spirit's chagrin, if the legend is to be believed. Some say he haunts the cemetery and Progressive Field alike, feeling frustration over the team's former portrayal of indigenous cultures. Hopefully, the shift from the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians helps him rest a little bit easier.

Once upon a time, Cleveland was protected by a private military. This formal organization considered this building, built in 1893, their home base. Today, it's a museum preserving their heritage... and it's infamously haunted, having spooked even the experts on the TV show Ghost Hunters. The resident ghosts sometimes appear as full-bodied apparitions, sometimes as spooky disembodied footsteps. Whatever is keeping them tethered to this realm, they don't seem to be angry. In fact, the Ghost Hunters team concluded that they're just looking to have a good time. If you're brave enough, the Grays Armory is a fascinating day trip destination.