A road trip is often just the thing we need to add a bit of excitement to our normal schedules. Have you thought about hitting the highway to visit some of the scariest places in Missouri? Whether you’re a tried and true believer in the paranormal or you just find it interesting, you’ll love this road trip to some of the most haunted places in Missouri. (Along the way, you’ll learn some of the most intriguing Missouri ghost stories, too, which just might keep you up at night.)

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1. Jesse James Farm & Museum - Facebook
Jesse James Farm & Museum/TripAdvisor
3Bagger/TripAdvisor
Tour the home of one of America's most notorious criminals. You'll have the opportunity to learn more about the famous outlaw - and you might even experience the paranormal. Is Jesse James' spirit still lingering in his former home? Head over to the official website of the Jesse James Museum for days, hours, and more information.
2. Belvoir Winery - Liberty
Belvoir Winery/Facebook
Belvoir Winery/Facebook
The Odd Fellows Home District once served and housed the orphaned indigent, and elderly. The property has now been turned into a winery, but many guests who go on the ghost tour claim to hear and to see the spirits of a former patient who continues to roam the halls. Will you run into this patient, too? Plan your visit on the official website of Belvoir Winery.
3. Vaile Mansion - Independence
Vaile Mansion/Facebook
IllinoisKate1/TripAdvisor
This mansion is said to be haunted by Sylvia Vaile. According to one legend, when she died, her husband could not part with her, so he buried her on the front lawn in a glass-topped coffin set flush with the ground. Her spirit remains there to this day if you believe local lure, and you just might run into her. Here's the official website of Vaile Mansion.
4. Hotel Bothwell - Sedalia
Hotel Bothwell/Facebook
Hotel Bothwell/Facebook
The third floor of this hotel is said to be haunted by spirits. Are you brave enough to check in? If you are, don't be too surprised if you hear voices when no one is there or if you notice something scratching at your door. When you open the door, you'll likely find you're completely alone. Some guests even tell of having their personal items go missing. Book your stay on the official website of Hotel Bothwell.

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5. Missouri State Penitentiary - Jefferson City
Missouri State Penitentiary/Facebook
Missouri State Penitentiary/Facebook
Missouri State Penitentiary is over 175 years old. In recent years, it has had well over 100 organized paranormal investigations take place. Tours opened to the public include visits to the dungeon cells, the Upper Yard, Housing Unit 3, and the gas chamber. Will you come face-to-face with the apparitions of former prisoners on this spooky tour? Stop by the official website of the Missouri State Penitentiary for more information.
6. Governor's Mansion - Jefferson City
Friends of Missouri Governor's Mansion/Facebook
Friends of Missouri Governor's Mansion/Facebook
Governor Thomas Crittenden's nine-year-old daughter died in this mansion in 1883 due to the deadly disease, diptheria, which took the lives of many Missouri children during that time. Fast forward 100 years, during the term of Governor Christopher Bond, where a repairman came down from the attic and told Mrs. Bond's staff, "You might want to mention to them that their little girl is playing around up there. She spent most of the day with me." The Bonds had no children, and many believe that the little girl was the ghost of Carrie. Plan your tour on the official website of the Missouri Governor's Mansion.
7. Lemp Mansion - St. Louis
The Lemp Mansion/Facebook
Sarah R./Yelp
Said to be one of the 10 most haunted places in America, the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, continues to stay open to the public for tours. The wealthy Lemp family, who owned Missouri's most successful brewery during the World's Fair, experienced their fair share of tragedy at this home. William Lemp's son died prematurely at age 28 of heart failure. Distraught and depressed, the father eventually ended his life by shooting himself in the head. His other son, William Jr., then took ownership of the mansion and brewery. His partying lifestyle allegedly resulted in him fathering a child with a prostitute. The boy was born with Down Syndrome and was said to have been kept in the attic with the other servants. Today, guests who visit the mansion claim to see him appear throughout the mansion. Find more information on the official website of The Lemp Mansion.
8. Morse Mill Hotel - Dittmer
Facebook/Morse Mill Hotel
Morse Hill Hotel/Facebook
Bertha Gifford, considered to be America's third female serial killer, allegedly killed her first victim at this hotel. There's also a dungeon in the hotel that is said to be haunted by a pre-Civil War slave. Book a room on the official website of Morse Mill Hotel.
9. Peace Cemetery - Joplin
Peace Church Cemetery/Facebook
Peace Church Cemetery/Facebook
One of Missouri's most horrific mass murderers, Billy Cook, was buried here. Because of his crimes, his body was buried a bit outside of the cemetery, away from others. Many believe he does not rest in peace and have reported seeing a shadowy figure lurking around the other gravestones at night. Will you see Billy Cook wandering through the cemetery when you visit? Here's the official Facebook page of Peace Church Cemetery.

What are your favorite creepy road trips in Missouri? Do you believe these chilling Missouri ghost stories? Join the conversation in the comments! Up for even more spine-tingling thrills and chills? You can’t go wrong when you visit some of the most haunted places in Missouri on another epic road trip.

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More to Explore

Creepy Road Trips In Missouri

Beth Price-Williams | July 28, 2021

What are the most haunted places in Missouri?

If you’re a fan of the paranormal, you have quite a few chances to experience it right here in Missouri. You just have to decide which haunted places in Missouri to head to first. If you’re really brave, check into the Walnut Street Inn in Springfield. It’s said to be haunted by the spirit of Catherine McCann who has been known to shoo people out of the rooms and rip the blankets off of the beds. A stroll through Old Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau, the final resting place of 1,000 Civil War soldiers, might result in you feeling a tap on your shoulder. When you turn around…you’re completely alone.

Are there any Missouri ghost stories that everyone knows about?

Light a roaring fire and gather round for an evening of telling ghost stories. After all, we have no shortage of Missouri ghost stories that will send chills down your spine. For one of the most chilling ghost stories in Missouri, we turn back the pages of time to 1862. Union soldiers made their way to what is now Stephens College in Columbia. A soldier and a student fall in love, which leads to great scandal. The soldier, tried and convicted of spying, is sentenced to death. When learning the news, the student takes her own life. If you walk the halls of Stephens College today, you may just see her spirit as it wanders aimlessly, looking for her love.

What are the scariest places in Missouri?

On the hunt for the scariest places in Missouri? Rest assured, we have plenty of ‘em. How about heading out on a day trip to the spookiest places in Missouri? Your journey begins at Mound Grove Cemetery in Independence. Stroll through the cemetery, where you might be followed by a woman in a nightgown. If that doesn’t sufficiently creep you out, move on to your next stops – Belvoir Winery & Inn in Liberty, Jesse James Farm & Museum in Kearney, and The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs. Then, prepare to run into the spirits of the former prisoners at Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City.

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Featured Addresses
Jesse James Birthplace, 21216 Jesse James Farm Rd, Kearney, MO 64060, USA
Belvoir Winery and Inn, 1325 Odd Fellows Rd, Liberty, MO 64068, USA
Vaile Mansion, 1500 N Liberty St, Independence, MO 64050, USA
Hotel Bothwell Sedalia Central District, Ascend Hotel Collection, 103 E 4th St, Sedalia, MO 65301, USA
Missouri State Penitentiary, 115 Lafayette St, Jefferson City, MO 65101, USA
Missouri Governor's Mansion, 100 Madison St, Jefferson City, MO 65101, USA
Lemp Mansion, 3322 Demenil Pl, St. Louis, MO 63118, USA
Morse Mill Hotel, 8850 Old Morse Mill Spur, Hillsboro, MO 63050, USA
Peace Cemetery, Garrison, MO 65657, USA