9 Reasons That West Virginia Is The Most Terrifying, Spookiest State

Mothman is West Virginia’s own monster, and was reported to be seen in the Point Pleasant area in the 1960s. He has also been linked to the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge, which led to the deaths of 46 people.

West Virginia has been the site of many gruesome murders and the home of several serial killers over the years. Not the least of those serial killers was Harry Powers, who murdered 2 women and three children after luring the women in through lonely hearts ads. He apparently strangled the 2 girls and their mothers and beat the boy’s head with a hammer. Another West Virginia serial killer, Bobby Joe Long of Kenova, raped about 50 women and killed at least 9 women in the Tampa, Florida area. He’s on death row. Charles Manson also used to live in West Virginia as a child.

According to the tabloid Weekly World News, this creature, called Bat Boy, was born in Hellhole Cave in Pendleton County.

The New River Gorge area of West Virginia was once home to more than 50 booming coal towns, and is now home to many of their remains. (Pictured is the once-thriving town of Thurmond, which is now basically a ghost town).

The former state penitentiary in Moundsville operated from 1876 and 1995. During its operation, it was the site of countless executions, 36 homicides and a prison break.

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, also known as Weston State Hospital, is a former psychiatric hospital that operated from 1864 until 1994. It was originally designed to house 250 patients, but at its peak it held 2400. Poor conditions and treatments of patients lead to its closure. Today, it’s still open for paranormal investigation and visitors have reportedy seen ghosts.

West Virginia’s abandoned amusement park is really creepy. While it was operated it was the site of the deaths of at least 2 children. It was also reportedly built on a Native American burial ground.

The historic town of Harpers Ferry has a close association with the Civil War, and as such, it also has a lot of ghost stories. There’s one about this church, St. Peters Catholic Church, which was used as a hospital during the war. Supposedly a wounded soldier was waiting to be treated in the yard of the church. He was Catholic and was glad to be treated in a Catholic church. When his time to be treated finally came, he could be heard saying "Thank God, I’m saved," as he came in the church door. Unfortunately he gave in to his injuries and died. People say you can still hear the soldier’s last words as you walk into this historic church.

Morgantown is reportedly the site of a Native American massacre on white settlers in th 1700s. Eight settlers were killed during the Decker’s CreeK Massacre, which took place near the center of present day West Virginia University.