We're all familiar with the American spirit. But what about America’s spirits? Here is an entertaining and informative guide to haunted places throughout the fifty states.

Usually, haunting is a private affair. The people whose homes are so afflicted generally do not want publicity, and frequently live in silence for years with their eerie secrets. Often, only family and close friends are aware that something unearthly shares the home of their loved ones; invitations to outsiders may be very rare indeed.

But many public places around the United States have their quota of haunts, and so must share them with their patrons. In Haunted Places in America,Coulombe describes some fifty places accessible to the public, which are reputed to be haunted. These hotels, historic homes, restaurants, and outdoor locales are each covered in chilling detail . Featured sites range from McCandless Hall in Huntsville, Alabama, and the Golden North Hotel in Skagway, Alaska, to Fairlawn Mansion in Superior, Wisconsin, and the Sheridan Inn in Wyoming. You will also find out why it is believed that:

• Some guests never leave Alaska’s Golden Hotel.
• Colorado’s Stanley Hotel inspired Stephen King, but has ghosts of its own.
• The governor shares his mansion with the unearthly in Delaware.
• Florida’s Biltmore Hotel is still a refuge for one of Al Capone’s men.
• A serial killer’s victim haunts a church-turned-theater in Idaho.
• Antoine’s Restaurant in Louisiana sometimes offers supernatural events à la carte.
• In Ohio, a priest haunts his church.
• In Vermont, a local socialite holds forth in her home—long after her death.

Whether you are planning a spine-tingling trip, or just psyching yourself up for Halloween, this haunted itinerary makes for an armchair journey worth taking.