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Ghostly October Travel
The World's Creepiest Destinations

Halloween is the time of year when streets of every town and village fill with ghostly figures knocking on doors and asking for treats.

But if you are one of the millions who are interested in otherworldly apparitions, Halloween make-believe is no substitute for the real thing!

So where are the places around the planet that let you experience the spooky and supernatural all year long? Here are our Top Five favorites:

The Paris Catacombs - A long, lurid history? Check. Lots of skulls and dismembered skeletons? Check. It's not everyone's cup of tea when traveling through Paris but if the macabre fascinates you this is the top spot in the capital city.

Eastern State Penitentiary - The most feared prison by criminals in the United States (until it was closed in 1970) this notorious Philadelphia prison was infamous for specializing in solitary confinement and torture -- while driving most of its inmates into stark raving lunatics. Today, it is considered the most haunted place in the USA. Popular visitor tours to explain why.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland - With a 900 year-old history. one of the city's biggest attractions is one of its most haunted, Here is where former prisoners are said to haunt the dungeons in ghostly apparitions. While touring the castle grounds also don't miss the Witches' Well, where women found guilty of medieval witchcraft often met their fate.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is considered the most haunted place in the United States.

The White House, Washington DC - Yes, that White House. With so many historical figures having inhabited the famous residence, more than a few hauntings have been reported over the years. Probably the most famous is the apparition of President Abraham Lincoln, which has been seen a half-dozen times by such visiting dignitaries as Winston Churchill who one night was staying in the Lincoln Bedroom. Elsewhere disembodied voices and screams have also been reportedly heard echoing through the official residence.

Bran Castle, Romania -

Not necessarily haunted, Bran Castle in Transylvania is traditionally thought to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's "Dracula", the classic tale of a blood-sucking vampire modeled after Vlad the Impaler, a 14th century resident of the castle. Although the connections are tenuous, the creepiness remains -- on winding stairways and in secret passageways that evoke an eerie past. Today, "Dracula's Castle" attract almost half a million visitors annually,

Bran Castle in Romania, the inspiration for Dracula.

More about haunted places around the Web:

For a top survey of every scary place on the planet, check out 15 of the World's Scariest Travel Destinations with a look at the Paris Catacombs, The Island of Dolls in Mexico, Snake Island, Brazil and ... lots more.

Another tour of 21 Most Haunted Places in the World features creepy stories of ghostly apparitions and evil cackling, at infamous places as far-flung as Indonesia to the most haunted house in Great Britain.

Next stop? Merry ol' England -- where ghosts have made regular appearances at Haunted Places in the UK for centuries in the most likely (and unlikely) of places. Former lunatic asylums, historic castles, and even railway stations and libraries have their own stories. Plus, there's a neat interface where you can enter a location in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland to find a ghost of your very own near you!

Heading off to the rest of Europe on vacation? You might want to bookmark The 10 Most Haunted Castles in Europe to find out how to get to Bran Castle in Romania (the inspiration for Dracula).

Of course, today through the magic of the Internet you don't necessarily have to travel miles. Just sit back and watch for the up-to-the-minute terror (apparitions permitting) on live ghost webcams.

Have fun! If you dare...