The world is full of beautiful places that we have visited or dream to visit one day. But the more adventurous of us have scary, creepy, and terrifying places on their bucket list. They have heard scary stories and watched horror movies since childhood. They can’t wait to visit some of the most terrifying places on the planet to experience a good scare and get the adrenaline pumping. If you are one of them, here are the top 10 most terrifying places in the world.
Top 10 most terrifying places in the world
10- The Island of Dolls, Xochimico, Mexico
You’ll see multiple artificial islands along the canals of Xochimilco, just south of Mexico City. The Island of the Dolls is one of them, where toy dolls, doll heads, and other doll parts could be seen hanging from trees. According to Atlas Obscura, a local man named Don Julian Santana Barrera found a little girl’s body washed up on the shore of the island. He also found a floating doll in the river. Don Julian Santana Barrera honored her by hanging the doll to a tree. Over the years, the locals found more dolls hanging in the trees. It has since become a popular tourist destination. Many tourists claim they have heard dolls whispering to each other. The locals believe each doll holds the spirit of a dead little girl.
9- The Door to Hell, Derweze, Turkmenistan
Take a look at the above natural gas crater and you’ll get the basic idea of why it’s among the most terrifying places in the world. Located in the middle of the Karakum Desert, the Door to Hell has been a burning hole since 1971. A group of Soviet engineers in 1971 were looking for natural gas reserves when they accidentally tapped into a methane gas reserve, which caused their drilling rig to collapse, turning it into a 230-foot-wide crater. The engineers decided to set the gas on fire to burn off methane. They expected it to burn for only a few weeks. It’s been 47 years and it’s still burning!
8- Pripyat, Ukraine
Pripyat in Ukraine is one of the creepiest abandoned places on the planet. The town was established in 1970, and just 16 years later the Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened. The town had a population of nearly 50,000 by then. It remains uninhabited since the Chernobyl disaster. All the furniture, classrooms, buildings, houses are exactly where they were before it was evacuated. The Pripyat amusement park’s ferris wheel looks chilling. Now that the risk of radiation has declined dramatically, tourists are allowed to visit the abandoned city.
7- Aokigahara Forest, Japan
The Aokigahara Forest is located at the base of Mount Fuji. Why is it so terrifying? Because it’s the place people go to commit suicide, giving it the nickname ‘The Suicide Forest.’ More than 500 people have committed suicide in this forest since the 1950s. According to the Japan Times, 247 people attempted to kill themselves in the Aokigahara Forest in 2010 alone. The number of attempted and successful suicides has been rising steadily over the years. Some people blame it on a 1960 novel by Seicho Matsumoto, in which he described this place as the “perfect place to die.” You’ll also see a handful of abandoned tents in the woods because people usually camp out there for a few days before killing themselves.
6- Nagoro Village, Japan
Nagoro is a tinny village in Japan where the population of life-sized dolls far exceeds the population of living, breathing human beings. The village has only 30 people left but there are more than a thousand eerie dolls placed in different positions across the town, making it incredibly terrifying. A local artist named Tsukimi Ayano began making doll doppelgangers of her neighbors after they died or moved away. Though they are just toys, the tourists to Nagoro have said the presence of hundreds of life-sized dolls makes the entire village look scary.
5- The Snake Island, Sao Paolo, Brazil
The Snake Island or Ilha de Queimada Grande is located about 100 miles off the coast of Sao Paolo. It’s one of the most dangerous islands in the world, with at least five golden lancehead vipers found in every square meter area. The island separated from the mainland Brazil more than 11,000 years ago. The population and venom potency of creatures on this island is super terrifying. There are few ground-level prey on the island. So, the snakes have mastered the art of hunting birds in the air. According to scientists, their venom is five times stronger than the same snake species on mainland Brazil.
4- Hashima Island, Japan
This abandoned place is also known as Battleship Island. During World War II, it served as a prisoner of war camp. It was abandoned in 1974, and is believed to be haunted. You might have seen this ghost town in the James Bond movie Skyfall. Tourists can take a guided boat tour from the city of Nagasaki. It has become a popular tourist destination. Tourists have often reported hearing murmurs and voices as they walked the abandoned pathways.
3- The Body Farm, Knoxville, Tennessee
The Body Farm is a research facility right behind the University of Tennessee. You’ll see dozens of decomposing human bodies lying around there for forensic and scientific studies. Dozens of dead bodies are donated to the research facility every year. More surprisingly, hundreds of people pre-register themselves so that their bodies are thrown out in the Body Farm after they are dead. Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed to visit this place.
2- Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
The Church of Bones or Sedlec Ossuary is a chapel beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints. Around 1300, an abbot of the Sedlec Monastery and scattered it throughout the church’s cemetery. Since then, more than 40,000 people have been buried there. To make room for the newly dead bodies, the church asked a woodcarver a couple of centuries ago to arrange all the 40,000 skulls artistically in the small chapel. Over the last several centuries, it has become one of the most terrifying places in the world. The chandelier in the center includes at least one of every bone found in the human body.
1- Bell Witch Cave, Adams, Tennessee
This site is particularly popular among ghost hunters. It’s the cave where John Bell and his family were killed. According to the legend, they were tormented by a “witch being” beginning 1817. The spirits in the Bell Witch Cave torture the youngsters in neighboring colonies even today. Modern technology doesn’t work there. Many visitors have reported their cameras failing to capture images. According to visitors, everything in the cave is cursed, so you should not bring anything outside the cave. Bell Witch is believed to be the spirit of John Bell’s deceased neighbor Kate Batts.
