While Salisbury, England is known as one of the country’s cathedral cities, it also has a reputation for housing many haunted buildings. This entices thrill and supernatural seeking tourists to the city every year. Particularly through October, the Salisbury hotels are packed with eager ghost hunters and individuals looking for some additional excitement to their travels. Salisbury is not the only city in the world that is reputed to be haunted, though it is certainly one of England’s top ghost hunting towns.
The city’s ghost reputation is so strong that there are special haunted tours available and many tourists partake in these as an essential aspect of their visit. One of the main buildings reported to be haunted is the Odeon Cinema. It is located in the old House of John Halle, which is believed to be the oldest building in the United Kingdom that houses a cinema. Another popular ghost haunt is the Debenhams department store. This haunting has a story attached to it. It is the location of a famous beheading that occurred in 1483. Henry Stafford, the second Duke of Buckingham was beheaded there, and it is his ghost that is believed to wonder the halls.
Ghost hunting is a common and popular activity in many parts of the world and with many cultures. While for some it is more thrill seeking in orientation, to others it is more of a sacred journey or respect for those that have come before us. Most states in the US have areas or buildings that are reported to be haunted. Arizona is well known for two small towns that are supposed to contain ghosts. Bisbee is one of these, located in the southern portion of the state, and Jerome, which is a former mining town north of Phoenix, is another location. Both of these towns, as well as is Salisbury, are proud of the ghostly legends associated with them, and capitalize on this aspect of tourism and visitor interest.