This Castle in Ohio is One of America’s Most Haunted Houses

With the weather getting colder, it's about time to start busting out the horror stories that'll send a chill down your spine. The story behind this castle in Ohio may do the trick.

The humongous house built in the 1800s seems to have been ripped out of an early season of American Horror Story. The tales of death and uncomfortable circumstances loom over its ominous towers.

According to Travel and Leisure, the Franklin Castle in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of 12 truly haunted houses in the United States. Whether you believe in the supernatural and hauntings or not, this place is terrifying. The Victorian residence has a chilling reputation for a reason.

The house was built by Hannes Tiedemann, a German immigrant who made his living first as a grocer before becoming a banker. Tiedermann did not have a positive reputation, Travel and Leisure writes that he "was known around Cleveland for being cruel and abusive".

A windfall of tragedies struck his household not long after the Franklin Castle was built. In 1881, Tiedemann's daughter, Emma, died at 15 years old from complications with diabetes. Within the next three years, Tiedemann's mother and three more of his children all passed away. Naturally, suspicions were raised around the businessman.

Over the next few years, Tiedemann added more features and rooms to the home. In 1895, however, Tiedemann's wife, Louise, died from liver disease at 57. Hannes sold the house the next year. He died in 1908 from a stroke while walking through a park just one year after his retirement as president of United Savings and Banking Co. of Cleveland.

While there was never proof of foul play, rumors swirled around the home. Years later when the Ramano family moved in, they reported ghosts, performed exorcisms and left the house within six years.

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Seemingly every owner of the house fell into some trouble, whether because they themselves were scam artists trying to cash in on the grim rumors or a fire halted legitimate attempts to restore the building, this on two separate occasions. Others would pour resources into the dwelling only to inexplicably abandon those efforts.

According to Travel and Leisure, one of the longest-standing owners since Tiedemann left the home lived there for 55 years. This individual was a member of the German Socialist Party, which sparked rumors that the house was a front for a den of Nazi spies.

Human bones found with the walls, the room where Louise passed away is generally 10 or more degrees colder than the rest of the house, footsteps across an empty floor, children giggling as you climb the stairs - every trope claims to exist within one of the most haunted houses in America.

Today, tourists can book a stay at Franklin Castle, with information on the different rooms and pricing available here. Unfortunately for this year's Halloween season, 2023 is all booked out.

Want an inside look without staying the night? Your best bet is watching the Ghost Adventures episode on the house.