It’s officially summertime and there’s no better way to celebrate than by hanging out with some of your closest friends. Instead of spending this summer roasting on the beach or surfing the ‘net, do as the Winchesters do: Go on a Supernatural cross-country road trip.
Originally pitched as “Route 66: Great American Road Trip,” Supernatural has taken us to some of the coolest places around the country. Even though some of these places may be considered slightly dangerous, they’ll surely make for quite the adventure. Plus, you’ll love exploring these sites that inspired some high quality Supernatural episodes.
So load up the car with some of your favorite snacks, a few rounds of rock salt, and a bunch of your favorite tunes (because the driver picks the music), and check out this Supernatural guide to the best summer road trip stops from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Gettysburg Battlefield: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Start off your Supernatural summer road trip right by first visiting one of the most haunted places in the entire country. The most violent battle of the Civil War happened on these very grounds, causing over 10,000 men to lose their lives. That’s a lot of unfinished business concentrated onto a single property.
People who visit the site often report seeing ghosts of Confederate and Union soldiers. Some initially believe that they’re seeing re-enactors before they realize that no such groups were at the site that day.
Sadly, the Winchester brothers have yet to visit the battlefield, but we really hope that one day they will. It’s such a fascinating location that has such a rich history. It’s definitely a must-visit road trip stop.
Holmes Murder Castle-turned-Post Office: Chicago, Illinois
The H.H. Holmes Supernatural episode is definitely one of the most memorable stories, especially in terms of the ones that delve into local urban legends and actual events. After all, H.H. Holmes was the nation’s first high-profile serial killer.
Holmes built his three-story, block long “castle” (as his neighbors called it) and, during the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, the building served as a hotel. It housed his drugstore, office, and living quarters, as well as a maze of windowless rooms, doors that opened to brick walls, and other strange architecture.
Shortly after police searched the castle and convicted Holmes, the place was burned to the ground (possibly as an act of arson). About 45 years later, a US Post Office was erected on the same lot. Some say that poltergeists and apparitions, including Holmes himself, still haunt that spot to this day. This legendary location is definitely worth your time.
Old Roosevelt Asylum: Forest Hills, Illinois
Though it is technically not in Rockford as episode 1×10 maintains, the Roosevelt Asylum is a real place in Northwest Illinois. The structure is in a town called Forest Hills and, according to this article about the asylum’s history, “the property is posted, gated and trespassing is strictly prohibited.”
But we’re all Supernatural fans here. A few “No Trespassing” signs aren’t going to deter our curiosity. The police supposedly deter visitors from the property because it’s condemned/unsafe and not haunted, but there’s no way that an old asylum building does not have some former patients still hanging around. Some passers-by report seeing spectres or disfigured human shadows.
Not much else is known about the structure. If you try looking it up on Google, you get pages like the one linked above that are partially fact and partially fiction (which is why we couldn’t find an image we believed to be real). If you do try to visit the asylum, try to stake out the area first.
Lawrence, Kansas
All Supernatural fans need to take a trip to the town where it all began. While the Winchesters unfortunately never actually lived in Lawrence, Kansas (at least not in this reality), Eric Kripke originally chose the town as the Winchester’s home because of its history of urban legends and strange occurrences. (We would have suggested starting your trip in Lawrence but, since it’s in the middle of the country, it didn’t make much sense.)
When in Lawrence, make sure to stop by the infamous Stull Cemetery. Many believe the cemetery houses a gate to hell. Furthermore, according to The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Demons, Spirits and Ghouls, “the church has been abandoned since 1922 and without a roof… apparently, rain will not fall over it. And a crucifix that still hangs on the wall turns upside down at the approach of certain visitors.” How creepy/awesome is that?
A haunted hotel and university call the town “home” as well. Lawrence is the must-see place when doing a Supernatural-inspired road trip.
Winchester Mansion: San Jose, CA
Another spot that Supernatural has yet to visit or feature is the Winchester Mansion in San Jose, California. Strange, isn’t it? The Winchester brothers not having had visited the infamous Winchester Mansion after eight full seasons?
Anyway, the mansion is known for its strange construction history (38 continuous years and numerous architectural oddities) as well as general supernatural occurrences like cold spots and dismembered voices. It was designed and built by Winchester rifle heiress Sarah Winchester who is now one of the ghosts reported to have been seen walking around the premises.
Unlike other haunted places, the Winchester Mansion is open to tourists and even has its own website which you can check out here.
Hollywood, California
The last stop on our Supernatural summer road trip is none other than Hollywood, California. Hollywood has everything: glitz, glamour, and ghosts. There have been so many fatal accidents over the years on Hollywood sets and property that, as Supernatural‘s episode “Hollywood Babylon” explains, the place is teeming with spirits.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is one of the most famous places in Hollywood, well-known for its ghostly patrons. Some say that they’ve seen the ghost of Marilyn Monroe walking the halls, or strange orbs floating in the air. This hotel has even been featured on some of the Travel Channel’s haunted places episodes.
The Hollywood sign is another one of the town’s haunted spots. Long ago, actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide by jumping off the sign to her death. Now, tourists have reported seeing her spectre near the sign. Check out this Wikipedia page for more haunted locations in not only Hollywood, but California in general. Because of its numerous haunted locations, California would be the best place to end your road trip.
For more Supernatural road trip stop ideas, click here and here, and stay tuned for our Supernatural road-trip playlist (which will be coming out next week).
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