While most people attribute Maine’s spookiness to the home of the “King of Horror” himself, Stephen King, many may not realize how scary the state can actually be. It would seemingly make sense, considering the King’s fictional town of Derry, in It was inspired by Bangor, Maine. The renowned author even addresses the fact on his official website: “Derry is just Bangor masquerading under a different name.”
However, according to Action Network, Maine ranks No. 1 as the state with the most reported ghost sightings, with 58.1 reported sightings per 100,000 residents, which is 811 in total. Long before the fictional horrors King created haunt people’s nightmares to this day, people in Maine have reportedly claimed to have encountered the supernatural. Local legends also add to the state’s iconic ghost-sighting lore.
For example, you have Fort Knox, a military fortification with a reputation for paranormal activity, and one of its best-known ghosts is Sergeant Leopold Hegyi. The man died in 1900, but many people attest that his soul still wanders the place, patrolling the fort and making its presence known with creepy footsteps. It’s an incredibly popular place for ghost hunting and para...