Are you ready to discover the eerie side of Paris? Join us as we take you on a journey to explore the top ten most haunted places in the City of Light. From abandoned asylums to ancient catacombs, Paris is home to a wide range of mysterious and macabre locations that are said to be haunted by the spirits of the past. Some of the most well-known haunted places include the Paris Opera House, where the ghost of a young ballet dancer is said to linger, and the Catacombs of Paris, where the remains of millions of Parisians line the walls.
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But don’t just take our word for it. Prepare yourself for a thrilling and spooky adventure as we uncover the legends, myths, and stories of the haunted places in Paris.
Related: Top 10 Creepy and Mysterious Places in Eastern Europe
10/span> Rue des Chantres
This street is known by locals as the most haunted street in Paris—and for a good reason too. Over the years, the street has been home to multiple tragedies. In the 1900s, a hotel on the street was used as a place to quarantine extremely sick children. However, these children didn’t receive the luxury hotel experience. Rather, they were crowded and confined in the lower basement of the hotel—as far from their friends, family, and the public as possible.
As if this weren’t bad enough, a horrible storm rained throughout Paris, and Rue des Chantres began to flood. The water seeped into the lower level of the hotel where the children were, and without any way to escape, they all drowned. Today, it is claimed by many that they can hear the screams of the deceased children while walking along the street at night.[1]
9 The Eiffel Tower
Oh no, not Paris’s #1 tourist attraction! Oh yes. The Eiffel Tower is indeed haunted. However, all the ghosts stay true to the theme of Paris: love. In some weird, twisted way, each ghost was brought there by love, and their life ended because of love. One of the most known ghost stories of the Eiffel Tower is that a man took his girlfriend up the tower to propose. When she turned down his hand in marriage, he pushed her into the railing out of anger. Instead of regaining balance, the girl is said to have fallen over the railing to her death.
This story was said to take place in the 1920s, which is why limited documentation exists today. However, it’s not far off at all from something that could’ve very well occurred. Some guests to the tower today have claimed to see a young woman clad in 1920s attire walking along the railing before disappearing. Could this be the lost soul of the girlfriend who said no?[2]
8 The Apartment of Marcel Petiot
Located near the Eiffel Tower is a luxury apartment complex that housed one of Paris’s most notorious serial killers. Marcel Petiot was a doctor with a terrifying past. As a child, teenager, and adult, he was diagnosed with many mental issues but was never reprimanded for his actions. Some of these included taking a gun to school to shoot it at age 11 and stealing army blankets, morphine, and other army supplies while enlisted, etc.
For some reason, he became a doctor, and during that time, he managed to trick and kill anywhere from 27-150 people in only three short years. He acted as though he was a caring man and offered a safe haven for many Jews fleeing the Nazis.
Once he got ahold of these innocent people, he pretended to give them an injection that he claimed would keep them safe from foreign diseases. In reality, the injection killed them. He rewarded himself with thousands of dollars of jewelry, furniture, and belongings, all stolen from his victims. It was only when neighbors reported foul-smelling odors from his apartment that he was finally caught. It is said that his old apartment is haunted by the many souls whose lives he took.[3]
7 Pont des Suicides
Also known as the suicide bridge, this bridge is gorgeous. It’s surrounded by greenery and is made of stone. From the looks of it, you would never assume its past. As soon as the bridge and ensuite park opened in 1867, the deaths began and only increased in the 1890s. Every month in 1896, there were no less than 29 suicides.
Today, it is reportedly haunted by the souls of those who ended their life on the bridge. Sometimes at night, while pedestrians walk along the bridge and in the nearby park, they can hear the sounds of those who ended their lives on the bridge.[4]
6 Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
The Père-Lachaise Cemetery is one of the largest and most haunted cemeteries in Europe. There are 70,000 graves and counting. Two of the most well-known ghosts are that of Mademoiselle Clairon, an actress, and her heartbroken stalker. It was only by coincidence that they were buried near each other. During their lives, the man had begged Mademoiselle Clairon to love him back, and when she rejected him, he turned to suicide.
Another more famous ghost story associated with Père-Lachaise is that of the “Wandering Woman.” According to legend, a woman dressed in black can be seen wandering the cemetery, searching for her lost child. Visitors to the cemetery have reported seeing the ghostly figure, sometimes accompanied by the sound of a child crying. Other ghosts said to be seen in the cemetery include a man wearing a top hat who appears in the older section of the cemetery and a woman dressed in white.[5]
5 Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame Cathedral is a gothic cathedral located in the heart of Paris, France. The cathedral, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, is one of Paris’s most visited tourist sites. Some people believe that the cathedral is haunted by a number of spirits, including the ghost of Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame, who is said to be seen wandering the cathedral at night.
There have also been reports of ghostly apparitions of a black cat and a hooded figure, as well as strange noises and unexplained sounds coming from the cathedral. While there is no concrete evidence to support these claims, many people find the legends and stories surrounding the haunted cathedral to be intriguing.[6]
4 Catacombs
The Catacombs of Paris, also known as the “Empire of the Dead,” is a network of subterranean tunnels and galleries that contain the remains of millions of Parisians. The tunnels were created in the late 18th century as a solution to the overcrowding of cemeteries in the city. The bones of the deceased were exhumed from their graves and transferred to the catacombs, where they were arranged in decorative patterns along the walls of the tunnels.
The Catacombs are often associated with stories of hauntings and strange occurrences. Some people believe that the spirits of the dead who were placed in the catacombs still linger in the tunnels. Visitors to the catacombs have reported feeling a sense of unease or being watched, as well as strange noises and cold spots. Some have even claimed to see ghostly apparitions or feel a presence with them while in the Catacombs.[7]
3 Hospital Psychiatrique Maison-Blanche
Hôpital Psychiatrique Maison-Blanche, or the White House Psychiatric Hospital, is a former mental institution located in the suburbs of Paris, France. The hospital was in operation from 1878 to 1997. During that time, it housed thousands of patients, many of whom were said to have been treated inhumanely.
Due to its history, the abandoned hospital is often associated with stories of hauntings and strange occurrences. Visitors to the site have claimed to feel uneasy, as though they are being watched. Strange noises and cold spots are also common. Some have even claimed to see ghostly apparitions or feel a presence with them while in the hospital. There have been stories of patients being seen wandering the halls and eerie laughter and screams echoing through the empty buildings.[8]
2 Museum of Vampires and Monsters of the Imagination
Yes, you read that right, and yes, it’s haunted. A ghostly apparition of a man is often seen sitting in an orange armchair. He is supposedly the grandfather of the museum’s current owner, Jacques Sirgent. He claims that his grandfather killed himself outside in front of the building for reasons we only know as love.
The ghost isn’t the only haunting at the museum. Each wall is packed with memorabilia related to vampires and monsters. There is even a pre-loaded crossbow hung on the wall, ready to be used to fight off vampires.
While in school, Jacques “specialized in studying the physical embodiment of evil.” His obsession with darkness and Dracula led him to create the Museum of Vampires and Monsters of the Imagination, and he spent years finding and gathering his artifacts.[9]
1 Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, also known as the Paris Opera House, is a grand and historic opera house located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The opera house was designed by the architect Charles Garnier and was built in the late 19th century. It is known for its opulent and ornate architecture, and it has been the home of the Paris Opera since it opened in 1875. It is also the setting of the infamous Phantom of the Opera story.
Although The Phantom of The Opera is fictitious, some of the spooky details are true! For example, a lake is truly underneath the opera house. Additionally, in 1896, a seven-ton grand chandelier fell on top of someone and killed them upon impact. The last tragedy occurred in 1873 when a stage fire broke out, killing a ballerina and disfiguring a pianist who later died.
Despite these tragedies, the main ghost who is seen is actually none of those mentioned above. Rather, it is that of an elderly woman walking around the outside of the Opera House looking for her lost lover.[10]
