Hospitals can often be terrifying places. Bridges between the living and the dead, some of the worst human suffering imaginable is housed in their walls and many who enter through their swinging doors never come back out. We often enter hospitals at our most vulnerable point and must trust strangers to care for us in our darkest hours. Lars Von Trier brings this type of terror to life in The Kingdom, a miniseries trilogy set in the neurosurgical wing of Copenhagen’s National Hospital. More Twin Peaks than Grey’s Anatomy, The Kingdom is a terrifying journey through the halls of a sinister hospital. Horrifying tales include a ghostly ambulance, a maniacal surgeon who views the bodies of his patients as macabre trophies, a careless doctor who makes life threatening mistakes, and a woman impregnated from beyond the grave.

The mind-bending series debuted in 1994 with four episodes airing on the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Due to its massive popularity, however, a second season followed in 1997. Now, the long-awaited third and final season, The Kingdom: Exodus, arrives 25 years later via streamer MUBI. Coming off of rave reviews at the recent Venice Film Festival, the five-episode event promises new tales death, disease, and malpractice featuring returning stars, fresh faces, and children of the original cast members including Lars Mikkelsen, Alexander Skarsgård, and Udo Kier. In anticipation, you can visit these 10 terrifying places before you, once again, check into The Kingdom.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

The Kingdom is set in Copenhagen’s real Rigshospitalet (National Hospital), though its stories are largely fictional. A terrifying counterpart to this insidious building designed for healing can be found in Weston, West Virginia. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is a massive stone building set against the state’s rolling hills that first welcomed patients in 1864. Designed using the “Kirkbride Plan,” the original intention was to allow patients to rest and recover in a relaxing pastoral environment. This altruism quickly faded as overcrowding began to push the facility to its limits. The staff began to cut corners and administer cruel, but convenient, treatments in a desperate attempt to maintain order. Patients not sedated with drugs often went long periods of time with little to no supervision or care. The icepick lobotomy was frequently used to make patients more compliant and Dr. Walter Freeman was known to perform the procedure at the facility in front of a live audience.

By the 1950s, the building designed to house 250 was bursting at the seams with nearly 100 times as many residents. Patients were frequently required to sleep in eight-hour shifts due to a shortage of beds. Miserable and suffering, the patients began to turn on each other, resorting to violence and even murder to maintain order the staff could not. An unfortunate patient known as Dean was brutally murdered by fellow inmates who crushed his head with a steel bedframe. A nurse went missing while making her rounds and her body lay undiscovered within the hospital for two months. Patients were eventually released in 1994 after a series of news stories exposed the brutal conditions, but a lack of planning for their transition into society created devastating problems of its own.

The bodies of many who died at the facility were never claimed by their next of kin. Instead, they were buried in numbered grave markers in the nearby cemetery. Some say their spirits remain as a haunting reminder of the pain they experienced while confined to the institution. According to loose reports, mysterious figures and glowing orbs can often be seen at night and Dean is rumored to haunt the site of his horrific death. What’s more, a little girl known as Lily is rumored to still wander the room in which she died. Having spent her whole life in the asylum, she has been known to play with the toys filling her room and her giggles can sometimes be heard echoing in the halls.

The Catacombs of Paris

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The Catacombs of Paris are widely considered to be one of the most terrifying places on earth. This series of underground ossuaries is the result of an 18th century initiative to relocate bodies from the city’s many overflowing cemeteries and to move the decaying corpses far away from the Parisian water supply. To avoid horrifying residents, the bones were moved in the dead of night, dumped in the tunnels, and piled haphazardly wherever space could be found. In 1809, Inspector Héricart de Thury initiated a reorganization of the human remains resulting in the walls, structures, and monuments made from bones for which the Catacombs have become world renowned. A wooden plaque reads, “ARRÊTE! C’est ici L’empire de la Morte” (STOP: This is the Empire of Death), which is then followed by miles of bone-lined tunnels sprawling underneath the busy streets of the city.

It seems obvious that the mass grave of six million might be home to a few ghosts, but some of the stories originating from the Catacombs of Paris are truly terrifying. One legend warns against staying in the tunnels past midnight. Those still in the massive tomb may begin to hear the whispers from the walls beckoning them to venture further into the tunnels. This may have been what happened to Philibert Apsairt, an unfortunate man who became lost in the tunnels during the French Revolution and never found his way out. His body was recovered 11 years later having died in a lesser known passageway. The most terrifying tale involves a video camera found abandoned in the depths of the tunnels. Recovered by explorers, the footage reveals an unidentified man lost in the maze of the dead slowly losing his mind as he struggles to find his way out.

Emily’s Bridge

Joe King, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Gold Brook Covered Bridge is a quaint wooden structure in the picturesque town of Stowe, Vermont. There are many like it throughout New England, but none with such a sinister history. Built in 1944, the small wooden tunnel is named for the wooded stream it crosses, but it’s more common moniker refers to a tragedy that occurred in its rafters. The structure is often referred to as Emily’s Bridge, named for a young girl rumored to have died by suicide there.

Though versions of the legend vary, Emily is said to be a poor young woman who fell in love with a boy from a wealthy family. His parents did not approve of the match and forbade him to marry the unfortunate girl. Desperate to be together, the young lovers planned to run away together and start a new life, deciding to meet at the Gold Brook Covered Bridge to begin their elopement. When her beloved never showed, Emily is said to have hung herself from the rafters. But this tragedy did not put an end to her grief, misery, and rage.

The bridge is the sight of fairly standard instances of paranormal activity. Photographs of the structure are often blurred or otherwise corrupted, flashing lights can sometimes be seen at night, and a disembodied voice of a woman pleading for help seems to come from the creek below. The disappearing figure of a woman has been reported along with phantom handprints on foggy windshields. But the most insidious phenomena is also evidence of Emily’s ongoing anger. Horses passing through the bridge would frequently become spooked and emerge with long gashes on their legs and flanks. In later years, cars would reportedly drive through the bridge only to later find long scratch marks along their sides. It seems Emily is still waiting for long-lost love, but given how long it’s taken him to join her, she will likely be waiting for him with more than just welcoming kisses.

The Hell Fire Club

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Season 5 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” introduced the Hellfire Club, an endearingly nerdy Dungeons and Dragons society, to the public consciousness. However, the real Hell Fire Club has a much darker history. Created in 1719 by Duke Wharton, the original gathering was a group of gentlemen from Dublin, Ireland who would frequently convene for evenings of debauchery. Such meetings would often include heavy drinking, orgies, and public mockery of various Catholic rites. Meetings of the Hell Fire Club occasionally took place at a local tavern, but their more sinister meetings often occurred at a remote hunting lodge on Montpelier Hill. Built in 1725 by William Conolly near the western shores of Ireland, the building has become synonymous with the club and carries its share of horrifying rumors.

When stones from a cairn were used to construct the lodge, the Devil is said to have sent a storm to blow the roof away as punishment for disturbing the rest of the dead. One legend involves a mysterious hooded figure who entered the lodge to find shelter on a cold and stormy night. While playing cards with the man, club members noticed cloven hooves peeking out from under the stranger’s cloak. Believed to be the Devil in disguise, the figure is said to have escaped by bursting into flames in the middle of the crowded room.

Meetings at the hunting lodge were rumored to include Satanic rituals and pacts with the Devil. Sometimes, members would “sacrifice maidens,” though this practice is now believed to refer to sleeping with virgins rather than human sacrifice. However, many believe members of the Hell Fire Club engaged in animal sacrifice. One upsetting instance involves a black cat said to be the subject of a cruel incantation. A priest reportedly stumbled into the room with enough time to save the soul of the poor creature. Fortunately, in the years following, the hunting lodge has since been abandoned, but rumors persist about the blasphemous creatures once conjured within its walls.

The Stanley Hotel

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Estes Park, Colorado may be one of the most beautiful locations in the United States. Dubbed the Gateway to the Rocky Mountains, the town is known for its scenic views and observable wildlife. Inventor Oscar Stanley once retired to the small town while suffering from a nasty case of tuberculosis. Determined to die in a beautiful place, he was shocked to see his health improve in a single summer and vowed to put down roots in the idyllic mountain town. He built the lavish Stanley Hotel, which opened its doors in 1909 and quickly became a fashionable resort locale. Despite decades of popularity, the hotel began to suffer from neglect by the 1970s, and might have shut down for good if not for a fortuitous guest.

Hoping for a weekend vacation, author Stephen King and his wife Tabitha stayed at the Stanley on the last day of the season. Staying in room 217, they were the only guests in the large hotel. That night, King had a nightmare about a sinister fire hose that inspired one of the most beloved works of horror fiction of all time: The Shining. Though the story of Danny and his volatile father is entirely fictional, there are several real-life ghosts supposed to haunt the ornate halls and suites.

After suffering serious injuries from a gas explosion in the ominous room, Head Chambermaid Elizabeth Wilson is said to still occupy room 217, secretly organizing the belongings of messy guests. She’s also been known to cast a disapproving vibe when unmarried couples occupy the room. Elsewhere, the disembodied laughter of children can occasionally be heard ringing through the hallways along with faint music played by Flora Stanley on the hotel’s piano. A lecherous male ghost is also said to harass women in the closet of room 401. In another coincidental nod to Stephen King’s work, the sprawling grounds also contain a small pet cemetery for beloved companions of the hotel owners. A friendly golden retriever named Cassie is said to still roam the grounds, occasionally scratching to be let in.

Adams Cave

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Located in the rolling hills of rural Tennessee, Adams Cave is home to one of the most documented paranormal phenomena in American History. The Bell Witch is a specter that haunted the Bell family between the years of 1817 and 1821 in the town of Red River, now known as Adams, TN. Though the mystery remains unsolved, many believe the Bell Witch to be an incarnation of Kate Batts, a local woman who had a land dispute with John. Of course, since independent women at the time were looked upon with disdain, it’s possible that the unpleasant Kate simply became a handy scapegoat for unexplained occurrences.

There is no doubt that something unusual was happening in the Bell Household, though. Beginning with simple pranks like broken dishes, scratched cheeks, and bed covers mysteriously removed in the night, occurrences quickly escalated. Youngest daughter Betsy was the most frequent target and seemed to invoke the rage of the spirit. But she wasn’t alone: The Witch’s disembodied voice could also be heard by visitors, and many began to travel from miles around to witness the paranormal phenomena.

Eventually, this abuse culminated in the poisoning death of John Bell in 1820, becoming the only documented murder believed to be caused by a supernatural being in U.S. history. Occurrences began to subside shortly after John’s death, leading to many rumors about the true cause of the haunting. Visitors can now take tours of the cave and the Bell’s cavern, and might even hear a disembodied voice or see inexplicable candlelight flickering across the deserted fields at night.

The Tower of London

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Of all the lavish palaces, castles, and manors in London, none has as bloody a reputation as the Tower of London. Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Tower is actually a collection of stone buildings surrounded by concentric walls and a moat once considered the most secure fortress in England. Built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s, the palace was expanded two centuries later by Henry III and Edward I. Despite its deadly reputation, most executions actually took place on the nearby Tower Hill, but the Tower proper did house years of cruel imprisonment and torture, and was the execution place for some of its most famous residents.

Perhaps the most well-known person to lose their life at the Tower of London is Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII. Convicted of treason, she was imprisoned on the grounds – in the same royal apartment in which she had recently awaited her coronation – and executed on the Tower Green. Visitors have reported seeing her image haunting the White Tower and her headless body wandering the halls. On that same note, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, also suffered an extremely gory death on the Green when she reportedly proclaimed her innocence and refused to kneel for a clean beheading. The inexperienced executioner required multiple blows to complete her murder.

In addition to this grisly history, 48 people were tortured in the Tower of London. The most notable individual to suffer such cruelty was Guy Fawkes. After a failed plot to blow up Parliament, Fawkes and his accomplices were imprisoned and interrogated in the Tower before being hung, drawn, and quartered, their bodies dismembered and displayed throughout the city. Fawkes himself escaped the worst of this pain by jumping from the gallows ladder and breaking his neck. It’s said that his screams can still be heard coming from inside the White Tower as he prepared to meet his bloody end.

Hoia Baciu Forest

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When many people hear the word Transylvania, they think of Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire Dracula. However, the most terrifying place in the Transylvanian region of Romania is much more mysterious. Located just outside the city of Cluj-Napoca, the Hoia Baciu Forest is known as Romania’s Bermuda Triangle due to frequent reports of paranormal phenomena. Named for a shepherd who disappeared along with his entire flock of 200 sheep, the forest is rumored to contain a portal to another world and 1,000 people have reportedly disappeared within its wooded borders. The most famous legend tells of a five-year-old girl who wandered into the forest alone and disappeared only to return five years later having not aged a day. Those brave enough to spend the night have reported the sounds of phantom hooves that disappear upon investigation. Others have claimed to see floating orbs and disembodied green eyes glowing in the darkness.

Some believe the forest’s sinister properties stem from the murdered peasants who originally occupied the land. Others believe it may contain passageways to other dimensions. In 1986, a military technician named Emil Barnea captured pictures of what appears to be a UFO hovering above the trees. Despite all of these creepy stories, the most unsettling aspects of the forest are the physical features themselves. The trees of the Hoia Baciu Forest do not grow straight up to the sky but rather twist around in a corkscrew motion. Even more unusual, they all grow in the same clockwise direction. Located within the dense wildlife is a perfect oval known as the Dead Zone where no plant life has ever grown. The soil has been studied by numerous scientists and no explanation for this barren space can be found. Some visitors emerge with rashes and unexplained illnesses while others emerge unscathed. But nearly everyone who ventures into the forest reports intense waves of unexplained anxiety and an overwhelming feeling that they are being watched.

Ohio State Reformatory

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Prisons are upsetting places, often home to some of humanity’s most violent souls. But few are as notorious as the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. Most recognizable as the setting for Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, the majestic limestone structure opened its doors in 1890 and operated as a functioning prison for 94 years. Originally called an “Intermediate Penitentiary”, the building was designed to be a sort of middle ground between juvenile offenders and those convicted of more serious crimes. Prisoners were sent for an 18-month reformatory period to be extended if they could not prove they were ready to reenter society.

Overpopulation was a problem from the start. Cells built for one were routinely filled with two or three prisoners, leading to violence in the close quarters. A riot among inmates in the 1930s led to a terrible account of overcrowding when 120 prisoners were corralled into 12 solitary confinement cells and deprived of food and water for a week. In the 1960s the structure transitioned into a maximum security prison exacerbating the conditions for cruelty and violence.

More than 154,000 inmates passed through the limestone halls of the Ohio State Reformatory before it closed in 1990, but at least 215 never left. They are buried in numbered gravemarkers in a small cemetery on the prison grounds. Some died of the disease and infections easily passed among the cramped accommodations. Others succumbed to violence and murder. Some inmates fell into dispair and died by suicide on the prison grounds. All told, this legacy of death and violence can still be felt in the abandoned halls and many visitors report hearing the rage-ful slamming of metal doors and dark figures who linger in the empty cells.

Pripyat, Ukraine

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The thriving city of Pripyat, Ukraine became a ghost town nearly overnight after a devastating explosion at the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Due to unfathomable pressure, the roof of Reactor 4 incinerated during a botched safety test, releasing deadly radiation into the air for miles. At the time of the disaster, Pripyat was a thriving town of 50,000, built to house Chernobyl employees. Residents were told to quickly pack for a few days away, but have yet to return nearly four decades later.

Today, Pripyat is a haunting sight filled with abandoned homes, overgrown buildings, and a crumbling amusement park. There is no way to calculate how many lost their lives because of the disaster, but the screams of those who experienced the explosion can reportedly be heard echoing from Reactor 4. Explorers have reported flood lights turning on and off in the abandoned plant at night. The town is still dangerously radioactive and visitors are barred from entry. The Exclusion Zone is now inhabited only by security guards and illegal residents known as samosely whom the government now ignores after repeated attempts to remove them. But those are only the human inhabitants. A large black crow with glowing red eyes reportedly frequents the toxic air and a thriving community of dogs survives, believed to be the descendents of pets left behind in the evacuation.

The city still bears proof of the bustling life it once contained with clothes, cribs, furniture, and other belongings left to rot in the cruel environment. Gas masks lie abandoned on hospital floors, along with the radioactive clothes of the firefighters who first responded to the disaster. But by far, the city’s creepiest sites are the dolls that can be found in the abandoned apartments. Seeming to move around on their own, some appear to be wearing gas masks or other protective clothing, while some can be seen gazing out windows onto the empty streets below.