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Lighthouse viewed through the trees and vegetation with dark and moody clouds in the sky; St. Augustine, Florida
Joey Hayes—Getty Images

It's that time of year, when the days get shorter and darker and our thoughts turn to creepy stuff and scary ghosts. We set out to find some of the most authentically haunted sites nationwide, places you can visit this month and next.

Many sites considered haunted are private properties, or they are abandoned with “no trespassing” signs posted (which doesn’t always discourage urban explorers).

But the following selection consists primarily of sites that welcome the public for regular or at least occasional tours, plus a few places where you can even spend the night...if you dare.

The team at Roadtrippers came up with this list, consisting of former jails, industrial and institutional ruins, a house of ill repute, and even a country music nightclub. These sites’ management can’t make guarantees of ghosts, but they can -- and most do -- charge admission for the opportunity to see them. One charges to the tune of nearly $1,000 for private overnight access. Now, perhaps someone should develop a Pokemon Go-like app for ghost hunters to “catch” spirits.