Not The Stanley Hotel, Not The Lizzie Borden House: This Is The Best Haunted Hotel In America

For some travelers, hotels are just a place to get some shut-eye. For others, they can serve as a portal to the paranormal. This is what perhaps brings guests to The Stanley Hotel, a horror icon that offers ghost tours, and the Lizzie Borden House, a 19th-century abode turned bed-and-breakfast that claims to be haunted by those who were murdered here. If you are someone with a morbid curiosity, consider that these two landmarks, located in Colorado and Massachusetts respectively, still can't claim to be the No. 1 best haunted hotel in America. Per USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards 2026, this honor belongs to the Fainting Goat Island Inn in Nichols, New York.

This ranking is put together by an expert panel of seasoned journalists, travel writers, and content creators. They suggest nominees for the award, and from this pool, USA Today 10Best editors choose the finalists. The ultimate ranking of the nominees is then decided by public votes. Although the inn claimed the top spot on this nationwide list, The Stanley Hotel and the Lizzie Borden House also made the cut: The former came in at No. 10 and the latter at No. 6.

If the Fainting Goat Island Inn hasn't been on your spooky radar before, it should be. Situated on the Susquehanna River near the border of Pennsylvania, the property dates back to the 1800s and was, at one point, used as a morgue and a brothel, as reported by Binghamton Homepage. From the outside, this structure, tucked behind towering trees and nestled in the wider Finger Lakes Region, looks fairly innocuous. With its veranda and gabled roof, the property resembles a farmhouse and in fact, lodgers will find fainting goats (of course) and other animals here. However, it's also believed to have permanent spectral guests.

The Fainting Goat Island Inn has long had a supernatural reputation and has been a fixture on USA Today 10Best's haunted hotels list since 2019. There are five rooms, adorned and furnished with 19th-century decor, to choose from. Each space has a different look and may ultimately provide a distinct paranormal experience. For example, the Angora Room is painted in a rich blue hue and boasts a queen bed with botanical motifs. However, you might not get much sleep, as previous guests claim that they've had their sheets pulled off, among other encounters. Others have shared that the furniture in the Nubian Room was moved during the night.

These are far from the only things that have been reported by guests. One Tripadvisor user wrote that during their stay, "something kept rapping on the door, the walls and the headboard." Even owner Marnie Streit, who opened the hotel in 2017 and has run it ever since, said in an interview with Mountain Home Magazine that she has heard unexplained footsteps and voices. Prospective visitors should note that Streit is known to allow ghost hunting on her property, though a paranormal experience is not always guaranteed on your visit. 

The inn's location arguably appeals to history and nature lovers, too. Less than an hour away, Robert H. Treman State Park has 12 majestic waterfalls and a beach. Even closer is Owego, a New York locale once named "America's coolest small town." The hotel is closed from around late February to early May. Reservations require a two-night minimum stay and can be made online. As of this writing, nightly rates start at $115. For more spooky fun in New York, head to Pure Terror Scream Park, America's longest haunted house with 10 hair-raising attractions.