Haunted houses refer to locations that are inhabited by the spirits of deceased beings who were familiar with the property, or perhaps even lived there.
Supernatural activity within homes is typically associated with tragic or violent events that occurred such as murder, suicide, or another death.
Entities that are said to haunt homes (or any other buildings) are known to make noises, materialize as apparitions, and have the ability to move or hurl tangible objects.
Such behavior can be categorized as "poltergeist activity," poltergeist meaning a spirit that makes its presence known by noise.
An exorcism (a religious or solemn ceremony used to expel an evil spirit) has traditionally been the technique used to rid unwelcome and unwanted spirits from a property or even a person's body.
Haunted houses have long been a part of American culture and appear in literature quite often.
Haunting is used as a plot device most often in gothic and horror fiction and more recently in the 20th century, fiction based on the paranormal and alien themes.
Writing even as early as during the Roman-era, by authors such as Lucian and Plautus, contains stories about haunted houses and buildings.
Today, haunted houses are used as a form of entertainment during the fall around the time of the Halloween holiday.
They are popular in older towns and areas that were settled and inhabited in the previous centuries.
New England has a number of popular haunted houses popular given its rich history dating back to the 17th century.
Western towns are popular as well; there are a number of Denver haunted houses and other mining and ghost towns that attract hundreds of visitors.
A popular ride (and now movie) at the Disney Theme Parks, is the Haunted Mansion, which references much of the iconography of American haunted houses.