The stately Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, La., is said to be haunted by several ghosts ranging from a former servant to the family cat. (Toronto Sun Photo)

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Ghosts have been known to haunt a wide range of places from houses and hotels to castles and prisons.

A lot of them seem to pop up around Halloween -- usually in the form of trick or treaters. But many other apparitions don't wait for Oct. 31 to make an appearance!

See for yourself at some of these year-round attractions and destinations:

HAUNTED LOUISIANA

No wonder it's "One of America's Most Haunted Homes." Over the years, no fewer than a dozen people have been murdered in and around Myrtles Plantation, which was built on a sacred Indian burial ground.

One of the best-known ghosts of the 213-year-old St. Francisville mansion is Chloe, a household servant, who was murdered after she baked a poison-filled cake that killed three members of the Woodruffe family. Chloe still wears a turban on her head while her body appears as a transparent blue mist.

A tour of the house is filled with spooky sights. For example, a large framed mirror contains hand prints that seem ingrained in the glass. Although the mirror has been replaced several times, the hand prints always return!

"These are spirits trapped in the home," says the guide.

Then there's the case of the mysterious family cat. Photos of the animal were taken regularly, but often when the image was developed, it showed nothing more than an empty circle where the cat should've been! Visitors see these photos, as well as hear recordings of ghosts, and learn more about various unexplained voices, footsteps, and furniture moving around in an empty room.

You can stay overnight (if you dare) at this B&B or take a tour. They're offered every 90 minutes daily and cost $8 for adults, $4 children 12 and under. Mystery tours take place Fridays and Saturdays at 6, 7 and 8 p.m., $10 per person. Contact 1-800-809-0565.

MEPHISTO WANTS A MARTINI

Dr. Faust sold his soul to the devil Mephisto in exchange for knowledge and eternal youth, according to legend. But where did the two make that infamous pact?

According to one guide, it took place over drinks in Leipzig, Germany's Auerbachs Keller restaurant -- "one of the 10 most famous restaurants in the world." Paintings on the walls illustrate the legend, which 200 years later inspired Goethe to write what became a famous German play -- Faust.

The cellar restaurant is in Madler Passage -- one of the city's most beautiful shopping arcades. Above is the Mephisto Bar with devilish statues, and photos from the various plays and movies about Faust.

Don't be surprised if you hear strange noises, see pictures on the wall suddenly tilt or encounter fog descending over the bar unexplainably. Glance in the mirror at your own risk!

Before you run off in fear, a little secret -- the bartender is a jokester, who seems to delight in startling patrons.

SPOOKY INMATES

Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary, once the most famous prison in the world, tried a new approach to reform when it opened in 1829. Instead of corporal punishment, common in those days, they adopted a Quaker-inspired system of isolation or solitary confinement.

It didn't work. Instead of becoming penitent for their crimes, many inmates went insane from lack of human contact. As early as the 1940's officers and inmates reported mysterious visions and eerie experiences in the old jail.

Ghost sightings increased after the prison was abandoned in 1971 and every year, dozens of teams of investigators come here to study the paranormal. The penitentiary, which housed famous inmates such as Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton, is open year-round for tours, with a special event, "Terror Behind the Walls," on now through Nov. 7. For more, check easternstate.org.

GHOSTS ENJOY LUXURY, TOO

Ghostly encounters are not uncommon at Boston's Omni Parker Hotel -- America's oldest continuously operating luxury hotel -- and many happen on the third floor.

In fact, according to the travel website boo.com, you can no longer make a reservation for room 303 where a businessman mysteriously died. Guests and hotel staff often report they can smell whisky and hear loud laughter coming from the room, which is now used as a closet.

Charlotte Cushman, a well-know 19th-century actress, also died on the seemingly cursed third floor, and even now, one of the elevators stops there without a button being pressed.

Harvey Parker, the hotel's founder who died in 1884, was particularly passionate about keeping his guests happy. He has been known to appear in guest's rooms to ask about their stay!

For more, check boo.com or omnihotels.com/Boston.

GHOSTLY WALES

Wales has so many prominent ghosts it has decided to promote them. The apparitions, who live in castles, manor houses and hotels, include Caerphilly Castle's Green Lady, who flits between turrets; Lady Grey of Ruthin Castle Hotel who was executed for murdering her husband's lover and never properly buried; and the former librarian of Raglan Castle who appears as a bardic figure beckoning visitors where the library once stood.

Travellers interested in ghost-spotting activities should check travelwales.org/haunted.