America is home to some of the most shocking murders in history, true crime and other dark events are no longer seen as only for the fascination of the more unusual of individuals.
Whether serial killers, vampire or Salem witch tours, these attractions are becoming more and more popular across the States and the selection of tours is continuing to grow, a few examples are detailed below.
The Helter Skelter tour in Los Angeles, reconstructs the events that led up to the infamous murders committed by members of the Manson family in 1969. The tour looks at the events from both sides, and does not hold back on the details of the whole macabre event.
Another, which is proving popular, is the Jeffrey Dahmer tour, where you can follow his footsteps, and hear how he ate seven of his seventeen victims. The tour is so gruesome; it has been banned by certain tourism web sites.
The murder tours are not the only dark tours proving popular, tours such as the Salem Witch Walk where you are with real witches and take part in a real magical circle, and educated about modern day witchcraft and the accused witches of 1692.
Vampire tours are on the rise too, typically beginning at nightfall, when the dark side of places like New Orleans commences. Chilling tours through creepy locations and fantastic storytelling of gruesome stories from the guide ensure that the tour is not for the faint hearted.
Another dark attraction is Centralia, a modern day ghost town, over the years the residents have left the town following an underground fire, which has left the town a ghost town with no residents and many buildings torn down.
This has become a popular tourist destination, although there is nothing to do in Centralia and not much to see, but this is the fascination.
So it would appear that the dark tourism is a growing industry, in some ways an education where the unpleasant stories of the past are told to new generations.
People are fascinated by what has happened historically, but often these sites can be used as memorials to the victims and often are run by charities to raise funds, such as the Helter Skelter tour above.
These tragic events of the past should not be forgotten and the organised tours is a way to ensure that future generations do not forget what events have occurred in years gone by.
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