This is a wonderful book for fans of all things haunted. This book is packed with REAL American haunts, ranging from hotels to restaurants to all the places in between.

I personally loved that it not only included details about each location they also included some personal anecdotes about them too! I believe the released copy also had photos which make for a wonderful addition.

Whether you are an avid ghost hunter or just looking for some real life spooky stories to tell on Halloween this book will make a spooktacular addition to any bookcase!

As always, thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really shouldn't have read this because I added more places I want to travel to my bucket list. Haha thank you Rich Newman. This is perfect for those to love ghost stories and the love of travel. I really can't wait to travel to some of the places mentioned in this book.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me give my honest review.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest review.
3.5 Stars
I'm not the bravest person in the world but I do enjoy a good book about haunted places. There's something fascinating about places and their history be it good or bad.

I loved the layout of this book. The stories were concise and well written. This is the perfect book for someone who wants to get into the spooky spirit.

I really enjoyed this and thought it would be a great read for a young person interested in dark tourism.

This was a fast, fun read. I love reading about haunted places, and the history of a place. Why the place is supposed to be haunted is almost more interesting to me than the actual ghost story. Yes, I am a history nerd. It was interesting to read about what the author obviously considers the top haunted spots in each state.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the description of the TV program the author was filming when he had some of his personal experiences. The idea of putting an unwitting person in a haunted location and filming them, without telling them, just doesn't sit well with me. Seems like typical shock TV and and makes me question the author's motives.

Not quite what I expected... I was hoping for more background on the goings-on and some meat-on-the-bones storytelling, but the hauntings are all dealt with in a rather dry, perfunctory fashion. It's always a little bit of history on a place, then something like "the ghost of a girl/soldier/unknown man is supposed to wander the second floor", and finally something helpful along the lines of "Don't forget to sample the breakfast!"
The Personal Experience chapters following some of the described locations were more fun, going into more depth; after a while I found myself just skimming the unaccompanied locations, focusing instead on the ones that had some personal experience attached. If I lived in the US or was planning a trip, I definitely would use this book as some kind of guide of where to go, but for armchair travel I found it a bit basic. Still, a nice, solid read, much better written than other ghost guide books out there (e.g. another Llewellyn title I recently had the privilege to review).
The Netgalley copy I received unfortunately did not include any pictures, which didn't make reviewing this any easier.

This is a fun little travel guide type book, detailing purportedly haunted locations in each of the fifty states.

The entries are listed alphabetically by state, and each is roughly between one and five pages long. A little history of each location is given, followed by the common ghostly reports related to the place. Some entries also have personal stores from the author briefly detailing a personal experience he has had in that particular place.

Naturally I was most interested in the listing for my home state of Oklahoma. There are two listings: The Stone Lion Inn in Guthrie, which I have definitely heard of but never been to; and Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, which I HAVE been to but alas, have never experienced anything paranormal at.

This is a book that would be handy when planning a trip OR would be great as a "coffee table book" (or, dare I say, bathroom reading) as it would be fun to pick up and read a few entries at a time when you have a few minutes to spare.

Four stars. Passport to the Paranormal collects the stories of haunted spots across the United States, including the histories and occurrences for each location. Don't miss this one if you like a good ghost story -- it's perfectly spooky read for this time of year. This would be a perfect tool in planning a hair-raising road trip... I'm kind of excited just thinking about doing that.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect Halloween read! I love all things "ghost hunting" so I knew without a doubt this was going to be an enjoyable read for me. And it was! 51 different spooky places to read about. The history of each place, with some personal stories sprinkled throughout. It would have been cool if the ARC version I received had included the photos and not just blank squares, but what can you do. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Good paranormal resource to see some of the haunted locations by state. Great book for anyone interested in the paranormal.

Thanks to Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am always up for a good ghost story and learning the history behind the haunting of a place. I saw this title and was eager to explore some of the places in the US that are known for their ghosts.

Rich Newman started out as a hobby ghost hunter and then turned professional with shows and books to prove it. Passport to the Paranormal is being released as a ‘Best of…’ style of book on the anniversary of the release of his first book. So, it is not comprehensive of all his explorations nor of all the haunted locations in the US. That said, he included at least one location and often several for each state.

Passport to the Paranormal reads like a combination of travelogue, historical facts on locations and people, and fun ghostly venture options. Each entry is quick and engaging. Sprinkled throughout, Rich Newman shares his own supernatural encounters at a location named in the book. I’m not sure whether I envy him for having so many encounters or relieved that I’m not a ghost magnet like Rich. Or, perhaps, he has these encounters because he is out there actively trying to engage with the spirit world.

I appreciated that the author mostly included off the beaten path types of places that haven’t made the big shows or news, but he does include a few of those. I was startled to discover that places I visited in Idaho, in California, and in Michigan were on his list. Let me add that I had no ghostly visitations or weird happenings. The author gave a brief history of the location and people, why it is considered haunted, where, and by who if they have that worked out, but then he goes on to include why it is also a great travel destination, too. So, whether one experiences a close encounter with a ghost or nor, the trip is still well worth the visit.

All in all, it was an entertaining and interesting selection of places that the reader can flip to the state or the location by using the index or simply read it cover to cover. There are maps and pictures liberally sprinkled throughout. Definitely recommend for a bit of something different in a travelogue or a ghost hunter hobby read.

The leaves are changing colors. There's a chill in the air.  This is the perfect time to check out the 200 haunted hotels, museums, bars, and restaurants in the new book by Rich Newman, Passport to the Paranormal.  It can be delightful just to flip through to your state and see what options you have.   There are some old favorites, like Tombstone, Arizona but some surprises as well including some places in Florida I never would have thought to look. 

Passport to the Paranormal feels conversational, and like you're getting recommendations from a friend on some super weird stuff they've found.  It doesn't try too hard, the way some other paranormal guides can. It was greatly enjoyable and a great addition to any trip you decide to take in the United States if you're into spooky places. 

Passport to the Paranormal is now available from Llewellyn.

I love books which gives history and ghost stories. This book does not disappoint. The layout of the book gives the history then the location. I love how there is a place in each of the 50 states. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

I love stories about haunted locations and this book does not disappoint. It includes stories from all 50 states. This book is great for all of tge paranormal lovers and grest for this time of year.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened this book, and it was a pleasant surprise! Passport to the Paranormal is essentially a haunted travel guide. It picks a few of the best hotels, inns, B&Bs, and attractions in each state in the US (if by best you mean most haunted) so if you’re looking to book a spooky trip away, you’ve got a handy guide right at your fingertips.

I’m not in the States and, given the travel situation currently, I’m not likely to go any time soon. So this was a pure interest book for me, and it was still absolutely worth it for that. I thought it was really well laid out - each state was listed alphabetically then each haunted locale had a historical (haunted) thumbnail description, what to expect/hope for, best areas to go/rooms to book/tours to take.

I especially enjoyed the little historical blurb each locale had. Newman managed to consolidate a lot of information down into a few really interesting and informative paragraphs. My only quibble was that I was keen for more of the history around the haunted areas, but also do recognise that this wasn’t the type of book that lends itself to that.

A must read if you’re into paranormal experiences or ghost hunting - especially if you’re planning a trip within the US!

This book was a long and interesting read. I had to force myself to continue reading it since it didn’t flow nicely in my mind. I was also a little disappointed that there weren’t more places for Wisconsin.

I would use it as travel guide if I wanted to organize a haunted place tour of USA.
I liked the stories told, the clarity of the explanations and how the book is organized.
informative and interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really want to recommend this book for the travel section in my library. I know that sounds strange, but I absolutely loved the small history the author gives behind the place he is talking about and why it was haunted. And I have a ton of those places on my to be visited list now. I think other people who are into the spooky side of things would love it as well.

trigger warning
<spoiler> mention of: suicide, lynching, medical fraud, earthquake </spoiler>
haven't read the whole book, after a while I just leafed through it, so not all is mentioned

What it says on the tin: This is a travel guide leading you to haunted spots in the USA, sorted by state. So this is to be used to either gather information or make a travel plan, and it includes public places, mostly hotels and spas, you can visit.
It comes with a short description of the place's history, and if you need to book a certain room or if the hotel has multiple buildings, it tells you where to be if you're going there to experience paranormal activity.
Some entries have descriptions of encounters the author had in those places, and a few come with photos of the places. All of them are listed with the link to the places website for the traveller's convenience.

I read the first 60 pages of this page by page, and then started leafing through. If I had the physical copy, I am sure it would be perfect for putting in the bathroom and reading a few entries now and then.
I requested this because I love ghost stories, and I got what I wanted. I am not planning to travel in the near future, because, well, world news.

The arc was provided by the publisher.