Why do some people like to visit places where murders happened?

[AnnaNomus]

I think because houses have history. They have a story to tell, and sometimes it's a sad, frightening, or fascinating story. That intrigues a lot of people. I always wanted to visit the Amityville NY house of "The Amityville Horror" not so much for the ghost story, but the history of the family that was murdered there originally. There is also a house in my hometown where a guy killed his six children and the family dog because his wife was divorcing him, back in the 1970's. I wonder what it would be like to live in a house with such a tragic history.

[Army_Guy]

The Dakota apartment where John Lennon was killed seems to be a very popular tourist spot. I visited that place once. There were a lot of people taking pictures of the walkway where he was killed.

While I was there, a young girl, maybe early 20's, comes up to me and asks what this place was. I told her this is where John Lennon lived, pointed just inside of the gate and said that's where he was shot and killed. She just gave me the "oh, okay" look and went on her way. It also seemed like she wanted to ask who John Lennon was...

[OctavBotnar]

Originally Posted by AnnaNomus

I think because houses have history. They have a story to tell, and sometimes it's a sad, frightening, or fascinating story. That intrigues a lot of people. I always wanted to visit the Amityville NY house of "The Amityville Horror" not so much for the ghost story, but the history of the family that was murdered there originally. There is also a house in my hometown where a guy killed his six children and the family dog because his wife was divorcing him, back in the 1970's. I wonder what it would be like to live in a house with such a tragic history.

I've heard that the current owners of Amityville Horror do not take too kindly to tourists.

[mordant]

I think one of the shows like Ghost Adventures did one of their "lockdowns" in that house so another reason is the fascination with disaster and death and the belief that strong emotions, madness and such can somehow soak into the environment and hang around long after the events. Such people want confirmation of the supernatural and so are drawn to such places. Being in the very location where something horrific happened increases their subjective sense of creepiness and makes it more likely that they will have their hair stand up or catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of their eye that seems to reinforce that consciousness can exist outside of biology, which then makes an afterlife more likely.

The thing I never understand is why people aren't equally moved to visit places where acts of great kindness, generosity and courage were performed. Or a loving home where a couple had an intense romantic relationship and raised happy children. That way they could absorb GOOD vibes from the wall plaster. Not remarkable enough, I guess.

[OctavBotnar]

Lots of people die in hospitals, hospices and cars - but it is virtually unheard of the supernatural "soaking into the environment"

[jtur88]

My wife is going to Poland this summer. Everyone tells her that she MUST visit Auschwitz. Why? As if that is the only thing in Poland worth going to see.

I went and saw Auschwitz in 1972 -- I was driving past on the highway and saw the sign, I didn't even know that it was there, and decided to go and have a look. There was nobody there, I wandered around all by myself, and it didn't really have any meaning to me at all, just to be in the building. No more so than in the Roman Colosseum, or the site of Custer's Last Stand.

[oh-eve]

When I moved to the US, I couldn't wait to stay in any of these dead beat motels on the side of the road with broken neon light signs, where people get killed in movies and books.

It was a thrill for me.

However, I couldn't understand, why all the American's I met in Germany, were so eager to visit Dachau (concentration camp) in Munich. But I guess that is their equivalent