The Goth Atlas: A Guide to the World's 500 Most Spooky and Macabre Places

by Malorie Mackey

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 15, 2026

About the author

Malorie Mackey is an actress and model based out of Los Angeles, California. Malorie grew up in Richmond, Virginia where she loved sports, the outdoors, animals, and all forms of art. She took to acting at a young age, so it was no surprise when she decided to go to college for theatre. While in college, Malorie studied body movement with the DAH Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia, voice in Herefordshire, England with Frankie Armstrong, and the business of theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Malorie moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles after receiving her BFA in Theatre Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Upon arriving, Malorie participated in the Miss California USA 2011 Pageant where she won the “Friend’s Choice” Award (popular vote) and received a beautiful award for it. Since being on the West Coast, Malorie can be seen working on many Indie films, such as the Sci Fi Movie “Dracano.” Most recently, Malorie starred in the Biography Channel show “My Haunted House” and the TV Pilot “Model Citizen” with Angie Everhart. She ended 2014 working on three Indie Films: “The Martini Shot,” “The Taker,” and “The Summerland Project.” Throughout all of her experiences, Malorie has kept diligent journal entries. It was these entries that became “My Playboy Story: Hopping from Richmond to Hollywood,” the second edition of Malorie’s first published book. Malorie is inspired to continue writing. Next on her docket is to create a travel journal and, from that, a video travel blog. Stay tuned as Malorie travels the World making this dream a reality.

Reviews

[litch! (cryptidcasanova) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review courtesy of an ARC provided by Netgalley

This guide is so fantastic that I, an active participant in the goth scene, born and raised in Philly, had never heard of Grip the Raven until today? Flabbergasted.

I cannot wait to snatch up a physical copy of this on the formal publication day. Organized by location and covering regions all over the globe, this atlas provides a non-intimidating and delightfully informative blurb about all manner of places ooky spooky. Ranging from night life to tourist attractions, solemn memorials to haunted houses, this is a must for any creepy crawly looking for a new hyper fixation or planning a roadtrip.

[Arkrayder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC of The Goth Atlas: A Guide to the World's 500 Most Spooky and Macabre Places from NetGalley and Chronicle Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found The Goth Atlas: A Guide to the World's 500 Most Spooky and Macabre Places to be a beautiful and engaging book, especially as I am someone with a strong interest in the paranormal, haunted locations, folklore, and the darker side of history. The photography is one of the book’s greatest strengths. The images are striking, atmospheric, and help to bring each location to life. Whether depicting ancient castles, historic cemeteries, or other mysterious destinations, the photographs capture a sense of beauty, intrigue, and sometimes unease that perfectly complements the subject matter. While reading I found myself lingering over the images and returning to them even after reading the accompanying text.

Another strength of the book is the sheer variety of locations included. From castles and cemeteries to sites associated with legends, ghost stories, and unusual historical events, there is something here for anyone drawn to gothic aesthetics or paranormal subjects. The book succeeds as both a travel inspiration guide and a visually impressive coffee-table book.

My main criticism is that I often wished there was more information about each location. Many of the entries provide enough detail to spark curiosity, but not enough to fully satisfy it. I frequently found myself wanting additional historical background, deeper exploration of local legends, or more discussion of the paranormal stories connected to a site. The photographs often left me wanting to learn more about what I was seeing, and some entries felt too brief considering how fascinating the locations were.

Overall, The Goth Atlas is an enjoyable and visually stunning guide for fans of gothic culture, dark tourism, folklore, and the paranormal. While I would have appreciated more detailed coverage of each topic, the outstanding photography and wide range of destinations make it a worthwhile addition to the library of anyone interested in exploring the world’s darker and more mysterious places and for any self respecting Goth.

[Juli Stadler · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in the 1980's post-punk music scene and shares an affinity for the gothic aesthetic, I was eager to read "The Goth Atlas: A Guide to the World's Most Spooky and Macabre Places." I found the book disappointing.

For starters, the book is poorly researched. The majority of the entries consist of one paragraph, and are often so vague that you will be left wondering why the author chose to include them.

Some entries are just flat-out wrong. For example, the author states the cemetery in Idaho City, Idaho is called Boot Hill Cemetery a.k.a. Pioneer Cemetery, when it's the other way around. There are multiple signs on the property declaring it Pioneer Cemetery.

You can tell which geographic areas the author has visited because they have a disproportionate number of entries, whereas other geographic areas that have just as much to offer were overlooked.

This is the first book I've seen in which the majority of the photographs utilized were stock photos from sources like Alamy and Shutterstock. Some of the photos are mislabeled.

My biggest issue with this book is that it’s just not very informative.

Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the complimentary eDRC. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & Chronicle Books for the free, pre-publication copy (ARC or Digital Review Copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
As soon as I saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it immediately! What a fun book filled with so many creepy and fascinating locations all around the world! This is definitely a print book you will want to purchase (and I will be once it is published) as the images & print on my Kindle are all a bit too small to really absorb, but it did the trick and got me hooked. I blazed through this book, taking so many notes as I went along and pre-ordering right away.
I now have an even longer list of places I want to visit due to this book, what a unique compilation of eerie locations I am “dying” to visit! If you are interested in quirky, historical, and a bit different type of travel this book is a definite must!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley.

As a fellow goth girlie, I finally feel like there’s a travel guide made for the morbidly curious — and it honestly couldn’t have arrived at a better time while I’m planning my honeymoon. I absolutely loved the global approach to the topic, and it was so exciting spotting places I’ve already visited alongside destinations I’m now desperate to see for myself.

The mix of iconic locations and deeper cuts makes this feel incredibly well curated. From museums and historic landmarks to eerie shops and immersive experiences, this book truly has a little bit of everything. Every page made me want to throw on black boots, build the ultimate gothic road trip itinerary, and disappear into the strange and unusual. An absolute must-have guide for lovers of the peculiar, macabre, and beautifully haunted.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gorgeous guide features some breathtaking photography that can’t help but inspire daydreams of daring adventures, supernatural mysteries, and melancholic romances. I can’t wait to see how they really glow in print. It was really a delight to see the highlights of architecture, culture, rituals, and folklore from around the world, but I was very disappointed to see that the section for Oceania was limited entirely to Australia and New Zealand (at least in this advance, uncorrected proof).
I did love seeing Nocturna in Chicago make the list! I think the inclusion of local events and businesses was such a sweet touch, as it really emphasizes how much of gothic culture is based around community.

My sincere thanks to Malorie Mackey and Chronicle Books for providing this ebook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5.0 stars

[Jennifer T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and unusual travel guide for those who are interested in the macabre and love gothic travel sites. In its 500 pages you will find pretty much every region of the world covered so if you’re planning a trip pretty much anywhere (except the Arctic I think) and love ghosts and ghoulies check this guide for a potentially unique place to visit. I’ve been to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia as well as the cemeteries of Savannah and New Orleans but many more places I want to visit are included in this volume.

It includes excellent photos for nearly every destination mentioned as well.

**Thanks to the author and Chronicle Books for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

[Lili Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully detailed book highlighting a lot of exceptionally visually stunning and fascinating locations I was unaware of. I truly appreciate the global content to satiate a desire to view the unexpected and/or macabre. Short paragraphs describing each wonderful location or festivity along with best timing and stunning photographs keep your interest throughout. I found myself utter a lot of "oh how cool!" and little jaw-dropping gasps throughout reading this book. Thank-you, Chronicle Books and Malorie Mackey, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Goth Atlas is a guide book featuring 500 goth and spooky places from around the world. Some are castles, haunted houses and mental hospitals while others are goth clubs, restaurants and witch shops. There are plenty of pictures and each place has a description that says why it was included in the book. I wish I could see a bunch of these places in person!
This book would be interesting to people who like the Gothic lifestyle, haunted places, historical sites, learning about other cultures and who might want to travel.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was soo excited to receive this book from Netgalley because I love learning about spooky and haunted places, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

Some of the places were interesting and had fun pictures. But other places had no photo, which was somewhat disappointing. I also wish there was more said about each location so I didn't have to go look up more info myself. Lastly, I wish it was all haunted places and not also goth stores/clubs/etc.

Overall, I feel like this would've been a great blog post but I would've preferred a book with less locations, more photos, and more info about each one.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. I love books of unique travel destinations because I'm always fascinated about what gets chosen and to see if anywhere I've been is included. This book takes readers around the globe to the world's most Goth places. There are a variety of historical sites, ruins, castles, churches, museums, shops, clubs, cemeteries, etc. Each place is accompanied by a brief description as to why it was included. Many of the locations have photos attached, but the photos are not captioned to know which of the several locations on the page the photo(s) is for. It also does not provide any actual addresses or visitor information to know what is open to the public and what is not.

[Victoria Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gasp! I absolutely love visiting weird and wonderful attractions when I travel and this book has them all! The Anatomy of Death museum in Michigan? Yes, please! The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium in Portland? Sign me up! The CLOWN HOTEL in Nevada?? OF COURSE!

While I wouldn't put Monster Mini Golf (Colorad0) in the same league as the Winchester Mystery House (San Jose), I can appreciate its appeal to some (after all, I did go to both!). A nice blend of the dark and cheesy! Read this before your next road trip or vacation!

Thanks so much to Chronicle Books, via NetGalley, for this ARC!

[Lacey Dungan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of interesting locations and pictures of spooky, scary, creepy, or just plain odd destinations. I was interested to see how many of the 500 I had either seen or heard of (very few!) and so this opened up a lot of ideas for attractions to see when traveling next. Since there are so many locations included, each one has a very small blurb. This left additional information to be desired for some of the locations. Overall, super interesting book!

[HaleyK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited for the release of this book! I have always wanted to plan a trip for the weird and spooky and this book gives me everything and more! There are so many within driving distance for me that I didn't even know about!

I highly recommend for those that love the unusual and spooky.

[Abagail Sturgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean this book is just wow haha. The pictures are creepy. I'm not sure where has the creepiest places. I loved reading about them though. Definitely got the Gothic vibes.