Are you afraid of ghosts? The South has some truly creepy places, whether the spooky cemeteries, haunted hotels, or even restaurants with spirits… and not the alcoholic kind!
Do you dare visit these places that are reported to be haunted? Find out for yourself, but bring a friend.
Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs in Northwest Arkansas was established as a resort town in the Victorian era. The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa is one of the finest hotels in the region, but it has a dark past.
Known as America’s most haunted hotel, it was owned by a con man named Norman Baker who ran a hospital that supposedly cured cancer. But in actuality, he performed horrific experiments on paying customers.
Baker injected “patients” with acid and other concoctions, usually resulting in their deaths. The basement became the morgue. The hotel offers ghost tours, and guests have shared some truly creepy imagery.
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama
While the state has its fair share of spooky places, the Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham look like they’re straight out of a post-apocalyptic movie.
The furnaces were built in the 1800s to produce iron, often working well into the night. Many accidents took place under the management of James “Slag” Wormwood, who was rumored to have been thrown into the furnaces by disgruntled employees.
Paranormal experiences have been reported at Sloss over the years. During Halloween, the furnaces were previously transformed into a haunted house.
Learn more about Birmingham’s ghosts on The Birmingham Ghost Walk – Hotels, Churches and Riots Tour.
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, Cassadaga, Florida
Cassadaga in Central Florida is a place unlike anywhere else in the region, established as a colony for the Spiritualist faith. Psychics and mediums settled here in 1894 and have remained ever since.
Visitors can make appointments with mediums to speak to those in the beyond. There’s also an energy vortex. A few of the homes and the Cassadaga Hotel are believed to be haunted.
They offer standard history-focused tours as well as “spirits of the night” tours.
Central State Hospital, Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville, in Georgia’s Lake Country, is the site of Central State Hospital, which was once Georgia’s largest mental institution, established in the 1800s.
It was here that over 12,000 people lived at one time, treated with lobotomies and electroshock therapy, among other methods. There was also a cemetery where the markers were accidentally pulled up, leaving thousands of unmarked graves.
There’s no specific ghost story to come out of it, but you can certainly feel a creepy atmosphere when there. The buildings are mostly closed to the public as they’ve fallen into disrepair. But you can see them from the outside on self-guided or guided trolley tours.
Kentucky State Penitentiary, Eddyville, Kentucky
Eddyville is best known as the home of the Kentucky State Penitentiary. It’s known as “The Castle on the Cumberland” for its stone architecture and is the oldest prison in the state, completed in 1886.
While it looks beautiful on the outside, the prison houses around 800 of the state’s most dangerous criminals in its supermax units. Over the years, it’s been the site of abuse, prison breaks, and deaths.
It has a reputation for being haunted, but you won’t be able to find out for yourself as Eddyville is still an active prison. But you can see the impressive architecture from Lake Barkley.
Loyd Hall Plantation, Cheneyville, Louisiana
While plantations are abundant near New Orleans that visitors can tour, one of the most haunted is actually in North Louisiana. Loyd Hall Plantation is now an inn, but was originally a private home.
Built in 1820, it was owned by William Loyd, a disgraced member of a London family. He was tarred and feathered by a local Indian tribe for being a Union spy.
It was also here that a Union deserter reportedly died, and the bloodstains are still visible on the attic floor. Loyd is said to haunt the home, along with some of his guests from over the years.
Glenwood Cemetery, Yazoo City, Mississippi
The Mississippi Delta has seen its share of tragedy from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. Yazoo City is home to Glenwood Cemetery, the city’s cemetery dating back to 1856.
The city’s notable residents were buried here, including the couple that supplied the land and the area’s first doctor. But the most famous is the “Witch of Yazoo.”
Legend has it that she killed local fishermen and became caught in quicksand. While succumbing to her death, she cursed the city, promising that it would burn. And on the date she said, it did indeed. A local guide tells her story for tour groups upon request.
Battleship North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina
North Carolina has plentiful locations said to be haunted, and that includes the coastal city of Wilmington. Battleship North Carolina is one spot, a World War II battleship that now permanently resides in the Cape Fear River.
Built in 1941, the battleship was originally stationed in the Pacific. Five soldiers were killed on board in a torpedo attack. Their spirits are said to haunt the ship.
It has been restored to the time period, with its barracks and public spaces available for self-guided tours. Go early in the day because it gets hot below deck. Give yourself at least 90 minutes to wander around.
Provost Dungeon, Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston was founded in 1670 and has been the site of wars, attacks, and other tragedies. There’s also no shortage of haunted locations all over the city.
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon was a British prison during the Revolutionary War. It held prisoners of war over the years, as well as pirates like Stede Bonnet. The conditions were reportedly terrible.
The dungeon is open for tours during the day, as well as a stop on ghost tours at night.
Visit the dungeon on the Charleston Ghost & Dungeon Night-Time Walking Tour.
Read House Hotel, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Before it was one of the best places to stay in Chattanooga, the Read House Hotel was a Civil War hospital, bearing witness to unthinkable suffering.
Room 311 is also said to be haunted by a woman who was beheaded by her jealous lover. Her spirit roams the halls. The hotel, built in 1847, offers tours of the room daily.
Learn about the city’s spooky history on the Murder & Mayhem Haunted History Walking Tour in Chattanooga.
The Tavern, Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon in Southwest Virginia is home to The Tavern, a former stagecoach stop that dates back to 1779. It operated as an inn, tavern, post office, and Civil War hospital.
During its heyday, it hosted the likes of Henry Clay, King Louis Phillipe, and President Andrew Jackson. These days, it’s a restaurant with American and German dishes like schnitzel and North Carolina trout.
It’s the oldest building in town and has the oldest bar in the state, one of the oldest in the country. The Tavern has been the site of creepy occurrences, especially in the upstairs storage space where a doll is on display. The ghost of a murdered sex worker is said to harass customers and employees.
Would you dare visit these haunted places in the South?
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