Beneath the charm of the Southern US lies a darker side, where centuries-old tales of hauntings and unexplainable phenomena abound. From ghostly apparitions in Savannah hotels to haunted mansions in New Orleans, the South is steeped in eerie legends.
As I begin to plan my next trip to New Orleans, I’ve been looking up spooky ghost tours and that’s when I learned the United States has its fair share of ghost stories! Whether you’re a ghost hunter or love Southern history, here are the spookiest spots in the US South to visit or go on a ghost tour.
The 17Hundred90 Inn – Savannah, Georgia
The 17Hundred90 Inn – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Savannah suffered through numerous historical calamities, including fires and multiple outbreaks of the Yellow Fever epidemic.
In 1790, the city held a free election for mayor. Savannah was just a small town at the time, but its few hundred residents agreed to form a local government. That same year, a building was built in an area that is now west of Columbia Square. That building now houses the 17Hundred90 Inn, although the inn has been rebuilt and expanded many times. Thus, the inn truly embodies the spirit of Savannah from its earliest days—and it houses some of its oldest spirits.
The ghost of Anna is the most well-known specter haunting this inn. Anna was a young woman deeply in love with a seafaring sailor. But, the love of her life left her alone while he went out to sea. Anxiously preparing for his return, Anna stayed in room 204, patiently waiting for day in and day out. After many months of waiting, she came to the realization that her lover had no plans of returning. Desperate and in grief, she threw herself from the window and plummeted to an instant death.
Her ghost continues to haunt the hotel, as she never quite got over the one that got away. She can sometimes be seen peering out of the window of room 204 when it is vacant, longing for her love. Guests report strange breezes in the hallways as if someone is brushing past them, and doors seem to get unlocked by themselves mysteriously.
The LaLaurie Mansion – New Orleans, Louisiana
The LaLaurie Mansion – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
The LaLaurie Mansion is perhaps one of the most well-known haunted houses in the South. It was home to Marie Delphine Macarty LaLaurie and her French husband (her third spouse!), Dr. Louis LaLaurie. These two New Orleans socialites were quite the toast of society at the time. They held lavish parties at their house and were well-known and respected in the fledgling New Orleans community.
However, they had a dark, hidden underside that only came to light later. In the upper stories of the mansion, the outwardly sweet and gentle Madame LaLaurie kept her slaves captive. She tortured them frequently, whether as punishment or as part of one of her cruel experiments. Attempting to escape, one of the slaves started a fire in the house, which is when their terrible living conditions came to light. Furious, the townsfolk chased the LaLauries out of town. They fled to France, never to be seen again, but the house remains haunted to this day.
On a dark, quiet night, you might be lucky enough to hear the wails of the tortured souls who were kept in captivity here.
The Tennessee State Capitol – Nashville, Tennessee
The Tennessee State Capitol – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Nashville is haunted by its roots, with the Tennessee State Capitol being the most haunted location in the city. Eerily enough, the body of its architect, William Strickland, is entombed within its walls.
Another man, Samuel Morgan, was hired to supervise the construction of the building in an attempt to ensure productivity and reduce time and money waste. Samuel and William did not get along at all. The two often quarreled, almost coming to physical blows at times. Morgan was also buried in the building—in the southeast corner.
To this day, the ghosts of the two are heard arguing and squabbling. The police have sometimes been called upon reports of loud arguing, only to find the building empty upon arrival.
A well-dressed woman is sometimes seen strolling the grounds in the early mornings. She is reportedly the ghost of Rachel Jackson, who eloped with Andrew Jackson but died soon after he was elected president.
James Polk, the 11th President, is believed to haunt the grounds as well. He died of cholera and was buried in a special tomb on the grounds of the Capitol. His wife, Sarah Polk, was buried near him. Mysterious dark shapes appear in photographs taken in the vicinity of the graves at night.
The Horse You Came In On Saloon – Baltimore, Maryland
The Horse You Came In On Saloon – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Maryland is a bit of an anomaly. If you ask Northerners, they may say it’s Southern; if you ask Southerners or even some Marylanders themselves, they’ll probably tell you it’s in the Northern. But, since Baltimore is south of the Mason-Dixon Line and is considered a southern state by the US Census, we’re including it in this article.
In the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore, where pubs and bars are on every corner, is The Horse You Came In On Saloon. Food Network named it the most haunted restaurant in Maryland, according to CBS News. It’s the only bar in Maryland that existed before, during, and after the Prohibition era, and it is also Maryland’s oldest continually operating saloon.
First-timers report shuddering at the feeling of a hand being placed on their shoulder, only to turn around and see nobody there. However, the bartenders and staff are already accustomed to the spooky nature of this bar. When the cash register opens by itself, they don’t even blink an eye. They sometimes put out a glass of cognac for the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe. The saloon was Poe’s last stop before he suddenly died of mysterious causes, suffering from extreme delirium in his final hours.
Nobody is truly sure of the exact cause of his death. Theories abound, from syphilis to rabies. One interesting theory is that he was a victim of cooping, a practice in which people were kidnapped and forced to vote for specific politicians. The victim would be overdosed with alcohol and threatened with beating until he complied. He would then vote numerous times, dressing in different outfits and masquerading as different individuals to cast multiple votes.