10 Most Haunted Places in the South

A List of our Ten Most Haunted Places in the South

The South has a rich past full of exciting scenes and characters. Whether you are looking for decades-old family businesses, buildings dating back to the Civil War era and beyond, and of course, many creepy and hair-raising stories. The South is full of many haunted places, ranging from houses to hotels with paranormal activities, as well as cemeteries where the dead won't rest entirely. As we move closer to the Halloween season, it’s time to put on your daring coat and go check out some of these spooky places. To guide you through the tour, here is a list of ten most haunted houses in the South to explore this Halloween.

1. Loretta Lynn Plantation House, Hurricane Mills, Tennessee

The Loretta Lynn Plantation House is among Tennessee’s top ten tourist sites, but the mansion is reputed to be haunted by ghosts. The beautiful mansion was built in the later part of the 19th century by plantation owner James T. Anderson at a site close to a Civil War battlefield where 19 soldiers lost their lives. The house was acquired by Loretta and Mooney Lynn in 1996, but the family have reported sightings of Civil War soldiers, James T. Anderson as well as the apparition of a woman who died during childbirth.

2. Marshall House, Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah, Georgia is reputed to be the most haunted city in America, with a host of many spooky places and events. One of the most haunted places in the town is the Marshal House, a magnificent edifice built by Gabriel Leaver in 1851. The building has witnessed quite a large number of deaths after serving as a hospital for Union Army soldiers during the Civil War and two yellow fever epidemics. When the house was restored to its initial state in 1999, many paranormal activities have been reported taking place in it. Sightings of ghosts in the foyer and children running down the hallway at night, and faucets turning on and off by themselves are familiar.

3. Cedar Grove Mansion Inn, Vicksburg, MS

Cedar Grove Mansion is an elegant, 3-storey mansion built in the mid-1880s by John Klein, a wealthy architect and investor as a wedding gift to his bride, Elizabeth. They had ten children in the mansion, three of which they lost. Cedar Grove was sold to Ted and Estelle Mackey in 1983, but to the couple's horror, the house has some unexplainable occurrences.

Ghost sightings in the mansion include that of wandering Civil War soldiers who were treated in the house, a young girl's ghost, as well as Elizabeth Klein walking down the stairs. If you find yourself in the Gentleman's Parlor, don’t be surprised to perceive the smell of a pipe, as the spot was where John Klein liked to smoke during his time.

4. Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, KY

If you are looking for a place to witness paranormal activities, Waverly is the place to be. The building was built in 1926 as a tuberculosis sanatorium with facilities for over 400 patients.  Waverly is touted as one of the most haunted places in the world, and this might be due to the thousands of people who had died in the building when it served as a tuberculosis sanatorium and a nursing home for the mentally ill and older adults.

5. The Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas

The hotel was built by Jesse Driskill, a Civil War Colonel who lost the hotel in a high-stakes poker game. After the colonel's death, his ghost has been seen in guest's rooms as well as the scent of cigar smoke without any smoker.

6. The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, La.

This ravishing antebellum styled house which was built in 1796 is said to be haunted by a little girl who has appeared in pictures taken around the house. Also, it is assumed that young girls could be seen roaming around the plantation every month during sunset.

7. Chapel Hill, Tennessee

The story goes thus; while trying to put the brakes on the coaches of a Chapel Hill-bound train on night duty, a train brakeman lost his life through decapitation. Locals started seeing a strange light moving about the tracks after the incident, and they believe it to be the decapitated train brakeman in search of his lost head.

8. The Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina

The Grove Park Inn is a popular tourist destination and is set in a woodsy, and lush environment. But the hotel is said to be haunted by a pink lady who fell to her death at the hotel in the early 1920s. Workers at the hotel have reported strange sensations around room 545, and sighting of a lady in a pink dress.

9. Ryman Auditorium Nashville, Tennessee

Opened in 1892 as the home of the Union Gospel Tabernacle by Captain Thomas G. Ryman, the building has witnessed several paranormal activities. After the death of Captain Ryman, the house was converted into an entertainment hub and has since been haunted by his ghost.

10. Brown Mountain Lights, Burke and Caldwell Counties, N.C.

The Brown Mountain Lights are series of glowing orbs which can be seen across the mountain and the valley beyond it. The lights are one of America's greatest mysteries, and investigators have not been able to explain their source.

What should we add to this list of most haunted places in the South?