There are cities across the United States that exude an alluring energy. It emanates from historic buildings, battlegrounds where brother fought brother, and the murky swamps of the South, manifested by years of tragedy and emotional events. Within cities like New Orleans, Gettysburg, and Williamsburg, a compilation of haunting tales of murder, conflict, and influential figures of the past awaits to be retold.
History comes to life in each city as ethereal entities and lost souls reach out to the living. From field hospitals of the Civil War to the mansion of a slave-owning madwoman, key locations have made New Orleans, Gettysburg, and Williamsburg iconic and historic haunted cities that everyone needs to visit.
New Orleans, LA
The Haunted LaLaurie Mansion – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
The claustrophobic streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter are as crowded with spirits as they are with the living. A mystical place with roots directly tied to Voodoo culture, it’s no shock that the historic city could take the title of “most haunted,” especially considering its controversial past. Figures like Marie Laveau practiced an offshoot of the Haitian religion, blending the spiritual traditions with Catholicism. Her legacy is felt throughout New Orleans, as is the essence she left behind.
Though the Voodoo Queen’s magic was meant to benefit the region, Madame Delphine LaLaurie left a far darker imprint. The home she owned with her husband on Royal Street was a veritable chamber of horrors, where slaves were mutilated and left to rot. The discovery, made during a fire that broke out in the LaLaurie Mansion, left a stain on the city’s past. The villainous socialite is said to still haunt the old building, along with some of her servants.
From the spirits that roam St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to the apparition of a dedicated servant at Buckner Mansion, few places in New Orleans don’t have some spooky story tied to them.
Gettysburg, PA
The Jennie Wade Birthplace House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
One could assume that any battleground across the United States would be haunted by echoes of the past. Canons may fire on otherwise quiet mornings, and the march of unseen boots plods along. However, Gettysburg’s active Civil War haunts go beyond the battlefield.
Among the most notable is the Jennie Wade Museum, the site of Wade’s accidental death. During the Battle of Gettysburg, Wade and her mother took refuge in her sister’s home. As the legend goes, while baking bread for Union soldiers, a bullet penetrated a door and struck Wade in the back. The tragic tale extends to the Jennie Wade Birthplace House, her former home that she’s still believed to visit.
Not far from Wade’s tragic tale, another harrowing story unfolded. The Welty House, now part of the Brickhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast, was occupied by Confederate soldiers while its namesake family and their neighbors hid in the basement. Though the Welty family survived the battle, the home’s grounds were used to bury soldiers, some of whom continue to patrol the grounds.
Gettysburg is a gold mine of spectral activity and strong unnatural energy, from the souls caught within the rocky crevices of Devil’s Den to the once blood-stained floors of buildings that were converted into field hospitals.
Williamsburg, VA
Haunted Colonial Williamsburg – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
For nearly 100 years before the colonies united, Williamsburg was the capital of the Virginia colony. Though that honor was later given to Richmond, Williamsburg remained an important piece of the state’s history. Locations throughout the city felt the weight of the Revolution and Civil War, the ghosts of the past serving as reminders of a rich and colorful history.
Among the most haunted buildings is the Peyton Randolph House, once the home of the first President of the Continental Congress. Randolph’s old home stands as a museum for those who once lived there, the delighted voices of young children running up and down its halls. Legend has it that General Marquis de Lafayette once commented on the presence that tried to keep him from entering.
Other haunted hotspots, like The Public Hospital, are known for an uncomfortable atmosphere. Among the nation’s first asylums, those who were treated within suffered questionable treatments and were trapped in cells or shackled to the wall. The residuals of their suffering fill what’s now a museum.
Williamsburg stood at the inception of a new world, and its eerie tales chronicle the controversy and pains of progress. Make sure to hop on a haunted Williamsburg ghost tour to discover this city’s dark side.
Charleston, NC
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
When it comes to haunted cities, Charleston was a central part of the Revolutionary and Civil wars. That’s lent to a landscape riddled with haunted buildings that feed on the residual energies of the conflicts. Locations like the campus of Queens University, where a student who allegedly committed suicide still roams, and Founders Hall, where a stolen cadaver drew the presence of its lost soul.
The city has an uncomfortable aura to it that basks quaint homes like the Bootlegger House in a heavy darkness. Once a hideaway for alcohol during the prohibition, the Bootlegger House has a peculiar spirit that walks the staircase, leaving behind wet footprints. There have also been stories of the bathroom faucet turning on by itself.
From the forlorn lovers of the haunted Duke Mansion to the dual specters of the Victorian Charlotte Fire Department Station 4 and the Old Exchange Provost and Dungeon, apparitions are commonplace throughout Charleston. Tall apartment complexes, an old theater, a troubled hotel, and one of the city’s oldest cemeteries all bring their own spectral legends.
There is a lot of history in Charlotte, much of it painted on the old buildings that line its historic streets. Other pockets of the past house wandering spirits lost in an unfamiliar world.
Salem, MA
The Witch House – Copyright US Ghost Adventures
Before the colonies united against the British, a black cloud formed over the small settlement of Salem. Cries of witchcraft spread across the Puritan town as townsfolk turned against . More than 20 were killed for their alleged ties with the Devil, and it’s the accused who still call Salem home today.
The aptly named Witch House, the last-remaining structure standing from the days of the trials, is a haven for the souls bound to the very land their blood was spilled upon. The home belonged to Judge Jonathan Corwin, whose signature adorned several of the warrants that condemned some to death.
Point to any building in Salem, and it’s likely to be haunted. Echoes of the past ring through the historic Salem Jail as former inmates find comfort in the familiar. The famed Wicked Good Books invites all to witness the unexplained activity tied to the mysterious underground tunnels. Bearing the name of famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Hawthorne Hotel is believed to be haunted by a lady in white and a mischievous entity that hangs around rooms 325 and 612.
There’s a reason why over a million visitors flock to Salem in October — and it’s not just for the seafood. Try out a Salem ghost tour and see for yourself why Salem’s such a popular Halloween destination.
