The Spookiest Southern Cities You Should Visit This Halloween

The southern states are among the most beautiful in the country. There’s so much to see and do, and every American should visit the South at least once or twice in their lifetime. If you’re planning a trip below the Mason-Dixon line this Halloween, you might be wondering which cities to visit. Here are the spookiest southern cities and why you should visit them.

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, founded by the French in 1718, was the historic capital of French Louisiana before it became part of the United States. Its culture and cuisine are highly influenced by French, Spanish (the Spanish controlled it for a brief period), and Creole cultures. The bustling Bourbon Street in the historic French Quarter has a vibrant nightlife and street culture, with numerous eateries in the area offering traditional Cajun and Creole dishes.

It is well-known as one of the most unique cities in the US – but also one of the most haunted. Voodoo, ghosts, and magic are all intertwined in the history of this city. From mafia hitmen to tortured slaves of Turkish sultans, you’ll learn all about New Orleans’s spooky past on one of these local New Orleans ghost tours.

2. Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg is one of America’s oldest towns. As such, it has its fair share of ghost sightings and paranormal reports. What most people don’t know, as this fact went undiscovered for a long time, is that Colonial Williamsburg was built on old Native American burial grounds.

These sacred grounds are perhaps the root cause of all the hauntings and ghost sightings reported in Williamsburg at places like the Peyton Randolph House, the Bruton Parish, and the Wythe House. However, later occurrences, including the civil war, which left thousands dead in the area, also contributed to Williamsburg’s haunted reputation.

3. Nashville, Tennessee – one of the spookiest southern cities

Nashville is one of the south’s liveliest cities. Music City, as it’s commonly called, is the birthplace of country music. The city is also alive with rock, indie music, the blues, and jazz.

Regardless of its reputation, though, Nashville has some seriously dark undertones. It starts with the Tennessee State Capitol itself, architect William Strickland is entombed in the walls. Eerie apparitions are reported at night, and the muffled sound of footsteps echo through its halls.

The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville’s top music venue, is also said to be haunted. It was originally designed as a place of worship and is supposedly haunted by the souls of long-forgotten country music stars. Another place you might stop by on a haunted Nashville ghost tour is the Downtown Presbyterian Church, which features a creepy cemetery outside that makes even the bravest of hearts skip a beat.

4. Baltimore, Maryland

Yes, Maryland is a southern state—the United States Census Bureau has labeled it as such since 1853. Although many Marylanders do not consider themselves culturally Southerners, this is still worth mentioning in this article.

A haunted Baltimore ghost tour will take you to all of Baltimore’s creepy bars and haunted houses. With names like RYE and The Horse You Came In On Saloon, it’s no surprise that these places have spooky vibes. You’ll also get to visit old pirate bars like Max’s Taphouse and hear the stories of the ghosts of the pirates and sailors that haunt them.

5. Orlando, Florida

Orlando and Florida, as a whole, seem to attract the unusual, the unexplained, the wacky, and the sinful. The name itself stems from tragedy. There are several versions as to where the name came from. One tale tells of a man called Orlando who died while passing by the place on his way to Tampa with a herd of oxen and who was buried on the spot. Another tale tells of a soldier called Orlando Reeves, who was killed in a Native American attack during the Second Seminole War.

Regardless of how the name Orlando came into existence, though, there’s no denying that it’s haunted to its core. The notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy, was convicted in Orlando at the Orange County Regional History Center, which is said to be haunted by the spirits of his victims seeking justice.

The Kress Building also has a sinister backstory. Florida’s trailblazing UFO hunter and researcher lived here on the roof. His documentation of the unearthly ultimately led to his mysterious disappearance. Perhaps he was abducted by aliens from this very building because the building has been creeping people out since then.

The old Angebilt Hotel, which opened in 1923 and is now just a skeleton of its former self, is also said to be haunted. Numerous suspicious incidents have occurred on its 13th floor, with some alleging that a hidden portal to another dimension has been opened there. Its exact spot is known and accessible to only a select few.

6. Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina, has numerous haunted houses and spooky locations. At the Biltmore Estate, George Washington Vanderbilt’s former mansion, sounds of glasses clinking and Vanderbilt’s wife whispering his name can be heard.

However, Erwin’s High School is perhaps the spookiest site in this small city. It was built on a former burial ground for poor citizens, with hundreds of bodies later exhumed and re-interred from the location. However, due to the number of unmarked graves, it is unknown if all bodies were removed and, if so, how many bodies are left over.

Not far from this creepy high school is the Basilica of St. Lawrence. For some bizarre reason, its architect is interned in its walls. His wife and child are buried alongside him. Reports of doors opening and shutting with nobody around are common.

Another one of Asheville’s scariest places is the site of the former Highland Hospital, a former asylum in which nine women were killed in a fire. As the fire raged on, the women found themselves locked inside, unable to escape, forced to face their terrible fate. This asylum is no longer standing, but a shopping center has been built on its location, and there are reports of muffled screams echoing through its halls.

We’ve only touched the surface of Asheville’s many haunted houses. Visit the abandoned Craggy Prison, which housed medium-security inmates in the 1990s, or the Grove Park Inn.

The inn opened in 1917, and soon after it started accepting guests, a lady fell to her death. She is immortalized in Asheville culture simply as “The Pink Lady” due to the fact that she was wearing a pink dress. The hotel has been the source of many legends. People say that she used to visit the hotel to meet with someone she was having an affair with, and the tails of a pink dress can sometimes be seen behind corners in this hotel.

7. Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, in the heart of the Deep South, played a central role in US history, particularly during the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. It is steeped in history, so it’s no surprise that it’s home to some of the most haunted places in the South.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, the site of an important Civil War battle, is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the soldiers who fought and died there.

Visit the Biltmore Ballrooms. A plane crashed not far from here in the 1970s, and the ghosts of the over 100 passengers who died haunt it. The Saint Mark United Methodist Church, with its unique southern architecture, is another eerie location in Atlanta. Visitors report feeling an unexplainable presence surrounding them when they visit this church, turning skeptics into believers.

Bulloch Hall, built by slave labor, is where a teenage slave’s lifeless body was found. Although she was given a proper burial, it is said that her spirit continues to haunt the place many years later.

A surprising addition to this list is Six Flags. There have been numerous reports of visitors to the park seeing a bloodied girl asking them for help. When they try to talk to her, though, the child disappears. This mystery is yet to be solved, although some people say it is the ghost of a child who was killed in a car accident near the park many years ago.

8. Austin, Texas

Austin, one of the south’s most famous cities, is haunted to its core. The Texas State Capitol itself, located in Austin, is haunted by the ghost of an unknown lady in red.

The Driskill Hotel, one of the most well-known hotels in Austin, was built with blood money in 1886. It was founded by Jesse Driskill, a cowboy who quickly lost ownership of the hotel after spending his money on alcohol, gambling, and women, landing him in steep debt. Unable to face the fact that his pride and joy, which he built from the ground up, is no longer his, his ghost is said to visit the place and mourn its loss.

The most haunted room in the Driskill Hotel is room Room 329. A bride, abandoned by her fiance, booked herself into this room in the 1990s. In her grief, she spent $40,000 on a shopping spree and then shot herself in the head in this very room. Her ghost can be seen in the windows of room 329 when there are no occupants.

The hotel is also allegedly haunted by the ghost of a child who fell down a long flight of stairs to his death in this hotel. If you hear the faint sound of laughter or crying, it’s probably him.

9. Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a port city that was founded in 1670. It is characterized by its cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages, particularly in the French Quarter, where you can see beautiful colonial houses and churches. In the 350+ years since its founding, though, Charleston has seen a great number of tragedies and hauntings.

Poogan’s Porch is a delightful restaurant in Charleston – at least, at first glance. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll discover that this local favorite is, in fact, haunted. Its original resident, an elderly woman by the name of Zoe, is said to haunt the place.

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, originally a commercial exchange and custom house, is another of Charleston’s iconic haunts. It was abandoned after being shelled during the Civil War and served as General Leonard Wood’s temporary army headquarters during the First World War.

The F.W. Wagener building, named after a renowned businessman named Frederick Wilhelm Wagener, is also pretty spooky. One of the company’s associates took his own life after the business experienced a downturn after the Civil War. His ghosts and an unexplainable chilly draft continue to permeate the building.

You should also visit the Pirate House, which was once a central part of the illegal black market trade and where many pirates used to socialize.

10. Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River and at the foot of the Appalachians, is one of the most beautiful cities in the South. However, it’s soaked in blood and haunted by ghosts and demons.

At the Ross Landing, hundreds of indigenous Americans, forced out of their homeland, started the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. It is unknown how many did not survive, their ghosts returning to their former homes in search of revenge.

Chattanooga is also haunted by the ghosts of Civil War casualties and slaves who were worked to their deaths in inhuman conditions. It was also an important stop on the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. Prostitutes, outlaws, bandits, and other individuals used this railroad.

What’s now known as the Read House was formerly known as the Old Crutchfield House, which housed many railroad travelers and saw a fair number of deaths. During the Civil War, it was converted into a temporary Union hospital.

There are many other haunted cities in the south worth visiting, such as Louisville, Kentucky, and Mobile, Alabama. This Halloween, take advantage of all that the South has to offer and check out its most haunted locations, and as always Travel Till You Drop!