Most Haunted Places in America’s South

Posted: 06.23.2024 | Updated: 06.23.2024

For years, the South has attracted all manner of oft-kilter individuals. Capone, Ma Baker, Jimmy Buffet, Jim Morrison, Truman Capote, and Hemingway are just a few. This was where multiple wars against the natives were fought, and it was only the beginning.

Why is the South so haunted?

Because, in those lower latitudes, the party never stops, and no one has the heart to tell the ghosts to beat it cause it’s closing time. Learn more about some of the most haunted places in the South on a ghost tour with Atlanta Ghosts! 

St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine, Florida

 If you want to see a full-bodied apparition, you’ll want to head down to Florida, where three girls have been haunting the St. Augustine Lighthouse since they were tragically killed in 1873. In 1953, Lighthouse Keeper James Pippin moved from the large keeper’s house to a much smaller property, swearing “the big house was haunted and he would not stay another night in it.”Around a decade later, a man renting the property said he woke to find a little girl standing by his bedside. When he blinked, she disappeared. Modern-day tour groups have seen them, too. Sometimes, a little girl will walk along with the group or sit alone on a nearby bench. One blink, and she’s gone. 

LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans, Louisiana

 The history of this 10,000-square-foot mansion in the French Quarter is not for the lighthearted. Its infamous owner — Madame Delphine LaLaurie — beat, tortured, and killed slaves in a room upstairs, later named “the torture room."The gruesome acts have made the property New Orleans’ “most haunted house” and even inspired a season of the FX show “American Horror Story.” Some believe the tortured slaves still linger there, as many guests hear pained moans coming from the old torture room late at night. Others believe LaLaurie herself haunts the property. Phantom footsteps echo through the house, accompanied by strong, negative energy. LaLaurie fled after an angry mob stormed the house. Perhaps karma brought her right back. 

Kehoe House, Savannah, Georgia

This bed and breakfast is known for more than its homemade cookies. Guests often hear or see the spirits of children playing. The Kehoe Family twins are said to have died in the house, though the cause remains a mystery. One rumor suggests they got stuck in the chimney while playing and weren’t discovered until it was too late.However, the presiding belief is that the hauntings are “residual,” meaning the children who lived there played so often that the sounds are imprinted in the walls, replaying over and over after their deaths. 

Sweetwater Mansion, Florence, Alabama

 Sweetwater Mansion is also known as the Governor Robert Patton House. It is a plantation house designed by General John Brahan, a member of the Alabama Militia and veteran of the 1812 War. The mansion was first occupied by Brahan's son-in-law, Robert Patton, a Civil War soldier who later became Governor of Alabama. There are several stories involving otherworldly activities around the house. The mansion served as a hospital during the Civil War and later as a county jail.The most frightening apparition involves a caretaker who reported seeing an open casket down in the basement with the corpse of a Confederate soldier inside. She later learned that the body belonged to Governor Patton's son, Billy Patton, whose funeral was held in the house after being killed in the Civil War. It is believed that Billy's mom, distraught about his passing, never buried his body and held in secret his decomposing corpse in the downstairs room. Her specter has been seen wearing 19th-century attire lurking around the basement, and her cries are heard late at night in her old bedroom.Female visitors who have entered her room have gotten inexplicably locked inside even when there is no locking mechanism. There is also a "secret room" where disembodied voices are heard, which can only be accessed through a small interior window. Some say that they belong to old Civil War soldiers buried inside. Numerous shadowy figures are seen outdoors, and children's laughter is heard around the house, even where no children are around. There is also furniture that moves on its own and lights that flickered on and off occasionally. 

Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

 Crescent Hotel was built in 1886 near natural hot springs. Since its construction, the hotel has passed through several hands. In 1937, an inexperienced doctor named Norman G. Baker bought the Crescent and turned it into a cancer hospital. He assured patients that he could cure cancer without surgery or painful techniques. Lots of his patients died from his horrendous treatments, such as drilled holes in their skulls. The hospital closed, and the building stayed unused until 1997, when Marty and Elise Roegnik purchased and restored the Crescent to what it is today.Over the years, guests and staff have reported ghostly sightings and unexplained activity around the hotel. There is an Irish carpenter ghost who appears in Room 218. It is said to have fallen from the roof during the original hotel's construction.The spirit turns the lights on and off and the TV set on and off.Another spirit of a young woman believed to have attended former Crescent College wanders the halls. She died after being pushed or jumped from the school balcony. Her screams are heard every night. Former cancer patients' specters are seen throughout the third floor. Gurneys rattling across the floor, washers, and dryers turning on by themselves, and phone calls with disembodied whispers at the other end are also some of the other ghostly activities at the hotel. 

The Tennessee State Prison, Nashville, Tennessee

 This prison was built by Enoch Guy Elliot and is known as one of the most haunted places in Tennessee. The inmates' conditions inside the prison were inhuman. They were forced with dead-silence guidelines, perpetual solitary confinement, and up to 16 daily hours of hard work. Prisoners were excluded from the outside world as they were prohibited from receiving letters from their loved ones. The state prison was known for the use of the electric chair. With the reopening of the Riverbend Security Institution, the penitentiary closed in 1992 and has stayed abandoned since then. Movies such as "Walking the Line" and "The Green Mile" were filmed inside this prison's walls. Also notorious criminal, James Earl Ray, the man accused of killing Martin Luther King, was a prisoner in the Tennessee State Prison.Since its closing, there have been hundreds of spine-chilling ghost stories surrounding the grimy building. People have trespassed the land, seeking the thrill of experiencing paranormal phenomena. Those who dared to enter the old structure have reported seeing unsettling occurrences. Some have reported the strange noises of cell bars clunking, disembodied voices coming from the old cells, and chilling screams believed to be of those who died in the electric chair. Trespassers have noted that they feel the presence of someone following them as cold air invades their bodies. 

La Carafe, Houston, Texas

 La Carafe is the oldest commercial construction in the city, and it still sits in its original foundation. The building was built in 1860 for Irishman John Kennedy to operate his bakery. The Kennedy Bakery, as it was called, remained in use for several years and then became a trading post, a hair salon, a bar, and finally, the restaurant it operates today. However, this candlelit ambiance houses more than a warm spot for couples seeking a romantic dinner in the city. La Carafe is a hotbed for ghosts and inexplicable phenomena.Current owners say that the spirit of Sam Houston, an American general and Texas statesman, lingered in the restaurant. He used to enjoy having a few drinks at the bar, and many have seen his presence while sitting at the stools. One guest even witnessed how his drink disappeared before his eyes. The old-fashioned cash register opens when no one is around, and wine glasses are thrown across the bar without explanation. Another ghostly encounter has been with a former manager named Carl. He has been seen looking through the second-floor window. People sense his presence through a tap on their shoulders and an occasional breath on their necks. Cold spots are also felt in the restrooms as well. 

Delve deeper into America’s Most Haunted Places

 America’s haunted history is as vast and complex as the country itself, and this list only scratches the surface.In the meantime, you can visit our blog to find in-depth information about hauntings in the U.S. and around the world.You can also follow US Ghost Adventures on Facebook and Instagram for daily content that’s both bone-chilling and fascinating.If reading isn’t enough, join us for a live ghost tour in your city!Visit our webpage to see the list of locations and start your ghost hunting journey.