The 5 Spookiest Locations to Visit in the South

City to city, the Southern United States offers antique traditions, unique customs, and cuisine that even Northern states pine for. There’s something mysterious about the South; its cities are deeply rooted in an old mystique that predates contemporary society. Energies that have been festering for centuries, strengthened through years of strife, conflict, and some of the South’s less desirable history, have turned spookiest locations like Annapolis, Nashville, and New Orleans into ghostly hotspots.

While visiting the major haunted locations at each of these Southern charmers is an endeavor, knowing a select few ghost stories helps when you’re piecing together something like summer vacation ideas for a Nashville getaway. To get you started with a few of the South’s must-see haunts, here are five locations in historic cities like Annapolis, Nashville, and New Orleans sure to get your hair standing on end. 

Cornhill Street, Annapolis, Maryland

In cities all over the world, roadways play host to eerie spectral encounters. If you’re itching for an otherworldly encounter in Annapolis, you could check out the phantom of the Middleton Tavern or listen for the unexplainable noises at the U.S. Naval Academy. However, that may mean passing up on a vision that must be seen to be believed on Cornhill Street.

Like a tale straight out of the sleepiest hollow in New York, Cornhill is home to a roaming headless spirit. Legend has it, that the ghost is that of a young man who had been murdered by his brother during a drunken feud. When the body was discovered after their heated exchange, the smell of rot guiding neighbors to the shallow grave, the head was missing. Witnesses claim the headless haint scours the waterfront by Cornhill Street in search of his missing part.

Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, Tennessee

Come for the creature comforts and resort life, stay for the ethereal entities that patrol the property. It may not be the best slogan for Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort, but it would at least warn guests about what they will experience at this four-star establishment. Gaylord Opryland Resort captures the brilliance of contemporary Nashville with its luxurious accommodations and memorable experiences. However, what lurks beneath the showmanship speaks to the city’s oft-gritty history.

The resort’s resident specter is believed to be Mary Louise Bransford McGavock. It’s a name that pops up occasionally in Nashville’s haunt community, but it’s here at Gaylord Opryland that Mary earned her reputation as the Lady in Black. Though not malevolent, her appearance has startled many. Stories of employees quitting and guests being jolted awake by a shadowed figure looming over their bed lend a touch of horror to the pristine property. If it’s not McGavock following visitors around the grounds, it’s the sound of muffled footsteps where no one should be.    

Make sure to join a haunted ghost tour in Nashville to discover Nashville’s dark side!

Two Rivers Mansion, Nashville, Tennessee

Antebellum-style estates have an unsettling air to them, almost as if it’s the architectural style and not the home that’s haunted. Two Rivers Mansion is no exception to the rule; its white columns and classic facade exude a haunted energy. For those drawn to this spooky appearance, the mansion doesn’t disappoint.

As the former owner of this regal manor, Spence McGavock should be one of the many spirits; however, it’s his wife, one Mary Bransford, who’s believed to split her time between Two Rivers and Gaylord Opryland. Mary, again, appears as a Lady in Black, her shadowy form wandering the mansion and its grounds, as if admiring it all for the first time. Mary may not be alone, though. Strange happenings, like a shaking chandelier, orbs of light, and even a spectral dog, have been reported. Employees and guests have even complained about a nauseating feeling that often fills the mansion as if something ill-tempered has manifested.

Dauphine Orleans Hotel, New Orleans

It’s not every hotel that’s willing to tout its own ghost stories, but the Dauphine shares them loud and proud on its official website. Sometimes, a space is too active to deny, as guests complain of unusual noises, ethereal images, and all manner of ghostly goings-on. At the Dauphine, the main haunt is May Bailey, a sorrowful bride-to-be. On her wedding day, May, a bordello operator looking for a new life, never got to walk down the aisle. Instead, her fiance was stricken down in a fight. 

May’s spirit haunts the Dauphine’s May Baily’s Place Bar, a tribute to the tragic madame. Male guests tend to draw May’s attention the most. May’s presence could also be responsible for the Civil War soldiers looking to make use of her bordello one last time. Peer out into the courtyard, and you may spot a general from either the Civil War or the War of 1812. He seems less interested in the glowing aura of May’s girls that lingers, instead focusing on patrolling the property.   

If you’re interested in discovering the true haunted side of New Orleans, join a New Orleans ghost tour! Don’t miss any of the spookiest locations you can visit. 

The Jimani Bar, New Orleans

When you think of the spookiest locations in the South, chances are you picture an old plantation or an antebellum hotel filled to the brim with spirits of soldiers and slaves. The haunted Jimani Bar doesn’t quite align with any of that, but it’s haunted all the same. The bar’s spooky legacy starts not centuries ago, but in 1973, when a vicious act left 32 dead. While not every victim returned to haunt the Jimani, several remain bound to the building where their lives were taken far too soon. 

On the evening of June 24, 1973, a fire was intentionally set at the French Quarter gay bar. At about 8 p.m., a fire had been lit outside of the UpStairs Lounge. When the lounge door was opened, the rush of oxygen fueled the blaze, which quickly engulfed the bar. Despite the best efforts of bartender Buddy Rasmussen, 29 people succumbed at the lounge and another three died at the hospital. Today, employees and guests have complained of the lingering scent of smoke and burning flesh. Some have even spotted unidentified apparitions, their bodies and hair burned and smoldering.

Venture Into the Haunted South’s Spookiest Locations

This is merely a glimpse into the ghostly encounters that would await any expedition across the South.New Orleans, Nashville, and Annapolis are three cities oozing with history primed to manifest phantoms, poltergeists, and possibly even malevolent entities. 

Choose one of these spots as a launching point, and build your spooky itinerary from there. Just be sure to break from the strange and the unusual to take advantage of all the lively qualities that make the South an appealing destination.