Welcome to Charleston, South Carolina—a place where the line between the living and the dead becomes deliciously blurred. Prepare to embark on a thrilling journey through Charleston’s haunted attractions and sites, unearthing spine-tingling stories that have turned this enchanting city into a paranormal playground.
Buckle up! Things are about to get delightfully spooky!
Old City Jail
Your hair will stand on end as you come face-to-face with the chilling Old City Jail in Harleston Village. This foreboding fortress-like structure, in operation from 1802 to 1939, witnessed countless souls take their final breaths behind its haunting bars. Brace yourself for an unforgettable journey as you join Bulldog Tours for a guided walkthrough of this eerie place. Step into the cells and musty quarters, where whispers of wicked wardens and tales of untimely demises await. Don’t be startled if you catch a ghostly greeting—those voices and slamming doors are just the otherworldly residents saying hello.
Poogan’s Porch
At Poogan’s Porch, Charleston’s most haunted restaurant, both the ghost of a dog and Southern comfort food are on the menu. When the establishment opened in 1976, a stray dog called Poogan became the designated greeter and table-scraps eater. Since Poogan’s death, customers claim the dog’s spirit is still at the restaurant, with sightings of his spirit on the porch and at his grave in the front yard. But that’s not all. Poogan’s Porch is also haunted by an old tenant named Zoe. You may see her in an eerie black dress staring out the top window.
Dock Street Theatre
In the French Quarter, lingering souls lurk in one of the city’s 18th-century buildings – the Dock Street Theatre. It originally functioned as the Planter’s Hotel and quickly became the place for traveling theatre groups to stay. But after the Civil War and years of neglect, the hotel became desolate and decrepit. The building was later renovated into a state-of-the-art theater, but some things refused to leave. If you attend a play or musical performance, you might just see ghostly apparitions. Keep an eye out for the spirit of Nettie Dickerson, a lonely, young prostitute allegedly struck dead by a lightning bolt on the second-floor balcony.
Unitarian Church Cemetery
Cemeteries are no strangers to spirits and ghouls, but the troubled souls inhabiting this Charleston haunt will have you screaming for the exit. The cemetery’s primary resident is the ghost of a young girl named Annabel Lee, who fell madly in love with a soldier believed to be Edgar Allan Poe. When her father ended the love affair, she fell ill with a broken heart and perished. Keep an eye out — you might spot the young girl aimlessly wandering through the moss-covered trees. Even scarier, the cemetery is home to United States’ first female serial killer – Lavinia Fisher. For the most nerve-wracking experience, book a night-time ghost tour with Tour Charleston.
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Now a museum, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is a Colonial Era structure built in 1771. Once the home to pirates, rebels and prisoners of war during the American Revolution, this museum and historic landmark is haunted by the ghosts of those who never escaped. From terrifying screams to cold spots in the darkest depths of the dungeon, you may just hear a whisper or the brush of an icy hand along your back.
Circular Congregational Church Graveyard
The Circular Congregational Church Graveyard on Meeting Street is not just one of the city’s oldest cemeteries but also one of its spookiest. More than 500 souls have been laid to rest in this cemetery since the 17th century, making it a hotbed for all things paranormal. Take a guided tour through the rows of tombstones and watch out for the ghost of a young woman who stalks the premises. The story goes that she has been seen endlessly digging, looking for her buried children who died during a yellow fever outbreak in 1854.
The Mills House Hotel
The Mills House Hotel opened its doors more than 150 years ago, in 1853. Less than ten years after opening, tragedy struck. The flames from the Great Charleston Fire of 1861 reached the hotel, threatening the guests inside. If it weren’t for General Robert E. Lee and his troops, who just so happened to be staying there, many women and children would have perished. Today, guests and employees have reported seeing spirits of the Confederate soldiers shouting for water to put out the fire and a content woman holding a child, who’s believed to be one of the people who nearly lost their lives.
USS Yorktown
This haunted vessel from World War II is considered a ghost hunter’s dream. Once the home of more than 3,000 sailors, this ship is infested with the spirits of the men who died there. Many tourists have claimed to smell the stench of sweat and cigarettes still wafting in the ship’s halls, along with ghostly apparitions. Take care when touring the ship’s Dark Room, a pitch-black area with no light source. From strange figures walking the halls to unexplainable chills, this experience will live on in your nightmares.
Bonus Haunt: Battery Carriage House Inn
Are you brave enough to stay the night with ghosts? The Battery Carriage House Inn, one of Charleston’s historic mansions across from White Point Garden, offers a taste of the 19th century with a ghoulish twist. Guests have been spotting apparitions in rooms three, eight and ten for years. If you feel up to the task, prepare to see a headless torso, a spirit known as the Gentleman Ghost or floating orbs.
