The Skinny
Not sure if ghosts are poking around? Don’t worry. Lots of people can’t help pondering whether those inhabiting the hereafter are still taking up space in the here and now. This is especially true as Halloween draws near and thoughts of all things spooky move front and center. Full disclosure–WellWell takes no official position on whether ghosts exist. But as always, we’re here to help the discovery process with a list of allegedly haunted sites across the USA that those interested can and maybe should visit.
The Slate
St. Louis Cemetery, New Orleans
Established in 1789, the St. Louis Cemetery is Louisiana’s oldest and supposedly most haunted boneyard, which says a lot considering this is New Orleans we’re taking about. More than 100,000 people are buried there, some in pretty decaying crypts. Potential ghostly encounters include 19th Century Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, victims of yellow fever epidemics and causalities of the Civil War. A licensed guide is needed for a visit.
Fort Mifflin is allegedly packed solid with ghosts, which may not be surprising given its history. It dates from the Revolutionary War when it was the site of a battle, through the War of 1812 and the Civil War. It has served as a garrison and prison among, other things. This history is why some say it is home to so many spooks, including the Lamplight Man (the old lightkeeper), the Faceless Man (a war criminal who was hanged at the fort) and the Screaming Woman (who wails in regret for disowning her daughter after she ran off with an officer).
The White Horse Tavern, Manhattan, NY
The White Horse is not only one of New York’s oldest bars, it is arguablely one it its best. It also is the last place the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Rage, rage against the dying of the light) enjoyed numerous drinks before collapsing outside the bar and then dying in a nearby hospital soon afterwards. Apparently, Thomas knew a good bar when he found one…and he found many…and, as such, his spirit continues to show up periodically and plop down in this watering hole. Dylan am byth takes on a whole new meaning if his spectral appearances are true.
Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Who’s afraid of some big bad ghosts? Apparently, a number of major league baseball players who stay at the Pfister Hotel when visiting the Cream City to play the Brewers. The Pfister is a magnificent Old World hotel that was restored to its previous glory in the 1970s. Some, however, report that the renovations may have awaken some pretty noisy and annoying ghosts that now roam the halls picking on certain guests by banging on their doors and walls, opening and closing doors, turning on TVs, air conditioners and other items and just talking out loud. Adrian Beltre of the Dodgers and Carlos Gomez of the Twins both claim to have experienced Pfister terrors personally and were none too pleased by the experience.
St. Augustine Lighthouse St, Augustine, Florida
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is supposedly so loaded with afterlife beings that the famous paranormal investigators from the Ghost Hunters decided they needed to check out the place. Who are the local spooks? Apparently, deceased lighthouse keepers, as well as two sisters who died on the premises, still hang out there making all sorts of trouble.
Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff’s Hotel Monte Vista is probably not the place to check into if someone is looking for a goodnight’s rest. The staff and guests, including actor John Wayne, claim to have encountered paranormal activity. This includes one eternal resident who likes to hang raw meat from the chandelier in Room 210; a couple of departed women who were tossed from the third floor now get their ghostly jollies trying to smother male guests in their sleep; and an infant who is heard crying but never seen.
Moon River Brewing Company. Savannah, Georgia
In almost 200 years this building has been a post office, a hotel and now a microbrewery, which is probably a good thing because a drink might come in handy if the stories of employees and visitors encountering thrown bottles, shoves from unseen hands and, yes, apparitions are true.
Devil’s Tree, Somerset County, NJ
New Jersey already has a bad rap from some and being the home to an alleged cursed tree that maybe a portal to hell doesn’t necessarily help the state’s reputation. Mess with the tree and you could be in for problems from spirits who will chase offenders. Disrespectful visitors may also see their hand turn black. Supposedly, anyone willing to listen closely to the tree can hear what sounds like blood pulsing through the inside. Oh yeah, some claim that no matter how cold it gets, snow will not gather at the base of the tree.
This whole town is alive with spiritual activity, according to locals. Off the beaten path and apparently a step back in time, it is a destination for supernatural connoisseurs. This doesn’t mean that everything about Cassadaga is ominous. Some say the town’s numerous resident ghosts actually help offer a healing power for visitors.
The Battle of Gettysburg was a bloody nightmare for the almost 200,000 Union and Confederate forces involved in the three-day fight. The battle resulted in approximately 50,000 casualties, including almost 10,000 fatalities. It is little wonder then that given the horrors involved that the battlefield and the town itself is reputed to be one of the most haunted locations in the nation. There are countless and constant reports of paranormal activity throughout the entire area. WellWell has even spoken with a paranormal investigator who frequents this area.
Eyes Up
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