Whether you actively believe in ghosts or not, everyone loves getting spooked over the paranormal possibilities. Or maybe you don't, but your crazy friend dragged you on a ghost tour anyway (guilty as charged!). For Charlestonians, the paranormal is all around us. Whether it's a menacing graveyard, a haunted inn, or just a spooky street, Charleston's got plenty of ghostly spots to offer, if you know where to look.
1. Unitarian Church Graveyard
True to Unitarian tradition, this graveyard features overgrown flowers and vines, as the religion believes spirits rest well if they're giving back to nature. The result is a very creepy aesthetic of overgrown vines hiding old tombstones, with a vast amount of stories connected to them. A popular story, in particular, surrounds the ghost of Mary Whitridge or, as she's more commonly known, the Lady in White. As the most sighted spirit in the Charleston area, the Lady in White has enticed ghost hunters to visit the graveyard for years, and she just may reveal herself to you too.
2. Old City Jail
Often considered "the city's most haunted building," the Old City Jail certainly looks the part, with the history to back it up. It was built in 1802 and was fully operational until 1939, when it was shut down due to prisoner mistreatment. Yikes. That sure makes for some unhappy ghosts, many of whom still reside today in that hallowed hall.
3. Wagener Building
While it just looks like a big Victorian building in the daytime, at night this building transforms into a tower of horrors. It is said to contain the spirit of George Poirier, son of a wealthy cotton legacy who hung himself from the third-floor rafters, at the same time a lightning bolt struck the building and smashed the window.
When spectators gathered on the ground the next day, they lay witness to George Poirer's body being pecked apart by blackbirds. On dark stormy nights, if a bolt of lightning illuminates the sky at the perfect moment, you can still see the hanging body of George Poirier swinging from the third-floor window.
4. Battery Carriage House Inn (specifically, rooms #8 and #10)
Now this one may present a challenge to experience the full spooks, but if you do manage it, you are in for a ghostly treat. The Battery Carriage House Inn is the location of not one, but two, paranormal occurrences, both vastly different from the other.
Room #10 houses the spirit of a respectful gentleman who prefers the company of women (but don't worry, he is completely respectful.)
Room #8 however, is a whole different story. Here you may find the ghastly spirit of a dead Confederate soldier who was blown apart by the eruption of the Battery Powder Magazine, and this guy is anything but friendly.
Oh and did I mention, this spirit has no head.
5. Powder Magazine
As the oldest non-residential structure on the peninsula, the Powder Magazine at 79 Cumberland Street has seen its fair share of violence and death. Built in 1717, this building has been through numerous wars, like the American Revolution, the Civil War, etc, and yet still stands strong today.
However, it is said that the spirit of Anne Bonny, an infamous pirate with a home base of Charleston, can be seen peeking out from behind the walls.
6. The Blind Tiger Pub
If you're of drinking age and are ready to be scared out of your mind, then look no further than the Blind Tiger Pub. Built in a building that once housed Charleston's most famous speakeasy, the Blind Tiger Pub is the location of numerous paranormal events.
Most famously, a ghost of a woman in a black dress (said to have been a customer of the long-gone speakeasy) can be heard walking closely behind you as you make your way through the pub or, if you're lucky, you can actually see her late at night. Just watch out that she doesn't pull your hair (which she has been known to do).
7. Dock Street Theatre
Sure, the play you are seeing might be freaky, but have you ever considered what is going on behind the scenes? At the Dock Street Theatre, Charleston's first ever theatre many years ago, once spent time as a hotel for the wealthy. It was then that the hotel played host to Junius Brutus Booth's theatre group.
Yes, he is related to John Wilkes Booth (his father in fact), and yes, he does share his brother's temper, as, on one stormy night, the man became so enraged that he attacked and almost killed the manager's hotel. You can still see his ghostly form haunting the backstage, searching for the man that eluded him long ago. And look out for Nettie in her red dress, whose failed dreams of city life caused her fall many years ago.
8. The graveyard of St. Philips Church
Now, this location is not about what often happens, but what can happen. Because this is the site where, in 1987, photographer Harry Reynolds took the most widely known and widely believed paranormal photo in the world. On the warm June night of June 10th, 1987, Reynolds completed his photography walk in the darkness of the St. Philips Graveyard, just outside the gate.
The flash illuminated the graveyard for half a second, and once again it was dark. Yet when Reynolds picked up his film a few days later, he saw a figure in the photo of the empty graveyard. It was that of a woman, kneeling over a grave in apparent sadness. And every test has concluded the same thing. The photo is anything but fake.
So if you and your friends are looking for something to do this Halloween season (or any time of year, ghosts are always around,) then here's the perfect list to get you started! Who needs to pay for an official ghost tour when you can see the spooky sights all on your own.