Haunted & Paranormal

Gear up for a frightful jaunt into the darkest reaches of the ancient Appalachians.

Folk deep within Appalachian hollers lean close to share stories of the inexplicable with hushed awe. Monsters rumbling in the hills. Strange lights darting through the pitch-black night sky. Horrible occurrences, almost ineffable in their bizarre tragedy. "Tall tales," you might say. But tell that to the Flatwoods monster in Braxton County, West Virginia. Or the Goat Man of Louisville--look into his humanoid eyes and let him know you don't believe. And what of those apparitions in Mammoth Cave's Corpse Rock, or the Satan-spawn known as the Jersey Devil? How do you respond when those mysteries confront? From metaphysical energy that swirls near the Serpent Mound in Ohio to Point Pleasant's Mothman legacy, Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz explore the dark history lurking in the shadows of Appalachia..

Edgar Allan Poe has had a busy afterlife.

The author of “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” might have died back in 1849, but some claim that did not stop him from composing poetry for another four decades. Others say he still makes appearances in no fewer than five cities, and that his ghost is a regular at a couple of different taverns, one of which saves a seat for him. Like a character from one of his short stories, Poe refuses to stay buried.

Author Christopher Semtner explores the ghost stories and hauntings associated with his life—from the supernatural legends that inspired his writing to the alleged paranormal activity inspired by those terror tales.

The sweltering heat of the Florida sun breaks as a chill runs down your spine. A dark shadow looms from a nearby tourist trap - you didn't expect to find this kind of shade in Florida.

If only there was some sort of travel guide to steer you through the spookier locales. Well, you're in luck. Check in at The Biltmore in Coral Gables to spot the ghost of slain Fatty Walsh roaming the thirteenth floor. Sit down for a meal with the spirit of Ethel Allen at Ashley's Restaurant in Rockledge. Visit haunted graveyards, museums, parks and battlefields. Hear macabre stories of spectral pirates, gangsters, witches and madmen. From phantasmagoric packs of Madam McCoy's girls on Pensacola streets down to the ghostly clacking of Hemingway's typewriter in the Keys, Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz lead brave readers through the darkest locations in the Sunshine State.

More than four decades after the great aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown last served her country, the ghosts of battle are still heard and felt onboard.

Staff members and visitors claim to have experienced disembodied voices, uniformed apparitions, shadowy masses and other unexplainable occurrences since the ""Fighting Lady"" first docked at Patriots Point. Join local author, investigator and "ghostorian'? Bruce Orr as he examines the history, haunting and heritage of the National Historic Landmark and home of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.

Join authors Michael Harris and Linda Sickler as they navigate the chilling world of the restless spirits of those who refuse to leave their Savannah homes.

As one of America's most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, has a long list of stories of both brutal violence and the supernatural, such as the story of the first two people hanged in colonial Savannah for the murder of their abusive master, their spirits still haunting Wright Square. Or James Stark, a tempestuous planter, and Dr. Philip Minis, who settled their dispute with a duel and still hang around the old building at Moon River Brewing Co. Even the legend of the terrifying boy-giant Rene Rhondolia, known as the Frankenstein of Savannah, who preyed on young girls and animals, is enough to make anyone in the Southeast sleep with their lights on.

Over the years, Bobby Mackey's Music World has played host to countless real-life horror stories and a string of criminal activity. Illegal gambling and liquor abounded when it later served as the Bluegrass Inn.

The site has been the location of death and destruction since the nineteenth century, including illegal lynchings and a bridge collapse killing forty-one men. In more recent years, mafia bosses turned it into a mafia-controlled nightclub known as the Latin Quarter. Beginning with the caretaker who fell under a demonic possession to more recent encounters between patrons and the paranormal, author Dan Smith revives the chilling stories that make it the most haunted nightclub in America.

Discover the spirits that still walk the banks of the Rappahannock River.

Though the streets of Fredericksburg are peaceful today, the ghosts of the past still lurk in the shadows. From the colonial era to the Civil War, the region witnessed some of the most dramatic and bloody events in American history. A woman in white is seen walking the grounds of Chatham Manor every seven years. At the Rising Sun Tavern, a rowdy tavern keeper continues to make his presence known two hundred years after his death. The spirit of Mary Washington, the mother of the first president, has been seen tending her beloved garden.

Join historian Michelle L. Hamilton on a spirited tour of haunted Fredericksburg.   

Virginia's long history and many beauties attract millions of visitors each year--and some never leave.

With some of the oldest inns in the country, Virginia has a multitude of options for travelers to sleep among the spirits. The historic Cavalier Hotel is haunted by the ghost of Adolph Coors, the beer magnate. Market Square Tavern is one of the original buildings in Williamsburg, and has some of the oldest haunts--including, possibly, Thomas Jefferson. The spirit of Mary Hooker still watches over her beloved home at King George's Bell Grove Plantation. The family of the former owner of Natural Bridge Hotel are said to still walk the halls of historic building--after he killed them.

Plan a ghostly journey along Virginia's byways with author and paranormal expert Susan Schwartz.

Author Heather Leigh leads leaders into the haunted remnants of Florida’s ghost towns.  The term “ghost towns” brings to mind communities from the Old West where there were once bustling Boom Towns but today are abandoned and lonely pieces to the puzzles of the past. With this image ingrained into a person’s mind, it is challenging to visualize ghost towns with sandy beaches and palm trees swaying in the wind. A little-known fact about Florida is it is home to more than 250 ghost towns, many of which remain the home for the spirits of former inhabitants, civil war deserters, pirates, and more. Haunted Florida Ghost Towns covers the many abandoned locations in the Sunshine State where paranormal entities are known to roam. Take a journey into the world of the supernatural and learn the history behind why Florida has so many ghost towns and the energy that remains to fuel paranormal activity.

Discover ghostly history from Arlington to Occoquan, Leesburg to Lorton



Across the river from Washington, D.C. lies one of the most haunted areas in the country. From Arlington National Cemetery to countless battlefields, old towns, historic houses and memorials, all contain spooky stories that are longing to be told. The screams of a young girl taken too soon vibrate through the woods, to be heard by unsuspecting drivers. A bitter soldier keeps watch over a battlefield more than a century old. An angry wife guards her former home, preserving her husband’s legacy long after her own passing.

Author and paranormal researcher Alex Matsuo delves deep into ghostly lore to tell tales that haunt.

In the early 1790s, a Lutheran family in Appalachia fell victim to a menacing spirit that Lutheran, Methodist and Episcopal clergy as well as Folk magic practitioners failed to remove. The entity, which came to be known as the Wizard Clip, was said to cut or slice anything made of cloth or leather. Was it a ghost or a demon? After years of torment, the deeply Protestant family finally found respite from a seemingly impossible ally, a Catholic exorcist. This legend has eerie parallels to lore of ghosts and witches from the Old World as well as the early American Republic. As American religious leaders sought to find a place for their congregations in a post-Revolutionary time of enlightened secularism, tales like these helped churches define themselves, and this particular story was used to distinguish Catholic supernaturalism from later spiritualism. /Author Michael Kishbucher tells a spooky and incredibly compelling story that shines a light on the region’s religious history.

Uncover the true stories behind some of West Virginia’s most famous haunts.

West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle holds a rich legacy of folklore and ghostly legends firmly rooted in the region’s history. In Harpers Ferry, rumor has it that fiery abolitionist John Brown still haunts the scene of his notorious siege, and reports of otherworldly encounters in Harpers Cemetery abound. Shepherdstown, the oldest town in West Virginia, draws in those fascinated by the paranormal with tales of haunted crime scenes and even an infamous exorcism. The historic Apollo Theater in Martinsburg hosts the town’s famous cigar-smoking ghost, George, and the little village of Middleway overflows with bewitching tales of specters and odd happenings.

Author Justin Stevens explores the haunted side of historic landmarks in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Gear up for a frightful journey into the mysterious Ocala National Forest.

Central Florida is known as the happiest place on Earth. But an hour’s drive from the amusement parks lies a forest swirling with mystery. For generations, locals have whispered about a dark energy coming from the Ocala National Forest and drifting into nearby towns. Supernatural beasts and apparitions. Ghost lights galore. From cults to monsters to the spirts of those who ventured in yet never reemerged, the woods have long been a source of rumor and tragedy. The vengeful Coyote Woman who dispatches those with evil natures. The soldier of Fort King who vanishes when addressed. The spectral monk of Astor, on the hunt for his killer. Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano takes readers among the trees and beyond to offer a glimpse into the true stories, urban legends and haunted folklore whispered among the residents of these deep woods..

Author Larry Lawson guides readers on a journey from the present to the other side, where the paranormal and tropics collide. Indian River County is an idyllic vacation spot on Florida’s east coast, not far south of Cape Canaveral. Known as part of the state’s famed “Treasure Coast,” many are unaware of the deep and fascinating history this area played in the development of the Sunshine State. Also lost among its visitors and residents are the chilling stories of the hauntings that accompany this rich history. It is here that a man named Waldo still looks after his family and properties, six decades after his death. Or a retired preacher is seen digging up his hidden treasure, days after he died.

Haunted Mobile is a chilling collection of ghostly tales from this Alabama city.

What unknown spirits lurk among the living in the Azalea City? Mobile native Elizabeth Parker brings together the spookiest of her Mobile Ghosts: Alabama's Haunted Port City and Mobile Ghosts II: The Waterline to create an updated version guaranteed to send shivers down the spine. How do priceless heirlooms at the Mobile Carnival Museum mysteriously disappear and then reappear just in the nick of time? Who still protects Oakleigh from intruders, years after the Yankee occupation? Who is the little girl who keeps watch over the city from her attic window? Complete with an eerie new story, Haunted Mobile: Apparitions of the Azalea City is a chilling read that no ghost enthusiast should miss.

Discover the history of Vicksburg, Mississippi through the voices of a society long past and the land long left scarred by war.

Nestled along the mighty Mississippi River, Vicksburg is among Mississippi's most historic towns. The site of one of the most important and brutal battles of the Civil War, it is perhaps ?tting that voices from the past still echo in the humid climes. As the home of beautiful antebellum homesteads, storied wartime quarters and ports essential for the steamers and barges of the river trade, Vicksburg today serves as home to an abundance of spirits from years past. Lurking just beneath Vickburg's scenic beauty, ghostly apparitions from bygone eras continue to haunt this historic community. Join Alan Brown, seasoned Mississippi author and authority on the spirits that haunt the Magnolia State, on a chilling journey through Vicksburg's most historic haunts, uncovering history that refuses to die.

The North Carolina coastline is a tourist destination, a paradise for locals and visitors alike—during the day.

Its proximity to the Graveyard of the Atlantic gives it other, darker associations after nightfall. When the sun goes down and shadows appear, it becomes the haunted coast. Then, the quaint towns and islands that hours earlier played host to happy inhabitants are peopled by long dead pirates, specters, poltergeists, and some things that defy description. The ghost of a blind mother searches for her lost son, her wooden staff tap…tap…taping through the night. Five hoof prints give silent testimony to a cocky rider’s race to hell.

Author Thomas Smith walks though places best not explored alone.

Beyond the façade of stately Louisiana platations are stories of hope and subjugation, tragedy and suffering, shame and perseverance and war and conquest.

After sixteen workers chopped down most of the Houmas House's ancient oak trees, referred to as the Gentlemen, eight of the surviving trees eerily twisted overnight in grief over the losses wrought by a great Mississippi River flood. An illegal duel to reclaim lost honor left the grounds of Natchez's Cherokee Plantation bloodstained, but the victim's spirit may still wander there today. A mutilated slave girl named Chloe still haunts the halls of the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville. Cheryl H. White and W. Ryan Smith reveal the dark history, folklore and lasting human cost of Louisiana plantation life.

Stretching from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace is one of the oldest, most historically significant routes in American history.

Beginning as hunting ground for natives, the Trace became the favored path back home for early settlers who floated down the Mississippi River to sell goods in Natchez. Yet the Trace was riddled with bandits, marauders and other perils, and today troubled and tortured voices from the past still echo along the road. Travel to Grinders Stand where famed explorer Meriwether Lewis met his untimely demise, and onto Kings Tavern, built in the late 1700s, and haunted by the ghost of the innkeeper's mistress. Author and ghost expert Bud Steed recounts these tales, and more, all lurking in the shadows of the Haunted Natchez Trace.

The Spooky Side of Paradise

Travel a few miles from the beaches and resorts of Southwest Florida and a darker, different side of the Sunshine State surfaces. In Arcadia, the spirits of tormented children rise from the grave to play tag near their headstones. A murdered fisherman walks on water near Marco Island, screaming with the voice of a hog. Walking through downtown Fort Myers may mean walking into the ghost of man in a top hat who hops from building to building. And it all might be caused by a curse on an old Spanish tyrant. Join author Christopher Balzano as he explores some of the creepiest ghostly legends and chilling hauntings of the Gulf Coast.

In Historic Haunts of Winchester, author Mac Rutherford presents Winchester's haunted past as never before.

From the ghost of Tillie Russell—frequently seen running through the streets in search of a wounded captain—to ghostly echoes of artillery fire, Rutherford relates a spine-tingling record of spirits and specters. Along the way he chronicles Winchester's most shocking and unusual spirits, such as the legendary Giant Indiansoften glimpsed at the corner of Indian Alleyand Piccadilly Street.

Read Historic Haunts of Winchesterand immerse yourself in Winchester's incredible history of hauntings.

Residents of Kernersville have spent lifetimes looking after each other--and sometimes they continue after death.

Nestled between Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, Kernersville transformed from a sleepy little village stop on the Great Wagon Road into a thriving community in the nineteenth century--one with its share of ghost tales. Does a young soldier haunt the Kernersville Museum, flirting with the women who work there? Learn the truth of the ghost of the old McCuiston House. Local institutions like the P&N Store and Snow's Diner also claim their share of spooky stories.

Kernersville Museum director Kelly Hargett and local theater founder Scott Icenhower tell ghost tales that are sometimes comical, sometimes heartwarming, and sometimes a little hair raising.

In Clarke County, the spirits of the past bring history to life.

The ghost of a brokenhearted Confederate soldier stares out a window waiting in vain for the return of the love of his life. Victims of a plane crash still linger at the scene of the tragedy forty-five years later. Union troops are still crossing the Shenandoah River through a hail of musket balls and cannon fire. From the legendary phantom coach of Carter Hall to lesser-known haunts along the county’s back roads, a rock-throwing poltergeist, a smoky figure in a bedroom and strange creatures lurking in the woods, Michael Hess brings you the very best in Clarke County ghost lore.

These stories and more are wrenched from the gravest parts of America's past--real lives of people on plantations from Savannah and the coast of the Carolinas.

A shackled West African tribe drags themselves off aslave ship while singing, drowning in a Georgia creek to avoid being sold. Mysterious letters from a long-ruined church near Mepkin Abbey solicit a man to join faith. A French teacher disappears from a school after marking final exams in blood. An Egyptian mummy triggers a heart attack in a city museum. Most of these stories deal with the hub of the East Coast slave trade, Charleston, South Carolina. All are richly illustrated with both historic and contemporary images. Dwelling in the affairs of plantation life is to tread the fires of emotionally raw history. Sifting through the folklore and legends, the old hushed embers of the south ignite once again in this collection. While these stories relate encounters with the supernatural, readers will find that what actually happened here doesn'talways need a ghost to be disquieting.

Explore the supernatural mysteries of the historic Georgia city of Roswell. A must-read for fans of southern ghost tales, legends, and history.

The town of Roswell is haunted by the lingering ghosts of generations long dead. In this historic Georgia town, spirits roam through ruined mills, antebellum mansions and slave cabins, searching for those lost in the battles of the Civil War. From the banks of the Chattahoocheeto the streets of Roswell's historic district, chilling specters remind us of this charming Southern town's shocking past.

Author Dianna Avena blends Roswell's history with tales of the city's most famous haunts --from the slave quarters of Bulloch Hallto the cracked graves in Founder's Cemetery--to send chills down the spines of locals and visitors alike.

New Orleans has a reputation as a home for creatures of the night. Popular books, movies and television shows have cemented the city's connection to vampires in public imagination.

Rumors swirled about the fate of the Casket Girls, a group of mysterious maidens traveling to the New World from France with peculiar casket-shaped boxes. A charismatic man who moved to the French Quarter in the early 1900s eerily resembled a European aristocrat of one hundred years prior bearing the same name. A pair of brothers terrorized the town with their desire to feed on living human blood during the Great Depression. Marita Woywod Crandle investigates the origins of these legends so intricately woven through New Orleans's rich history.

Located just a stone's throw from Charleston, Summerville has always attracted scores of people looking for shelter from the sweltering heat and mosquito clouds of the peninsula.

Some residents love the town so much that they never leave even after life. The exceptional service at Guerin's Pharmacy has led ghostly patrons to forever wander through the aisles though no amount of aspirin can cure death and their eerie presences spook customers and employees alike. From the ""praying soldier"" that terrorized the residents of the Quackenbush-List house to Monty, the ghost that rips pictures off the wall in Montreaux's Bar and Grill, these spirits have unfinished business in this bustling suburb, and veteran investigator and local author Bruce Orr recounts their tales in chilling detail.

A plunge into Georgia history offers no shortage of bewilderment. UFOs, haunted bridges, ghost lights and monsters are just a smattering of the unexplained.

At the Jekyll Island Club, a bellhop from the Roaring Twenties does his best to stay busy. A bright golden light hovers above the tracks of Macon and Brunswick Railroad, floating toward spectators before it just…turns off.  From the obligatory mountain road squatch sighting to Jimmy Carter’s eerie encounter in a stand of Leary pines, Sherman Carmichael leads adventurous readers on a quest through baffling Georgia legends. Dig into this miscellany of Peach State enigma.

A haunting collection of spooky tales from one of America's first cities, Pensacola.

Pensacola may boast the world's whitest beaches, but the sands of time reveal a dark history in America's first settlement. It's no surprise that one of the nation's oldest cities is also among the most haunted, with culturally diverse spirits from the ages of the Spanish founders and British settlers through the turbulent era of the Civil War. Author and expert Alan Brown presents a survey of unexplained mysteries at Pensacola's eerie landmarks. The infamous haunted lighthouse, the ghosts of St. Michael's Cemetery and the tale of the headless woman of Ramona Street are just a few of the chilling stories recounted in Haunted Pensacola.

A haunted legacy on the Lynnhaven.

On the banks of the Lynnhaven River stands Ferry Plantation, former home of several prominent Virginia Beach families—and one of the most haunted places in the state. A spectral nanny is said to still care for ghosts of children, and an upstairs landing hosts the spirit of an artist that continues to paint for all eternity. The lingering presence of a young woman mourning the death of a fallen soldier haunts the halls, along with other mysterious sightings. The house has witnessed tragedy, death and celebrations, and all have left their mark.

Join author Kristen P. Ellis as she explores the history and haunts of Virginia’s Ferry Plantation.

Join longtime journalist and ghost seeker Cheré Dastugue Coen as she visits Lafayette's haunted sites and travels the countryside in search of ghostly legends found only in South Louisiana.

Ghost stories abound in the Cajun and Creole city of Lafayette, Louisiana. The Hub City boasts a multitude of spirits and specters, from those lost in Civil War skirmishes and fever outbreaks to those souls that simply can't say goodbye. Today, they wander the halls of bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants and linger along back roads and cemeteries. Pirates are rumored to guard buried treasure, and ancient French legends hide in the swamps, bayous and woods.

Rising from the banks of the Cape Fear River like a spectral stage, Wilmington, North Carolina, remains one of America's most haunted cities. Its beautiful homes and tidal waterways belie a history of violence.

Wilmington is a true theatre of horror, the cast of which includes runaway slaves, children lost at sea, murderous lovers and fallen women of the night who linger in Paradise Alley. Wilmington's ghosts make the Cape Fear region worthy of its name. Author John Hirchak calls upon years of experience as the owner and guide of the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington to lead his readers on a journey down back alleys and docksides, stopping at various points along the way to listen to the lingering whispers of generations long dead. A wonderful mix of humor and horror, Ghosts of Old Wilmington will delight any reader with an interest in Wilmington's unsavory past.

It is the home of one of the most famous railways in American history, the site of a historically vital trade route along the Tennessee River and the gateway to the Deep South.

Chattanooga has a storied past, a past that still lives through the spirits that haunt the city. Whether it is the ghost of the Delta Queen still lingering from the days of the river trade, the porter who forever roams the grounds of the historic Terminal Station or the restless souls that haunt from beneath the city in its elaborate underground tunnel system, the specter of Chattanooga's past is everywhere. Join authors Jessica Penot and Amy Petulla as they survey the most historically haunted places in and around the Scenic City.

Shiver at the stories of the numerous ghosts, wraiths, spirits and spectral wanderers of Virginia's Blue Ridge Highlands.

A Confederate soldier forever lost at Cumberland Gap, the wispy woman of Roanoke College and the spectral horse that runs the streets of Abingdon are among the restless spirits of southwestern Virginia. Join local author Joe Tennis as he takes readers on both sides of the Blue Ridge to explore the ghostly tales of Appalachia and the Crooked Road. Peer over the rim of the New Castle Murder Hole, dive into the mysteries of Mountain Lake and wander among the lost graves of Wise County to discover the haunted lore of Virginia's Blue Ridge Highlands.

When the sun slips behind the trees, the spirits who linger in the mountains and valleys of North Carolina's Highlands and Cashiers whisper their stories.

Located in the Appalachian Mountains, within the Nantahala National Forest, the Highlands and Cashiers are townships rich in natural beauty and folklore. In this carefully cultivated collection, there are tales of lost loves, deals gone bad, and ghosts who walk the night. Is that a whisper winding through the hemlocks, or is it just the wind?

Authors Patrick and Patricia Mesmer navigate through spooky tales of vanished sailors, wandering phantoms and lost treasure scattered across the ocean floor.

The Treasure Coast is such a popular destination that some choose to never leave. From the spirits of ancient Indians who once inhabited the beaches to the pirates who spied for passing victims from the safety of the inlets and coves, the region is infused with eerie, tragic history. A phantom widow keeps watch from the Boston House window for men long ago lost at sea. Spirits of the victims of a murderous cop linger at the Devil's Tree, where their bodies were found. The dreaded pirate Black Caesar still steers his ghost ship toward Dead Man's Point in the St. Lucie Inlet.

Join author Kim Johnston as she recalls the ghostly history and sinister past of Shelby County, Alabama.

Shelby County, Alabama, is at the heart of the state. The area is home to Alabama's forgotten plantations, a deep history of the Creek Indians who died during the Trail of Tears and dark secrets from areas such as Harpersville, Calera, Chelsea, Montevallo and Leeds. From eerie images of Civil War ghosts at Shelby Springs Manor to the downright sinister happenings in the Devil's Corridor of Chelsea, the scars of the past have left Shelby County a major hot spot of paranormal activity. Author and paranormal researcher Kim Johnston delivers a fascinating collection of haunts and legends from around Shelby County.