Haunted & Paranormal

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 abolitionist John Brown still roams the West Virginia panhandle--and beyond. In Lexington, a statue sheds real tears, mourning Virginians killed in battle. Decades of abuse at a sanatorium unleashed malevolent entities in Staunton. Spirits of Native Americans, Civil War soldiers and children frequent natural springs in Frederick County and caves near Strasburg. Ghosts stay free of charge at the nation's oldest inn in Middletown, and at the Natural Bridge Hotel, phantom children play in the halls. Visitors from beyond the grave enjoy live performances at several theaters in the region, while spectral soldiers gather for combat in the battlefields scattered throughout the area. Join Denver Michaels as he delves into folklore, eyewitness accounts and urban legends to bring you the best ghost stories from the Shenandoah Valley.

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.

From colonial-era witches to modern sightings of Bigfoot, the history of the Old Dominion is filled with creepy tales. Cemeteries, battlefields and inns host haunts from Virginia's earliest days. Some appear as corporeal figures and some as lights or ghostly noises. Delve into the sad and scary stories of patients who still linger in Victorian-era sanatoriums. Unexplained sightings of mysterious creatures, from Bigfoot to werewolves, are widespread in the western part of the state, and Chessie rears her head in the Bay--for the lucky few! Even prominent buildings like the Executive Mansion in Richmond have their own uncanny legends. Join master storyteller Sherman Carmichael as he explores the lore of the Old Dominion.

The putrid estuaries of the Great Dismal Swamp and the colonial mansions of Tidewater Virginia provide a chilling setting for tales of the mysterious and strange. From the ghost of Jefferson Davis's iron-willed widow who walks the dank corridors of Fort Monroe to the restless presence of Cornwallis's soldiers killed at the Battle of Yorktown, the region is rife with eerie tales of the tragic and unexplained. Paranormal expert and author L.B. Taylor Jr. revisits classic ghost stories from his collection and introduces readers to thirteen terrifying new tales. Join Taylor as he travels forgotten country lanes and dark waterways in search of the spirits of Virginia's haunted shores.

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.

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.

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.

With a nearly three-hundred-year history, Prince William County has its share of haunted tales and scary spots. Ghosts still haunt the battlefield at Manassas, including the Ben Lomond Plantation, site of a Civil War-era hospital. The jailhouse in Brentsville keeps many of its captives in ghostly form. The Weems Botts House, home of George Washington's biographer, Parson Weems, is still haunted by the spirit of one of its owners. Local author and historian Andrew Mills narrates the best and creepiest tales of hauntings throughout the county.