Virginia offers many frightening sites to give a good scare or explore paranormal lore, from bedsheets that appear creepy at night to mourners of loved ones lost, Virginia offers plenty of creepy places for everyone! With terrifying landmarks ranging from ghost-ridden castles to tombstones that seem haunted, Virginia provides many frightening options that you should visit during their travels through this state.
Historic Jordan Springs has been featured on multiple paranormal shows as a unique haunted experience, and is said to be home to multiple ghosts including those related to Native Americans, women who died prior to 1810, and even Civil War soldiers.
Ferry Plantation House
Built to serve Lynnhaven River ferry landing, Ferry Plantation House is said to be home to eleven spirits, such as The Lady in White who died after falling down its stairs; Stella Barnett who died from eating poison mushrooms; Grace Sherwood known as “The Witch of Pungo,” who’s ghost has been said to roam around and leave spots wherever she passes;
Ferry Plantation House in Virginia is one of the most haunted places in Virginia and a favorite spot for paranormal investigations. Not only are ghosts said to haunt this property, but some also believe a cat haunts it! Furthermore, many believe the plantation was built over Native American burial grounds which might explain why so many spirits seem drawn to this spot. As such, they host an annual ghost convention called Paracon that features psychics, healers, and paranormal investigators from all across mid-Atlantic region.
St Albans Sanatorium
No matter your position on paranormal phenomena, St Albans Sanatorium remains an intriguing destination that captures imaginations enthralled with supernaturalism. Once an abandoned psychiatric hospital, this former site now hosts some of Virginia’s most haunted places and serves as an attractive location for paranormal tours and investigations.
St Albans was originally established in 1892 as a Lutheran boys’ school but became a psychiatric hospital over time. It soon gained a reputation for its harsh treatment of its patients, including insulin-induced comas and lobotomies; many took their lives due to this depressing environment at St Albans.
Rusty wheelchairs line the halls, and a broken sink sits idly in an old operating room. This hospital is known for its paranormal activity, including reports of unexplained voices and shadowy figures seen walking about the premises. Mists have also been observed rising from its basement bowling alley, and spirits such as Allie have been known to roam throughout its walls; mists may have even been sighted rising from bowling alley basement.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum has been around since Virginia was created as a state, hosting many historic moments and offering glimpses into paranormal activity; most famous among which is The Legend of Female Stranger.
The Female Stranger story begins in 1816 when two individuals who appeared ill from suspected typhoid disease arrived at Old Town wearing long black veils and checked into City Hotel Room 8. Unfortunately they never gave their names or asked anyone in Room 8 their location, ultimately dying without ever being identified and being interred at St Paul’s Cemetery with only a tombstone bearing “Female Stranger.”
Gadsby’s Tavern prefers to focus on its documented history and the people that have passed through its doors rather than any ghost-related tales, although guests have reported hearing footsteps upstairs and feeling as if someone is watching them. As the property is privately owned, visitors should obtain all appropriate permits before making their visit.
The Martha Washington Inn
Virginia offers plenty of haunted asylums and hotels for adventurous visitors to discover. Brave souls may experience anything from bedsheets being pulled back or shadowy figures appearing over their heads to an array of scary events and places that await discovery.
Many of these hauntings can be linked back to Washington state’s bloody history. From battles pitting Americans against Indians or each other, such as at Wanamaker Park or Fort Snelling, each caused high casualty rates resulting in several landmarks being considered some of the most haunted sites nationwide.
One such historic building in Abingdon is The Martha Washington Inn. Due to its long and tragic history, this haunted inn has long been considered a “haunted house”. Once home to a wealthy family and later used as a hospital during the American Civil War, guests have reported hearing rifle shots and smelling gun smoke during their stays at this inn; additionally they have reported seeing an apparition of a wounded Confederate soldier hobbling through hallways while leaving an unseen trail of mud behind him.
