5 Best Southern Haunted Cities to Visit This Summer

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The long, sunny days of summer give way to evenings brimming with the unknown – so long as you know where to look, at least. Though many treat summer as the season of beachside fun and vacationing in lands lined with soft sand, some cities in the Southern United States still cling to the dark stories deeply embedded in their origins.

Tales of murder, tragedy, and conflict seeped into the foundations of summery getaways, from the marshes of the Gulf to the quaint streets of a bayside retreat. These eerie memories replay year-round, the chilling grip of the dead reaching across the veil into the summery lands of the living.

Some may think autumn is the best time to seek out stories of roaming apparitions, but these Southern haunted cities prove that even when the temperatures are high, the dead return from beyond the grave.

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is unlike anywhere else in the United States. Its customs, adopted from Caribbean cultures, brought unique elements to the Southern territory, including a belief system that has imbued the old city with a ghostly mysticism. Voodoo may not be the malevolent practice it is portrayed in movies, but it does have an otherworldly element to it, as seen with objects like Voodoo dolls (which weren’t used to cause harm, as some may think). 

The true source of The Big Easy’s most haunting legends, though, is its controversial history. Maybe fueled by the magic of Haitian customs, haunted locations throughout the city are spurred by horrific misdeeds, slavery, and seances. Among the most haunted must-see hotspots on a sunny summer day is the mansion of Madam Delphine LaLaurie, a villainous woman known for her vicious mistreatment of her slaves. 

Horrifying echoes of the past still ring throughout the mansion, while a more welcoming haunt awaits in the Garden District’s Buckner Mansion. At Muriel’s Jackson Square, the eatery melds fine dining with the unsettling presence of Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan.

Annapolis, Maryland

Off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay, a small college town retains the secrets of its controversial past. In the twilight hours, as the moon casts a glow against the bay, spirits emerge to retell their tales of woe. Known for sitting at the precipice of the new colonies, Annapolis has been around during the nation’s tumultuous growth.

Locations like the James Brice House are said to have ties to Hoodoo, a belief system that leans heavily into the spiritual. Artifacts found in the grounds of the James Brice House revealed an unexpected past that explains phenomena like the “Crying Girl” and the lingering specter of James Brice himself. Even the Governor Calvert House, later converted into a boutique hotel, has its collection of spirits. 

Spend the day enjoying the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, then venture into the darkness with a ghost tour of Annapolis that does a deep dive into the haunts of this all-American city. From an inn where a tunnel retains some of the city’s darkest secrets to a horrific account of fratricide, the stories out of Annapolis are relentlessly scary.

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is among the perfect summer cities in the United States, its cobblestone streets shaded by oaks blanketed by eerie Spanish moss. Within the darkness cast by these trees, shadows move, visions of the old Georgian city’s past just waiting to be uncovered. 

Savannah’s roots date back to the mid-18th century as Georgia’s state capital. When war broke out, it sat at the center of conflict as it tore through the South. Though the Siege of Savannah during the American Revolution and the Civil War’s Savannah campaign left behind spirits of the fallen, the city has a rich history that has conjured up its own heralds of yesteryear.

From the quaint Hamilton-Turner Inn, where phantoms still gather for lavish parties, to the century-old Pirates’ House, which boasts a restaurant that sits atop an unsettling tunnel system once used to kidnap drunks for forced servitude. Handsome homes haunted by previous residents and sprawling cemeteries where yellow fever victims howl into the night offer unique summertime experiences.      

Nashville, Tennessee

Music City is known for more than just nurturing some of the nation’s best musical talent. Beneath the glam of Nashville hides sinister secrets and dark tales of murder, betrayal, and dashed dreams. Tragic endings spur wandering apparitions forever looking to complete their unfinished business and move on from our realm.

The imposing Union Station Hotel is a Gothic silhouette against the city’s contemporary Midtown, its allure a hint of the specters that await within. At the Ryman Auditorium, expect to spot shadows lurking in the balcony or prepare for a possible run-in with a spirit thought to be Hank Williams Sr. If you stop for a bite at a local dive, ask about the Pegram Family Cemetery to learn about why a curse may have settled over the Athens of the South.

Just outside of Nashville sits a Tennessee legend, a horrifying account of torture and witchcraft, all tied to a feud over land. According to legend, Andrew Jackson spent time on the land near the Bell Witch Cave, declaring he would rather go head-to-head with the whole British Army than face the infamous witch. Maybe the grounds surrounding the cave are worth a summertime stroll?

St. Augustine, Florida

The nation’s oldest city and a coastal retreat, St. Augustine is a summer getaway for history aficionados and beach-goers. Cobblestone streets where the past unfolded give way to summery entertainment, but beneath its allure await spirits with dark tales to tell. It’s the perfect city to enjoy Florida’s great outdoors and explore a sinister past. 

Haunted locations like the Spanish Military Hospital resonate with memories of the city’s earliest years. Once under Spanish control, St. Augustine became a point of contention between the Spanish and British. Ghosts recall the conflict between warring nations, retaining the darkest moments that seeped into the coastal soil. 

The Casablanca Inn, St. Francis Inn, and Flagler College all team with spectral activity, bound by tragic ends and past trauma. One of the city’s most iconic locations, the St. Augustine Lighthouse, has been a go-to for ghost hunting groups across the world. Even tourists stop to try to catch a glimpse of the shadowy figure that’s often been spotted in the starwell.