Happy Halloween week! Our last post was a collaboration featuring scary places to visit across the USA, so today, we wanted to highlight the spookiest places to visit in our home state of Mississippi. Whether you’re looking to learn some history or go on a ghost hunt, we’ve got a list of places that deliver on the creep factor. From a haunted theater to a ghost town, the spirit of a legendary writer to the Devil’s Crossroads, we present Mississippi’s spookiest destinations.
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links with no change in price for you.
Windsor Ruins
Port Gibson, MS | mdah.ms.gov
Address: Rodney Road
Located about ten miles off the Natchez Trace near the town of Port Gibson, visitors can find the remains of a Mississippi mansion, now known simply as the “Windsor Ruins.” Twenty-three columns are all that remain of the house once visited by Mark Twain. Though spared during the Civil War, stories say that the mansion was destroyed by a single cigarette dropped during a party.
The imposing columns are both beautiful and haunting. They may have stood the test of time thus far, but I fear they could topple at any moment. It’s easy to imagine the grandeur of the home once you see the columns in person, and leads one to wonder what stories the ruins would love to tell.
See Related: Windsor Ruins: The Remains of a Mississippi Mansion
Friendship Cemetery
Columbus, MS | visitcolumbusms.org
Address: 4th Street South
It’s no secret that we love visiting cemeteries during our travels, mainly because it’s an interesting, and often moving, way to learn the history of a place and its people. We’ve visited graves of celebrities, historic figures, and fallen soldiers; beautiful memorials, interesting tombs, and unusual markers. We encourage you to visit these places to learn but always, always be respectful.
Friendship Cemetery, located in Columbus, claims to be the home of the very first Memorial Day back in 1866. It’s the final resting place of many Civil War soldiers, some known, most unknown. This is the area where visitors say they see apparitions of the soldiers walking or standing among the headstones.
The most photographed statue in Friendship Cemetery is the Teasdale Monument, known as the Angel of Grief, Angel of Sorrow, or Weeping Angel (pictured at the beginning of this post). It’s probably the most honest monument I’ve ever seen, depicting the gut-wrenching grief of losing a loved one.
See Related: 8 Things To Do In Columbus, Mississippi
Vicksburg
Mississippi | visitvicksburg.com
Read: Haunted Vicksburg by Alan Brown on Amazon
Vicksburg may just be the most haunted city in Mississippi. Located on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg had a violent past with battles between Natives and European settlers as well as the Civil War.
The Vicksburg National Military Park, located on Civil War battlefields where thousands of soldiers lost their lives. Today, visitors claim to smell gun powder, hear screams and cannon blasts, and even see apparitions.
McRaven House, known as the most haunted house in Mississippi, was built before Mississippi was even a state. Construction on McRaven began in 1797, with additions built in 1836 and 1849. Tours are available to learn about the way of life in pre-Civil War times, but the most popular tours are of the paranormal variety. From haunted tours to ghost investigations, McRaven is sure to thrill visitors with its longtime inhabitants.
Book a stay at historic McNutt House, now a bed and breakfast, if you’re brave enough to stay overnight in a haunted house. Tours are available if you don’t have the nerve to stay the night, but an overnight stay may be the best time to meet the ghostly residents.
See Related: 15 Spooky Places to Visit in the USA
King’s Tavern
Natchez, Mississippi | charboneaudistillery.com
Address: 613 Jefferson Street
King’s Tavern, built around 1789, is the oldest building in Natchez as well as one of the oldest buildings in the state of Mississippi. It also happens to be one of the most haunted places in the country.
During renovations, three bodies were found in the tavern’s walls: one female and two male. Legend says the corpses were the owner’s mistress and the two men that murdered her. People claim that poor Madeline’s spirit still roams the tavern to this day.
During our visit in 2015, we only experienced one unexplained event. After checking out a photo while coming down the stairs, we struck up a conversation with an employee. A fellow employee then walked over to straighten the framed photo that was completely straight just moments before. And, no, we did not bump into it. The employees were happy to share stories with us, like the fact that they have video of a small refrigerator opening all on its own! Apparently, Madeline is pretty mischievous!
See Related: Haunted Mississippi: Looking for Spirits at King’s Tavern in Natchez
Ghost Town of Rodney
Lorman, MS
Address: Rodney Road (You’ll want to look this one up on Google maps before you go.)
Have you ever visited an abandoned building? What about an entirely abandoned town? The Ghost Town of Rodney is located about 30 miles from Natchez, Mississippi; a trip that took us down dirt roads.
A Presbyterian church with a cannon ball lodged above a window in its bricks, a quaint little Baptist church, and an old general store are some of the only buildings left from this once-bustling town. According to a historical marker, the town once had a population of five hundred and thirty-five various stores.
The only inhabitants we saw were of the whitetail kind, not the spirit kind. Whitetail deer are abundant in Mississippi, so always be on the lookout for these gorgeous creatures, especially on back roads and at night.
See Related: Spooky Mississippi: The Ghost Town of Rodney
The Devil’s Crossroads
Clarksdale, MS | clarksdale.com
Address: Intersection of Hwy 61 and Hwy 49
Fans of the Blues will recognize the story of Robert Johnson who famously sold his sold to the devil for the ability to play the guitar. Johnson began playing guitar in the 1920s, but locals claim that he was terrible. Then, in 1932, he began to play with incredible skill and went on to become one of the most well-known Delta blues musicians (Grab a copy of his complete recordings at Amazon).
Legend says that Johnson met with the devil at the now infamous crossroads where he sold his soul for guitar skills in return. Fans of Supernatural will remember the episode where the hellhounds came to take Johnson’s soul to hell. Let’s hope that didn’t really happen.
The final resting place of Robert Johnson is disputed in the Mississippi Delta with markers located in three different cemeteries.
The Lyric Theatre
Tupelo, MS | tctwebstage.com
Address: 201 N Broadway Street
Built in 1912, Tupelo’s Lyric Theatre began as a vaudeville theater. It hosted live performances until the 30s when it was changed to a movie theater. The sturdy building survived the tornado that devastated the city of Tupelo in 1936 and continued life as a movie theater with various stage performances until 1984. Avoiding demolition, funds were raised to remodel the building, becoming a home for live theater once again (Tupelo Community Theatre).
The tornado of 1936 may be the cause of the Lyric’s paranormal happenings. Stories say that the resident spook “Antoine” was killed during the tornado, or, perhaps he was injured and brought inside the theater where he later passed away. Believed to be friendly and mischievous, Antoine has been said to sing, giggle, move items, hide items, and appear as a glow.
During the month of October, visitors can learn more about Antoine from Tupelo Community Theatre’s Haunted Theatre (not open during the 2020 season).
Waverly Mansion
West Point, MS | visitcolumbusms.org
Address: 1852 Waverly Road
Waverly Mansion was built in 1852 by George Young and stayed in the Young family until 1913 when it was then abandoned. During this fifty-some years of neglect, stories began to circulate about the home being haunted. I’m sure the overgrown, weather-beaten look of the mansion had something to do with those stories.
When the home was bought in 1962 by the Snow family, repairs began and so did the paranormal happenings. Mrs. Snow says she was followed by a little girl calling out, “Mama!” This same little girl is said to sleep upstairs, leaving evidence in her imprint on the bed.
A confederate soldier appears in mirrors, a horse and rider appear on the grounds, and laughter and music can be heard in the parlor, so the stories say.
Today, Waverly Mansion is open daily for tours (though this may not be the case currently due to COVID-19).
Rowan Oak
Oxford, MS | museum.olemiss.edu
Address: 916 Old Taylor Road
Built in the 1840s, Rowan Oak is the Oxford home of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Faulkner. Faulkner purchased the home and began renovations in the 1930s. Though his final resting place is Saint Peter’s Cemetery, Faulkner is said to still haunt the grounds of this home.
Stories say that William Faulkner can be seen writing on the walls of his study or wandering the grounds attempting to scare off students from nearby University of Mississippi (which now owns the home), especially at night (the grounds close at dusk, so don’t come by at night unless you want to meet a security guard!).
I spent MANY days on the grounds of Rowan Oak during my first year of college. On sunny days, my drawing classes would meet here to draw outside. While I never saw anything out of the ordinary, I always had a feeling of unease. There’s no way I could have sat alone for an extended amount of time anywhere in that yard, and I’ll admit that I avoided looking at windows.
Pro Tip: For even more thrills and chills, get a copy of Ghosts of Rowan Oak: William Faulkner’s Ghost Stories for Children to read before you head to Oxford!
The Natchez Trace
Mississippi | nps.gov/natr
Runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee
Read: The Haunted Natchez Trace by Bud Steed on Amazon
The Natchez Trace runs over four hundred miles from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. This historic road, which began as a path created by migrating herds, is actually over ten thousand years old. Throughout the years, the Trace has been walked by Native Americans, settlers, explorers, and soldiers.
With such a long history, one can expect that a few malevolent people would have used the Natchez Trace as well. In fact, robbers, murderers, outlaws, and even serial killers are known to have trekked the Natchez Trace. One particular outlaw, Samuel “Wolfman” Mason, was murdered by his own men, and people say they can hear his mournful cries on the Trace today.
“Witch Dance” is a stop at mile post 233.2, near Tupelo, that has an eerie back story. Legend says that witches once gathered there to dance, leaving bare spots on the ground wherever their feet touched. Visitors are invited to look for circular areas where grass doesn’t grow.
Today, the Natchez Trace is a roadway built to approximate the path of the original Trace. Remnants of the “Old Trace” can still be found along the highway, with trails available to visitors. Will you see an apparition on the two-land road at night? Will you hear a voice at the graves of the unknown confederate soldiers? What spooky adventures will you have on one of the oldest trails in the USA?
Natchez City Cemetery
Natchez, MS | natchez.ms.us
Address: 2 Cemetery Road
If cemeteries are your idea of spooky, Natchez City Cemetery is a wonderful (and beautiful!) area to visit for some of the most interesting tombstones and graves in the country.
From Rufus Case who was buried sitting in his rocking chair to Louise the Unfortunate (that’s all they wrote!), the Natchez City Cemetery definitely has some memorable memorials. Some are incredibly moving, like the preserved toolbox of L.H. Lawrence who was known to care for his wife’s plot every day or the stairs down to the tomb of young Florence Irene Ford (pictured above), which allowed her mother to visit her during thunderstorms.
The most well-known urban legend of the cemetery comes in the form of a “turning angel.” Is it just an optical illusion or does this statue actually turn to watch passersby at night?
See Related: Unusual Tombstones and Graves of Historic Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, Mississippi
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links with no change in price for you.
Ready to explore Mississippi? Book a tour!
Do you enjoy visiting spooky locations? What are some of the scariest places you’ve visited during your travels? What is the eeriest place in your home state? Which of these locations will you be visiting in the future? Have you ever had a paranormal experience at these places? Is there somewhere that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
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