Haunted Places in Georgia: Perfect Road Trip Destinations
If the devil really went down to Georgia, maybe that explains all the haunted places in the state.
These creepy Georgia destinations offer you a chance for a spooky and unique road trip.
Let’s see what Georgia has in store!
Want a Spooky Road Trip? Check Out These Haunted Places in Georgia
Hospitals, hotels, and historic houses have a heavy presence on our list of spooky sites. Most, if not all, of the communities featured here offer “ghost walks” or similar activities so that you can enjoy some haunted places in Georgia.
Haunted Places in Atlanta, Georgia
Pro Tip: While exploring Georgia, make sure to try to find these 7 Amazing Waterfalls In Georgia.
1: Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta
With its winding paths and ornate tombs, a tour of this sprawling cemetery is like a peek into Atlanta’s past. It’s the final resting place of more than 70,000 people, including some who were famous in life such as Kenny Rogers, Margaret Mitchell, and Maynard Jackson – Atlanta’s first mayor.
With so many people buried here, maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that there may be a few restless souls, making this one of the most haunted places in Georgia. Visiting this historic graveyard is a Halloween ritual for many residents.
The annual “Capturing the Spirit of Oakland” event draws hundreds during the Halloween season. Designed to “enlighten rather than frighten,” according to organizers, it sheds light on many of the stories haunting this cemetery – even the darker ones.
2: Ellis Hotel, Atlanta
Guests at the Ellis have reported all kinds of crazy happenings over the years. The hotel stands in restored splendor in downtown Atlanta, but back in 1946, it became infamous as the Winecoff. It was the site of a horrific fire that claimed the lives of 119 people.
Modern guests staying overnight have reported smelling smoke. Desk workers at the hotel say they’ve gotten calls in the night from unoccupied rooms. It might be hard to get some rest in such a place
Haunted Places in Savannah, Georgia
3: Old Candler Hospital in Savannah
This was the first hospital in Georgia, so it has a past that creeps back more than two centuries. Located in the heart of Savannah, the building that houses the Old Candler Hospital, which is now a law school, may not be the spookiest part.
In 1876, hospital workers used a tunnel to transport bodies to the morgue during a Yellow Fever epidemic. Some who’ve dared to walk the dark space in modern times reported seeing apparitions and strange orbs of light. It’s one of many scary stops on the Savannah Ghost Tour.
4: Madison Square, Savannah
In Savannah, sometimes there are ghost sightings right in the center of town. This public square is named for President James Madison and features a statue of Sgt. William Jasper. He was the hero of a Revolutionary War battle fought here in 1779.
According to popular belief, this is also where soldiers dug a mass grave for many of the dead. Were some of them covered over while still alive? That’s one of the many stories told in this haunted place in Georgia. Some tourists have described seeing shadowy figures along the city’s cobblestone streets that seem to vanish into thin air.
Keep in mind: If you want a less spooky nearby sight, visit the famous Forrest Gump bench.
Other Haunted Places in Georgia
5: Windsor Hotel in Americus
Did some of the guests here at the Windsor check out but never leave? The 100-room Victorian hotel in Americus has had many famous guests over the years. And some notorious ones, too, such as the young daughter of a housekeeper who died a horrible accidental death in an elevator shaft.
Some say her spirit still roams to halls, and so does a longtime doorman named Floyd Lowery. The hotel’s pub is named for him, and that’s where you’re likely to hear the most colorful stories about this haunting hotelier.
6: Hay House in Macon
Spooky stories surrounded this huge antebellum mansion in Macon long before Jimmy Cannon turned up with his camera. He was there to shoot a wedding but captured what appears to be a mysterious figure in a top hat.
Visitors to the historic old house have told of chandeliers swinging for no reason and sounds they couldn’t explain.
7: Central State Hospital in Milledgeville
For years this was the state’s hospital for mental patients, and they often inspire some terrifying folklore. The original name for the place, built in 1842, was the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum. It’s vacant and crumbling now and twenty-five thousand unmarked graves of former patients surround it, making it possibly the most haunted place in Georgia.
There are many unsettling tales of atrocious acts allegedly committed within these walls. The horror stories include children whom staff kept in cages and adults forced to undergo shock therapy. There aren’t any legends involving a specific ghost or unexplained occurrence, but it’s an eerie place to be.
Many visitors have reported a troubling and unsettling feeling washing over them.
8: St. Simons Island
This seaside community in the state’s southeastern corner certainly has its share of stories. One of them involves a sad and distraught lady named Mary. Legend says she walks the beaches at night. She’s holding a lantern because she’s searching in vain for her beau, tragically lost at sea.
Another of the island’s tales involves an unexpected light at the Christ Church cemetery. As the story goes, a young woman who died had an intense fear of the dark. Her bereaved husband comforted her in death by carrying a candle to her graveside each night. Eventually, he passed away too, but on some nights, you can still catch a glimpse of his flickering flame.
9: Kennesaw House, Marietta
This three-story building downtown serves as Marietta’s history museum, and it has plenty of history of its own. It was originally a cotton warehouse and was later an inn owned by a family named Fletcher.
Union soldiers took up quarters there during the Civil War and briefly used it as a hospital and morgue. Maybe that explains the horrifying visions that visitors have described upon entering the basement. They swear they’ve walked directly into the bloody scene of a wartime operating room with surgeons amputating limbs.
Others have reported seeing a woman wearing a pink dress who looks eerily like the woman in Mrs. Fletcher’s portrait. Needless to say, paranormal investigators have made return visits to this creepy place.
Pro Tip: Take a break from ghosts to spend some time relaxing on one of these 7 Best Lakes in Georgia (and Awesome Nearby Campsites).
See the Haunted Places in Georgia to Believe Them
Are ghost stories nothing but tall tales, or is there some truth to them? They say that seeing is believing, so maybe you should plan a trip to the Deep South to investigate. Do you need a great excuse to visit a great place? This is it! Hit the road and explore what may be the most haunted places in Georgia. And, let us know, have you ever had a spooky experience?
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