Cemeteries are creepy places to be at the best of times. After all, it is disconcerting to think that you are surrounded by the corpses of hundreds if not thousands of people. So, throwing a few ghost stories and unexplained events into the mix takes the spookiness to a whole new level!
Let’s explore the most haunted cemeteries in America!
1. Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, Baltimore MD
The cemetery at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, is the home of the screaming skull.
The legend states that a minister was murdered here, and every night at the same time, his skull would start screaming.
Eventually, his body was dug up, and the skull gagged before being encased in a concrete block that now stands by his gravestone.
According to locals, it is still possible to hear the muffled screaming on quiet nights. Edgar Allan Poe is also buried here, but he seems to be at rest!
2. Union Cemetery, Easton CT
Union Cemetery in Easton, Connecticut, dates back to the 1600s, so it is not difficult to imagine it is haunted. The cemetery is known locally as ‘White Lady Cemetery’ after its most prevalent ghost!
This lady in white is said to roam the cemetery at night and will sometimes venture beyond its gates and onto the road.
Several drivers have reported hitting her with their vehicle, only for her to disappear promptly.
She is not alone in haunting Union Cemetery, as there have also been reports of glowing red eyes peering at them from out of the darkest corners.
Read more about the haunted Union Cemetery in Easton CT
3. Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah GA
Next, we stop in this historic southern city on our trip to America’s real haunted cemeteries. Savannah is one city that is incredibly proud of its ghosts, so it is only to be expected that they have their own haunted cemetery, complete with a chilling tale to tell.
The most famous that is said to be roaming Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah is Gracie Watson, a little girl who died of pneumonia at just six years old.
Not only has little Gracie been spotted playing between the tombstones, but the statue of her by her grave has also been known to cry tears of blood on occasion.
4. Resurrection Cemetery, Justice IL
Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, IL, is an incredibly creepy place to be. Even the name conjures up spooky ideas! The most famous haunting here relates to a spirit known as ‘Resurrection Mary.’
Mary was a young girl killed in a hit-and-run accident sometime in the 1930s.
Witnesses say that she can now be seen walking that same street where she was killed and that she sometimes hitches a ride back to the cemetery with young male drivers who are shocked when she vanishes from their car as they near the cemetery gates!
5. Howard Street Cemetery, Salem MA
Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for one thing – the witch trials. In the late 1600s, speculation was rife about who was and who wasn’t practicing dark magic. One of those accused was a wealthy farmer named Giles Corey.
He was accused of being a warlock and was tortured to death during his so-called trial. Corey is seeking revenge for his untimely death and is said to haunt Howard Street Cemetery and the surrounding area.
This would make perfect sense given that he is buried here in Howard Street Cemetery, but it was also the spot where he died as a result of ‘pressing.’
He is believed to specifically target Sheriff’s officers, perhaps as they are the closest thing to the witchfinders we have today.
Corey’s ghost has also come to be a harbinger of tragedy. Whenever his ghost is seen around town, it is usually directly before something tragic occurs.
6. Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Plenty of deceased stars call this place their final resting place, and it even shares a wall with Paramount studios.
Among the famous faces that are still roaming around is Rudolph Valentino. His ghost has been seen wandering around the area, looking every bit as handsome as he did before his unexpected death in 1926.
Every year a mysterious lady in black visited his grave on the anniversary of his death. It is said that she still visits now, albeit in spirit form.
Other Hollywood stars buried here who are not yet ready to leave the spotlight include Clifton Webb, who starred in the Mr. Belvedere films and has been seen frequently wandering around this scary graveyard.
7. Silver Cliff Cemetery, Silver Cliff CO
Another one of the most haunted graveyards in the country is said to be Silver Cliff Cemetery in Colorado. However, it is not a ghostly apparition that this place is famous for, but rather the Silver Cliff Lights.
Related: Colorado’s Most Haunted Places
These ghost lights look like blue lantern lights or bright white spheres. They appear over the cemetery gates at night and then float through the burial ground bouncing off the tombstones!
There has never been any cause for the lights established, and most locals agree that they are paranormal. The cemetery is still in use today and is owned and operated by the town.
8. Stull Cemetery, Kansas
Stull Cemetery in Kansas is considered by many to serve as one of the gates to hell. There have been ghost stories linked to this place for hundreds of years. One of the hauntings’ focal points seems to be an abandoned church that stands right next to the graveyard.
Many people have had strange experiences when entering the church, including being grabbed by unseen hands. On one occasion, the Pope himself refused to fly over what he called ‘a demonic piece of land!’
Local legend suggests that this has always been an evil place and that the church was constructed to cover the gateway.
However, it became a meeting point for witches and Satanists to gather and hold rituals after the church closed.
There are also rumors that witches were hanged in the trees within the church’s ground in the past.
There is one tree, in particular, that is now growing through a tombstone, which is also said to be a focal point for paranormal activity.
9. Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans LA
Anyone who knows anything about New Orleans knows that you can barely take a step without running into something with a paranormal twist to it.
One of the oldest cemeteries in America, Saint Louis Cemetery is also incredibly haunted, so much so that it’s regarded as one of the world’s most haunted cemeteries.
Most believe that much of the activity reported here can be attributed to the fact that notorious Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau is one of the 100,000 people buried there.
With thousands of tourists flocking to this graveyard each year, it’s undoubtedly one of the most famous haunted cemeteries on this list.
Regarded by many as the most haunted place in New Orleans, hundreds of people visit her grave each year to ask for a wish to be granted.
10. Boothill Cemetery, Tombstone AZ
This scary cemetery in Tombstone, AZ, has become known simply as Boothill. The burial ground is undoubtedly not well cared for, and the strange overgrown look about the place only seems to add to the spooky reputation.
Those who have dared to go exploring Boothill have described seeing very unfriendly spirits around the place. It is believed that many of those buried here have links to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral involving the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Clanton Gang.
11. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Illinois
Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Illinois is not only considered to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in America, but some would go so far as to say that it is one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world.
The burial ground is tucked away in the middle of a creepy forest and looks spooky enough based only on its appearance.
However, once you get into the ghostly tales connected to this place, you soon realize that there are even more reasons why this cemetery creeps you out.
It was once used as a dumping ground for 1930s gangsters to leave their victims, and some of them have been seen wandering around the cemetery.
Many visitors have reported seeing unexplained things during visits to the cemetery, with one of the most common sightings of a ghostly woman sitting on the tombstones.
Learn more about the ghosts of Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Bremen IL
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