The scariest stories in Charleston, SC

It’s Halloween eve and to kick off the Halloween vibes + spooky mood, we’re sharing some of the most haunted spots + terrifying tales around Charleston. Read on… if you dare. ☠️

🕷 Old City Jail | 21 Magazine St.

The Old City Jail, which dates back to 1802, is known as one of the most haunted places in the country. Visitors claimed to have experienced being choked by hands; scratched, bitten, and poked; seen doors slam, objects move; have heard voices in empty rooms; + have been met with encounters of the ghost of Lavinia Fisher herself, who was known as America’s first female serial killer. The jail was home to notable inmates, including nineteenth-century pirates, Civil War POWs + murderers – many who died during their time there. Curious visitors can tour the space guided by Bulldog Tours.

🕷 Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon | 122 E Bay St.

Built in 1767, the building was formerly used as a customs house, commerce center and a post office. The basement, however, was an underground dungeon which housed pirates, slaves, + criminals in heinous conditions. The most notorious execution that occurred here was of Isaac Hayne in 1781. On multiple occasions, visitors have approached who they thought was a staff member dressed in Revolution-period attire – only to realize that who they were seeing was not a staff member at all.

🕷 Dock Street Theatre | 135 Church St.

Miss Nettie Dickerson, a resident of Charleston – and a lady of the night – frequented the theatre during the 1800s seeking business from the wealthy men. Nettie eventually got a job as a clerk at St. Philip’s Church + used the money to purchase a red dress. Although she was dressed well and attended church, society would still not accept her. So one night, she climbed to the balcony of the theatre, and just as she yelled: “You can’t save me!”– a bolt of lightning struck her dead. Nettie’s ghost is often spotted at the theatre – red dress and all.

🕷 White Point Gardens | 2 Murray Blvd.

In the 18th century, Charleston’s ports became a hub for economic trade. But with that came Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard; Stede Bonnet; + crews of men (i.e. pirates). Legend has it that 49 of the pirates were found guilty of crimes, were hanged from the trees at White Point, and then thrown into the marsh. Visitors have said they have seen faces staring at them from the trees + apparitions hanging from the oaks.

🕷 Poogan’s Porch | 72 Queen St.

In 1976, the grand Victorian home was purchased by Bobbie Ball and converted to a restaurant in the heart of a downtown neighborhood. The name comes from a scruffy dog named Poogan who came along with the house and was adopted by the new owner. Little Poogan is buried on the property + his ghost has been seen by customers from time to time.

🕷 Unitarian Church Graveyard | 4 Archdale St.

Some believe that Annabel Lee, who once had a forbidden love, haunts this graveyard, along with many others. This 1772 graveyard’s spooky overgrown brush + unkempt appearance is intentional – as the Unitarians believe in using the overgrown vegetation as a symbol of life after death.

🕷 College of Charleston Joe E. Berry Residence Hall | 66 George St.

Founded in 1776, the College of Charleston’s historic campus is no stranger to paranormal activity. The college’s Joe E. Berry Residence Hall stands on the side of the old Charleston Orphanage, which housed sick children during the Spanish influenza pandemic at the turn of the twentieth century. One day, some of the children who were not sick accidentally started a fire on the ground, in which four children died of smoke inhalation. Once the college dorm opened, students reported hearing children laughing, chanting “Ring Around the Rosie” during the night.

🕷 Secessionville Hollows | James Island

In June 1862, Northern Troops attacked the Confederate earthwork fort called Tower Battery, where Colonel Thomas G. Lamar commanded about 500 men. By the time the battle had ended, more than 150 bodies lay across the marsh and forested area. It is said that the battle can still be heard on the land today, with reports of paranormal activity from James Island residents + visitors.

🕷 The Battery Carriage House Inn | 20 South Battery

Both guests and employees of the inn reported run-ins with paranormal activity in three of the rooms. Room 3, Room 8 + Room 10 have all had reports of ghostly encounters. The spirit in Room 8 has been known to come alive in guests’ dreams as a headless torso terrorizing them in the night. However, it’s Room 10 where guests are most likely to see a gentleman gliding throughout the room.

🕷 Boone Hall Plantation | 1235 Long Point Rd., Mount Pleasant

Founded by Major John Boone and then sold to brothers John and Henry Horlbeck, the plantation house is said to be haunted by the enslaved who were unfairly treated and forced to work on the land. Most commonly spotted are the ghosts of a young boy + girl.

Other places said to be haunted: Fort Moultrie, The Pink House, 37 Meeting St, 17 Chalmers Street, the USS Yorktown, Fenwick Hall Plantation, Ravenel, SC, and the Old Citadel (Embassy Suites Hotel).

Need to see it to believe it? 👀 Check out some of Charleston’s ghost tours here. Want to know more about our statewide supernatural stories? Click here. 👻

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