Whether you are an avid ghost hunter or love a thrill, The Palmetto State has plenty of eerie places to give you goosebumps. From haunted bridges to frightening museums, paranormal plantations to terrifying theatres, here are some of the most haunted places in South Carolina.
1. Rose Hill Plantation, Bluffton
Constructed in the mid-1800s off the back of the enslaved, the Rose Hill Plantation near Hilton Head Island is one of the most haunted places in South Carolina. The owners of the plantation fled during the Civil War, and then Union troops camped on the grounds. The troops left behind scary notes etched onto the house, such as, “Hell is here.” After the war, the owners moved back to the plantation, and when they died, they were buried in a family plot, and the house was abandoned for a while. Today, you can tour the property and participate in haunted events that capitalise on the spooky atmosphere of the place.
2. Old Charleston Jail, Charleston
Constructed in 1802, the Old Jail building served as the Charleston County Jail until 1939. Charleston’s most notorious criminals lived, and the Old Jail is haunted by the more than 13,000 prisoners who were executed on site. Paranormal investigators consider this the most haunted building in Charleston. As a result, the Old City Jail has been featured on nearly every major ghost show on TV.
3. South Carolina State Museum, Columbia
The South Carolina State Museum in Columbia was once a textile mill. Today, the ghost of Bubba roams the building. Bubba is the spirit of a worker decapitated in an elevator shaft. His overalls-clad ghost is often seen on the museum’s fourth floor and in the elevator. He walks down the hall and disappears into the wall when he exits the elevator.
4. Crybaby Bridge, Anderson
Legend says that you can hear a baby crying if you stop on the Historic Truss Bridge at night. You’ll then see the mother walking the bridge looking for her child. With so many people claiming to see this ghost mother and hear the ghost baby, this is one of the most haunted places in South Carolina.
5. Stoney-Baynard Plantation Ruins, Hilton Head Island
The Stoney family constructed a mansion on Braddock Point Plantation during the antebellum era. The Baynard family subsequently purchased and later deserted the mansion. That is why, today, the place to called the Stoney-Baynard Ruins. The ruins are located off Plantation Drive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. This antebellum plantation housed a Revolutionary War hero, merchant ship captain, and Union forces, amongst others. When you visit, you’ll see the ruins of both the plantation house and slave quarters, as well as outbuilding foundations. You might also see the resident ghosts. One such spooky resident is William Baynard, one of the plantation’s early owners. He is sometimes spotted along with an entire funeral procession.
6. Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, Charleston
Constructed in 1767, the Exchange and Provost served as a British prison during the Revolutionary War and housed POWs, war criminals, and pirates, including Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. The dungeon’s horrific conditions are well documented. There are many accounts of prisoners suffering awful deaths while locked in chains. These tales have made the building infamous. Today, the building is a National Historic Landmark, and local legend has it that the ghosts of the ex-prisoners remain in the building and can be seen and heard walking around.
7. Dock Street Theatre, Charleston
A lady in red and a man in 19th-century clothing haunt Charleston’s Dock Street Theatre. The ghosts of other actors and audience members are also regularly spotted in the theatre. The ghost in the red dress is believed to be Nellie Dickerson. Neilie was a lady of the night who was a frequent visitor to the building, which was the Planter’s Hotel at the time. Legend has it that she wore a bright red dress to the hotel the night she died. She was walking across a balcony during a storm when a lightning bolt struck and killed her. Her ghost still roams the building, rattling doors and moving items around.
