From frightening furnaces to haunted hotels and creepy cemeteries to terrifying trails. Here are the 7 most haunted places in Alabama.
1. Nancy’s Mountain Trail, Franklin
Haines Island Park, some 40 minutes outside the city of Franklin, is home to one of the most haunted places in Alabama. It is called Nancy’s Mountain. Legend has it that Nancy had a son who enlisted in the Civil War but died and his body never recovered. When word reached Nancy, she picked up a lantern and walked the trails searching for him. She walked the trails until she died. Many hikers claim to see a woman holding a lantern on the mountain.
2. Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville
Established in 1818, Maple Hill Cemetery is Huntsville’s largest and oldest cemetery. It is home to more than 80,000 graves. Visitors report ghostly encounters and hear strange noises. The area of the cemetery called the Dead Children’s Playground is where people have reported swings moving by themselves and the ghosts of children playing.
3. The Redmont Hotel, Birmingham
Don’t let the new sleek interior of the Redmont Hotel fool you. This is one of the most haunted places in Alabama. The ghost of a woman in white haunts the Redmont Hotel, Birmingham’s oldest and most historic hotel. She passed away in the hotel and roams the ninth floor. The ghost of a former owner, Clifford Stiles, also walks the halls, as does a small ghost dog. However, the famous singer Hank Williams is the most famous ghost of all. Guests report seeing him in the room where he stayed before his death.
4. Drish House, Tuscaloosa
Since the early 20th century, people have witnessed supernatural events, such as phantom fires and ghostly lights at the Drish House. The owner of the house, John Drish, died in 1867 after falling from atop a stairwell. After his death, his widow, Sarah, kept candles from his funeral to have these same candles lit at her own funeral. Sarah Drish died in 1884, and her family could not find the candles. This angered Sarah, and now she haunts the house. She even allegedly caused a fire in the third-story tower.
5. Sloss Furnace, Birmingham
Sloss Furnace is a national historic landmark and one of the most haunted places in the south. Urban legend has it that James “Slag” Wormwood, a foreman working the graveyard shift, would make his workers take dangerous risks to impress his supervisors. This resulted in the death of 47 workers. In 1906, it is alleged that Wormwood lost his footing at the top of the highest blast furnace and plummeted into a pool of melted iron ore. Many believe that the workers pushed him. Visitors to the site claim to have been approached by a ghostly figure whose skin is burned and who angrily shouts commands.
6. Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores
Constructed between 1819 and 1833, Fort Morgan is a Third System masonry fort. It served a prominent role in the Battle of Mobile Bay, the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. Many visitors say the spirits of those that died at the fort still linger. People report ghosts wandering the grounds and hearing footsteps, as well as voices and cries of men.
7. Gaines Ridge Dinner Club, Camden
Billed the “Most Haunted Restaurant” in Alabama, Gaines Ridge Dinner Club is inside a beautiful 1820s home. The restaurant is famous for its family of ghosts. One family member is a woman who can be heard screaming and calling out as she floats past the windows. A ghostly reflection of a tall, bearded man in black has also been seen regularly. This is Old Ebeneezer Hearn. Make a reservation, but be warned, you never know who might join you for dinner.
