These 24 Haunted Places In Arkansas Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
The winter season is well underway in Arkansas now. Cold weather finally crept upon us and now that the holidays have passed we need a new way to pass the time until spring. How about ghost hunting? Chilly temperatures enhance the chilling effect, after all. Most of us in the Natural State know there are some places around Arkansas where people staunchly claim supernatural happenings as the cause behind strange circumstances. Whether or not you believe the stories, checking these places out for yourself would be a fun trip!
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Keep your eyes peeled when traveling Old Redfield Road in Sheridan. Reportedly, electrical items (i.e. flashlights and radios) stop working when you approach the area. Residents say they have seen ghosts walking along the road and meandering in the cemetery.
The old courthouse that still stands in Fort Smith was the sight of many a death sentence handed out in the late 19th century (several being handed down by famed "hanging judge" Issac C. Parker) – the hangings occurred outside of the courthouse. It is said that the ghosts of the condemned men still roam this area. Standing in the reconstruction of the gallows is even a spine-tingling experience for visitors.
A number of places at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville are said to be haunted. Two legends might explain these hauntings. One legend says that Caraway Hall is built on top of a Cherokee burial site; the other legend states that a student committed suicide in this building. Students have described hearing noises in the attic at Caraway Hall. Witherspoon Hall is said to be haunted by a ghost of a former student who plays a piano in the practice room. Tucker Coliseum, where a star basketball player was killed in a car accident, is also said to be haunted. The ghost is said to have left basketballs scattered all over the court.
The Bauxite Historical Association Museum's building, constructed in 1927, is now a museum of artifacts from Bauxite's mining days. The location is said to be haunted. Visitors have heard disembodied footsteps in various locations and a museum staff member stated that one night she felt a ghost jump onto her back while she was leaving work.
The story of the haunted hitchhiker of Highway 365 in Woodson is a popular one. The female apparition is said to appear on stormy nights and provides an address to drivers who pick her up, but witnesses say the girl disappears when you arrive at the given location. When asked about the strange event, the residents at the address claim that the situation happens often, as their daughter was killed in a car accident.
The railroad crossing at Marais Saline Road in Crossett is haunted! A swinging light appears to be wandering the tracks at this location. Locals say the light comes from the spirit of a man who was decapitated after being struck by a train. Allegedly, the ghost is searching for his head.
Jimmy Lyle built this Jonesboro house in 1926, and local residents say there are several fun-loving spirits around the premises. The ghost of Mr. Lyle is said to have been seen wandering in areas of the house. The house underwent renovation in 2006; construction workers taking a break one day claimed that they heard a child laughing and running around on the second floor, but not a soul was inside when they checked. A family who lived in the house during the 1970s recalls their daughter waking up and screaming upon seeing a little boy at the foot of her bed smiling at her. He ran through the wall and disappeared.
The railroad crossing at Marais Saline Road in Crossett is haunted! A swinging light appears to be wandering the tracks at this location. Locals say the light comes from the spirit of a man who was decapitated after being struck by a train. Allegedly, the ghost is searching for his head.
The King Opera House in Van Buren also has a legendary ghost story. The building is said to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered young actor who planned to elope with a young woman to the dismay of her father. The unfortunate actor was allegedly killed by the angry patriarch and the young man's ghost has been spotted in the building even to this day.
A ghostly mother and child are said to haunt the Avon Cemetery in DeQueen. Legend has it that long ago the woman sat the baby on the edge of the old well as she was drawing water, and the baby fell in and drowned. The mother's ghost has been seen in the cemetery, and some say that you'll hear a baby's cry if you drop a rock into the well in the center of the cemetery at night.
The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs is one of the best known haunted hotels in the United States. At one point a hospital, the hotel hosted patients who would allegedly enter the facility alive but never leave due to faulty medical practices. Ghosts of the unfortunate patients are said to still haunt the building.
Located in Monticello, the Allen House was constructed circa 1900 and has had multiple reported instances of hauntings. The ghost of a young woman who haunts the upper and lower floors of the mansion is spoken most often. The specter is said to disappear and reappear in different locations around the house. Disembodied footsteps and voices are claimed to be heard on the house's upper floors.
Pea Ridge Military Park has visitors who've claimed hearing ghostly musket fire in the middle of the night. Some have reported seeing the ghosts of the Battle of Pea Ridge on the premises and say they've been followed by spirits they can't see.
Despite claims to the contrary of being haunted, no one understands why guests at the Arlington Resort in Hot Springs reportedly see ghosts in old style dress wandering the hallways. Wine bottles are said to fall from the shelves on their own. Lights reportedly flicker with no provocation, and Room 824 is especially said to have strong paranormal activity.
Is Dover, Arkansas haunted? The stories may or may not be true about the lights. Check it out for yourself and decide!
Google Photos/lightbenders
An iron bowstring truss bridge that stretches over Cadron Creek, the Springfield Bridge-Des Arc Bridge is said to be haunted. Visitors claim they've heard ominous noises (a girl's scream and a baby's cry have been heard but no source of the sounds were located) in the area around the bridge.
Residents in Paragould who live near Primrose Lane say they've seen the ghost of a man and his dog in the area and nearby woods. As the story goes, the man allegedly shot himself and his canine companion passed away some time later.
Some who live on the outskirts of Rogers say they've seen a ghost-like rider on horseback riding down Rader Road. That's something to behold; Arkansas even has its own headless horseman legend!
Although the original bridge was demolished in 2011, the area where the Bono Bridge was located is still said to be haunted. As local legend has it, people would stand on the bridge and look at the railroad tracks below. As a train approached, the watcher felt the sudden terror of nearly getting struck. Creepy noises and apparitions are said to still to appear in the area where the bridge once was.
Rumor has it that eerie, ghostly lights appear at night in Woodson! Many who have traveled on Woodson Lateral Road after sundown claim to have seen these haunting lights and were followed by them for an indefinite period of time.
Although it was replaced in 2005, the Wolf Bayou Bridge in Scott is still a hot topic with Arkansas ghost hunters. According to legend, a mother and her young child both died after driving off the bridge. Visitors who venture to the spot at night might see an ethereal figure in white or even experience sudden vehicle trouble after crying out "Mama Lou, I've got your baby!"
At various times during the night some claim a haunting light can found in Gurdon, Arkansas along the railroad tracks. As the story goes, the source of the light is from the lantern of a railroad employee's ghost. The story behind the employee's death varies. Some claim the man was killed in a fight near the tracks while others say he was struck by a train.
Even though the Tilly Willy Bridge itself was demolished a few years ago, the legend lives on. The story behind the haunting claims that a woman killed herself and her children after she drove off the bridge almost 40 years ago. The ghostly death car was often seen driving across the bridge at night. The ghost of the driver is said to still haunt the area today.
Likely the most popular and scariest of legends in Arkansas, the Fouke Monster can be likened to Bigfoot, except far more ominous. Two films and several frighteningly well-told stories have been based around this local legend.
When you feel adventurous this winter season you just may want to get out of the house and check these locations out! For those of us who have been to these places, share your story and what you’ve seen! You might be surprised to find that someone else has had the same experience as yours.
