Have you ever been somewhere and felt a weird energy or feeling you just couldn't put your finger on? Maybe it was that of being watched, of not being alone, the feeling that someone else was still lingering long after they had taken their last breath. This has happened to me, multiple times, and there have been a few times where I researched the place after and (sometimes) found out there's been a long list of history and haunts there.
Just like with my own personal experience, many places in North Carolina are historic and intertwined with the history that made them. You might have visited or spent the night in these eight places never knowing the truth about their dark past.
1. The Country Squire
Many people know the Country Squire for their 72 oz. 'Big Kilt' steak, not the multiple hauntings that occur here. Read all about it
here, including an interview with a paranormal investigator who's been researching an investigating the Country Squire since 2010.
2. Ocracoke
An entire haunted island? I was skeptical too, until I did the research. You might be a believer yourself after reading our
entire piece on just how haunted the most isolated place in North Carolina is. Between Blackbeard, history, and a somewhat notorious past - Ocracoke is haunting yet fascinating.
3. North Carolina State Capitol Building
With history dating back to 1840, the state capitol building has been home to more than politics, including a possible murder. The strangest encounters occur at night with many of the ghost stories reported by the night guards. Elevators moving up and down with no one in them, voices and conversations like a time-space loop hole has opened up to 1900, and even blood curdling screams. Politics aren't the only scary subject here!
4. 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa
Featured in our list of
haunted hotels, the 1927 has been visited by famous faces like author F. Scott Fitzgerald and Franklin Roosevelt. While in a gorgeous lakeside setting, the Inn was used as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers in the 1940s and was also the site of a murder in 1930. Beyond the glitz and glam, things can get a bit dark and spooky here.
5. Norton Creek Trail, Great Smoky Mountains
Children vanishing due to a witch? Underwater ghost towns? The Cherokee legend of 'Spearfinger?' You won't find me hiking Norton Trail by myself! Read all about the fascinating history, haunts, facts and legends of this particular trail
6. Grandfather Mountain
A lost hiker is still searching for his way home and many have encountered him on the trails. Deemed the 'phantom hiker,' he appears with a full beard and never speaks a word. Many hikers will notice he simply vanishes once they look away. Could it be the woods and lonesome environment playing tricks on their minds? It seems several people have actually seen the phantom hiker on Grandfather. Read more
7. French Broad River
You might've heard a few legends about 'sea sirens', but did you know the French Broad River is rumored to have its very own siren? The enchantress and her story date back to the 1800s. She is said to lure men, both fisherman and hikers. Over the course of a few days, they find themselves being drawn closer and closer to the water. Dreaming of a beautiful woman with long dark hair and dark skin, they find themselves staring into pools of water and hypnotized by the thought of her. Eventually, she appears to them in full form, fully naked and reaching for them from out of the water. Yet, as soon as they reach for her, her skin becomes scaly cold flesh and they are yanked into the river by a 'monster.' True or not...it's an interesting story nonetheless.
8. Gimghoul Castle
This old building is hiding on the UNC Campus and is said to be the meeting place for the secret society, The Order of Gimghoul. The castle is surrounded by strange myths and legends. One of the most persistent is that of Peter Dromgoole, who either died in a quarrel or mysteriously vanished. Read his story in our piece introducing you to some of the most
notorious North Carolina ghosts.
How mysterious, intriguing and sometimes downright scary! Have you visited these places without knowing the truth behind them? Any you want to add to the list?
For all the more well-known haunts throughout the state, we've compiled a whole terrifying haunted road trip, map and itinerary included!
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