12 Most Haunted Plantations in America: Real Ghost Stories You Can Visit

Southern plantations are among the most haunted places in America. The grand columns and oak-lined drives hide a history far darker than the postcards suggest.

Every one of these estates was built on slavery, suffering, and death. The wealth came from enslaved people who lived, worked, and died on this land, often in unmarked graves.

We pulled this list from our directory of haunted plantations across the country. Each one earned its place through decades of consistent reports, not a single spooky night.

Here are the 12 most haunted plantations in America, the spirits that linger there, and exactly how you can visit.

Why Plantations Are So Haunted

Plantations were sites of forced labor and immense human suffering. Hundreds of enslaved people lived and died on these grounds under brutal conditions, and many were buried in graves that were never marked.

That trauma did not end with emancipation. Fires, the Civil War, disease, and violent death claimed lives across these estates for generations.

It is no surprise that so many reported hauntings are tied to the enslaved people whose lives were stolen here. Honest history and ghost stories are inseparable at a plantation.

1. Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, Louisiana

The Myrtles Plantation is often called one of the most haunted homes in America. Built in 1796, it carries a dark legacy of tragedy, with some accounts claiming as many as ten deaths on the property.

Its most famous legend centers on Chloe, an enslaved woman tied to a poisoning, a story that says more about the cruelty of slavery than the people blamed for it. Visitors report apparitions in mirrors, phantom footsteps, and the ghost of former owner William Winter reliving his death on the staircase.

The Myrtles offers daytime historical tours, nighttime ghost tours, and overnight stays. It typically opens 9 AM to 5 PM, with night tours on select dates.

2. Oak Alley Plantation – Vacherie, Louisiana

Oak Alley Plantation is famous for its quarter-mile canopy of 300-year-old oaks. It was a sugarcane plantation built in 1837 and run by enslaved laborers who endured immense suffering.

Visitors report a ghostly woman in a long dress, phantom footsteps on the balcony, and the sudden smell of perfume. Some have also seen shadow figures moving through the remains of the former slave quarters, a reminder of who built and maintained this estate.

Oak Alley runs guided history and ghost tours year-round, roughly 9 AM to 5 PM. Tours range from about $25 to $60, with special nighttime ghost tours on select dates.

3. The Hermitage – Nashville, Tennessee

The Hermitage was the home of President Andrew Jackson from 1804 until his death in 1845. The 1,100-acre estate included the mansion, gardens, and slave quarters where enslaved people labored for decades.

Jackson and his wife Rachel are the most reported spirits, but the estate also honors Alfred Jackson, an enslaved man who remained until 1901 and served as an early tour guide. Staff report disembodied footsteps, phantom rose scents, and shadow figures in the upstairs halls.

The Hermitage opens daily 9 AM to 5 PM, with adult admission around $25. Special overnight paranormal investigation events run several times a year.

4. Carnton Plantation – Franklin, Tennessee

Carnton Plantation became a field hospital during the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. Over 300 Confederate soldiers died here in a single night, and four generals were laid out in the parlor.

Bloodstains still mark the original floors. Visitors report apparitions of soldiers, the spirit of Carrie McGavock who tended the dying, and an overwhelming sense of grief in the upstairs bedroom where the most severely wounded men died.

Carnton runs daytime tours Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, about $20 for adults. Evening paranormal tours are offered on select Fridays and Saturdays, and the adjacent Confederate cemetery is free to walk.

5. Drayton Hall – Charleston, South Carolina

Drayton Hall is one of America’s oldest unrestored plantation houses, completed in 1742. Enslaved laborers built this Georgian-Palladian mansion, and an African American cemetery on the grounds holds dozens of unmarked graves.

Visitors report a lady in white at the second-floor windows and phantom footsteps across the heart pine floors. Many describe the African American cemetery as the most powerful spot on the property, where investigators have recorded voices in Gullah language patterns.

The National Trust runs 45-minute guided tours from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, around $18 for adults. Special candlelight tours take place in October.

6. Magnolia Plantation – Natchitoches, Louisiana

Magnolia Plantation was a cotton plantation established in the early 1800s near Natchitoches. Its history is marked by slavery, violence, and untimely death, including accounts of enslaved people meeting tragic fates.

The preserved slave quarters are considered the most haunted part of the property. Visitors report chains rattling, faint cries, and shadowy figures peering through broken windows, alongside a woman in white near the main house.

Magnolia is open during daylight hours, with guided ghost tours offered on select nights. Photography is allowed, and special evening tours run for paranormal investigations.

7. Hobcaw Barony – Georgetown, South Carolina

Hobcaw Barony is a sprawling 16,000-acre estate on Winyah Bay. Multiple rice and indigo plantations operated here using enslaved labor, and archaeological evidence reveals numerous unmarked slave burial grounds.

The former slave quarters are the most active area, where witnesses report cold spots, shadow figures, and voices in Gullah dialect. Spirits tied to later owner Bernard Baruch and his daughter Belle are also reported across the grounds.

Hobcaw is open through scheduled tours run by the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, generally Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from February through November. Standard history tours cost about $20 for adults and require advance reservations.

8. Litchfield Plantation – Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Litchfield Plantation was a rice estate established in 1750 that enslaved over 250 people at its peak. Today it operates as a luxury resort, but its spirits never left.

Guests in Room 8 report the Gray Lady, believed to be Margaret Tucker. Near the former slave quarters, witnesses describe an angry presence and recordings of work songs, sounds tied to the enslaved people who suffered here.

Litchfield is a private resort, so experiencing the haunted areas requires an overnight stay, with rooms generally $200 to $500 per night. Day visitors can access the restaurant and golf facilities.

9. Ferry Plantation House – Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Ferry Plantation House was built in 1830 on land with a long and tragic past. It sits over the ruins of an earlier manor and a 17th-century ferry landing where many travelers drowned in shipwrecks.

The most active spot is the staircase, where a Lady in White is said to have fallen to her death. The site is also linked to Grace Sherwood, Virginia’s infamous Witch of Pungo, convicted in 1706.

The house is now a museum offering regular historical tours and seasonal ghost tours. A small donation is suggested, and hours vary by season.

10. Rosewell Plantation – Gloucester, Virginia

Rosewell Plantation was once one of the grandest mansions in colonial Virginia, built in 1725 for the Page family. A devastating 1916 fire left only skeletal brick ruins behind.

Visitors report a woman in white, phantom party sounds, and the scent of smoke with no source. Many also believe the spirits of enslaved people who worked the land still linger, with reports of distant cries and unseen hands touching visitors.

Rosewell is open dawn to dusk for self-guided visits, with occasional paranormal tours. A small donation is suggested, and visitors must stay on designated paths to protect the fragile ruins.

11. Oakland Plantation – Haughton, Louisiana

Oakland Plantation was a cotton plantation built in the early 1800s near Haughton. It saw immense hardship during the Civil War, and a late 19th-century fire took several lives.

The upstairs hallway is the most active area, with reports of ghostly figures and cold spots. Near the former slave quarters, visitors describe faint weeping and whispers, and EVP sessions have captured words like “help me” and “fire.”

Oakland is open during daylight hours, with guided historical and paranormal tours. Ghost tours run on select weekends, with night tours for paranormal investigations.

12. John Dickinson Plantation – Dover, Delaware

The John Dickinson Plantation was built in 1740 as a working tobacco farm. Archaeological evidence suggests up to 37 enslaved individuals lived and worked here, and their unmarked graves are believed to dot the grounds.

The reconstructed slave quarters are among the most active spots, with reports of chains rattling and unseen hands. The apparition of Mary Dickinson appears most often in the second-floor master bedroom, where many visitors feel sudden waves of grief.

This Delaware state park is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4:30 PM, and entry is completely free. Guided mansion tours run on the hour.

How to Visit Haunted Plantations Respectfully

These are sites of slavery before they are anything else. The hauntings that draw visitors are inseparable from the real people who were enslaved, brutalized, and buried here.

Choose the museums that tell that history honestly. Sites like Drayton Hall and The Hermitage center the lives of the enslaved, not just the plantation owners.

Treat burial grounds as sacred. Do not disturb graves, leave the slave quarters as you found them, and listen before you reach for a ghost story.

If you do investigate, do it with permission and with care. A good ghost hunting equipment guide will help you document responsibly instead of provoking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most haunted plantation in America?

Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana is the most commonly cited. It has decades of reported apparitions, has been featured on shows like Ghost Hunters, and is often called one of the most haunted homes in the country.

Is Myrtles Plantation really haunted?

Visitors and staff have reported apparitions, phantom footsteps, and figures in mirrors for generations. The famous legend of Chloe is not historically verified, but the consistency of reports is why the Myrtles keeps its reputation.

Can you tour or stay overnight at a haunted plantation?

Yes. Most plantations on this list operate as museums with daytime tours, and several offer ghost tours. The Myrtles and Litchfield Plantation both allow overnight stays for guests who want a full night on the property.

Why are plantations considered so haunted?

Plantations were sites of slavery, where hundreds of people endured suffering and untimely death. Add the Civil War, fires, and disease, and you have generations of trauma. Many reported hauntings are tied directly to the enslaved people who died there.

Plan Your Plantation Visit

The South holds the densest concentration of haunted plantations, from Louisiana’s sugarcane estates to the rice plantations of the South Carolina coast. Each one is a working museum where history and hauntings sit side by side.

Plan ahead. Check tour schedules and reservation rules, since sites like Hobcaw Barony and Litchfield have limited access.

Plantations are just one chapter of America’s haunted history. Explore our full directory of haunted places across all 50 states to plan your next trip.