Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon – Haunted Historic Building in Charleston, South Carolina

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon stands as one of Charleston’s most historically significant buildings. It also ranks among the most haunted locations in the entire Southeast.

Built in 1771, this Georgian Palladian-style structure has witnessed war, imprisonment, and death. Visitors today report encounters with restless spirits who refuse to leave their earthly posts.

The building served as both a customs house and a prison during the Revolutionary War. Beneath its elegant upper floors lies a dark dungeon where prisoners suffered in miserable conditions.

Ghost sightings here aren’t just occasional whispers or urban legends passed down through generations. Staff members, tourists, and paranormal investigators consistently report inexplicable phenomena throughout the building.

The spirits trapped within these walls represent different periods of American history. Their stories create a tapestry of supernatural activity that continues to this day.

Historical Background

Construction on the Old Exchange began in 1767 and completed in 1771. The British government commissioned this impressive structure to serve as the Royal Exchange and Custom House.

The building replaced an earlier structure called the Half Moon Battery on the same site. This strategic waterfront location made it perfect for collecting customs duties from incoming ships.

During the Revolutionary War, the British converted the basement into a military prison. American patriots were crammed into the dank dungeon space beneath the elegant exchange rooms.

The provost dungeon became notorious for its horrible conditions and brutal treatment of prisoners. Men were chained to the walls in darkness with minimal food and no sanitation.

In 1788, South Carolina delegates met here to ratify the United States Constitution. President George Washington visited the building during his Southern tour in 1791.

The structure served various purposes throughout the 19th century including a post office. It narrowly escaped demolition in the early 1900s thanks to preservation efforts.

The Daughters of the American Revolution took control of the building in 1913. They restored it and opened it to the public as a museum and historic site.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Cold spots appear throughout the building with no logical explanation for temperature changes. Visitors often shiver suddenly even on warm Charleston summer days when stepping into certain areas.

Disembodied voices echo through empty rooms and hallways when nobody else is present. Security guards doing late-night rounds frequently hear conversations from locked and vacant areas.

Shadow figures dart across doorways and slip between exhibits in the museum spaces. These dark shapes move with purpose as if still conducting business from centuries past.

Unexplained footsteps resound through the building during closing hours after all visitors have left. The distinctive sound of boots on wooden floors comes from areas where no one stands.

Electronic devices malfunction without explanation in certain spots throughout the Old Exchange and Provost. Cameras drain completely despite fresh batteries and cell phones lose all power instantly.

Physical sensations plague sensitive visitors who enter the dungeon spaces below ground level. People report feeling hands touching them, breathing on their necks, and overwhelming sadness.

Objects move on their own according to staff members who work in the building. Documents shift position overnight and historical artifacts appear in different spots than where they were placed.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most famous spirits haunting the Old Exchange are Revolutionary War prisoners from the dungeon. These patriots suffered unimaginable torture and many died in the darkness below the streets.

Visitors frequently report seeing a man in colonial military uniform wandering the lower level. He appears solid and real before vanishing through brick walls or simply disappearing mid-stride.

This soldier ghost is believed to be Colonel Isaac Hayne, a patriot executed by the British. Hayne was held in the provost dungeon before his controversial hanging in 1781.

His spirit allegedly appears most often near the cells where he was imprisoned. Witnesses describe his face as showing profound sadness and resignation to his fate.

Another commonly reported apparition is a gentleman in formal 18th-century attire on the upper floors. He wears a powdered wig and fine coat typical of wealthy colonial merchants.

This well-dressed ghost seems to be conducting business, examining papers and moving about the exchange floor. He never acknowledges living people and appears completely absorbed in his spectral work.

Multiple witnesses have encountered the spirit of a woman in a long dress near the staircase. She glides rather than walks and radiates an aura of deep mourning.

Local legend suggests she lost a loved one who died in the dungeon below. Her ghost returns eternally searching for the man who never came home.

Children’s laughter sometimes echoes through the building though no young visitors are present at the time. Staff members find this particularly unsettling during early morning hours before opening.

The source of the child spirits remains unknown, though families did live in parts of the building. These innocent ghosts seem playful rather than threatening in their supernatural manifestations.

A menacing presence lurks in the darkest corners of the provost dungeon itself. This entity feels angry and aggressive according to psychics who have visited the location.

Some believe this malevolent spirit was a British guard who enjoyed tormenting helpless prisoners. His cruelty in life apparently continues in his afterlife presence here.

Most Haunted Spot

The provost dungeon beneath the building generates the most intense paranormal activity by far. This underground prison space retains the suffering and despair of those who died there.

The back cell area where pirates were once held produces extreme feelings of dread. Visitors often refuse to enter this section due to overwhelming negative sensations.

The chains still mounted to the dungeon walls seem to emanate cold energy. Many people report feeling watched when standing near these restraints used on prisoners.

Tour guides consistently experience unexplained phenomena when bringing groups into the lower level. Equipment failures, strange sounds, and sudden cold blasts occur almost daily in this space.

The dungeon’s low ceiling and brick architecture create an oppressive atmosphere even without supernatural elements. Combined with active spirits, this area proves too intense for some sensitive individuals.

Can You Visit?

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is open to the public year-round. This National Historic Landmark welcomes visitors interested in both history and haunted phenomena.

General admission costs $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12. Senior citizens and military members receive discounted rates at $10 per person.

Regular daytime tours run every hour from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. These guided experiences include both the upper exchange floors and the infamous dungeon below.

Special evening ghost tours are offered during October and around Halloween season. These after-dark investigations focus specifically on paranormal activity and reported hauntings throughout the building.

Photography is permitted throughout the entire site including the dungeon areas below ground. Many visitors capture unexplained orbs, shadows, and light anomalies in their pictures.

The building is located in downtown Charleston’s historic district at 122 East Bay Street. Convenient parking and accessibility make it easy to include in any Charleston ghost tour.

Advance reservations are recommended especially during peak tourist seasons from March through October. The intimate size of the dungeon limits group numbers for safety and experience quality.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity occurs throughout the year at the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. However, certain times produce more frequent and intense supernatural encounters than others.

Late afternoon hours between 4:00 PM and closing time generate numerous spirit sightings. The fading daylight seems to energize the entities residing within these historic walls.

October through December brings heightened paranormal activity according to staff members and frequent visitors. The anniversary of various Revolutionary War events may trigger increased spiritual presence.

Evening ghost tours after regular museum hours offer the most authentic haunted experiences. Darkness intensifies the atmosphere and spirits appear more active without daytime crowds.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A former tour guide named Jennifer reported hearing her name whispered in the dungeon. She was completely alone preparing for the day when a male voice clearly spoke behind her.

She spun around to find nobody there and no logical source for the voice. The experience left her shaken but convinced of the building’s haunted reputation.

Museum director Robert Stockton documented multiple incidents of locked doors being found open in the morning. Security footage shows no intruders, yet doors secured at night stand wide open by dawn.

These aren’t simple lock failures as the doors require keys that remain secured in the office. The mystery continues to defy rational explanation despite extensive investigation.

A tourist from Ohio named Margaret Sullivan photographed the dungeon in 2019 during a daytime visit. When reviewing her pictures later, a transparent figure appeared behind her family in one shot.

The image clearly shows a person in period clothing who was not visible during the actual photography. Professional analysis ruled out camera defects or digital manipulation of the photograph.

Security guard Thomas Williams quit his position after repeated encounters in the basement level. He reported being physically touched, hearing chains rattle, and seeing full-bodied apparitions on multiple occasions.

His final incident involved being followed up the stairs by heavy footsteps that stopped when he turned. The empty stairwell behind him convinced Thomas to seek employment elsewhere immediately.

Local Legends & Myths

Charleston residents share stories about the Gentleman Ghost who protects the building from harm. This benevolent spirit supposedly prevented several fires and disasters throughout the structure’s history.

According to local lore, this protective entity was a merchant who conducted honest business here. His integrity in life translated into guardianship duties in his afterlife at the location.

Another persistent legend involves secret tunnels connecting the Old Exchange to other historic buildings. These underground passages allegedly allowed British soldiers to move prisoners without public knowledge.

Some psychics claim the tunnels still exist and contain trapped spirits who died trying to escape. No physical evidence supports these tunnel claims, but the stories persist among paranormal enthusiasts.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigated the Old Exchange in 2015 for a television special. Their equipment registered significant electromagnetic field fluctuations in the dungeon area with no electrical sources present.

The team captured several EVP recordings including phrases like “get out” and “help me.” These disembodied voices appeared on audio despite no living people speaking at the time.

Ghost Adventures featured the location in a 2018 episode focusing on Revolutionary War hauntings. Lead investigator Zak Bagans reported feeling physically ill when entering the back prison cells.

His crew filmed shadow figures moving across doorways using full-spectrum cameras and thermal imaging. Multiple pieces of evidence suggested intelligent haunting rather than residual energy replays.

Local paranormal research group Charleston Haunts conducts quarterly investigations at the Old Exchange with permission. They’ve documented consistent activity including temperature drops exceeding 20 degrees within seconds in specific locations.

Their most compelling evidence includes a photograph showing a misty figure forming near the prisoner chains. The image was captured by three different cameras simultaneously from different angles.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The dungeon area features low ceilings and uneven flooring that pose tripping hazards for visitors. Anyone over six feet tall must duck when moving through certain dungeon passageways and doorways.

The intense paranormal energy can cause dizziness, nausea, and anxiety in sensitive individuals. Tour guides are trained to recognize signs of distress and escort affected visitors outside immediately.

The building is not accessible after regular museum hours without special tour arrangements. Trespassing charges will be filed against anyone found on the property outside authorized times.

Visitors with pacemakers or other medical devices should exercise caution in high-activity areas. Strong electromagnetic fluctuations associated with paranormal activity could potentially affect electronic medical equipment.

Children under age 10 may find the dungeon area frightening even without supernatural encounters. Parents should use discretion when deciding whether to bring young children on underground tours.