25 Most Haunted Cemeteries in America: Real Ghost Stories You Can Visit
Every cemetery is a quiet place. A few are anything but restful.
From a graveyard photographed with a ghost in broad daylight to a remote plot said to hold a gateway to hell, America’s most haunted cemeteries have earned their fearsome reputations.
We pulled this list from our larger directory of haunted burial grounds across the country, ranking the most famous and active. Each earned its place through decades of consistent reports.
Here are the 25 most haunted cemeteries in America, the spirits that linger there, and exactly how you can visit.
Why Cemeteries Become Haunted
Not every graveyard is haunted. The ones that are usually share a darker history than a simple burial ground.
Many on this list are tied to murders, epidemics, witch trials, or unmarked mass graves, layering tragedy on top of the dead already at rest.
Add centuries of legend and grieving visitors, and a few of these cemeteries have become some of the most reported paranormal sites in America.
1. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery – Midlothian, Illinois
Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is widely called the most haunted cemetery in America.
The small, abandoned graveyard near Chicago has logged more than a hundred different reported phenomena over the decades.
The most famous is the “Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove,” a woman in white captured in a now-iconic photograph. Visitors also report a vanishing farmhouse and phantom lights near the pond.
2. Bonaventure Cemetery – Savannah, Georgia
Bonaventure Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in the South, a haunting garden of statues and Spanish moss.
The cemetery sits on a former plantation and rose to fame in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Visitors report the laughter of a child near the Gracie Watson statue, a girl who died in 1889, along with phantom dogs and the feeling of being watched.
3. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 – New Orleans, Louisiana
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous of New Orleans’ cities of the dead.
Opened in 1789, the maze of above-ground tombs is the resting place of voodoo queen Marie Laveau, whose grave is the most visited.
Visitors report Laveau’s spirit, a man who walks among the tombs, and offerings left for the dead. You must visit with a licensed tour guide.
4. Stull Cemetery – Stull, Kansas
Stull Cemetery is the subject of one of the darkest legends in America.
Local lore claims the tiny rural cemetery is one of the “seven gateways to hell,” a place where the Devil himself is said to appear twice a year.
The legend grew so large that crowds once swarmed the site. Visitors report an evil presence, and the old church that once stood here was quietly demolished.
5. Resurrection Cemetery – Justice, Illinois
Resurrection Cemetery is home to Chicago’s most famous ghost, Resurrection Mary.
Mary is a young woman in a white dress who died in the 1930s. For decades, drivers have picked her up hitchhiking, only for her to vanish near the cemetery gates.
In one famous incident, scorched handprints were reportedly found burned into the cemetery’s bronze bars, as if Mary had gripped them.
6. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is forever tied to the legend of the Headless Horseman.
The cemetery and surrounding village inspired Washington Irving’s classic tale, and Irving himself is buried here.
Visitors report a phantom horseman, apparitions among the old graves, and an eerie atmosphere that has drawn ghost seekers for generations.
7. Westminster Hall and Burying Ground – Baltimore, Maryland
Westminster Hall and Burying Ground is the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe.
The 1786 graveyard, with a church built directly over part of it, holds Poe and many of Baltimore’s earliest citizens.
Visitors report Poe’s restless spirit, apparitions in the catacombs beneath the church, and the mystery of the “Poe Toaster” who long left roses on his grave.
8. Hollywood Cemetery – Richmond, Virginia
Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond is the resting place of presidents and Confederate dead.
The sprawling 1847 cemetery holds two US presidents and thousands of Civil War soldiers among its rolling hills.
Its most famous legend is a cast-iron dog that guards a child’s grave, said to move on its own, along with a “vampire” tied to a crumbling mausoleum.
9. Mount Moriah Cemetery – Deadwood, South Dakota
Mount Moriah Cemetery is the legendary Boot Hill of the Wild West town of Deadwood.
The cemetery is the resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, buried side by side above the old gold-rush town.
Visitors report apparitions of Old West figures, cold spots near Wild Bill’s grave, and the sense of the lawless past still lingering on the hill.
10. Union Cemetery – Easton, Connecticut
Union Cemetery is home to one of the most documented ghosts in New England.
The cemetery’s famous “White Lady” was investigated by paranormal researchers Ed and Lorraine Warren, who claimed to capture her on film.
Drivers report the White Lady stepping into the road near the cemetery, and visitors describe apparitions among the colonial-era graves.
11. Mercy Brown’s Grave – Exeter, Rhode Island
Mercy Brown’s Grave at Chestnut Hill Cemetery is tied to America’s most famous vampire panic.
In 1892, after Mercy and her family died of tuberculosis, terrified townsfolk exhumed her body, found it strangely preserved, and burned her heart.
Visitors report a glow around her grave, a cold presence, and the feeling of being watched at the small rural cemetery.
12. Spider Gates Cemetery – Leicester, Massachusetts
Spider Gates Cemetery is the most legendary graveyard in Massachusetts.
Officially a quiet Quaker cemetery, the isolated burial ground is the subject of countless legends about a gateway to another world.
Visitors report disembodied voices, a hanging tree, and a spot where sounds seem to vanish. Reaching it requires crossing private land.
13. The Devil’s Chair – Cassadaga, Florida
The Devil’s Chair sits in a cemetery beside the famous spiritualist town of Cassadaga.
The brick graveside bench is wrapped in legend, including the claim that the Devil himself will sit beside anyone who visits after dark.
The most repeated story says an unopened can of beer left on the chair overnight will be found empty by morning. Visitors report cold spots and unease.
14. Stepp Cemetery – Bloomington, Indiana
Stepp Cemetery is a small, isolated graveyard deep in a state forest.
The cemetery is tied to a grieving “Lady in Black,” a mother who is said to have kept vigil over her child’s grave until her own death.
Visitors report the Lady in Black on an old tree-stump chair, cold spots, and the sense of a sorrowful presence among the trees.
15. 100 Steps Cemetery – Brazil, Indiana
100 Steps Cemetery comes with a chilling ritual all its own.
Legend says if you count the old stone steps at midnight, the ghost of the cemetery’s first undertaker will appear and show you a vision of your own death.
Visitors who count a different number of steps on the way back down are said to be cursed. Many report a dark figure watching from the top.
16. Greenbrier Ghost – Greenbrier County, West Virginia
The Greenbrier Ghost is tied to the only case where a ghost’s testimony helped convict a murderer.
In 1897, Zona Heaster Shue was ruled to have died naturally. Her mother claimed Zona’s spirit appeared and named her husband as the killer.
The body was exhumed, revealing a broken neck, and the husband was convicted. A historical marker stands near her grave today.
17. Alice Flagg’s Grave – Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Alice Flagg’s Grave is one of the most beloved ghost stories in the Lowcountry.
Alice was a young woman who died in the 1840s after her family rejected her love for a poor man and tore away the ring she wore on a ribbon.
Visitors report Alice searching for her lost ring, and tradition says circling her simple marker backwards will summon her presence.
18. Key West Cemetery – Key West, Florida
Key West Cemetery is a quirky, sun-bleached burial ground in the heart of the island city.
The 1847 cemetery is famous for its witty epitaphs, but it holds a darker history of shipwrecks, fevers, and disaster victims.
Visitors report a Bahamian woman who scolds disrespectful guests and apparitions among the crowded above-ground vaults.
19. Huguenot Cemetery – St. Augustine, Florida
The Huguenot Cemetery sits in the oldest city in America and holds its yellow fever dead.
The 1821 graveyard was opened during a deadly epidemic and is tied to a judge buried there and a young girl found dead nearby.
Visitors report the judge hanging from the gate, a girl in white near the fence, and apparitions among the historic stones.
20. Green Lady Cemetery – Burlington, Connecticut
Green Lady Cemetery is named for the eerie figure said to haunt it.
Legend tells of a woman who drowned in a nearby swamp and now appears glowing a sickly green among the old graves.
Visitors to the remote, hard-to-reach cemetery report the Green Lady, cold spots, and a strong sense of being followed.
21. Gilson Road Cemetery – Nashua, New Hampshire
Gilson Road Cemetery is one of the most actively investigated graveyards in New England.
The small, isolated cemetery is tied to old murders and is said to draw unusually intense paranormal activity.
Visitors report apparitions, mysterious mists, cold spots, and disembodied voices, along with the sense of an angry presence.
22. Ball Cemetery – Springfield, Nebraska
Ball Cemetery is a tiny prairie graveyard with an outsized reputation.
The cemetery is tied to a frontier figure named Aaron Ball and to a violent man said to be buried there in unrest.
Visitors report being shoved and scratched by an unseen force, glowing apparitions, and a powerful sense of dread after dark.
23. Witch Dance – Natchez Trace, Mississippi
Witch Dance is a spot along the Natchez Trace steeped in old witch lore.
Legend says witches once gathered to dance here, and wherever their feet touched the ground, the grass withered and never grew back.
Visitors point to bare patches of earth said to mark the spots, and report cold spots and an uneasy presence along the historic trail.
24. Bowman Cemetery – Cuttingsville, Vermont
Bowman Cemetery is dominated by one of the most striking grave monuments in America.
Grieving widower John Bowman built an elaborate tomb and a mansion across the road, leaving instructions in hope his family would be reborn.
Visitors report the kneeling statue of Bowman seeming to move, lights in the empty mansion, and a presence near the ornate tomb.
25. St. Philip’s Church Graveyard – Charleston, South Carolina
St. Philip’s Church Graveyard sits in the heart of historic, haunted Charleston.
The colonial churchyard holds statesmen and early citizens, and one grave in particular draws the legend.
A famous photograph appears to show a woman kneeling at a child’s grave, and visitors report her apparition among the old stones.
How to Visit Haunted Cemeteries Respectfully
Cemeteries are active resting places, so respect comes first on any haunted visit.
Many famous cemeteries, like Bonaventure and Sleepy Hollow, offer guided tours. St. Louis No. 1 in New Orleans can only be entered with a licensed guide.
Always visit during posted hours, never disturb graves, and avoid sites that sit on private land. A respectful daytime visit is both legal and rewarding.
If you want to document a legal visit, bring the right gear. Our ghost hunting equipment guide covers the EMF meters, recorders, and cameras that actually capture evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most haunted cemetery in America?
Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery near Chicago is the most widely cited, with over a hundred reported phenomena including the famous “Madonna” photograph and a vanishing farmhouse.
Can you visit these haunted cemeteries?
Most are open to the public during daylight hours, and several offer guided tours. A few, like Spider Gates and Green Lady, sit on private or hard-to-reach land and should not be trespassed.
Why is Stull Cemetery so famous?
Stull Cemetery in Kansas is tied to a legend that it is one of the “gateways to hell.” The story drew such crowds that the old church on the site was eventually demolished.
Is it safe to visit haunted cemeteries?
Yes, during open hours and with respect for the grounds. Visit by daylight, never trespass on private or closed cemeteries, and treat every grave as the resting place it is.
Plan Your Cemetery Ghost Tour
From a Wild West Boot Hill to a Quaker graveyard wrapped in legend, America’s haunted cemeteries offer history and chills in equal measure.
Pick the ones that call to you, visit respectfully, and keep an eye on the shadows among the stones.
Want more by location? Explore our full directory of haunted places across all 50 states and find the haunts near you.
