Revolutionary and Civil War perils, haunted plantations, and dark deeds of Virginia’s founding fathers birthed the most spine-chilling hauntings of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Book NowJoin Charlottesville Ghosts on a night-time ghost tour to hear authentic retellings of inexplicable atrocities, terrifying ghost stories, and hair-raising accounts of hauntings that torment this seemingly charming southern town.
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I've been on ghost tours in multiple cities, and this one stands out. The guide's passion for the su... read more
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Beneath the idyllic greenery of Market Street Park lies a deeply-buried, dark history just waiting to be unearthed. This park has a long and convoluted history, with the location serving as a controversial reminder of Charlottesville’s connection to the Confederacy. A memorial depicting Confederate General Robert E. Lee, a well-known slave owner, had been at the center of this park since 1917, at a particularly tumultuous time in US history when black Americans were fighting for the basic human rights already afforded to their white counterparts. In more recent history, a violent rally broke out in 2017, when city officials finally voted to remove the statue from Market Street Park…but that’s not the only strange event to occur at this location. Visitors to the park frequently report seeing the statue of Lee and his horse, Traveller, inexplicably move as if it were alive. Many others are said to have seen a ghostly, translucent horse and rider charging through the park, before suddenly disappearing into thin air. Lee’s ghost is a particularly active one, and this is far from the only place he’s often spotted at. Full-bodied manifestations of Lee have been seen at over a dozen locations, including his home in Arlington, as well as the legendary Gettysburg battlefield. His phantom-like manifestation continues to be a mystery and continues to be one of the most contentious figures in American history, even over 100 years after his death.
Built in 1876, the historic Old Albemarle Jail is teeming with years of tormented history, and countless ghost stories involving former inmates that seem to have never left the narrow walls of their prison cells. Today, visitors to the building — which held prisoners in the jail until 1974 — report feeling a heavy, dark energy upon entering its doors, in addition to feeling a strange chill while roaming its sin-soaked walls. This is likely due to its notorious inmates, who were considered to be some of the most dangerous in the state of Virginia. One such prisoner was actually the former mayor of Charlottesville, Samuel McCue, who was accused of viciously murdering his wife in 1904. Although he had a solid alibi, McCue was later hung for his alleged crimes the next year…meaning his venge-ridden spirit could very well be responsible for all of the unusual happenings that take place in this famously haunted building.
At the historic Maplewood Cemetery, towering obelisks act as a grim reminder of Charlottesville’s morbid history…as this is a city well known for burying their dead. Walk the harrowed ground of this infamously haunted site, and come face-to-face with long-dead spirits like the woman in white, who’s said to eerie wander the graves at dusk, only to vanish when she meets the cemetery gates. Visitors have also reported hearing the eerie, disembodied sounds of whispers and quiet sobs, perhaps horrific cries from those who lost their lives in the most unspeakable of tragedies. Some guests have also claimed that if you’re lucky, your camera will capture a misty, ghost-like figure over the graves as if someone were standing over them in mourning.
The colonial city of Charlottesville has been known for many things, including being the home to Thomas Jefferson’s famous, and haunted, Monticello home and plantation, as well as James Madison’s beautiful Montpelier estate. That’s where the pleasantries end, however, and in this forsaken Shenandoah Valley town there has always been a cloud of evil hovering over its sinister underbelly hiding in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From the beginning, it seems, Charlottesville has been cursed with ghosts, hauntings, and other bone-chilling accounts of unexplained activity.
The original Native American inhabitants told stories of creatures that represented a malevolent spirit, one only rivaled by the Moon Ghost that’s been known to terrorize Church Hill – and it’s only gotten darker from there. This town has seen gruesome atrocities from the Civil War and has been the epicenter of countless unsolved crimes and unnerving events.
• Comyn Hall: A charming abode from the outside, Comyn Hall was the site of the gruesome murder of the former mayor’s wife, Fannie McCue. The sounds of her horrific struggle can still be heard to this day.
• Number Nothing: A building used to house two stores also became a sight for slave auctions. The gut-wrenching cries from these disturbing times can still be heard here today.
• Old Albemarle Jail: The site of the last public execution in Virginia. Sam McCue, husband, and murderer of Fannie, was hanged here in 1905. His spirit is said to frequent his former home and the place where justice was served.
Strip away the hidden layers of Charlottesville’s morbid past and discover a heinous history of war, brutality, disturbing behavior, and unimaginable death.
“When Satan promised all the kingdoms of the world to Christ, he laid his thumb on Charlottesville, and whispered, ‘except this place, which I reserve for my own special use’.” – Dr. Conrad Speece
Known for its gorgeous scenery and deep culture, the beautiful city you see before you is one that harbors an inexplicable, deadly curse. Charlottesville’s connection to evil forces and devilish deeds can be seen and felt throughout the city, manifesting in the very locations Charlottesville Ghosts will introduce you to.
Even Thomas Jefferson’s Charlottesville legacy is not without a haunting reputation. Though the ghosts of his Monticello home remain confined to the darkness of their former stomping grounds, they are much more lively at the former president’s prestigious university, UVA – one of the most haunted universities in the country. Edgar Allen Poe was once a UVA student and, following his departure, left a mysterious poem on his window alluding to a dark spirit that shared his room.
In 1850, the wife of a professor propped her husband’s corpse up in the window in an attempt to hide his death and avoid being evicted from their home at UVA. Students at UVA have reported seeing countless, otherworldly presences including that of a Civil War surgeon wearing a blood-stained smock
With a history as dark as Charlloteville’s, it’s easy to see why UVA is only one of many unhinged locations that make up this thriving city. Uncover the remnants of this opulent southern town’s demented past, and prepare to take a deep dive into the mystic and the unexplained with a tour from Charlottesville Ghosts.
Slavery, war, and discrimination are all of the atrocities that took place in and around Charlottesville, leaving a lasting, irreversible effect on the city and its residents. One especially poignant example of Charlottesville’s troubled history can be found at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Historical Society, formerly the Historic McIntire Public Library.
Visit the historical building that displays KKK robes and other such artifacts from this famously evil organization, and discover the ungodly entities that are forever tied to the reminders of their heinous crimes. It’s believed that the displaying of these undesirable artifacts conjured the hateful energy behind them, resulting in various forms of terrifying manifestations.
Both staff and visitors have reported seeing shadows around the robes as well as feeling an aggressive, ominous feeling. There are tales of former Klan members donning the robes only to be overtaken by a vengeful Confederate spirit, adding fuel to the fire of their already despicable demeanor.
Don’t let the beauty of this charming southern town fool you, as chilling stories and unsettling secrets are peeking around every corner of downtown Charlottesville. The evil that emanates from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Historical Society is in abundance, overtaking the most innocent of locations such as Comyn Hall.
True Crime may have recently grown in popularity however, the acts themselves have been occurring for centuries. In September of 1904, Comyn Hall was the site of a murder that rocked the town and produced a scandal that would make headlines even in today’s landscape.
Take a stroll down a frightful memory lane and discover the home where Fannie McCue was brutally murdered in her bathroom. It’s said that Fannie’s arrival at church without her husband, Sam, enraged him to the point of snapping, causing him to bludgeon, strangle, and shoot her. His concocted story of an intruder murdering his wife was not believed, and he was ultimately hanged for his crime.
Charlottesville Ghosts takes you to the murder sight that now operates as an apartment building, and introduces you to the hauntings of the McCues. Hear actual accounts of eerie sounds and footsteps that appear to be those of the scuffle that took place over a century ago. Witnesses claim the faucet in the bathroom that Fannie was killed in turns off and on by itself.
Mrs. McCue is not alone, however. It’s believed that the soul of Sam haunts the residence as well, his restless spirit tied to the basement that houses the bathtub he dumped his wife in. Whether he’s innocent or he’s guilty, he’s paying the ultimate price for his wife’s death, serving an eternal prison sentence in the form of an anguished soul that’s tied to that tainted item.
Even without a dark background, prisons are some of the most horrifying places on earth, filled with pain, misery, and malice. Charlottesville Ghosts takes you to one that embodies everything that instills fear in both prisoners and civilians alike. You’re about to embark on a journey that takes you to the site of the last public execution in Virginia, the Old Albemarle Jail.
So, who was the last public execution? It was none other than Sam McCue himself. Though Sam made a surprise confession about the murder of his wife, many believe that the woman he was having an affair with played a part. A true scandal of its day, the effects of this modern-day soap opera left a residual haunting that resonates within the walls of the prison.
Discover the chilling feelings of anger and anguish experienced by visitors and tour guides who enter the building and the feelings of being watched that terrify them right out of it. Disembodied footsteps along with the failed attempts to convert the building into a museum have led to the belief that Sam is continuing his abhorrent behavior in the afterlife.
Charlottesville’s proximity to Founding Father Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate and his distinguished university could explain his chilling, full-bodied apparition being seen around various locations surrounding Charlottesville. Many witnesses have claimed they’ve seen Jefferson’s spirit floating through the Downtown Mall, located just three miles from his estate.
Others have reported seeing the wispy figure of Jefferson’s not-so-secret lover, Sally Hemmings, one of 400 slaves who was forced to live and work at Monticello, which doubled as an operating plantation as well as a residence. The inhumane disregard for human life, suffering, and agony continues to plague the property to this day, eternally stained with a dark, unforgiving energy.
It’s rather odd that a building would have a street number of zero. However, this unique feature is the only pleasantry of the building known to locals as Number Nothing. Prepare to experience a dreadful piece of American history as Charlottesville Ghosts takes you to 0 Court Square where some of the most despicable acts against humanity were committed.
Built in 1820, the building was constructed to house two different stores, and while not much is known about the inside, it is known that just outside is where unthinkable horrors took place. You see, just outside Number Nothing was a spot known as “slave block” where slaves would be auctioned off to new owners. The trauma and agony experienced by the enslaved can still be heard and felt to this day.
The sounds of families being ripped apart have been heard by passersby for years. Visitors in the area late at night have reported the sound of painful, disembodied cries that are believed to be that a woman. It’s possible, these are the cries of mothers being torn from their children. In any case, Number Nothing is home to much more than that, as you’ll soon discover on this enthralling ghost tour.
Spirits of the netherworld are just one piece in the mysterious puzzle that makes up Charlottesville, but there’s no denying that these otherworldly creatures are perhaps the most horrifying, nightmarish entities residents have had the misfortune of seeing.
While hellish cryptids have roamed the woods of the eastern United States for centuries, one particularly hair-raising incident took place in 2008, when a student came face-to-face with a Not Deer — described as a terrifying, deer-like creature with the ghastly, forward-facing eyes of a predator, who moves in unusual ways and towers over the typical human when standing on its hind legs.
The student was wandering the woods at dusk when he heard the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs from close behind him. He turned around to find what looked to be a deer, but quickly realized something was wrong. The deer began chasing after him causing him to scream in horror. The student only narrowly escaped the woods with his life.
Encounter the sinister secrets and ghoulish mysteries that plague this notoriously haunted city, and hear the chilling, real-life stories of those who have dared to wander deep into the dark depths of the woods…if you dare.
Every year, visitors, academics, and nature lovers flock to Charlottesville, blissfully unaware of the sinister history that’s hidden behind the idyllic facade of this seemingly charming southern town. To experience Charlottesville’s twisted, menacing past is to experience a side of this city that’s been deeply hidden from tourists, for fear of being too disturbing for the common guest. But truthfully, learning Charlottesville’s demented history is essential to understanding why this cursed town is the way it is today.
We invite you to join Charlottesville Ghosts for an exhilarating, non-stop adventure and come face-to-face with the otherworldly oddities such as the Moon Ghost that once terrorized a local family for years. This brooding dark figure cloacked in a military-style overcoat mercilessly tormented one family without any known reason, remaining an unsolved mystery to this day.
You’ll also visit Market Street Park, and learn why locals believe long-dead souls from Charlottesville’s past continue to haunt this well-known plaza to this day. Who knows? You might even encounter one of Charlottesville’s famous, ghastly residents for yourself.
The number of ungodly acts, murders, tragedies, and strange, ominous happenings have left no building, no park, and every quiet corner immune from feeling the sins and atrocities of those who once walked Charlottesville’s cursed streets. This southern town is teeming with terrifying tales and mystic encounters just waiting to be unveiled.
Stop by the Inn at Court Square, a historic structure that’s been the subject of countless ghost stories since its construction in 1785. Learn about the strange, morbid events that have taken place at his former residence, from candles and other objects strangely moving throughout the house at night, seemingly by themselves, to the tragic death of an employee who died of a bee sting, whose soul is said to still haunt the inn to this day.
For those who love to get the adrenaline rushing by exploring haunted destinations, reading chilling ghost stories online, and doing deep dives into the strange and paranormal, join Charlottesville Ghosts on a once in a lifetime perfect for any lover of the macabre.
Explore the grim history of Charlottesville on a stroll around downtown, and connect with other members of the ever-expanding ghostly community during stops at some of the city’s most haunted locals, including the Charlottesville Inn, the particularly active Maplewood Cemetery, and the historic Jefferson Theater.
Travel back and time and prepare to get goosebumps as you hear horrifying, authentic retellings of the real-life horrors that have — and continue to — rocked this southern town.
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
Charlottesville boasts a unique culture that some might find to be strange, unsettling, or even, disturbing, and parts of its haunted history aren’t exactly posted on door signs. Unbury what’s been buried and die into the demented and troubled past of this southern city. Pay a visit to Comyn Hall, the infamous final resting place of Fannie McCue, who was found viciously murdered in her home. While there may be several stories and real-life accounts of what actually happened that fateful night, one thing’s for sure: Fannie’s soul has never left the home where her life was taken so violently. Guests, passersby, and residents have frequently reported hearing the spine-tingling sound of disembodied footsteps wandering the home at night, in addition to hushed arguments and strange voices. Other eerie, bizarre occurrences have taken place in the decades following her death, including faucets seemingly turning on by themselves, and phantom-like shadows lingering in the dark corridors.
Before Charlottesville was colonized by Puritan settlers, Native American people lived on this land. But their experiences living in the areas surrounding Charlottesville were often filled with fright, horror, and inexplicable encounters with eerie creatures, who roamed the woods in the moonlight. Their cautionary folktales have continued to be especially relevant, as ghoulish creatures and nightmarish cryptids like the infamous “Not Deer” have hunted after Charlottesville residents for years. If you’re curious about what really lives deep in these woods, join us for a chilling adventure into the mystic and the unknown….if you dare.
Ghouls, horrifying creatures, and shadowy figures…even if you roll your eyes at the mention of ghosts, there’s no denying that Charlottesville has an especially horrifying history that’s bound to send a shiver down your spine. From the very house where Fannie McCue was brutally murdered to the Old Albemarle Jail, where hundreds of inmates once suffered in agony, no one building in Charlottesville has been left untouched by the curse that seems to linger over this famously haunted city. No matter your ghastly preference, Charlottesville has something for everyone…and might just push you to the side of believers.
You’ve paid a visit to Monticello, wandered through the city’s top-rated museums, and perhaps even indulged in a glass of wine at one of the nearby vineyards. But what is there to do around Charlottesville after the sun goes down? Join Charlottesville Ghosts on a curated one-hour walking tour through town, and prepare to undertake a journey into the unexplained. Learn the sordid tales behind some of Charlottesville’s most famous destinations, including the opulent Paramount Theatre…which is said to be a hotbed for ghostly activity. You might find yourself getting chills after hearing about the recorded poltergeist activity within this historic theater, which has led to objects being mysteriously thrown around the dressing rooms…perhaps, an agitated spirit yearning for a last standing ovation.
Charlottesville is a city for lovers, and if you’re looking to dazzle your date with an outing they’ll never forget, look no further than a spooky adventure with Charlottesville Ghosts. Make sure you have someone to hold your hand when stopping by haunted locales including the Inn at Court Square and the Maplewood Cemetery, where spirits and other ghastly figures have been said to make themselves visible to unexpecting tourists after the sun goes down. Get the blood pumping and change up your typical date night routine by taking your special someone on a terrifying journey into Charlottesville’s macabre past.
You’ve heard the local legends for years, but have you ever heard the true, terrifying accounts of Charlottesville’s ghosts from an expert? Follow us on a curated walking tour around downtown and experience a different side of the city you call home…one that might leave you feeling like you don’t really know your hometown at all. Prepare to get chills as you stop by some of Charlottesville’s most haunted locations, and encounter the spirits that have walked these harrowed streets since before you even became a resident. Hear sordid, sinful secrets about your city’s tormented past, and learn why many paranormal enthusiasts consider Charlottesville to be a haven for the mystic, the morbid, and the unexplainable.
