Join Roanoke Ghosts on a deep, dark dive into the town’s sinister past. Follow a roadmap of death and misfortune and the ghosts they produced rotting at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Explore the heart of Roanoke with Roanoke Ghosts for a descent into the unknown, where the infamous Woman in Black stalks Mill Mountain Theatre and a vexed pilot seeks only peace. Relics of the past manifest and lift the veil to greet those who dare take a tour.
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Initially completed in 1886, the original City Market Building succumbed to a fire, resulting in a rebuild that was finished in 1922. A popular outlet for locals, it seems many of Roanoke’s locals, living and dead, continue to flock to this community outlet. Merchandise moves unexpectedly at this venue, surprising even the most steadfast skeptics.
A former hotel from the 1920s, the building was named after former Virginian governor Patrick Henry, who was famously known for proclaiming, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Unfortunately, for one patron in the ’80s, they received the latter, becoming a permanent ethereal fixture alongside a few other dapper apparitions.
An operational restaurant serving classic sandwiches, this eatery’s foundation has been part of Roanoke since the mid-’80s. Once a part of the City Market Building, the joint moved to its own space, where its staff now deals with a territorial haunt tied to a lone painting hanging near management’s office.
A spectral locomotive fills the silence of the night with its phantom horn, a distressed bellow echoing out as if to signal the apparitions of Roanoke to stir and lift the veil to the realm of the dead.
On any given day, the Waldron Stage of Roanoke’s Mill Mountain Theatre welcomes local talent into the spotlight to entertain an awaiting audience. Follow Roanoke Ghosts as Virginia’s most fascinating ghost stories take center stage and the collective energy of Roanoke’s restless souls circulates throughout the antique auditorium.
Embark on a ghostly adventure into the city’s storied past, brimming with local legends like the ominous Woman in Black and first-hand accounts of close encounters of the spiritual kind. Feel unseen eyes fall upon you as Roanoke Ghosts pulls you into the haunted history of the old Virginia city, and an iced chill courses down your spine.
Mill Mountain Theatre sits near the base of its namesake natural formation and is the perfect venue to face the haunts of Roanoke head-on. Find yourself as Roanoke Ghosts introduces the story of the scandalous men who attracted the vengeance of a malicious spirit and become immersed in a local legend so terrifying you’re sure to lose a few hours of sleep for nights to come.
Visit Roanoke’s Most Haunted Locations, Including:
Visit a relic of Roanoke’s past and explore The Patrick Henry Hotel’s dark and blood-soaked legacy. Once a stately institution on Jefferson Street honoring an influential name in the city’s past, the former hotel-turned-apartment building and office complex houses decades of secrets, lies, and betrayal left behind like an emotionally charged trial by travelers worldwide.
Hear all about the dark past that’s stained the reputation of The Patrick Henry, a dismal mark on an otherwise impeccable reputation. Roanoke Ghosts will transport you to an ill-fated night in the 1980s when screams echoed and blood was spilled in Room 606. You’ll hear a literal horror story that plagued an otherwise innocuous building and led to an otherworldly experience one guest will never forget.
Though it may have been converted and renovated for luxury apartments, the remarkably sinister energy manifested that night still lingers like an impenetrable black cloud. Gaze up at the windows of the towering structure, and you may catch glimpses of shadows passing by its rows of windows. Are they the building’s current residents or a restless spirit seeking an escape?
Since its reconstruction in 1922, The City Market Building has served Roanoke’s denizens as a space for shop owners to connect with customers and sell their wares. Still an active commerce center today, the living frequent the historic red-bricked building to shop and dine, many unaware of the lingering presence of the past that curious minds have tried to capture on camera.
Delve into the haunted history of The City Market Building as Roanoke Ghosts recounts the unexplained activity that turned a stubborn skeptic into a potential believer in the otherworldly. Keep your eyes peeled for that very same activity and listen closely to try and catch the sounds of yesteryear echoing through the ether as if the ghosts of the past and the present occupy the same space.
Pay close attention to possibly glimpse the playful and harmless spirits that still purvey The City Market Building. With no known tragedy having befallen the space, it can only be assumed its specters are devoted shoppers always looking for a good deal—and a shop owner to tease.
Take a stroll to Bernard’s Gastropub & Eatery, where Roanoke Ghosts introduces you to the ghostly inhabitants who are a far cry from restless. They have a purpose, and it may be to help keep the flow of customers coming through Gastropub’s doors.
Laugh along with staff as Roanoke Ghosts recounts the activities of Bernard’s playful poltergeists. From rolled silverware to carefully placed chairs, the eatery’s ghosts act as if they were once dedicated servers returning to the life they were most familiar with before their passing.
Bernard’s isn’t the only eatery plagued with ghostly activity. Uncover the haunted history of The Black Horse Tavern, a former staple constructed in 1782 and torn down over 230 years later. Become engrossed in the tragedy of the hazy horseman, a wandering spirit on a hopeless search for what many believe to be a lost love. Feel the heartbreak of the lone rider and pay close attention to the silence outside the gastropub, for you may hear the faint neighs of the hazy man’s steed.
An otherworldly presence can often be the product of an emotionally charged venue. Few things that adorn a theater’s main stage are as dramatic as an operatic performance. The raw, pure energy will leave the space charged for years, and coupled with the tragic death of two children who lived in the once derelict theater, lends credence to the child hauntings reported at the iconic theater.
Join a new employee on their most eventful night as Roanoke Ghosts recounts an eerie encounter that set the stage for their first and only summer working at the Grandin. New hires are often warned of infant cries or the sound of children’s footsteps echoing in the theater and projection room.
Discover the Grandin Theater’s many ghostly sightings, startling enough to shake even the most lionhearted guests. Hair will stand on end, and heartbeats will race the more Roanoke Ghosts delves into the cursed history of the moviehouse.
Roanoke is a beautiful city with much to offer visitors, but it’s the tales told after dark that unveil its most alluring side. Where else could one hear a melodious whistling emanating from the realm of the dead? Focus when the world goes silent, and you may just catch a few notes of the whistling specter of Grandin Village, a historic commerce center and event space located just minutes from the Roanoke Public Library.
The phantom whistling is a common occurrence, sometimes heard beyond the confines of the village as the musical specter rounds its way up to the public library and back to one of the spaces in Grandin Village. The expected source of the catchy whistling is a fascinating piece of Roanoke history—famed mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash, Jr.
There are so many tales of the otherworldly throughout Roanoke, from tragic wraiths to playful poltergeists. Roanoke Ghosts offers a first-class ticket through the dark and unusual, where stories like that of the missing family discovered decades later, thanks to a ghostly presence, are commonplace.
Venture to the Patterson Ave. House and become immersed in its centuries-long history marked by a Victorian-era nanny, a mortician’s nefarious deeds, and the culmination of a lengthy search for a mother and her children. It’s a murder mystery for the ages, solved in a way that seems impossible.
Roanoke can feel isolated from much of Virginia, but the isolation gives it the feel of a world all its own, one that sits on the precipice of the land of the living and the dimension of the undead. Spend the day exploring the historic town, then join Roanoke Ghosts for the truth behind the antique streets and the specters that hide beyond our reality.
Book your Roanoke ghost tour tonight for an unforgettable excursion beyond the veil.
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
Downtown Roanoke is not short of things to do after nightfall, but a person can only do so much drinking and eating. Take a break from the staples of Roanoke’s nightlife and turn your attention to an experience that’s bound to satisfy your appetite for mystery and thrills.
You’re sure to hear plenty of ghost stories tied to contemporary outlets throughout Ronaoke, but those stories may not always satisfy that paranormal itch, as well as older haunts. Lucky for you, some of the city’s hauntings date back to the 19th century, shortly after its founding in 1852. Let Roanoke Ghosts transport you back more than 150 years for tales nearly as old as the city itself.
You’ve already visited the Taubman Museum of Art and marveled at the ornate Saint Andrews Catholic Church. Your feet can’t handle another hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but maybe they’ll be up for a wholly unique tour brimming with engaging stories bound to embed themselves in your brain. Roanoke Ghosts has a bounty of haunting tales to tell you will remember for years to come.
As one of the city’s most notable hauntings, it’s not unexpected to hear someone chatting about the former hotel, even if you were doing a little eavesdropping. Satisfy your curiosity and see if the hotel’s real history is as tragic as you’ve heard with Roanoke Ghosts.
Too often, ghost stories are morose and depressing. If it’s not a wandering spirit in search of their lost love, it’s a soldier that doesn’t know the war they gave their life for ended. Roanoke does have a few haunts that sidestep the tragic, offering a different and slightly more lighthearted perspective on the afterlife. Roanoke Ghosts delights in introducing guests to these helpful and sometimes even playful apparitions.
