The Top 10 Haunted Places in Mobile

In Mobile, Alabama, you can feel the city’s history as you walk down the oak-lined streets. From preserved mansions to decommissioned battleships, you can see a little bit of everything on a visit.

But there’s more than just artifacts lurking within these sites. Spirits and unexplainable phenomena also thrive in Mobile’s most haunted locations.

Want to see the most macabre areas of Mobile for yourself? Book a ghost tour with Mobile Ghosts tonight and see if you can spot any of Mobile’s most famous spirits.

What Is the Most Haunted Place in Mobile?

There are plenty of locations that could take the title of “most haunted place in Mobile.” From a hotel with hidden tunnels used in the Civil War to an inn where an affair turned deadly to a former school that houses a famous bite-sized apparition, we chose our 10 favorite haunted locations in Mobile. We’ll let you decide which is the most haunted.

The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel

The Battle House has long been one of the top places to stay while in town, with guests including Oscar Wilde, President Millard Fillmore, and Robert De Niro. The hotel, however, has also been the site of a well-publicized murder. 

In 1932, former Mardi Gras King Henry Butler was having an affair with his Mardi Gras Queen, known simply as Mrs. Dyson. Mrs. Dyson’s husband, Raymond, found out about the affair and lured Butler into a room at the Battle House.

Raymond, along with his brother, beat Butler to death. They were found not guilty of the crime because it was a “crime of passion.” Butler’s ghost still wanders around the hotel looking for justice.

Richards-DAR House

In 1860, Captain Charles G. Richards and his wife, Caroline Elizabeth Steele, built a large home in Mobile. They raised 12 children in the house, which quickly became known for its stunning iron lace features.

However, not all of their children survived childhood. After delivering her 12th child, Steele died from complications of childbirth herself. 

Today, the distinctive screams of a woman in labor can be heard rattling throughout the building, which now serves as a museum and event space. Children are also often heard running around the house.

One paranormal investigator laid some marbles on a piece of paper and told the ghostly children that if they moved the marbles, they could keep them. The marbles, on cue, then moved. 

The Malaga Inn

Named the sixth-best haunted hotel in all of America by USA Today, the Malaga Inn has solidified its reputation as being a very spectral-active place. 

The inn was originally built in 1862 as two townhouses for a pair of sisters who had each just gotten married. Underground tunnels were discovered in the building (which was combined into one large hotel in the 1960s).

It’s believed that Confederate soldiers used these tunnels as a hiding place during the Civil War. Some may have even perished in the cramped quarters, explaining some of the spirits who haunt the building today. 

The most famous spirit at the Malaga Inn is an apparition of a woman dressed in white. She’s often spotted walking on the balcony of room 007. Beyond this woman, furniture is seen moving around on its own, and lights commonly turn on and off by themselves.

Fort Conde Inn

While the Fort Conde Inn was built in 1836, a fort had been present on the land as far back as 1711, giving the hotel its name. In addition to the main building, there are several cottages where guests can stay.

In these cottages, strange experiences have been had. One housekeeper set down a bucket of water, only to watch it roll down a few steps on its own — stop — and then continue rolling. 

Another employee walked into an unoccupied guest room and saw a Confederate soldier in full uniform staring out the window. The soldier slowly turned to look at the worker, who ran out of the room and never returned to the inn again.

USS Alabama

The 680-foot battleship first set off in 1942, helping the American troops claim victory in World War II. While the USS Alabama didn’t have any fatalities from enemy fire, it did have 10 men die on its deck during the construction process and when experiencing friendly fire. 

The ship was brought to the harbor in Mobile in 1965 and serves as a museum today. However, it seems some of the lost soldiers continue to remain onboard.

Tourists have noted hearing steps behind them, only to turn around and see no one. Hatches will also close on their own accord, and witnesses have seen apparitions standing in the kitchen and officers’ quarters. 

Cathedral Square

Today, Cathedral Square is surrounded by shops, stores, and restaurants in a popular area of Mobile. However, in the 1700s, there was no laughter to be heard around the square. Back then, the square acted as a Catholic cemetery. 

In 1819, the graveyard (along with the bodies of the people who were buried there) was moved to Church Street Graveyard. Yet, it seems not all the bodies were moved. Bones continued to be found in the area throughout the rest of the 19th century.

Some believe there are still some beneath the current-day park, whose ghosts continue to haunt the area that has been disturbed so many times. 

Oakleigh House Museum

As one of Mobile’s oldest homes, the Oakleigh House was turned into a museum to give visitors a chance to see what life looked like in the mid-to late-1800s. At the museum, people can see artifacts like a wreath made of a departed family member’s hair. 

Visitors may also get the chance to see more than just historical objects. The Irwin family, whose family members resided in the home for 100 years until 1960, have seemingly not wanted to leave their family home.

Staff have spotted people dressed in 19th-century clothing – believed to be Irwins — peering down at them from windows and balconies throughout the house.  

Kate Shepard House

In the early 1900s, Kate Shepard decided that she wanted to offer young kids who weren’t yet in school a place to learn. So, she opened a school in her childhood home for youngsters and slightly older students. 

Today, the home is an inn and testament to Shepard’s hard work, showcasing artifacts from the era. There’s also an even deeper connection to Kate: her little sister, Isabel, still runs around the property. Many guests have seen the small child spirit playing around the yard and home. 

Other unexplainable occurrences have taken place inside the house like a wall of water crashing down from the ceiling out of nowhere. While the water stain on the ceiling is still visible, a plumber immediately came out and could find no source for the water deluge.

Bragg-Mitchell Mansion

In 1855, Judge John Bragg built the estate so his family could have somewhere to stay when celebrating Mardi Gras in Mobile. The Mitchell family then owned the home from the ‘30s through the ‘60s, giving the mansion its name.

The Mitchells donated the mansion, which was then restored to its former glory. 

This glory, it seems, includes its former owners. Judge Bragg himself has been seen on the property. A woman’s spirit is also often seen staring out the window. Sometimes, her shadow-like cat accompanies her.

Barton Academy

While Barton Academy did act as a school for many years, it also served as a hospital during the Civil War. It also sits just beyond the exterior of an old fort that was nearby in the 18th century, meaning dead bodies were likely dumped or buried in the very spot. 

This adds up to quite a few bodies being on Barton Academy land over the years. This includes a 13-year-old boy who attended the school in the early 1900s. An accident happened while he was playing in the schoolyard.

Whether he was impaled by a stick or a fence pole pierced his head is unclear, but the boy did die onsite. Today, his spirit, along with those of others whose lives were lost here, are said to be seen wandering around the property.

Haunted Mobile

Ready to see the most haunted sites in Mobile for yourself? Book a ghost tour with Mobile Ghosts to see the grittier side of Mobile. 

To learn about some of the other most haunted sites around the U.S., keep reading our blogs and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Sources: 

• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/stays/alabama/haunting-story-of-al-hotel
• https://usghostadventures.com/mobile-ghost-tour/
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• https://www.al.com/live/2013/09/ghost_hunters_make_haunting_di.html
• https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/malaga-inn-named-6th-best-haunted-hotel-in-america/
• https://frightfind.com/fort-conde-inn/
• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/alabama/haunted-uss-alabama-battleship-al
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• https://www.wkrg.com/haunted-history/haunted-oakleigh-house-museum/
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