The Ghost Stories Behind Mississippi’s Most Haunted Sites
Mississippi’s haunted sites are home to generations of history and folklore and are as scary as they are fascinating. With doomed romances, and battlefields ravaged with tragedy, these stories blend past with the paranormal in an unforgettable look at the macabre. The feel of each tale is like a doorway into another time where that veil between worlds begins to become mere paper thin.
Together, let’s walk through some stories of the most haunted sites of Mississipi.
The McRaven House Ghosts
McRaven House in Vicksburg is practically a ghost hotel, and is known as “Mississippi’s Most Haunted House.” This home was built in 1797, and has seen war, murder, and more than its share of tragedy. According to legend, Mary Elizabeth Howard, who died in childbirth in the house in 1836, can be heard and felt walking the halls, and she leaves behind unexplained noises and sudden cold spots.
The Civil War added to its roster of ghosts. The house was a field hospital during the Siege of Vicksburg and soldiers who died there are said to haunt. Shadowy figures and disembodied voices calling in the night are many times reported by visitors. When you visit, don’t be alarmed if a spirit taps your shoulder politely like, because this isn’t just a house, it’s a time capsule of restless energy.
King’s Tavern: A Tale of Love and Betrayal
There are hearty meals and a side of ghostly encounters at King’s Tavern in Natchez. This former stagecoach stop and inn dates to the late 1700s and has a dark story of it’s own, featuring jealousy and murder. Legend has it that renovations of the chapel turned up the skeletal remains of a woman named Madeline in the chimney.
It was rumored that Madeline was the tavern’s original owner’s mistress, and that she died too soon (allegedly at the hands of the owner’s wife) and is now tied to the property. Today, they say they hear mysterious footsteps, watch chairs glide alone, and sometimes feel a ghostly, but not negative, touch. If you’re eating there, perhaps avoid the seat next to the fireplace.
The Wailing Widow of Rowan Oak Is a Poem
The spectral secret of Rowan Oak in Oxford, famously the home of writer William Faulkner, is its ghost stories. The most chilling tale, we’re told, involves a grieving widow, and while Faulkner himself is rumored to make the occasional ghostly appearance, that’s hardly the scariest part of the story.
Visitors often tell of hearing her sobs echo through the mansion, and they say sobs are related to the loss of her husband. Even some have claimed that they too caught glimpses of her roaming the grounds wandering in a full length black dress. Meet Faulkner’s ghostly housemate, and if his novels didn’t already give you the chills, this will.
The Story of the Bell Witch of Yazoo County
The Yazoo River brings with it whispers of one of Mississippi’s most enduring ghost stories: the Bell Witch. This spectral figure is said to be at rest among the graves of the long gone in Glenwood Cemetery and stalks its spectral shape. The town has a story of an alleged witch who before she died she cursed the town, vowing to burn it to the ground.
In 1904 a large fire roared through Yazoo City torching over 300 buildings and somehow fulfilling her ominous promise. Locals today claim to see strange things around her grave today, marking’s that cannot be written off, and a feeling of unease that cannot be shaken. It neither looks nor sounds frightening, and the skeptics might roll their eyes, but those that visit leave with goosebumps and questions.
The Hauntings of the Windsor Ruins
Mississippi’s antebellum history is hauntingly beautiful, and the Windsor Ruins in Claiborne County are a reminder. The grand house was burned in 1890 though the tall columns still stand in ghostly sentry over the land.
There are rumors of Confederate soldiers, still standing guard, still seen wandering among the ruins long after the Civil War. Visitors have heard strange whispers, and the sound of soft footsteps from nowhere in particular. Brightly lit by the moon, at night the trees cast a shadow tall enough for the columns to present a lean against them on moonlit nights, something which can send a chill down anyone’s spine as they seem to move on their own.
Stuckey’s Bridge: Gothic Echoes
Lauderdale County’s Stuckey’s Bridge is more than a weathered old structure, it’s a portal to one of Mississippi’s darker tales. Stuckey, a hotel owner who turned to robbery and murder was the legend. He would lure travelers to his inn, then kill them and throw them in the Chunky River.
Then of course his crimes caught up with him and they hanged him from the bridge where he had hidden his deeds. Locals today say they see his ghostly figure swaying beneath the bridge, the lantern still flickering in the darkness. Some have also loudly touted chilling screams and splashes, like Stuckey’s angry spirit reenacting his last days.
Mississippi State University’s Haunted Halls
Ghostly activity isn’t even safe on college campuses, and Mississippi State University has its fair share of spooky stories. In particular, ghost tales about George Hall have said to be haunted by the spirit of a worker that died during its construction in early 20th century.
Students and staff walked the halls claiming unexplained footsteps and rumored lights flickering while seeing an eerie presence. It’s nice to know there’s school spirit, but it’s a little creepy when that school spirit belongs to someone who’s dead.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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