Reviewed by: Liv George
12 haunted spots in Alabama that will get you into the spooky spirit
October is here, and if you’re looking to get in the Halloween spirit, look no further.
We’ve explored twelve of Alabama’s most haunted places, so keep reading to learn more!
1. Battle House Renaissance Hotel in Mobile
First built in 1852, the Battle House Hotel stands on what was once the military headquarters of Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812.
In 1905 the hotel burned to the ground, but three years later it was replaced with a new building. It would later close in 1974 but reopened in 2007 following a revitalization project.
Visitors can spend the night in the hotel but have reported hearing ghostly voices, seeing shadowy figures and faucets turn on and off by themselves.
Additionally, it is said that the ghost of a young newlywed whose husband died haunts the ballroom.
2. Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham
Sloss Furnaces was founded in 1881 and was established by Colonel James Withers Sloss.
In 1887, a foundry worker named Theophilus Jowers lost his balance and fell into the molten-hot iron while working at the edge of the furnace. Today, he is said to haunt the grounds of Sloss.
It is also said at night that this national landmark still echoes with noises from its frightening past.
Screams are heard, spirits are seen, and on the second floor of the Blower Building, there’s a sinister spirit “Slag,” a cruel foreman who can still be heard yelling at his crew.
3. Fort Morgan in Baldwin County
Completed in 1833, Fort Morgan was named to honor Revolutionary War hero General Daniel Morgan.
Located along the Gulf Coast at the mouth of Mobile Bay, it is considered one of the most haunted places in Alabama.
It is said that ghosts of soldiers and other wandering spirits linger on the grounds.
4. Drish House in Tuscaloosa
In 1837, Dr. John R. Drish, one of Tuscaloosa’s earliest settlers, built the Drish House.
He built the home for himself and his new wife, Sarah Owen McKinney, but in 1867, Dr. Drish fell over the stairway and died.
Following the funeral, Sarah saved her husband’s candles and told her family that she wanted them used at her funeral someday.
In 1884, Sarah died and her family could not find the special candles she had saved.
Many people have reported seeing a fire in the third-story tower and believe the flames were coming from the candles that were supposed to be used at Sarah’s funeral.
5. Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville
Maple Hill Cemetery is the oldest and largest cemetery in Huntsville. Founded in 1822, it encompasses nearly 100 acres and over 80,000 burials.
“The Dead Children’s Playground” is a particularly haunted part of Maple Hill Cemetery popular among the ghost children buried in the graveyard.
Swings have been seen moving by themselves, laughter has been heard and some have even seen the ghosts of children playing late at night.
6. Sweetwater Mansion in Florence
Sweetwater Mansion is a historic plantation in Florence. The house is almost two hundred years old.
Many hauntings have been reported at the mansion, but one famous report came from a caretaker.
She saw a casket appear with the body of a man believed to be a soldier who died during the American Civil War and whose funeral was held in Sweetwater Mansion.
Other occurrences within the home include doors moving by themselves, things being thrown across the room, locked doors and giggling children.
7. Tutwiler Hotel in Birmingham
The Tutwiler Hotel is said to be haunted by a mischievous spirit who likes to turn on lights inside the building.
The ghost may belong to a former resident of the old Ridgeley apartments who lived there before they were renovated to become the new Tutwiler in the mid-1980s.
8. Jack Cole Road in Hayden
Jack Cole Road is a remote road in the woods off Highway 7 in Hayden.
Since 1890, 68 people have died on Jack Cole Road, even though it is only half a mile long and has very few houses on it.
Many of those deaths occurred in 1900 as the result of a large cholera outbreak at a hospital that stood on Jack Cole Road at the time.
Those spirits seemingly still haunt the road, and travelers have reported seeing them on more than one occasion.
9. Bragg Mitchell Mansion in Mobile
Built in 1855, Bragg Mitchell Mansion survived destruction during the Civil War and A.S. Mitchell maintained the grounds during the twentieth century.
Some visitors claim to have seen a phantom cat and the ghost of a lady looking for her lost love.
Additionally, tour guides have reportedly encountered the ghost of Judge Bragg himself.
10. Salem Shotwell Bridge in Opelika
On June 5, 2005, a tree fell on the 105-year-old Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge.
After reconstruction of the bridge over Rocky Creek in Opelika Municipal Park, the bridge reopened in 2007.
Years before it’s destruction and reconstruction, spooky stories were told about the bridge.
Some stories are told of Native American spirits reaching up from the waters of Wacoochee Creek toward travelers crossing the bridge at night, among other tales.
11. Redmont Hotel in Birmingham
The Redmont Hotel opened in 1925 and is Alabama’s oldest hotel.
Guests and workers have reportedly seen the ghost of Clifford Stiles, a former owner of the hotel.
Guests have also seen lights that turn on and off, doors that slam and furniture that moves on it’s own.
12. Huntingdon College in Montgomery
The Red Lady of Huntingdon is said to be a the spirit of a girl named Martha who committed suicide on campus when Huntingdon was still the Woman’s College of Alabama in the early 20th century.
She did not enjoy her time at college, and once her only friend and roommate moved out, Martha was not seen on campus.
She was later found in her room on the fourth floor of Pratt Hall, dressed in her red robe, lying on her red bedspread and soaked in blood.
Her ghost has been repeatedly seen by students, and a red light was said to glow from her room.
Which haunted spots in Alabama did we miss? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
