Top 10 Most Haunted Places in Asheville

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The city of Asheville is situated in the western half of North Carolina. It’s mountainous, beautiful, and in some places…haunted. Haunted? Yes. Beyond its eye-catching landscape that stretches from the Appalachian Trail to the Smokey Mountains, there are plenty of ghosts and weird happenings that so many locals can tell stories about. If you live in Asheville, you might have heard of these places (and even have a ghost story to tell). If you don’t live there, you should make a trip out there when you get the chance. We’ll be taking a look at the top ten places in Asheville, North Carolina, and tell you the stories of why they are haunted. Buckle up and let’s go for a ride.

10. Riverside Cemetery

Of course, you can expect a cemetery to make the list. That’s because the Riverside Cemetery holds a story of historic proportions. This cemetery has well over 13,000 people buried here. Most of them include Asheville’s most prominent and wealthy citizens. However, there have been reports of spirits that were dressed like Civil War soldiers. The cemetery once served as a battlefield for one of the bloody war’s final battles between the north and the south. Though there were fewer casualties than Gettysburg and Antietam’s battles, they are known to be among the handful of apparitions that tend to make an appearance from time to time.

9. Helen’s Bridge

If you are traveling the backroads of Asheville, you might come across Helen’s Bridge. This is the site where a woman named Helen took her own life by hanging herself. Sometime before her untimely passing, she lost her daughter in a house fire. There have been reports of motorists having car trouble near the bridge. Some say they had reported seeing a woman asking them if they had seen her child (only to disappear shortly afterward). If you end up driving through here, don’t be surprised if your car suddenly starts to act up. The good news is there’s a service station that’s about a few blocks away from the bridge.

8. The Grove Park Inn

This hotel was built in 1917. But it didn’t take long for the hotel to witness its first death. A woman had fallen to her death. While her real name is unknown, she was forever immortalized as the “Pink Lady.” That was because she was wearing a pink dress at the time of her death. Plus, visitors and staff members have recalled seeing stories of a woman shrouded by pink mist. Some have even witnessed a woman in an old pink dress. Rumor has it that the Pink Lady was a frequent visitor to this hotel because of an alleged affair. For the most part, she is a harmless ghost that is known for playing practical jokes. If you are looking for a place to crash in Asheville, this place might be a good one for you. Come for the ghost hunting, stay for the paranormal pranks.

7. Craggy Prison

If you think cemeteries and hotels are the typical haunt spots, try going to jail. No, we’re not asking you to commit a crime. Go to an old abandoned jail (assuming it’s still standing). From 1924 to 1989, this was the original Craggy Prison that held medium-security inmates. A newer prison had since been built. But the old site is just as creepy and eerie. Some say there are no ghosts in the prison, but take those claims with a grain of salt. You might just be in for a surprise. Yet, the architecture and look from the inside out is enough to give anyone the jitters.

6. The Forestry Compound

This building was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which later became a bar with an eerie, but quite fitting name: Burial Bar. The name was probably easy to develop, given the building’s haunted history since the early 20th century. Word has it that several visitors see a woman (believed to be a prostitute) in the past. There have been reports of blood in the toilets. There are no reports or any stories of how the woman may have died, but the Forestry Compound may carry some dark secrets that maybe this specter might be trying to tell.

5. Highland Hospital

While the old asylum is no longer standing, it was the site of a massive fire that had killed nine women. One of the spirits that might be seen wandering around the grounds may be the one that belongs to Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of legendary author F. Scott Fitzgerald. There had been a long-standing rumor that Zelda and the women that perished were locked in their rooms with no way out while the fire raged on. The thought of being locked into a room while the building is burning is scary enough. Don’t be surprised if you hear the sounds of randoms screams if you happen to be near a shopping center built on the exact site of where the hospital once stood.

4. Erwin High School

It’s been said that this school has dealt with its share with plenty of poltergeist activity. The story behind that is quite telling. Before the school was built, the land was used as a “potter’s field” or a burial ground for the city’s poor citizens. More than 1,000 bodies were exhumed and re-interred. Oddly enough, those bodies are now buried in a cemetery that is located near an elementary school. What makes it even scarier is that not everybody was unearthed considering the number of unmarked graves. When something built is built on an old burial ground, you know things will get really scary. Blinking, flickering lights, and objects banging and clanging. That’s just a small sample of the activity going on at this school.

3. Basilica of St. Lawrence

Think you’ve had enough poltergeist activity? If you’re unable to get inside Erwin High School, don’t worry. The Basilica of St. Lawrence is not that far away. It is here where the architect of this church is buried. But he’s not buried underground. His remains are interred inside the walls. Also buried alongside him is his wife and child. Many of the Basilica’s attendees have reported seeing lights flickering on and off and doors opening and slamming shut for no apparent reason. Some have reported seeing the specter of a priest dressed in his usual clothing wandering the grounds.

2. The Biltmore Estate

This was a mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt. In fact, it is considered to be one of the largest private homes in the United States. The spirit of George and his wife are said to be wandering the halls even to this day. His wife may also be heard whispering George’s name repeatedly as if she was searching for him. There have been reports of various noises being heard (more specifically, the sounds of reveling). Glasses clinking, laughing, and multiple amounts of chatter had been reported. Also, while the swimming pool is empty, people can still hear the sound of splashing. And we’re talking about the kind of splash you’d hear when someone does a cannonball.

1. Building No. 9 at the old VA Hospital

Before it was reopened, this building was part of an old Veteran’s hospital. It had stood there abandoned for nearly 40 years. Those who have visited the building before it’s renovation had experienced some paranormal activity, which included the feeling of being touched and even the feeling of being pushed. Some have even reported that they felt like someone had reached up and scratched them. Also, the report of apparitions appearing in the windows has been commonplace. Today, the building serves as a rehabilitation facility. But it’s unknown if any other additional hauntings have occurred ever since.

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