“We don’t know much about ‘Debby,’” says Michael Walker, the tour guide at McRaven House in Vicksburg, Miss., about the corn husk doll lying innocently in a wooden cradle. “We don’t know where she came from, how she is old or who owned her last. All we do know is that she likes moving around by herself.”

He continues, “We’ll come in here and find she’s moved around the room when there’s no one up here to move her around.”

“Debby” is one story of many haunting stories found inside the walls of the McRaven House, aka Mississippi’s Most Haunted House and the third most haunted house in America, behind the Winchester House (California) and The Myrtles Plantation (Louisiana.) The doll joins other spirits like Mary Elizabeth Howard, who died at childbirth in 1836, and according to Walker, who doesn’t like her belongings moved and has a soft spot for toddlers, children and pregnant women. Then there’s John Bobb, killed by Union soldiers in 1864, who, Walker says, along with his wife, Celine, make recurring appearances now and then. The tour guides are known to hear chattering from a man and woman, swooshing of hoop skirts and scents like lavender and cigar smoke related to the couple.

While the stories of McRaven’s spirits are plentiful, there are no guarantees you’ll encounter any of them. However, Walker advises to remain aware of your surroundings ~ you might hear, smell or feel something (or someone.) Most importantly, keep your eyes peeled (“It’s not uncommon to see a dead guy walking around,” he says) and have your camera ready.

Nothing can beat a good ghost story or two or more. The South has plenty of tales that will spook even the most skeptical out there.

And the best news is, regardless of the time of the year, you can delight in the many frights throughout the region. Some are open for tours, some are on tours, and some you can view, either up close or at a distance, and believe the lore.

San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio

It is the oldest standing church in Texas (yes, it is older than Mission San Antonio de Valero/ The Alamo) and one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States. So, it is no surprise the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio is one of the most haunted churches in America. There have been reports of shadows, orbs and more. Who could they be? Well, the church is said to be home to the final resting place of Alamo heroes, so that’s one possibility.  

The Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La.

Mark Twain didn’t consider the “Castle On The River” (ca. mid-1800s) impressive, but perhaps he never ventured inside and saw the stained glass cathedral dome. Today, the structure houses the Museum of Political History and exhibits.

While the Old State Capitol hasn’t been a part of any legislation activity for a long time, the word has yet to get around to Avoyelles’ Parish Legislator Pierre Couvillon. As the story goes, the gentleman, who hails from the 1800s, met his demise when he suffered a heart attack in the capitol’s chambers and still roams the building in his afterlife from time to time.

Old Cahawba in Orrville, Alabama

About 20 minutes from Selma, Old Cahawba is a ghost town in the genuine sense of the phrase. The area served as the state’s first capital and was once a flourishing antebellum river town. However, through time and events beyond its control, the town’s population dwindled to nothing, and all that remains today at what’s now an archaeological site are a few structures and many ruins.

And ghosts.

There’s the story of Pegues’ Ghost, described as ‘will-o’-wisp’ or a ghostly light, and other strange occurrences.

The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tenn.

The Orpheum Theatre is considered the “second-most haunted building in the city,” according to a 2021 story by ActionNews 5. While 12-year-old “Mary,” who met her demise somewhere near the theatre, is perhaps the best known and frequent spirit making appearances, others are also drawn to The Orpheum.

Cemetery at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island, Ga.

It wouldn’t be a spirit round-up without mentioning a cemetery, and this one is at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island, where a flickering light can be seen. So, what is haunting this final resting place, final stop ... however, you refer to a cemetery. It’s a love story, in a way, with a husband visiting his wife in their afterlives.

Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail in Jackson County, Fla.

North of Marianna is the Bellamy Bridge Historic Site, a one-half mile-long walking trail leading to the Bellamy Bridge (ca. 1914), believed to be the state’s oldest structure of its type.

Of course, you know what more than likely means: there’s a haunting, either on it or near it. 

According to the story, there’s a spirit of a lady who passed away in 1837, roaming the bridge in search of her love, whom she promised to “forever and always,” but when he died, he ended up buried miles away.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Abbeville, S.C.

A lady who would pray for her husband fighting in the Civil War haunts Trinity Episcopal Church in Abbeville, S.C.

Even though she was accused of being an informant and was murdered, her spirit has been seen on the church’s grounds and in the pews, still praying.

Old Salem in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Settled in the 18th century by the Moravians, a group of German-speaking religious migrants who made their way from Pennsylvania to North Carolina (and other points), Old Salem, now one of the country’s top preserved living history villages, has its share of ghostly legends. Here, you can learn more about the “Little Red Man,” which is said to be Old Salem’s most famous ghost story, among others.

The Tavern in Abingdon, Va.

The Tavern (ca. 1779) in Abingdon, Va., is one of the oldest historic buildings in the city and one of the oldest west of the Blue Ridge.

And, of course, it has its share of spirits that include dead soldiers and a friendly “hands-on” female.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Corbin, Ky.

Referred to as the “Niagra of the South” and the only place in the Western Hemisphere to view a moonbow, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Corbin is also home to one of the many spooky legends throughout Kentucky.

The setting was the 1950s, and a newlywed couple was honeymooning at Cumberland Falls. They wanted to take a photo, still in their wedding attire, with the falls in the background. Supposedly, the bride, who was on the edge of the cliff, lost her balance and fell to her death. Her spirit, in her wedding dress, haunts what is now known as “Lover’s Leap.”

It’s the largest hand-cut stone masonry building in North America, and it served as a sanctuary for the mentally ill beginning in the mid-1800s.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WVa.

Of course, the over 160-year-old Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WVa., has many stories to tell, along with its share of hauntings. There’ve been reports of sightings, sounds and other unexplained activities you can learn about or try to discover for yourself.