Most Haunted Places in Richmond, Virginia

While Richmond might be well-known as the home to the White House of the Confederacy, this riverfront community holds far more than Civil War history to its name. A city that has stood witness to periods of darkness, disaster, and disease, its ghostly citizens span all stations of life, from famed author to vampiric being.

As a result, haunted locations lie all over this hilly town, dotting the outskirts of the city and growing denser as you approach the center. Its spooky destinations include grand homes, chilling boneyards, and bloodsoaked battlegrounds, providing travelers with plenty of spooky options from which to choose – although the best way to experience them is all is through a local Richmond ghost tour.

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

The Edgar Allan Poe Museum – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Found on East Main Street, the Edgar Allan Poe Museum sits nestled within the oldest residential building still standing in Richmond. Besides its countless exhibits and artifacts from the renowned author’s life, it seems this stone structure also houses a few ghosts.

Upon this literary property, two ghost children, believed to be tied to the original owners, have been captured in photographs. But they are far from the only phantoms connected to this writerly haunt. Edgar Allan Poe himself has been spotted near certain displays, including his wife’s hand mirror and his old walking stick. Others have spotted the spectral horror author in the garden — a place also frequented by the museum’s resident black cats.

Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery has long stood as a site of ghostly lore. Densely packed with magnificent monuments and time-weathered grave markers, this burial ground adopts a darker ambiance as the sun sinks behind the clouds.

One legend revolves around the cast-iron statue of a Newfoundland dog, posed as though guarding a small grave. Buried below is a small child who died from Scarlet Fever in 1862. But this statue may be more than it seems. The four-legged guardian has been heard barking in the dead of night and even growling at those with ill intent.

There’s also the story of the Richmond Vampire, said to hide within a large stone tomb marked W.W. Pool. And to those that claim this is just a story concocted by local teens, think again — legends of the Richmond Vampire stretch back to 1925.

Bird Park Pump House

Found along the James River, a strange granite castle seemingly rises from the water, imposing on the natural landscape with its Gothic Revival architecture. The Byrd Park Pump House, a site where the Richmond elite once gathered for parties, now sits desolate and empty, save for its ghosts.

Among its unearthly occupants is the spirit of a man who hung himself within the property, and two female specters. The first, nicknamed Elizabeth, has appeared as a glowing orb. The other apparition, a lady in white, has been dubbed Spectra.

One paranormal investigator who examined the property declared the pumphouse to be a portal to the other side — and not just because of its gothic appearance. It seems its unique construction of steel, slate, and continuously moving water works as a type of otherworldly conductor, beckoning to the dead.

Church Hill Tunnel

The Church Hill Tunnel Entrance – Copyright US Ghost Adventures

While Church Hill may be known as Richmond’s most beautiful and historic neighborhood, this storied area is also home to a tragic tale. Just below Jefferson Park sits the sealed-off entrance to the collapsed Church Hill Train Tunnel, where at least two laborers and a steam locomotive lie entombed.

Closed off after the tunnel collapsed in 1925 to avoid future injuries, many who’ve walked by the abandoned tunnel have heard eerie echoes. Pleading voices calling for help, the ghostly squealing of train wheels, and the sounds of digging have been described, suggesting that the lost souls trapped within are still not at peace.

It was also from this tunnel collapse that the legend of the Richmond Vampire first spawned. After dining on the dead, the bloody, fanged creature was said to be seen crawling from the tunnel only to seek refuge in the darkened tomb he found in Hollywood Cemetery.

Virginia Governor’s Mansion

Holding the title of the oldest continuously occupied Governor’s mansion in the United States, the Virginia Governor’s Mansion has every right to be haunted. A heavily historied dwelling, accounts of the property’s ghostly activities date back to the 1890s, when Governor Philip McKinney witnessed the spirit of a young woman sitting by the window, staring out.

The reports of peculiar happenings continued. Footsteps were heard on the second floor, and paintings moved without explanation. To this day, a seated figure is still sighted in the window of the stately home. As to the mysterious specter’s identity, the mystery has never been solved.

Byrd Theatre

While many might attend the Byrd Theatre hoping to catch a good show, some unsuspecting audience members encounter phantoms instead. This dramatic venue holds at least two spirits within its enchanting walls, both of whom inspire plenty of chills.

For years, theatergoers have witnessed a little girl frequenting the women’s restroom, playing with the sinks, or seemingly talking to herself. The other specter, rumored to be the theatre’s original manager Robert Coulter, manifests as a finely-dressed man sitting in the balcony area — even when it’s closed off.

Cold Harbor Battlefield

The Cold Harbor Battlefield remains a strip of land haunted by the trauma of the Civil War. It was upon these grounds that Union forces made their way to Richmond in 1864 under the direction of General Ulysses S. Grant, only to see devastating losses.

17,000 men were killed, captured, wounded, or deemed missing in the two-week fray at Cold Harbor, with a horrifying 7,000 casualties occurring in less than an hour on June 3rd. While the bodies were eventually buried and the blood washed away, the spirits of the deceased are not so easily erased.

Today, the battlefield is troubled by a sinister fog that circles the terrain. Along with its presence, visitors have reported the sounds of horse hooves clopping on Cold Harbor Road and ghostly cannon fire. The smell of gunpowder and smoke fills the air in the wee hours of the night. Sometimes shadowy soldiers are seen in the distance, still wandering — still unaware the war has ended.

Wraiths of The River City

Richmond continues to stand as a region sculpted by history. Within this colonial community, founding father Patrick Henry avowed, “Give me liberty or give me death” in 1775, foreshadowing the tumultuous events soon to come in the Revolutionary War.

While few can debate his sentiment, it seems death might not have been so bad considering the number of spirits who seem to cling to the River City’s streets. Get to know its undead residents a little better by booking a phantom-fueled Richmond Ghost Tour, immersing yourself in the perfect blend of spooky history and city culture.