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These 3 Spooky South Carolina Cities Are Among America’s Best For Ghosts

Author Phil Harris
A new study reveals that three cities in South Carolina rank among America's best for ghosts. BOO!!! (Photo by Paul Campbell/iStock via Getty Images)

It’s probably not something you’ve really thought about very often (or ever), but a new study has uncovered which U.S. cities are the best for potentially finding ghosts. Where would one want to spend its eternity? With Halloween approaching, the team at travel website Upgraded Points put together a list by digging up some some menacing metrics including the number of cemeteries, the graves-to-person ratio, reported ghost sightings, and the number of “actual” haunted houses.

The research reveals that the best U.S. city for ghosts overall is Springfield, Massachusetts, which has an impressive 13.8 haunted houses per 100-thousand households and 6.6 mediums per 100-thousand people. The worst cities in which to find ghosts are Miami, followed by Seattle and right here in Charlotte. That has to be comforting for locals who are afraid of things that go bump in the night.

While the Queen City might be relatively un-spooky, the Palmetto State is all over this list. Three South Carolina cities are ranked in the top 15. In fact, the U.S. city with the most cemeteries per 100-thousand residents is Columbia, South Carolina, with 136. Columbia is the 13th ghostliest overall, while Charleston is 11th, and Greenville ranks as the 10th best U.S. city for ghosts. You can check out the full list of 100 HERE … if you daaarrre!

The Top 15 U.S. Cities for Ghosts (Upgraded)

  1. Springfield, Massachusetts
  2. Scranton, Pennsylvania (best ghostly environments, i.e. old and vacant buildings)
  3. Birmingham, Alabama
  4. Syracuse, New York
  5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  6. Dayton, Ohio (most graves per person)
  7. Knoxville, Tennessee
  8. Akron, Ohio
  9. New Orleans, Louisiana (most haunted house attractions)
  10. Greenville, South Carolina
  11. Charleston, South Carolina
  12. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  13. Columbia, South Carolina (most cemeteries per capita)
  14. Augusta, Georgia
  15. Cleveland, Ohio

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

6 Truly Haunted South Carolina Locations You Can Actually Visit

Fall is quickly approaching. One of my favorite things to do as the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to fall is to immerse myself in the spooky season. This can include things like the countless options for haunted houses, mazes, theme parks, etc. And those are always jam-packed with people for good reason. They are great sources of a little frightening fun. But if you’re anything like me maybe you prefer your spooky experiences a little more grounded in reality. If that is the case, you’re in luck- there is no shortage of haunted locations in South Carolina. These spots are full of history and the unknown to me is more scary than the jump scare of a manufactured haunted house.

Whenever I head to a new city I love to go on ghost tours if they have any. Highlights are Savannah and Charleston but most cities have some form of rumored paranormal activity. And actually, Charlotte even has some as well that I need to check out! If these types of things pique your interest then this list is for you. This list contains 6 haunted places in South  Carolina places you can actually visit. You’ll learn about haunted locations all across the state .  All of these locations are places you can enter and wander around. Looking for an even more immersive experience? Several of these are hotels which means you can even check in for the night! If you dare! You may have even stayed at or visited some of these locations without knowing it!

You may also be interested in some of the ghost stories surrounding North Carolina as well. You can read that here. Perhaps a haunted road trip the weekend before Halloween is in your cards? Sounds perfect to me.

  • Westin Poinsett (Greenville, SC)

    What is it with luxury hotels and uninvited guests? This one is the Westin Poinsett in Greenville, NC. Dating back to 1925, the hotel sits on the site of a former hotel that once housed John C. Calhoun. While there is no evidence it’s him reports of an elderly man making brief appearances in some suites before disappearing. A figure also gazes out a window on the third floor of the hotel before removing a black coat.

    Source

  • The Dock Street Theater (Charleston)

    Like most old southern cities Charleston boasts its fair share of spirits. In fact, we will see another Charleston location later in this list. But for now, we turn our attention to the Dock Street Theater. Located in an old ‘Antebellum’ style hotel dating back to 1809, several ghosts are said to reside at the theater including the father of John Wilkes Booth and a prostitute referred to as Nettie.

    Source

     

  • The Old City Jail (Charleston)

    Our second stop in Charleston is the Old City Jail which held some of the worst criminals in its time. Thousands of those died in the jail as well leading to some interesting activity. Ghosts known to still inhabit the jail include a young boy accidentally shot by wardens to another warden who worked at the jail. Reports of paranormal activity include voices, objects moving, and doors slamming. It’s even been visited by professional ghost hunters.

    Source

  • The Gray Man (Pawley's Island)

    According to News 2, the legend of the Gray Man dates all the way back to 1822. The ghost is reportedly sighted before hurricanes threaten the area. Previously reported sightings include before Hurricane Hazel in 1954, before Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and before Hurricane Florence in 2018.

  • The Ghosthound of Goshen (Sumter National Forest.)

    The Ghost Hound of Goshen is sometimes referred to as “Happy Dog”. But don’t let the name fool you this ghost dog is not a nice spirit. He is said to still be upset about the killing of his master. He now haunts the roads of Sumter National Forest. Learn more about this story here.

  • 37 Meeting Street (Charleston)

    The ghost of 37 Meeting Street is said to be a pirate who haunts the area around the southern mansion searching for his treasure. The treasure that is said to be buried at the home has never been located.

    @haunted_tales

    Pirate Lore #Hauntedtalesfromsuburbiapodcast #fyp #paranormaltiktok #TalesFromSuburbia #spooky #hauntedtiktok #historical_stories #piratesofthecaribbean #pirate #pirates

    ♬ My Mother Told Me NEURODIVERGENT - Jonny Stewart

     

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