THE SPOOKIEST SITES IN THE CAROLINAS
/Normally, The O Report’s Travel section recommends lovely places to visit. But in honor of Halloween, we’re listing three sites you might want to avoid.
Every year, Conde Nast Travel updates its list of the 50 Most Haunted Places in America. Three of the spooky spots are right here in the Carolinas. Visit them at you’re own risk. You have been warned. (Insert maniacal laughter here).
We’re kidding of course! But these places are seriously spooky.
To view the complete list of haunted sites, go to cntraveler.com.
Here are the nearby places that made the cut:
Poinsett Bridge, Greenville, South Carolina
Built entirely out of stone in 1820, the oldest bridge in South Carolina is also one of the state's most haunted spots. The Poinsett Bridge is believed to be frequented by the ghost of a man who died in a car accident there in the 1950s, as well as the ghost of an enslaved person. Another eerie legend tells of a mason who died during the construction and is now entombed inside. Visitors to the site have allegedly experienced everything from floating orbs and lights to disembodied voices.
Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina
One of the oldest theaters in America, this site in downtown Charleston has racked up a lot of tumult and history over the years. After a fire burned down the original theater, the Planters Inn was built on the spot; it was converted back to a theater in the 1930s. The most flamboyant ghost here is Nettie Dickerson, who, legend has it, was struck by lightning while standing on the balcony of the hotel. Her shadow has been reported gliding along the second floor of the theater, dressed in a red gown. Also in otherworldly attendance: Junius Brutus Booth, a renowned 19th-century actor (and the father of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes) who used to frequent the inn.
Devil’s Tramping Ground, North Carolina
Deep in the woods of central North Carolina, about 50 miles south of Greensboro, is a mysterious circle where no plant or tree will grow, nor will any animals cross its path. The reason? The 40-foot clearing is where the devil comes to stomp and dance every night—at least according to local legends. The area has built up quite the eerie reputation over the years, with people claiming to see red eyes glowing there at night and placing their belongings in the circle in the evening, only to find them thrown back out the next morning (presumedly so the devil can clear his dance floor).