Five Creepy Historical Sites In The South

Photo Courtesy of Heather Graham

Heather Graham is a New York Times and USA Today best selling author. She has written over one hundred novels and novellas, has been published in approximately twenty languages, and is the proud recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers. Heather been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, and People, and appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television. Graham is featured in the new book from sister company Simon & Schuster FACEOFF. 

Heather Graham collaborated with F. Paul Wilson on the thrilling short story, "Infernal Night," featured in the one-of-a-kind new, eleven-story anthology, FACEOFF. FACEOFF pulls together 23 bestselling and critically acclaimed names in thriller writing and their beloved characters from the best and most popular series today.

Graham, who lives in Florida, writes about a creepy mausoleum in "Infernal Night." Today, Florida is a melting pot with everything from the panhandle's moss-covered trees to Miami's steaming nightlife. But once upon a time Florida was Old South, and the Old South, with it's haunted plantations and historic cemeteries, has its own stories to tell.

When Carl Tanzler fell in love with Elena de Hoyos, he was a technician and she was a beautiful young woman suffering from tuberculosis. When Elena died, Carl visited her grave for two years, and then suddenly stopped. Seven years later, he was finally was caught with the corpse, arrested, declared sane—and released. Five hundred people attended Elena's first wake—five thousand attended her second.
Elena is buried somewhere within the cemetery grounds—her exactly location was never disclosed lest she be disturbed again. The cemetery offers evening trolley ghost tours – the perfect way explore this creepy historic site.

Photo Credit: Harvey Meston/Getty Images

Castillo de San Marcos
1 S Castillo Drive
St. Augustine, Florida 32084

In St. Augustine, the oldest city in the US to be continually inhabited by European settlers, is the Castillo de San Marcos. The Castillo has been haunted by ghost stories for centuries. There are tales of public displays of torture with medieval era torture devises, horribly botched executions, among others. The history—and the hauntings—are as old as the United States here.

Related: Haunted Bay Area

Wonderfully atmospheric, this inn comes complete it its own ghost, Anna Powers, a young woman who defenestrated herself after being betrayed by her British naval lover. Not only can you rent Anna's room, but there is also a mannequin of her that waves at the tours as they go by. The young woman who stayed in the room just before I did left a note about the way Anna had played with her clothing and luggage.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Savannah
Savannah, Georgia

With tales of pirates, wars, and murder—Savannah's air seems to have an accent. The scenic Bonaventure Cemetery, which was featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, is one of the most beautiful resting grounds you'll ever find. More recent graves (and some older ones) are decked out for holidays—with pumpkins and witches for Halloween and holly for Christmas.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

The French Quarter
New Orleans, Louisiana

With everything from torture to voodoo, the French Quarter is bursting with creepy historical sites. Stop by the LaLaurie Mansion where Dr. and Madame LaLaurie were known for their brutality to their slaves—terrible amputations, bizarre re-attachments, and other forms of torture and mutilation were common here. Nearby is the Sultan's House where you can still hear the screams of those butchered in the largest mass-murder in the cities history. Every block of this compact historical district offers something unique and terrifying!

And that's just a fraction of the wonder to be found in the South!

Related: 5 'Haunted' Spots In New York City