1. Broughton Hospital – Morganton’s Haunted Asylum Legacy
Nestled in Morganton, this imposing 19th-century asylum—opened in 1883 under the Kirkbride Plan—is said to brim with restless spirits. Former staff report ghostly piano music, misty figures drifting through empty wings, and disembodied voices echoing in the night. Beneath the ghost stories lies a darker truth: Broughton was a site of forced sterilizations, tragic deaths, and a notorious 1971 murder‑suicide that still chills corridors today. Read more about Broughton Hospital’s Haunting Legacy…
2. Old Craggy Prison – Haunted Ruins of Asheville’s Past
Built in 1924, Old Craggy State Prison once held some of North Carolina’s most dangerous inmates before it was shuttered and left to decay. Locals say the crumbling walls echo with phantom footsteps, shadowy figures, and the chilling presence of a woman in white near the fence line. Today, the abandoned prison stands as one of Asheville’s most notorious haunted sites. Read more about Old Craggy Prison’s Past…
3. Helen’s Bridge – Haunted Asheville Legend
Park beneath the old stone arch on Beaucatcher Mountain and dare to call out, “Helen, come forth!” — locals say her ghost may answer, sometimes causing flickering headlights or drained batteries as you drive away. With no historical record to confirm it, the tragedy of Helen and her daughter lingers as one of Asheville’s most enduring ghost stories, even earning a nod in Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel. Read more about the legendary Helen’s Bridge…
4. Asheville Tunnels – Hidden Passageways & Prohibition Secrets
Beneath Asheville’s streets lie whispers of hidden tunnels—some true, some myth. Explore the speakeasy tunnel beneath Pack’s Tavern, once used for sneaking in whiskey during Prohibition, and Rat Alley under Wall Street, a forgotten coal delivery passage. Rumors of a subway system? Just tales. These historic underground corridors are Asheville’s secret underbelly—real, eerie, and full of stories.” Read more about the eerie tunnels…
5. Sunshine Lady’s Vault – Hendersonville’s Haunted Light
In Oakdale Cemetery, Lelia “Sunshine Lady” Hansell rests in a glass‑topped vault—her final wish fulfilled until strange sightings began. Visitors swore they saw her face—or even a fleeting glow—through the prisms, drawing crowds until the tomb was sealed in the 1930s. Today, the legend lingers in the shadows of the “Sunshine Grave.” Read more about the Sunshine Lady’s Vault…
6. French Broad Siren – Haunted Legend on Asheville’s River
Floating along the French Broad River near Asheville, a chilling legend persists of a siren who lures with haunting song—her moss-covered hair and shifting eyes trap unwary wanderers in an irresistible embrace that turns deadly. Said to echo ancient Cherokee folklore and Appalachian echoes of the Lorelei, her melody still drifts in river bends where the water runs deep and slow. Read more about the French Broad Siren…
7. The Ghost of Emily – Haunted Legend at Lees-McRae College
On Lees‑McRae College’s Banner Elk campus, the spirit of “Emily” is said to roam Tate Hall and the library—flickering lights, phantom footsteps, and a mysterious figure in black with white flowers appearing among the stacks. The legend may trace back to Emily Draughn, who died in 1935—her gravestone reads, “She is not dead, but sleeping.” Read more about the Ghost of Emily at Lees-McRae…
8. Judaculla Rock – Cherokee Giant & Ancient Petroglyphs
Nestled near Cullowhee and Western Carolina University, Judaculla Rock is covered in over 1,500 petroglyphs—the largest collection east of the Mississippi. Legend says a seven‑fingered giant named Judaculla carved them in one mighty jump, but archaeologists still can’t explain the purpose, age, or meaning of the carvings today. Read more of the mystery of Judaculla Rock…
9. Calvary Churchyard – Fletcher’s Ghostly Riders & Lady in White
In the historic Calvary Episcopal Churchyard in Fletcher, legends speak of a headless rider relentlessly seeking what was taken, a gentle woman in white who guides lost children home, and a phantom horsewoman said to vanish into the shadows—specters born from local folklore and Civil War echoes. These haunting figures have wandered the sacred grounds for over a century, where peace and the supernatural walk side by side. Read more about these legendary hauntings…
10. Lewis Memorial Park – The Ghostly Rider of Asheville
At dusk in Asheville’s Lewis Memorial Park, visitors sometimes glimpse a silent figure on horseback—no hoofbeats, no sound—often accompanied by a large, quiet dog. Legend says it could be the spirit of Robert J. Lewis, the park’s founder, whose hidden grave remains a secret even today. The cemetery’s serene vistas hide a story of legal battles, mystery, and a haunting that endures. Read more about the park and ghostly rider…
11. Chicken Alley – Asheville’s Shadow in the Alley
Hidden between buildings downtown, Chicken Alley earned its name from eerie feathers and strange crowing, though visitors today report a far more unsettling presence—an elusive figure that appears just before a chilling boom echoes through the narrow passage. Once part of a 19th-century poultry market, this brick-lined back lane now hosts ghostly whispers that defy explanation. Read more about Chicken Alley…
12. Kanasta – The Lost Cherokee Village South of Brevard
In the mid-1700s, the Cherokee settlement Kanasta (also called Conestee) vanished without explanation—legend says the people entered a mountain and never returned. Near Brevard stands a weathered plaque marking this “legendary lost settlement,” even as historians debate what truly happened. The mountain still holds whispers of Kanasta’s disappearance, myth blending with mystery. Read more about Kanasta…
13. Jackson Building – Asheville’s Haunted First Skyscraper
At 13 gothic floors tall, the Jackson Building was Asheville’s first “skyscraper” when it rose above Pack Square in 1924. Today, legend says the bullseye in the pavement marks the tragic spot where businessmen, bankrupted by the Great Depression, leapt to their deaths—and some still claim to see ghostly figures pacing its upper floors. Read more about this notoriously haunted “skyscraper”…
Like this story? Read more Strangeville legends ….
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13 Haunted Places and Ghost Stories in Asheville & Western North Carolina
Step into the haunted side of the mountains with 13 ghost stories, legends, and mysteries from Asheville and Western North Carolina. From eerie cemetery tales to mountain folklore that refuses to fade, discover the chilling places and tales that still haunt the region today.
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Strangeville: Why Asheville’s Chicken Alley is one of the city’s strangest ghost sites
Chicken Alley in downtown Asheville is known for ghost stories, an eerie mural, and the legend of a murdered doctor no one can prove ever existed.
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Strangeville: The skeletons of Chestnut Street
On Chestnut Street in North Asheville, one yard is chock-full of unusual lawn decorations. Rather than political signage, flamingos or garden gnomes, this Strangeville house is home to over a dozen skeletons.
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Strangeville: The Cherokee legend of U’lag‘û, the great yellow-jacket
Long before the Nantahala was a playground for rafters, the Cherokee told of U’lag‘û — a giant yellow-jacket said to be as large as a house. The legend explains the origin of yellow-jackets and marks the land with names still known around Franklin and the Nantahala Gorge.
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Strangeville: Ghost stories and unearthed history at Erwin High School
Clyde A. Erwin High School in Asheville is more than a campus. Built over a potter’s field, the school’s haunted reputation blends verifiable history with enduring folklore.