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5 Haunted Places in Atlanta

by
Oct 31st, 2024

As the summer light fades and the leaves turn for fall, it is the perfect ambiance to explore Atlanta’s many haunted places. Whether you are throwing a spooky season gathering or simply want to discover eerie places nearby, this list of haunted places will be sure to keep you on your toes.

5 haunted places in Atlanta

Ellis Hotel (formerly Winecoff Hotel)

176 Peachtree St. NW

On December 7, 1946 a fire tragically claimed 119 lives here in the deadliest hotel fire in US history. 

The then-Winecoff Hotel advertised itself to be “absolutely fireproof” due to the steel materials used to construct the hotel. Unfortunately the interior materials were quite flammable and combustible. When a fire ignited at 2:48 a.m. on the third floor, all the occupants on the floors above the fire were trapped since the only exit was a single stairway for all 15 floors of the building. Survivors of the fire were either rescued from upper-story windows or jumped into nets set up by firefighters. About one third of the lives lost were due to attempts of jumping out of the building hoping for safety, while the rest were a direct result of the fire. 

The hotel has since passed through several hands and been renamed the Ellis Hotel. Guests and staff claim to see ghostly figures wandering the halls at night, and the fire alarm has been known to go off at the time of the fire still to this day.

Historic Oakland Cemetery 

248 Oakland Ave. SE

At 48 acres, Oakland Cemetery is one of the largest cemetery green spaces in Atlanta. Around 70,000 souls have been laid to rest here, with many being unmarked graves of paupers, Civil War soldiers, people without families and those who could not afford a private burial lot. 

There are notable names here, too, such as “Gone with the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell Marsh, golfer Bobby Jones, politicians and other prominent Atlantans. Just outside the cemetery grounds, some of the men involved in the Great Locomotive Chase during the CIvil War were hanged and later buried on the property. 

During this Halloween season, book a tour that captures the spirit of Oakland’s deep history.  Don’t miss this opportunity and book your tickets here!

Oakland Cemetery on Instagram: "The Haunted Hunt is on! 🪦👻 Gather a group of friends or family for a day of spooky sleuthing on this self-guided scavenger hunt throughout historic Oakland Cemetery! Now through October 31, purchase your printable Haunted Hunt packet online (one per team), download, print, and follow all-new cryptic clues to solve riddles. Learn more and get your packet at our link in bio"

480 likes, 1 comments - oaklandcemetery on October 9, 2024: "The Haunted Hunt is on! 🪦👻 Gather a group of friends or family for a day of spooky sleuthing on this self-guided scavenger hunt throughout historic Oakland Cemetery! Now through October 31, purchase your printable Haunted Hunt packet online (one per team), download, print, and follow all-new cryptic clues to solve riddles. Learn more and get your packet at our link in bio".

Lake Lanier

Just outside the city lies Lake Lanier, the deadliest lake in the United States. There have been an estimated 700 deaths since the lake's creation in 1956, with over 200 having occurred in the last 20 years alone. 

The lake was allegedly formed for flood control, drinking water and hydroelectric power but many believe there is an unspoken darker history. 

When the lake was created, the community of Oscarville was submerged. The Army Corps of Engineers relocated marked graves outside the lake boundaries, but it is believed they missed some which are now buried beneath the lake. 

The lake is believed to be haunted to this day, and it is debated who does the haunting. Is it the victims who have died here but have never been found over the years? Is it the townspeople of Oscarville that were left behind? Or maybe it is the Lady of the Lake trying to find new victims to keep her company. Explore at your own risk!

All That's Interesting on Instagram: "Lake Lanier is a manmade reservoir in northern Georgia that was created in 1956, but its history goes back much further. In the 1830s, the Cherokee people who lived on the land where the lake now sits were forced out of their homes and onto the Trail of Tears. Several decades later, the historically Black town of Oscarville was built on the land — but its residents were soon run out, too. In 1912, a white woman was murdered, and the locals blamed three Black men. One of them was brutally lynched, while the other two were found guilty and executed, but it's widely believed that they were all innocent. In the aftermath, white citizens burned Black businesses and threatened residents until nearly 1,200 people abandoned their homes and left town. ⁠ ⁠ Some people believe that this cursed past is the reason why so many people have died at Lake Lanier. The reservoir took its first victims in 1958 when Delia May Parker Young and Susie Roberts crashed their car into its depths. The following year, fishermen found Young's handless corpse still wearing the blue dress she died in, and to this day, locals have claimed to see a ghost in a blue dress with no hands wandering along the road where Young and Roberts crashed into the reservoir. This so-called "Lady of the Lake" allegedly drags swimmers and boaters to their deaths — and may have killed 700 people since the 1950s. Go inside the haunted history of Lake Lanier by clicking the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #lakelanier #history #haunted #paranormal #georgia"

1,395 likes, 37 comments - all_thats_interesting on August 21, 2024: "Lake Lanier is a manmade reservoir in northern Georgia that was created in 1956, but its history goes back much further. In the 1830s, the Cherokee people who lived on the land where the lake now sits were forced out of their homes and onto the Trail of Tears. Several decades later, the historically Black town of Oscarville was built on the land — but its residents were soon run out, too. In 1912, a white woman was murdered, and the locals blamed three Black men. One of them was brutally lynched, while the other two were found guilty and executed, but it's widely believed that they were all innocent. In the aftermath, white citizens burned Black businesses and threatened residents until nearly 1,200 people abandoned their homes and left town. ⁠ ⁠ Some people believe that this cursed past is the reason why so many people have died at Lake Lanier. The reservoir took its first victims in 1958 when Delia May Parker Young and Susie Roberts crashed their car into its depths. The following year, fishermen found Young's handless corpse still wearing the blue dress she died in, and to this day, locals have claimed to see a ghost in a blue dress with no hands wandering along the road where Young and Roberts crashed into the reservoir. This so-called "Lady of the Lake" allegedly drags swimmers and boaters to their deaths — and may have killed 700 people since the 1950s. Go inside the haunted history of Lake Lanier by clicking the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #lakelanier #history #haunted #paranormal #georgia".

Wren’s Nest

1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW

Constructed in 1870, this beautiful house was first called home by George Muse, an Atlantan entrepreneur, and his family. About a decade later the house was turned over to Joel Chandler Harris, his wife and their nine children. Harris was a journalist and author, most famous for his writings of Uncle Remus. At the age of 59, Harris passed away in 1908. Five years later the house was recognized for its cultural significance and made into a museum. 

Nearly 100 years later, the first reports of paranormal activity were noted — unidentified figures wandering the halls, unexplained noises and voices heard in audio clips, objects that suddenly stopped working... you know the drill. Though the Southeastern Institute of Paranormal Research has conducted investigations into the house, the current executive of the estate remains unconvinced of the hauntings — yet there are ongoing ghost sightings and paranormal activity. You can go explore the house on your own and seek out your own paranormal encounters. 

Kennesaw House

1 Depot St., Marietta, GA

The Kennesaw House was built in 1845 and intended to be used as a cotton warehouse, but ten years later was repurposed as a hotel called the Fletcher House Hotel. 

The building saw plenty of action during the Civil War. The Great Locomotive Chase began right here at the Fletcher House Hotel and had its troubling ending near the Historic Oakland Cemetery. It was also one of the few buildings to withstand Civil War battles and not burn to the ground, mainly due to Fletcher being a Mason and his son being a Union Spy. Most relevant to the spookiness, though, is that the building was converted to a makeshift hospital and morgue toward the end of the war — it is believed this is where the roots of the hauntings begin. 

There have been sightings of ghostly figures here, ranging from a woman dressed in an old fashioned dress to a Civil War-era surgeon who supposedly likes to ride the elevator. The museum director has captured ghostly figures and other anomalies on security cameras, and it’s believed that over 700 restless spirits from the Civil War remain trapped in the Kennesaw House, having never found their final resting place. 

Cobb Travel & Tourism on Instagram: "🚨👻GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨 This October, the Marietta History Center is hosting "Fright at the Museum," an after-hours paranormal investigation. Begin the evening with a lantern led ghost tour around Marietta. Then grab your equipment and explore the 1st & 2nd floors of the Kennesaw House with a trained paranormal investigator. A Spiritual Psychic and Medium will be on site to help communicate with the “other side!” How To Enter to Win 2 Tickets to Fright at the Museum ($240 value): Follow @mariettamuseum, @ghostsofmarietta, and @travelcobb. Then tag a ghoul-friend in the comments that can appreciate the spooky and unexplainable. One lucky winner will be selected on Wednesday, October 5 and will be able to choose any date that still has availability."

152 likes, 178 comments - travelcobb on September 29, 2022: "🚨👻GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨 This October, the Marietta History Center is hosting "Fright at the Museum," an after-hours paranormal investigation. Begin the evening with a lantern led ghost tour around Marietta. Then grab your equipment and explore the 1st & 2nd floors of the Kennesaw House with a trained paranormal investigator. A Spiritual Psychic and Medium will be on site to help communicate with the “other side!” How To Enter to Win 2 Tickets to Fright at the Museum ($240 value): Follow @mariettamuseum, @ghostsofmarietta, and @travelcobb. Then tag a ghoul-friend in the comments that can appreciate the spooky and unexplainable. One lucky winner will be selected on Wednesday, October 5 and will be able to choose any date that still has availability.".

Do you dare explore these haunted places? If you live in or near our luxury Atlanta apartments, then grab a friend or fly solo and see if you can have encounters with the spirits during this spooky season.

Good luck!

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Featured photo by Alla Kemelmakher on Unsplash

Author of Article

Amy has lived most of her life in Washington state and enjoys baking and adventuring with her dog, Ki. Her favorite thing about the Pacific Northwest is the four seasons and the access to mountains and other outdoor activities.

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