Five of the Most Haunted Locations in West Virginia
Photo Credit: West Virginia Tourism Office.
With as much history as West Virginia has, it is no surprise that there is no shortage of hauntings. Here are the five most haunted sites you can visit in the Mountain State.
1. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park
In the late 1700s, a bloody skirmish between settler Mitchell Clay and the local Shawnee Native American tribe ended in the deaths of three of Clay’s children and several Shawnee warriors. In the 1920s a local businessman purchased the land and turned it into an amusement park. But some say the land is cursed.
Over the next few decades, several fatal incidents occurred at the park, which was finally abandoned in 1966. Visitors have reported seeing the ghosts of a man and a little girl in a pink dress near the rusted-out remains of the Ferris wheel and swings. Is the land cursed? You be the judge. Lake Shawnee Amusement Park(link is external) is open for private paranormal tours by appointment only.
2. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
The Gothic sandstone structure of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum(link is external) looks eerie, so it’s no surprise there are ghost stories associated with this Civil War-era hospital in Weston.
Construction began on the asylum in 1858 but was disrupted when the grounds were used as a camp for Union soldiers. Originally built to house 250 patients, and at one time known as Weston State Hospital, the facility reached its peak in the 1950s with 2,400 patients.
The hospital closed permanently to patients in 1994 but eventually was reopened as a tourist destination. The asylum offers ghost tours and history tours until mid-November, closed for the winter season.
3. Haunted Harpers Ferry
Home to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park(link is external), the Eastern Panhandle town of Harpers Ferry is said to house a number of restless spirits dating back hundreds of years.
Ghost Tours of Harpers Ferry(link is external) guides visitors on an evening walking tour of some of the town’s most haunted sites. Learn the stories of a woman clad in 18th century fashion, peering from the window of Harper House. At St. Peter’s Catholic Church, which served as a hospital during the Civil War, visitors have spotted the ghost of a wounded soldier and an old priest.
4. Point Pleasant and The Legend of Mothman
In 1966, residents of Point Pleasant first reported seeing a tall, winged creature with glowing red eyes. It was believed that this creature– dubbed Mothman– was an extraterrestrial being.
Today, Mothman has become a pop culture icon in Point Pleasant, where a 12-foot-tall metallic statue bears his likeness. At the Mothman Museum(link is external), you can study Mothman artifacts and other exhibits.
5. West Virginia Penitentiary
Opened in 1875, the West Virginia Penitentiary(link is external) in Moundsville is said to be one of the most haunted prisons in the United States. It’s no wonder, as the prison was the setting for riots, fires and nearly 100 executions during its time in operation.
Today you can tour the lockup areas and prison yard. Tours are available year-round.
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