Southern Ghosts

Find ghosts in Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama

   Lucas Tavern, Montgomery, AL

Lucas Tavern is a former tavern that is part of the historic complex of Old Alabama Town in Montgomery. It consists of a main room, kitchen and bedrooms. A one room school house built in 1890 is nearby. In the 1820s and '30s Eliza Lucas was the mistress of the tavern, being cook and hostess to its many guests. From the mid 1800s until the 1960s it was a private home, but was then abandoned. In 1978 it was rescued and moved to Old Alabama Town where it was restored and is now able to be toured. People have seen the apparition of Eliza Lucas, standing in the doorway, waving to passers by presumably as she did when she was hostess of the inn. She appears as a 5'3" woman cheerfully smiling, wearing 19th century clothing. A photographer got permission to take pictures in the school room after museum hours, and when he entered, was surprised to find what he thought was one of the museum staff in costume. She posed for photos, smiling but not speaking and then walked through a wall! His pictures showed no person, but a bright light area in each photo where she would have been standing. The Lucas Tavern is on Old North Hull Square at 310 North Hull St., Montgomery, AL in Old Alabama Town. There is a fee for tours which are available Mon-Sat. 9:30-4:00, and Sundays 1:30-3:30.

     The Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Built in 1886 this building has had many incarnations, as a hotel, women’s conservatory, junior college, health resort and is now again a hotel. Many guests have reported happenings. Room 424 has had several happenings, and in Room 202 a ghost was photographed. Room 218 seems to be the most haunted room. Doors slam shut, strange sounds have been heard, and people have been shaken awake at night.
During construction of the building, a workman fell from the roof and was killed when he landed where Room 218 is.   Some guests report seeing a middle aged man with a beard, in formal clothes in the bar area but when they talk to him he does not answer, and then vanishes. Phone: 1-800-342-9766

Merrehope Mansion, Meridian, MS

        Merrehope is one of the last remaining Antebellum homes in Meridian. Built in 1858 by W.H. Jackson, it was sold in 1868 to John Gary. He added on the double parlor, the library and four rooms upstairs all done in the Italianate style. After changing hands once more in 1881, Sam Floyd bought the home in 1903 and added the front columns, suspended balcony, 5 bathrooms, the walnut hand-carved stairway and had electricity installed. He also added the dining room, the morning room and two bedrooms upstairs. From 1915 until 1968 the mansion saw a decline from its grander days, being used as a boarding house and eventually divided up into 8 apartments. In 1968 the nine members of a Women's Club decided they needed a place to meet in Meridian and decided to save the mansion which was slated to be torn down. They formed a Restorations Foundation and today the mansion is restored to its former grandeur. It is open for tours, and is available for events such as weddings and parties. In the last few decades reports of ghostly sightings have been made. One seems to be of a young woman or girl wearing a green dress. A staff member identified her as the daughter of John Gary after seeing a portrait painting of her, although the daughter never lived in the house. She died of consumption while a teenager and is buried in Alabama. A photo taken by some tourists of a Christmas tree there showed the figure of a woman next to the tree though no one was visible there at the time the picture was taken. Another spirit seems to be a man who is only in the Periwinkle Room. He is said to be responsible for noises that sound like things moving or being broken but when investigated, nothing is out of place. The mansion is open different days for tours during the winter and the summer. It is best to check their website for more information: Merrehope web site. Merrehope is at 905 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dr.
Meridian, Mississippi Phone: (601) 483-8439

    King’s Tavern, Natchez Trace, Mississippi

King’s Tavern is in the oldest building in Natchez, built in 1769. Originally it served as a resting point on the Natchez Trace trail. Then more modern transportation took over and bypassed the Tavern. It became a private home for a while, but then once again became a tavern. The tavern appears to be haunted by a ghost identified as Madaline. She was supposedly the mistress of the original builder, Richard King, and was murdered by his wife out of jealousy. Madaline will cause hard to open doors to swing open by themselves, and if staff say, “alright Madaline’” they then shut by themselves. Faucets will suddenly spout hot water. A reporter was videotaping the downstairs of the tavern a few years ago. He had a friend with him who was supposed to be upstairs at the same time, taping up there. The reporter kept hearing his friend and the waitress with him overhead – muffled talking and the floor creaking. The reporter looked out the window, and his friend and the waitress were walking around outside! He checked upstairs and no one was there. The tavern is open for dinner nightly. King’s Tavern, 619 Jefferson, Natchez , Mississippi 601-446-8845

Web site: www.kingstavern.com

    Grace Hall, Selma, Alabama

Grace Hall is a restored antebellum mansion, run as a bed and breakfast by the current owners, Coy and Joey Dillon. Guests, especially children and young women have seen a woman in a long white dress with a little black dog. It seems the ghost is Miz Eliza, the lady of the house in the late nineteenth century. The mother of four girls, she seems fond of children. An old gentleman has been seen as well. The Dillons identify him as Mr. Satterfield, an attorney who lived there as a boarder for 25 years. It is said that he and one of Miz Eliza’s daughter’s fell in love, but did not marry because of their age difference. Grace Hall has six bedrooms available. It is at 506 Lauderdale St., Selma, Ala. 205-875-5744.

   Woodland Plantation, Moundville, Alabama

Woodland is an eighteen room former plantation house set on 200 acres. Near the University of Alabama and the Mound State Monument in Moundville, one can take a relaxing walk, fish, or skeet hoot on the grounds. No one knows who the ghost who stays there is, but they do know what it is responsible for. The spirit turns lights on and off, and makes their taste in furnishings known by moving pieces around, or taking pictures off the wall. Run by Mr. Buck Whatley, the inn provides a full breakfast and afternoon cocktail. There are no TVs in the rooms, but Mr. Whatley will share his if you want to catch the news. Woodland Plantation is on Route 2, Moundville, Ala. (205)371-2734.

		Lucas Tavern, Montgomery, AL Lucas Tavern is a former tavern that is part of the historic complex of Old Alabama Town in Montgomery. It consists of a main room, kitchen and bedrooms. A one room school house built in 1890 is nearby. In the 1820s and '30s Eliza Lucas was the mistress of the tavern, being cook and hostess to its many guests. From the mid 1800s until the 1960s it was a private home, but was then abandoned. In 1978 it was rescued and moved to Old Alabama Town where it was restored and is now able to be toured. People have seen the apparition of Eliza Lucas, standing in the doorway, waving to passers by presumably as she did when she was hostess of the inn. She appears as a 5'3" woman cheerfully smiling, wearing 19th century clothing. A photographer got permission to take pictures in the school room after museum hours, and when he entered, was surprised to find what he thought was one of the museum staff in costume. She posed for photos, smiling but not speaking and then walked through a wall! His pictures showed no person, but a bright light area in each photo where she would have been standing. The Lucas Tavern is on Old North Hull Square at 310 North Hull St., Montgomery, AL in Old Alabama Town. There is a fee for tours which are available Mon-Sat. 9:30-4:00, and Sundays 1:30-3:30. The Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas Built in 1886 this building has had many incarnations, as a hotel, women’s conservatory, junior college, health resort and is now again a hotel. Many guests have reported happenings. Room 424 has had several happenings, and in Room 202 a ghost was photographed. Room 218 seems to be the most haunted room. Doors slam shut, strange sounds have been heard, and people have been shaken awake at night. During construction of the building, a workman fell from the roof and was killed when he landed where Room 218 is. Some guests report seeing a middle aged man with a beard, in formal clothes in the bar area but when they talk to him he does not answer, and then vanishes. Phone: 1-800-342-9766 Merrehope Mansion, Meridian, MS Merrehope is one of the last remaining Antebellum homes in Meridian. Built in 1858 by W.H. Jackson, it was sold in 1868 to John Gary. He added on the double parlor, the library and four rooms upstairs all done in the Italianate style. After changing hands once more in 1881, Sam Floyd bought the home in 1903 and added the front columns, suspended balcony, 5 bathrooms, the walnut hand-carved stairway and had electricity installed. He also added the dining room, the morning room and two bedrooms upstairs. From 1915 until 1968 the mansion saw a decline from its grander days, being used as a boarding house and eventually divided up into 8 apartments. In 1968 the nine members of a Women's Club decided they needed a place to meet in Meridian and decided to save the mansion which was slated to be torn down. They formed a Restorations Foundation and today the mansion is restored to its former grandeur. It is open for tours, and is available for events such as weddings and parties. In the last few decades reports of ghostly sightings have been made. One seems to be of a young woman or girl wearing a green dress. A staff member identified her as the daughter of John Gary after seeing a portrait painting of her, although the daughter never lived in the house. She died of consumption while a teenager and is buried in Alabama. A photo taken by some tourists of a Christmas tree there showed the figure of a woman next to the tree though no one was visible there at the time the picture was taken. Another spirit seems to be a man who is only in the Periwinkle Room. He is said to be responsible for noises that sound like things moving or being broken but when investigated, nothing is out of place. The mansion is open different days for tours during the winter and the summer. It is best to check their website for more information: Merrehope web site. Merrehope is at 905 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dr. Meridian, Mississippi Phone: (601) 483-8439 King’s Tavern, Natchez Trace, Mississippi King’s Tavern is in the oldest building in Natchez, built in 1769. Originally it served as a resting point on the Natchez Trace trail. Then more modern transportation took over and bypassed the Tavern. It became a private home for a while, but then once again became a tavern. The tavern appears to be haunted by a ghost identified as Madaline. She was supposedly the mistress of the original builder, Richard King, and was murdered by his wife out of jealousy. Madaline will cause hard to open doors to swing open by themselves, and if staff say, “alright Madaline’” they then shut by themselves. Faucets will suddenly spout hot water. A reporter was videotaping the downstairs of the tavern a few years ago. He had a friend with him who was supposed to be upstairs at the same time, taping up there. The reporter kept hearing his friend and the waitress with him overhead – muffled talking and the floor creaking. The reporter looked out the window, and his friend and the waitress were walking around outside! He checked upstairs and no one was there. The tavern is open for dinner nightly. King’s Tavern, 619 Jefferson, Natchez , Mississippi 601-446-8845 Web site: www.kingstavern.com Grace Hall, Selma, Alabama Grace Hall is a restored antebellum mansion, run as a bed and breakfast by the current owners, Coy and Joey Dillon. Guests, especially children and young women have seen a woman in a long white dress with a little black dog. It seems the ghost is Miz Eliza, the lady of the house in the late nineteenth century. The mother of four girls, she seems fond of children. An old gentleman has been seen as well. The Dillons identify him as Mr. Satterfield, an attorney who lived there as a boarder for 25 years. It is said that he and one of Miz Eliza’s daughter’s fell in love, but did not marry because of their age difference. Grace Hall has six bedrooms available. It is at 506 Lauderdale St., Selma, Ala. 205-875-5744. Woodland Plantation, Moundville, Alabama Woodland is an eighteen room former plantation house set on 200 acres. Near the University of Alabama and the Mound State Monument in Moundville, one can take a relaxing walk, fish, or skeet hoot on the grounds. No one knows who the ghost who stays there is, but they do know what it is responsible for. The spirit turns lights on and off, and makes their taste in furnishings known by moving pieces around, or taking pictures off the wall. Run by Mr. Buck Whatley, the inn provides a full breakfast and afternoon cocktail. There are no TVs in the rooms, but Mr. Whatley will share his if you want to catch the news. Woodland Plantation is on Route 2, Moundville, Ala. (205)371-2734.