10 Top Haunted Places in Baltimore

Rich with haunted history, here are the 10 Top Haunted places in Baltimore.  From people to buildings, from land and sea vessels, Baltimore haunts are aplenty. Deciding which are the most haunted is a toss-up. Read about them all here and if you dare, see for yourself first hand and visit some or all of Baltimore’s haunted sites.

10. USS Constellation

The USS Constellation old-time vessel is docked in Baltimore’s Inner Bay and has plenty of haunted history and ghost stories.

Built in 1855, this Civil Warship and the haunted military history behind this vessel leave no wonder that spirits and hauntings stem from the tragedy of war.

From sickness to accidents and injury to war casualties, there are reports that come from the ship that include deceased crew members seen wandering around the decks, horrific screams, and conversations when no one is present. The bottom tier was once a prison and a sick bay where most of the hauntings take place.

9. The Admiral Fell Inn

The Admiral Fell Inn has seen so much death over the years that the ghost stories started to overflow. The Inn consists of 8 buildings, all dating back to the late 1700s. Before it became the Admiral Fell Inn, the buildings were various businesses up to c1900 when life was tough in Fells Point.

Mobsters, brothels, saloons, illegal gambling halls, you can imagine the lives lost within the walls of each of those buildings, not to mention those dusty streets and pitch-black alleys.

Undoubtedly, the mob caused many casualties in their power play wars. Nuns took care of the injured sailors in the complex’s main building during the war, and many didn’t make it. The illnesses in that time were life-threatening and incurable at best.

The Admiral Fell Inn is genuinely one of Baltimore’s most haunted places! Sailors floating across the room and knocks at the door by disappearing butlers. Loud parties were even heard when the hotel was completely empty, evacuated for a hurricane.

8. Edgar Allan Poe House

Of course, the dark writer Edgar Allan Poe would come back to haunt in his afterlife. There are several locations where his presence is felt, from his family home where he lived for a short time, his favorite tavern, the last place he was seen alive, to the Westminister Church Cemetery where he’s buried.

Some don’t believe that it is Poe who haunts the family house. Some think they have seen his ghost walking outside, and others claim he is inside the house. The manifestation most seen is a portly older woman with grey hair. Many, however, report sounds of knocking, windows and doors opening and closing, and thumps in the night.

Whether or not it is Poe or some other resident of the house, there are more than enough claims to make the Edgar Allan Poe house one of the most haunted places in Baltimore!

7. The Horse You Came in on Saloon

The Horse You Came in on Saloon was Maryland’s only existing bar before, during, and after the prohibition. It is also one of the only continuous operating bars that have remained open since its existence began. For more than one patron, The Horse (as called by locals) was a favorite watering hole, most notably Edgar Allan Poe.

Stories say that Poe not only frequented the bar, it was also the last place he was on the night he died. Poe left the bar and was found later in the street feverish and delirious. Taken to the hospital, Poe died four days later. There are many speculations as to how Poe died. However, alcohol or rabies are two of the most likely causes.

Staff at The Horse have put up with the odd occurrences throughout the bar. The chandelier swings on its own, the cash register drawer opens on its own repeatedly, mysterious orbs are seen as well as Poe himself walking down the street towards the bar. Other reports tell of beer mugs shattering for no reason in the same spot on the bar.

If you dare to stop by for a drink at The Horse You Came in on Saloon, be prepared to be subject to some of Poe’s pranks, such as your bar stool being pulled right out from under you!

6. The Baltimore County Almshouse

The Baltimore County Almshouse was opened in 1874 when it became necessary for Baltimore to house children who could not be cared for by their parents, the elderly, the ill, and the clinically insane.

Overcrowding and poor living conditions plagued the Almshouse as well as reports of untimely deaths. One, in particular, is a 75-year-old man Anthony Rose who fell to his death down an elevator shaft in 1909. Many claims tell that his spirit remains in the house.

People hear the ghosts of small children playing and throwing things, and women are heard chatting on the third floor. Many passersby have reported seeing faces in the windows, peering down to the street below.

Behind the Almshouse, there is a cemetery where the dead were buried – alone and forgotten as they were in true life. Perhaps their unsettled lives keep them lingering at the house in the afterlife.

5. Fort McHenry

Home of our country’s national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, Fort McHenry is also home to many of its casualties of war as well as the deadly flu epidemic in 1919. Spectral soldiers are reportedly marching on guard, on the lookout for enemy invasion. Many of them may not realize they are dead.

During the War of 1812, not many men died. However, hundreds of British soldiers outside the fort lost their lives. Many were held as prisoners and executed in the dungeons.

Common occurrences at Fort Henry are apparitions of soldiers marching in military formation and screams from the dungeon where prisoners were executed. One soldier who committed suicide in the dungeon is seen regularly. Sounds of footsteps are heard daily, lights turn off and on by an unseen hand, and the apparition of a woman standing in a window is commonplace as well.

If a paranormal investigator wants to document activity at the fort, they need to go through some red tape. It is required to apply for a “special use permit.” It seems management wants the fort regarded as a history lesson, not a paranormal playground!

4. Governor Calvert House

The Governor Calvert House is one of the most haunted Inns in the state of Maryland.  The original house dates back to 1695 and has been expanded four times throughout the years.  However, this has only given its ghosts more room to play.

Paranormal sightings of this historic property include a woman who committed suicide in the house in the 1940s and a man garbed in 1700s clothing who roams around the first floor. Could this be Governor Benedict Calvert who lived in the house in the 1720s?

The most interesting but disturbing ghost is that of “Dominic,” who used to work at and died in the house. He hangs around to peer at female guests, although he once told a medium that he promises not to touch them. Dominic is also well aware of the fact that he is dead.

In the 1980s, the hotel owners called in Paranormal Investigators due to the extreme activity experienced during the renovation. When you stir the pot, the spirits come out to play!

3. Middleton Tavern

Middleton Tavern was built in the 1700s as a private residence until ferry operator Horatio Middleton purchased it in 1750. By law, a ferry operator had to provide lodging for its customers, and Middleton converted the home into the Middleton Tavern.

It is hard to say who stayed behind to haunt the facility, a favorite watering hole for many over the years, although it could be Horatio himself.

One famed spirit, whom the staff named Roland, appears in revolutionary style clothing and stands looking out the window towards the water as if he is watching for the ferry to come in. Roland announces his presence with the distinct smell of cigar smoke, although no smoking is allowed in the tavern for the living.

Other accounts include glasses flying off the shelf and shattering one by one on the ground, tables holding dirty plates knocked over, shadowy figures, and wall lanterns turned upside down.

You may not get to witness any of the paranormal if you visit, but the haunted history of the establishment will surely be felt!

2. Lord Baltimore Hotel

Built during the Great Depression, the Lord Baltimore Hotel has a history of paranormal tied to the deadly desperation of many in that era. People killed themselves at the hotel in despair over the stock market crash, and the Lord Baltimore Hotel was just one of the many sites to carry out this horrific task.

With a haunted history such as this, it’s no wonder that the hotel became and has remained one of the most haunted places in Baltimore. More than 20 records documenting deaths of those who jumped from the rooftop have been recorded. Their ghosts are often seen and felt by many around the hotel.

Lord Baltimore’s most famous residents ghosts are those of a young couple who jumped to their deaths, tragically dragging their 7-year-old daughter with them. The parents are seen dancing in the ballroom. Their daughter is seen on the 19th floor with a red ball. She is known to chase staff members, even causing one to quit because of it.

Don’t be surprised if the elevator randomly stops on the 19th floor and the doors open to no one waiting to board if you visit the hotel—a phenomenon experienced by many.

1. Westminster Burial Ground

One of the most common and probably the creepiest places for paranormal hauntings are cemeteries- and Westminster Burial Ground is no exception.

The burial ground was built in 1797, and notable people such as Edgar Allan Poe, General Samuel Smith, and Colonel James McHenry are all buried in the cemetery.

Poe died in 1849, and strangely, in the 1920s, the figure of a gentleman clad all in black with his face obscured began to appear in the wee hours of the morning at Poe’s grave. He left roses and a bottle of Poe’s signature drink, cognac, every year on the anniversary of Poe’s death until 2009. Poe himself stands before his grave with an expression of sadness as if he is still longing for something unknown, even in his afterlife.

The screaming skull ghost is the terrifying report of the cemetery’s hauntings. Rumors are that a minister who brutally murdered had a screaming noise coming from his body, so somehow his skull was packed with cement and buried at Westminster. Visitors claim a high-pitched scream comes from the area near his grave.

A young girl who died at 16 named Lucia Watson Taylor kneels at her own grave praying. She has long hair and a flowing white gown.

Don’t think about causing any havoc in the burial ground, however. The spirit of the 19th-century groundskeeper is said to chase anyone making too much noise!

Check out our ghost tours across the country, or take a virtual tour from the comfort of your own home.  We guarantee a hauntingly good time!

Sources:

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/top-lists/baltimores-most-haunted-places/

https://www.hauntedrooms.com/maryland/baltimore/haunted-places

https://www.admiralfell.com/about-us/our-history.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-10-27-9610270036-story.html

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/haunted-horse-you-came-in-on/29655771

https://www.hauntedjourneys.com/haunted-eateries/3946-horse-you-came-in-on-saloon

https://mdhistoryonline.net/2018/06/02/h411/

http://www.middletontavern.com/history.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Baltimore_Hotel

https://frightfind.com/the-westminster-hall-and-burial-ground/

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/haunted-stories-abound-at-fort-mchenry/70968