Ghost stories are as timeless as the spirits whose tales they tell. As a city that was incorporated in 1847, Atlanta has a lengthy history of haunts, some pure urban legend, others convincingly authenticated. Amateur ghost hunters can get their spook on year-round at one of these top haunted spots in the South East's largest metropolis.
The Compound Night Club
Located at 1008 Brady Ave, this club is a former headstone factory with a storage facility on the property that previously functioned as a slaughterhouse. Weird combination, admittedly, but the Atlanta Ghost Hunters captured some convincing evidence of paranormal activity, which they feature on their website www.freewebs.com/henryghosthunters/compoundnightclub.htm. Viewer discretion is advised.
Oakland Cemetery and The Tomb of the Unknown
Oakland Cemetery is the resting place of somewhere between 3,000 and 4,500 unknown Confederate soldiers that perished in General Sherman's invasion of Atlanta in 1864. Many cemetery visitors report that a few of those souls aren't resting all that peacefully. The most common experience visitors to this landmark encounter is a disembodied voice listing the names of the unknown dead.
The Masquerade
One of the best spots in the city to catch great local bands and national acts alike, the Masquerade nightclub lives in the former Dupre Excelsior Mill on North Avenue in Atlanta's Poncey-Highland neighborhood. The building has a history of fires, structural collapses, numerous accidental deaths of young employees during its turn-of-the-century mill years, and whisperings of a vampire that has long called the Masquerade its home. Patrons might want to wear a non-flammable turtleneck when seeing the bands there. The Masquerade has three separate rooms for live performances, appropriately named Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, to entertain any "visitors" caught in limbo.
The Devil's Turnaround, Marietta, GA
In the northern suburbs is a cemetery known as The Devil's Turnaround. Noonday Extension Cemetery is the actual name for this paranormal hotbed. Graves date back to the 1860s. Located northeast of Hwy 41 in Cobb County's 30066 zip code, the Devil's Turnaround derives its nickname from the semi-circular alignment of the oldest graves. According to Rhetta Akamatsu, author of Haunted Marietta, this cemetery is a magnet for vandalism and cult-like activity, including beheaded snakes, headstones in front unexplainably empty graves, and dead dogs given shallow burials. But the paranormal activity is even worse. Visitors and investigators have reported objects being thrown at them from an unseen hand, along with discovering scratches, bruises, and animal bites on their body after walking on the not-so-hallowed grounds.
The Shakespeare Tavern
While enjoying a production of Hamlet or Macbeth, patrons may catch more spooks in their midst than just the actors performing as the Bard's famous apparitions. Though theatres are notorious for having ghost stories aplenty, the Tavern allegedly has a full chorus of real live (ha) paranormal entities, including source-less shadows, untraceable sounds, and actual spirits manifesting to staff and performers.
From Ghostbusters to Ghost Hunters, from the History Channel to AMC and everywhere in between, the past is very much a part of the present. Visit any sites with permission and caution, and happy haunt hunting!
References:
Akamatsu, Rhetta. Haunted Marietta. Charleston: The History Press, 2009.
Christian, Reese. Ghosts of Atlanta: Phantoms of the Phoenix City. Charleston: The History Press, 2008.
RWC101
Jenna Wilson - Jenna Wilson began her literary career in 2006 generating screenplay coverage for film production companies while freelancing in A&R for ...
Join the Conversation