14 Haunted Cemeteries and Ghostly Graveyards

Stories of the World's Most Haunted Cemeteries

The catacombs of Paris, considered one of the world's most haunted cemeteries, hold the remains of more than 6 million souls.
The catacombs of Paris hold the remains of more than 6 million souls. Kimberly T. Powell

Cemeteries around the world have gained a reputation for being haunted by ghosts for many reasons, including grave robbery, unmarked or forgotten burials, natural disasters that disturb resting places, or sometimes even because the deceased was not properly buried at all. Add all of that to the fact that graveyards are often dark, somber places and you've got the perfect setting for a ghost or two. Come explore some of the world's most haunted cemeteries...but don't forget to hold your breath as you drive by, or you might breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died!

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1New Orleans, Louisiana

Multiple ghosts are said to haunt the famous St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, but one ghost dominates the others — Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. The ornate cemetery is the oldest cemetery in New Orleans - a place of ornate above-ground tombs and mausoleums, winding footpaths and crumbling memorials.

Old Western Burial GroundBaltimore, Maryland

The Old Western Burial Ground in Baltimore is the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, fifteen generals from the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and other famous individuals. Part of the graveyard can now only be accessed by way of catacombs below Westminster Presbyterian Church where ghosts are said to walk...

Resurrection CemeteryChicago, Illinois

One of America's favorite ghost stories is the tale of the vanishing hitchhiker, Resurrection Mary. Resurrection Cemetery, located in Justice, Illinois, has been home to this famous spirit since the 1930's. The famous burned and twisted bars at the gate of Resurrection Cemetery were removed to discourage onlookers

Rookwood CemeterySydney, Australia

Close to one million people lie in the beautiful, Victorian Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney, but it is the grave of the notorious Davenport Brothers, famous spiritualists, that is said to attract ghosts to the necropolis.

Stull CemeteryStull, Kansas

The quiet Stull Cemetery located between Topeka and Kansas City, in the town of Stull, Kansas, is listed by many haunting guides as one of the "Seven Portals to Hell" and one of the most haunted cemeteries in America. Steven Jansen, director of the Watkins Community Museum of History thinks the legends started as a "fraternity prank" in the 1970s, however, and have no basis in truth. The locals do their best to deter visitors on Halloween due to repeated vandalism in the cemetery, and it is even said that a local knocked down the burned-out church on the property - site of the supposed "gateway to hell."

Paris Catacombs Paris, France

Listed by many among the world's most haunted places, the Paris Catacombs, buried deep beneath the streets of Paris, hold the bones of over six million French dead, interred in the empty limestone quarries from 1785 through the 1800s. With so many bones stacked up everywhere you look, it seems impossible to believe that ghosts don't exist.

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Chicago, Illinois
This abandoned Chicago burial ground is the subject of numerous legends and ghostly tales. More "than 100 different reports of strange phenomena at Bachelor's Grove Cemetery have been collected, including actual apparitions, unexplained sights and sounds, and even glowing balls of light."

El Campo Santo Cemetery

San Diego, California
The now-restored 1849 Roman Catholic burial ground known as El Campo Santo Cemetery is a popular place for ghost sightings. Some of the graves here were covered over by a street, and others have been desecrated over the years, reportedly leaving the residents restless.

Greenwood Cemetery

Decatur, Illinois
One of the most famous haunted cemeteries in the midwest, Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois, is the site of numerous ghost stories and legends. The Civil War section is the most famous, said to be haunted by the ghosts of Confederate prisoners.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Los Angeles, California
Formerly known as Hollywood Memorial Park, this Los Angeles, California, cemetery to the stars is reportedly haunted by starlet Virginia Rappe, who allegedly died after a night of debauchery with comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Clifton Webb is also reported to haunt his mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and a "Lady in Black" is often seen in front of Rudolph Valentino's crypt.

Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery

Columbus, Ohio
Fresh flowers often mysteriously appear on the grave of a Confederate soldier who is buried at Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, believed to have been left behind by the famous "Lady in Gray," The ghostly widow, who has been seen walking among the tombstones, lost her husband at the ​Confederate prison camp which existed on this spot during the Civil War.

Silver Cliff Cemetery

Silver Cliff, Colorado
Ghost sightings in the haunted Silver Cliff Cemetery date back to the 1880's. Ghosts of pioneers are believed to be the cause of the blue balls of light that float over the graves.

Stepp Cemetery

Bloomington, Indiana
A number of eerie legends and tales of paranormal activity have arisen from Stepp Cemetery, one of the most famous haunted cemeteries in the state of Indiana. The story is always a ghostly woman sitting watch over a gravesite, but the origins of the woman and her story seem to vary with each teller of the tale.

Union Cemetery 

Easton, Connecticut
A favorite cemetery for ghost photographers, Union Cemetery is most famous for the "White Lady" who has been seen by many walking through the cemetery at night. Other ghosts, including Indian spirits, are also said to haunt the graveyard.