Crab Cakes & Creeps: 10 Most Haunted Spots in Maryland

Looking for the most haunted places in Maryland? Explore Maryland’s creepiest corners, from spooky shorelines to crabby spirits. Here, the competition for “Most Haunted” is scarier than rush hour on the Beltway 😄

These are the 10 most haunted places in Maryland:

Point Lookout Lighthouse

Bowie, Maryland

Point Lookout Lighthouse, built in 1830 by John Donahoo, is smooshed between the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Its past roles as a Civil War prison, a hospital, and a Revolutionary War lookout have left it haunted.

The Lighthouse is soaked in deep, tangible sorrow from its days during the Civil War when it neighbored Camp Hoffman, a Union prison camp that held over 52,000 prisoners in horrific conditions. The unrestful souls of these Confederate prisoners, who died of starvation, disease, or abuse, haunt the area still.

The site is also the scene of many deadly shipwrecks, with many sailors drowning and their bodies never recovered. Locals say these lost souls hang around Point Lookout, manifesting as ghostly people in the water and along the shore.

Park Ranger Kevin Hook recounts times when temperatures suddenly dropped to the point he could see his breath. Coworker Gerry Sword encountered the ghost of an older woman searching for lost gravestones; she mysteriously disappeared. He says she was directing him to a long-forgotten resting place, The Taylor Family graveyard, that was well-documented but lost to time somewhere in Point Lookout Lighthouse property. 

Antietam Battlefield

Sharpsburg

The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the single bloodiest day in American history. 

This brutal fight between the Union and Confederate armies on the Antietam Battlefield left over 23,000 soldiers wounded, dead, or forever missing. 

The infamous Bloody Lane was a road where Union soldiers killed several Confederates and piled their bodies high until the sunken road became a river of blood. The energy from that terrible day still clings to the land.

Here are some of the most common hauntings at The Antietam Battlefield:

• Bloody Lane: Visitors have heard distant gunfire and smelled gunpowder when no one is around. Some have seen bloody soldiers in Confederate uniforms.
• Phantom Singing: A group of Baltimore schoolboys claimed to have heard a strange chanting that sounded like “Fa-la-la-la-la” near the observation tower. Historians suggest this could be the battle cry of the Irish Brigade, which sounds similar to the Christmas carol Deck the Halls.
• Sharpsburg Churches: After the battle, the wounded were taken to local churches and homes in Sharpsburg. Some report hearing the agonized cries of the injured coming from these buildings. 
• Bloodstained House: In nearby Mt. Airy, legend has it that the floorboards of a house for wounded soldiers remain permanently stained with blood despite repeated attempts to remove it.

Fort McHenry

Baltimore

Fort McHenry is one of the oldest forts in the U.S. During the War of 1812, it fended off a fierce British attack in the Battle of Baltimore. Bombarded for over 24 hours, the Americans suffered casualties, including a woman gruesomely severed by a bomb. 

During this chaos, a lawyer named Francis Scott Key, watching from a nearby ship, wrote the famous poem that would become The Star-Spangled Banner.

It later served as a prison for Confederate soldiers and sympathizers during the Civil War and a hospital during World War I. With so much trauma, it’s no surprise that the place is haunted!

Visitors have spotted spirits near the former gallows and a woman missing half of her body wandering, possibly the woman blown up by the bomb. Others report cold spots, doors rattling, shadowy figures, and disembodied voices that seem to be arguing. 

One of the most common sightings is a man in an 1800s military uniform. Many have seen him and assumed he’s part of a reenactment, but it’s no act.

With so much U.S. history and tragedy, Fort McHenry remains one of the most haunted places in Maryland.

Samuel A. Mudd House

Waldorf

The Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House, now a museum, has a special spot in Maryland history. 

The house’s darkest story comes through its most infamous visitor, John Wilkes Booth. After assassinating President Lincoln, Booth went to the Mudd House for medical treatment. In the upstairs “Booth Room,” where he once rested, weird things have happened. 

Visitors often find a distinct human-shaped impression on the bed each morning that wasn’t there the night before. Dr. Mudd was later imprisoned on suspicion that he aided Booth’s attempt to escape. He was later found innocent.

Some say Mudd still resides in his home. Louise Mudd-Arehart, the granddaughter of Dr. Mudd, experienced strange stuff in the 1960s. Footsteps echoed upstairs—though there was no upstairs—and mysterious knocks occurred at her door. 

She eventually saw the spirit of her grandfather, whom she called the “Moving Spirit,” dressed in his usual attire. Louise believed her grandfather’s ghost was urging her to save the family home. Inspired, she launched a campaign to preserve the house, which is the museum we see today.

The Lord Baltimore Hotel

Baltimore, Maryland

The Lord Baltimore Hotel, a stunning French Renaissance-style building, opened its doors in 1928. Designed by William Lee Stoddart, the 22-story hotel was the tallest building in the state (at the time) and is today one of the most haunted places in Maryland.

However, during the Great Depression, the hotel was the site of 20 documented suicides, most from those jumping from the rooftop after the stock market crash.

Here are some of the odd happenings at the Lord Baltimore Hotel:

• Molly and Her Red Ball: The ghost of a 7-year-old girl named Molly, dressed in a cream-colored dress and black shoes, is often seen on the 19th floor. Guests report seeing her playing with a red ball, and she has even chased staff members. Some believe she is searching for her parents, who tragically jumped to their deaths.
• The Suicidal Parents: Guests and staff have seen 2 figures dressed in formal outfits dancing in the ballroom, believed to be Molly’s parents, reliving their final days before their tragic fall.
• The Empty Elevator: The hotel’s elevator often mysteriously stops on the 19th floor without being called, with icy hands sometimes felt by those riding it. When the doors open, no one is ever there.
• Unexplained Noises: Guests frequently call the reception desk complaining of a little girl bouncing a ball down the hallway, but no child is there. Disembodied voices and crying have also been reported.
• Persistent Handprint: A small child’s handprint remains permanently on one of the penthouse walls, believed to have been left by Molly; it won’t wipe away no matter how it’s scrubbed.
• Phantom Woman: Guests often wake to find a woman standing at the foot of their bed, and some experience odd happenings, like their TV turning on and off by itself.

It’s no wonder the Lord Baltimore Hotel is considered one of the most haunted places in Maryland!

Jericho Covered Bridge

Kingsville

Tucked away in quiet Kingsville, the Jericho Covered Bridge is one of the most haunted places in Maryland. 

While the bridge itself may look innocent, the stories tied to it are anything but. Lynchings took place here post-Civil War, and the souls of those who died still remain. Witnesses have seen shadowy figures hanging from the bridge’s trusses, spraying gently but creepily.

The spirits don’t stop there. A young girl carrying a basket of flowers has been seen wandering the bridge. Others have seen a woman with a severely burned face walking aimlessly, looking for help.

To top it all off, some people describe an animal-like creature prowling the area, guarding the bridge from unwanted visitors. 

Fletchertown Road

Bowie

Fletchertown Road in Bowie is home to one of Maryland’s oldest legends: the Goatman. This half-man, half-goat creature has terrified locals for decades.

The Goatman first gained notoriety in the 1970s when reports of a decapitated dog near the woods stirred up panic. Witnesses described a creature walking on two hooves, standing 6 feet tall and covered in fur. 

Since then, sightings of the Goatman have increased, especially around Fletchertown Road and nearby areas.

He’s said to have glowing eyes, sharp horns, and the legs of a goat. His screeches echo through the woods before he appears, stalking pets (!!) and sometimes people. Locals say if you hear a strange squealing or catch sight of two red eyes in the dark, it’s the Goatman.

Is it just a myth, or could this monster really be hiding in the woods? 

The Maryland State House

Annapolis

The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in use, and it’s also one of the most haunted places in Maryland. 

Some say a Revolutionary War soldier haunts the grounds, his presence figure appearing on foggy nights. He’s dressed in full uniform, still patrolling.

The most famous haunting is Thomas Dance, a plasterer who fell to his death from the dome in 1793. Following his death, his employers refused to pay or return any of his tools to his wife and children. 

He is said to hate his employers to this day, causing sudden blasts of icy air, moving furniture, and opening doors throughout the building.

Legislators and security have spotted him walking inside the dome, sometimes smoking a pipe.

Glenn Dale Hospital

Glenn Dale

Glenn Dale Hospital, once a tuberculosis sanatorium opened in 1934, is now known as one of the most haunted places in Maryland. 

This massive 23-building campus, designed to maximize exposure to sunshine and fresh air, once housed about 600 patients and 500 staff members at its peak. 

Today, it stands abandoned, a favorite for Maryland urban exploration.

Here are some of the bizarre experiences reported:

• Steady Footsteps: Visitors often hear steady, deliberate footsteps coming from the trees near the buildings, very different from the sounds animals make.
• Unexplained Noises: Reports of sudden loud noises such as sticks cracking and doors slamming are common, particularly in the still, silent air.
• Supernatural Encounters in the Dark: Explorers recount their lights failing suddenly, followed by eerie hissing sounds, rapid footsteps all around, and mysterious voices.
• Spirit Box Communications: Using spirit boxes, a paranormal research device that scans radio frequencies quickly, some have reported communicating with spirits, hearing responses, and faint yells from empty buildings.

Westminster Hall & Burying Ground

Baltimore

Westminster Hall & Burying Ground is one of the most poetic places in Baltimore, where America’s master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, rests. 

Since 1786, the site has been the final resting place for notable figures from United States history, including founding father James McHenry and General Sam Smith, a hero of the War of 1812.

Common manifestations:

• Edgar Allan Poe: Often seen wandering near his gravesite or standing at the altar inside Westminster Hall, Poe’s restless spirit remains one of the most famous hauntings here.
• The Skull of Cambridge: Known for its haunting screams, this decapitated head of a murdered minister is said to sound so unsettling that they have driven people to madness.
• Lucia Watson Taylor: Her spirit appears as a misty figure in white, eternally kneeling in prayer by her own grave, embodying the tragedy of her young death at only 16 years old.

The catacombs beneath Westminster are haunted, their peace disturbed by grave robbings from long ago. Bodies were stolen to supply medical students with cadavers for dissection, leaving restless spirits behind.

Additionally, legend says the spirits of those who died in comas before medical science could tell they were still alive still remain resentful and angry.

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