America’s Gulf Coast is packed with beaches, sun, and outdoor adventures. Yet, the region also has a darker side. A history filled with murder, suicide, and war, fueling tales about shadowy spirits, vengeful ghosts, and mysterious phenomenon.
Some of these legends date back to the U.S. Civil War, while others are even older. For years, visitors to these coastal places have faced phantom children, the voice of an infamous pirate, an unknown sultan, and even a river that sings. Let’s take a journey and explore some ghostly encounters from America’s Gulf Coast.
The Myrtles Plantation
First known as Laurel Grove, the Myrtles Plantation has an over 200-year-old storied history marked with tragedy. Situated in St. Francisville, Louisiana, the plantation is among the most haunted places in the United States. (Link 1)
Its most famous ghost, Chloe, was purportedly an enslaved servant who lived on the grounds in the early 1800s. Legend has it the young girl was killed for poisoning the wife and children of the Myrtles Plantation owner, Clarke Woodruff. Over the years, both visitors and residents claimed to have seen and heard Chloe’s spirit around the property. Her ghost was even allegedly captured in a 1992 photograph.
Other apparitions reportedly roam the Myrtles Plantation as well. Young children dressed in old-fashioned clothes have been spotted, sometimes appearing in the mirror. Various tales also claim the plantation was built on an old Native American burial ground, which would make the property a hotbed of paranormal activity.
The Singing River
According to locals and visitors to Pascagoula, Mississippi, the town’s namesake river sings. As science has failed to find the source of the reported flute-like sound, legend points to the paranormal to explain the strange phenomenon.
Also known as “Singing River,” reports of mysterious music originating from the water began to surface in the 1700s. The reason for the unusual sounds is often attributed to the local Indigenous people.
The Biloxi and Pascagoula tribes once co-existed along the banks of the Singing River. At some point, war broke out between the native peoples. Vastly outnumbered, the Pascagoula decided mass suicide was a better alternative than being slaughtered by the rival tribe. With joined hands, they walked into the river while singing, ultimately succumbing to a watery grave.
The mysterious humming sound that emanates still today is thought to be the last voices of the Pascagoula tribe. Beautiful and vast, the river continues to sing as a reminder of the tragedy that took place.
Beauvoir
More than a decade after the Civil War ended, former president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, moved into Beauvoir, a home near the beach in Biloxi, Mississippi. Presently open to the public, the mansion and grounds host both Civil War historians as well as a few ghosts.
The daughter of Davis, Varina Anne, has been captured in photographs. Some report hearing someone playing the piano from her room, even though no one is in there. At least one visitor said Jefferson Davis, himself, made an appearance and spoke to her.
In the early 20th century, the property was converted to a Confederate veterans home. Many of the former soldiers who died there were laid to rest in the nearby cemetery. Some claim to have seen various soldier apparitions roaming the 82-acre grounds.
Old Bayview Cemetery
In Corpus Christi, Texas, there is the Old Bayview Cemetery. The sacred ground holds the remains of veterans of the 1846 Mexican-American War as well as many of the original settlers of the area.
Wandering the grounds of Old Bayview Cemetery is the “Fainting Woman,” who was supposedly buried alive. Another woman, dressed in a white dress and likely seeking a long-lost lover, has been spotted walking among the graves.
The Sultan’s Palace
Among the architectural beauty of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, sits the Gardette-LePretre House. The mansion, often referred to as The Sultan’s Palace, was purportedly the site of several murders.
According to legend, the wealthy brother of a Turkish sultan once rented the mansion. Other stories claim it was the sultan himself. Allegedly, he and his harem of five women were killed by assassins. Reports of a ghostly figure walking the halls of the luxurious property, now an apartment building on the corner of Dauphine Street and Orleans Avenue, have surfaced over the years since.
USS Alabama
After the U.S. Navy retired the USS Alabama, it was moved and docked at Mobile Bay, Alabama, in late September 1964. Since then, the ship has been a tourist attraction for both World War II history enthusiasts and ghost hunters.
On board the ship, ghostly footsteps have been heard walking toward visitors. Inside the officers’ quarters and cook’s galley, ghostly figures have appeared. Reportedly, unexplained tapping and popping sounds can be heard in the vessel’s bulkheads. Steel hatches also close without help from the living.
Some believe these are the ghosts of soldiers killed when friendly fire struck the Alabama. The souls of eight men seemingly have not left the ship.
Deer Island
Just off the Mississippi coast is Deer Island. Clearly visible across the water from the city of Biloxi, the island is a natural habitat for birds and other animals. Yet, some locals believe Deer Island has a supernatural resident as well.
Sometime in the early 1800s, two fishermen were camping overnight on the island. Suddenly, the men heard a loud rustling in the bushes. Thinking it was local wildlife, they disregarded the noise at first. Unable to ignore it for long, the men went to find the source and came upon something completely unexpected — a headless skeleton standing and glaring at them. The men barely escaped as they ran for their boat as the skeleton chased behind.
The undead skeleton is said to be the spirit of a dead pirate. Years earlier, a ship stopped near Deer Island with the intention of burying stolen treasure. The pirate captain asked his shipmates for a volunteer to stay behind to guard the hidden loot. One man took the job, unknowingly sealing his fate. The captain had the man beheaded and his body thrown on the shore. Supposedly, the decapitated pirate still stands guard, scaring away anyone looking to get rich.
Loyd Hall Plantation
The Loyd Hall Plantation in Cheneyville, Louisiana, has a history of ghostly inhabitants going back to the late 19th century. Through the years, various inhabitants have lost their life in or around the mansion, leaving many to wonder if they ever left.
The first owner, William Loyd, presumably still occupies the mansion. Loyd was reportedly a double agent for both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. When eventually exposed, Union soldiers executed Loyd on the property by hanging.
A niece of William, Ines Loyd, purportedly committed suicide when she jumped from a third-story window. Union soldier Harry Henry and former enslaved nanny Sally Boston also died in the house.
Loyd Hall Plantation visitors say ethereal piano melodies and violin serenades can be heard on quiet nights. Others describe crashing noises and doors that open and close without explanation. Various objects in the house have mysteriously disappeared and then reappeared later. Flickering lights and otherworldly screams have also been reported.
Fort Morgan
Constructed in the early 1800s, Fort Morgan sits at the mouth of Mobile Bay along the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Often referenced as one of the most haunted places in the state, Fort Morgan is supposedly home to long dead soldiers and a few other wayward souls as well.
Visiting the fort is a trip back in time as much of the structure remains unchanged since soldiers lived, worked, and died there nearly 200 years ago. Guests of Fort Morgan report eerie footsteps, ghostly figures dressed in 19th-century military uniforms, and phantom touches. Some have reportedly heard the cries of several men killed from a Civil War-era bomb that exploded in one of the rooms.
The Don CeSar Hotel
Along the Florida coast in St. Petersburg sits the Don CeSar. Sometimes called the “Pink Palace,” this popular beachfront hotel was built almost 100 years ago and has welcomed countless guests, both famous and not-so-famous.
Yet, it may have some guests who refuse to leave. For one, the property’s former owner, Thomas Rowe. After running the place for so many years, Rowe, who died in 1940, is still wandering the area. Matching Rowe’s description, a ghostly apparition dressed in a white suit has been witnessed strolling along the beach.
Rowe is not alone in the afterlife. Rowe’s alleged girlfriend Lucinda often shows up beside him, as the couple quietly walks together.
Maison Rouge
In Galveston, Texas, stands the remains of Maison Rouge. Once owned by the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte, only the home’s original outside basement walls and front steps still exist. On the ruins, the F.W. Henricks House was later built on the property.
Guests have claimed Lafitte’s spirit roams Maison Rouge, often hearing him yell at fellow pirates and trying to scare away anyone looking for buried treasure. Locals say strange orbs of light have appeared as well as vicious arguments between invisible phantoms can be heard. Others say a pack of dogs, once owned by Lafitte, can be seen wandering the grounds.
