Haunted Hotspots

Mary Baldwin University 

Imagine waking in the middle of the night feeling like you’re being suffocated. Finding hanging mirrors and portraits turned upside down, backward, or even lying on the floor. These are just a few of the many ghostly incidents that have been reported taking place at Mary Baldwin University. Founded in 1842 as the Augusta Female Seminary, the college is known to have several spirits that taunt the student residents. 

Ghosts of Agnes McClung, actress Tallulah Bankhead and Mary Julia Baldwin herself are said to roam the campus. Faculty and staff have affectionately named a fourth spirit “Richard” for his prankster-like doings.  

Blackburn Inn

The elegant charm of Staunton’s Blackburn Inn emits a grand yet cozy appeal to visitors. Perhaps too comfortable, though, as this building has a long line of ghostly residents that refuse to leave. 

Originally constructed in 1828 as the Western State Hospital for the mentally ill, the property was turned into a medium-security prison over a century later. In 2018, the renovated Blackburn Inn opened to guests – who quickly discovered they might not be the only ones in the building. 

Surrounding businesses have reported hearing quiet moans of the word “home.” Do these belong to patients haunting the former hospital? Or are they coming from their graves that still lie on the campus grounds? Guests have also reported showers turning on by themselves, lights flickering, and locked windows opening on their own. Can these be explained? You decide.   

American Hotel 

Built in 1855, the American Hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in Virginia. Its proximity to the Virginia Central Railroad – connecting Staunton to Richmond – created popular appeal. But less than ten years later, the elegant hotel turned into a civil war hospital, housing wounded and dying soldiers. Today, the property contains offices and a reception hall, with plenty of ghostly encounters to share. Voices, footsteps, shadowy figures, and unexplained static protruding from speakers taunts current staff members. The creepiest part of it all? Most encounters occur in the building’s basement, once used as a morgue during its days as a hospital.

Train Station 

Just across the street from the American Hotel is the Staunton Train Station. After being rebuilt three times due to disasters, this property carries quite a history of its own. During the Civil War, Union General David Hunter and his troops set fire to the station to cut off supplies and communications from the Confederates. An incoming train derailed and tore through the rebuilt station only twenty years later. Spirits from these catastrophes are said to roam the third and current construction of the station. The apparition of the derailment’s sole casualty- a 17-year-old opera singer, can be seen wandering the platform and is known for pulling the hair of female travelers. All the while, the figure of a soldier in uniform is seen stumbling across the tracks. Strange lights, shadows, and ghostly voices have also been reported and recorded by investigators.    

Clocktower Restaurant & Bar 

The century-old clock tower building makes a statement, standing taller than its surrounding structures, but its ongoing haunts exemplify its dominance. The staff of the Clocktower Restaurant has witnessed glasses independently falling off shelves or breaking with no explanation. Owners have come into work to find pictures thrown on the floor, broken into pieces. And perhaps the creepiest, a delivery man witnessed a soup ladle floating through the air on its own. Spirits seemingly enjoy taunting the tenants and visitors with flickering lights, floating silhouettes, and even ghostly communications.