12 most haunted cemeteries in North Carolina
With spooky statues, ghostly figures, and inexplicable noises, these cemeteries in North Carolina give off eerie vibes sure to spook even the bravest visitors.
For some, time spent in a cemetery can bring back fond memories of lost loved ones. For others, visiting a cemetery may evoke feelings of discomfort—or even fear. Whether due to their association with death and loss or the frightening ghost stories people were told as children, many cemeteries are considered haunted.
The Tar Heel State is home to many cemeteries—some of which have dark histories and ghostly legends associated with them. Keep reading to learn about the many haunted cemeteries in North Carolina and what sort of spooky spirits you can expect to encounter if you visit.
1. Old Smithville Burying Ground
Southport’s Old Smithville Burying Ground is older than the town itself and acts as the final resting place for many well-known individuals, such as Colonel Benjamin Smith, who served under George Washington in 1776. Smith doesn’t haunt the cemetery, but another ghost reportedly does. Tony Caseletta, an Italian immigrant who worked at an inn in Southport, died in a boating accident in 1882. Old Smithville Burying Ground visitors have reported seeing Caseletta’s ghost walking among the tombstones at night and hearing him sing.
2. Cedar Grove Cemetery
New Bern’s Cedar Grove Cemetery has many prominent residents, including several North Carolina congressmen and Caleb Bradham, the inventor of Pepsi. However, the supernatural activity at Cedar Grove Cemetery is related to another aspect of the centuries-old cemetery. There is a structure at the entrance of the cemetery called the Weeping Arch that many believe to be cursed. A rusty, red-colored liquid reportedly drips from the shell stone structure—typically when a funeral is taking place—and legend has it that whoever gets dripped on first will be the next person to die.
Many have noted that the droplets resemble tears, perhaps indicating that the arch is weeping for the dead, which is how the structure got its name.
3. Historic Elmwood Pinewood Cemetery
The Historic Elmwood Pinewood Cemetery is actually a combination of two cemeteries. Elmwood Cemetery was built in 1853, and because cemeteries in North Carolina were often segregated during that time, Pinewood Cemetery was created adjacent to Elmwood for African Americans. Some claim the cemeteries have an intense energy, and other visitors have reported hearing disembodied voices.
If you want to visit the cemeteries, consider participating in a Voices From The Past After Dark event. During the event, participants are invited to take a lantern-guided stroll through the cemeteries, plus members of the Charlotte Area Paranormal Society will be in attendance with ghost-hunting equipment to communicate with spirits.
4. Old Settlers’ Cemetery
Old Settlers’ Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in North Carolina—in use from 1774 to 1878—and was the primary cemetery in Charlotte until Elmwood opened up. Many of Charlotte’s earliest settlers and prominent figures are buried in the cemetery, and it’s featured on many city tours, such as the Charlotte Liberty Walk.
Many visitors report experiencing an uneasy feeling in the cemetery, and some have mentioned hearing growling noises and disembodied voices. Others have reported becoming sick upon entering the cemetery.
5. Riverside Cemetery
Riverside Cemetery in Asheville is the final resting place of famed author Thomas Wolfe, but it’s the World War I soldiers buried there who do the haunting. Many visitors claim to hear soldiers shouting commands in the cemetery, and some have reported seeing apparitions of soldiers marching past tombstones.
6. Historic St. James Graveyard
Wilmington’s Historic St. James Graveyard is the burial site of many notable figures, but perhaps the most well-known is Samuel Jocelyn. Jocelyn was thought to have died in a horseback riding accident in 1810, but after Jocelyn’s ghost began visiting his friends in their dreams asking them to dig up his body, it was determined that he was actually buried alive. Now, Jocelyn’s ghost reportedly haunts the cemetery and can often be spotted near his tombstone.
The graveyard is frequently featured as a stop on popular Wilmington ghost tours, along with other spooky sites such as Gallows Hill, Bellamy Mansion, and the Latimer House.
7. Oakwood Cemetery
Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh spans more than 70 acres and is the final resting place for many notable North Carolinians, from politicians to Civil War generals. Founded in 1869, the cemetery is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is quite lovely during the day. However, at night, the vibe shifts and the paranormal activity begins.
Some visitors have claimed to have been scratched, shoved, or punched. In the Confederate Cemetery, a section of Oakwood Cemetery designated for Confederate soldiers, people have reportedly heard sounds of gunfire and disembodied shouting. The cemetery is also home to an angel statue with eyes that follow visitors and a head that spins around 12 times at midnight every Halloween.
8. Lewis Memorial Park
Asheville’s Lewis Memorial Park has a complicated history—and an intriguing ghost story. Many visitors report seeing the same apparition: a man on horseback followed by a dog. The horseback-riding spirit is believed to be Robert J. Lewis, the funeral director who founded the cemetery. Lewis’ plans to open the cemetery were met with controversy (some feared water drainage from the cemetery would pose a health hazard to nearby bodies of water), but in 1927, the cemetery opened anyway.
9. South Asheville Cemetery
The South Asheville Cemetery was created as a burial site for enslaved African Americans, and today, the two-acre site is home to the bodies of about 2,000 deceased people. The last burial at the cemetery took place in 1943, and the property is maintained by volunteers. Visitors to the cemetery have reported paranormal activity, such as seeing slow-moving, shadowy figures.
10. Browder Family Cemetery
The Browder Family Cemetery made headlines in 2024 after a woman shared photos taken at the cemetery that indicated it was haunted. Legend has it that if you visit the cemetery at night and put baby powder around your car, children’s handprints will appear. The woman, Sonya Cox, went to the cemetery to see if the story was true. She shared photos with a local news outlet that show white handprints on her car. Another photo depicts a demonic-looking figure leaning up against a tree. After the news outlet published Cox’s photos and story, others came forward to share similar experiences.
Many think the supernatural occurrences at Browder Family Cemetery are related to the Lawson family murders, which were featured in the Netflix series “28 Days Haunted.” In 1929, a man named Charlie Lawson murdered his wife and six of his children on Christmas Day, and the bodies were buried in the cemetery. It’s believed that the handprints cemetery visitors see are those of the murdered Lawson children.
11. Meadowbrook Cemetery
Meadowbrook Cemetery, located in Lumberton, is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a woman named Claire Townsend. Some people claim Townsend died in the early 1900s on her wedding night, while others say she died after having a seizure. According to local lore, you can spot her ghost wandering through the cemetery at night.
12. Henkelite Cemetery
Mount Pleasant’s Henkelite Cemetery, also known as Lutheran Union Church Cemetery, is said to be haunted by the ghosts of Confederate soldiers who were buried there. Visitors have reported hearing gunfire and the sound of people marching. Some have claimed to see soldiers standing guard at the cemetery, while others say pictures taken during the day show children playing near the tombstones after being developed.
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