Our exploration of the Deep South included an enormous Navy Battleship and two famous plantations. It was certainly hard to narrow down the list of possible paranormal places we could visit while in the South, especially since Louisiana has many famed haunted plantations, all with their fair share of storied histories. But we’re fitting in as much as we can on our year long journey, and decided to spend more time at just a few places, and spent several hours exploring each one.
U.S.S. Alabama
Deep down in the belly of this beast is where I caught it…the shadow man. But let me back up to the beginning.
First of all, the ship and grounds of the U.S.S. Alabama are HUGE! The shore is littered with super cool, retired military planes, choppers, tanks, cannons, an SR-71 Blackbird and even a submarine.
Kristin decided to stay with the pups and tour all of these awesome relics while I boarded the ship. It was early on a weekday morning, so we were some of the first visitors to arrive and I was one of the few people exploring the U.S.S. Alabama.
It took about 25 minutes to descend from the top down to the bowels of the ship where the engine room is located. I wandered all throughout every level taking in the history as I snapped photos and videos. It felt a little stifling in the tight quarters but I didn’t sense any ghosts of sailors while down there.
After an hour of exploring the ship I went back out and met up with Kristin. It wasn’t until later that evening, when I was going through the photos that I found this:
Look closely in the hallway behind me…there is a shadow, and certainly not my own. And this time, it’s no mannequin. I know for damn sure that I was the only human down in this area at that time, and I certainly would have known if someone was standing in the hall right behind me. So, I don’t know what else to say other than I think I may have finally caught a dark apparition. One lurking behind me in the belly of that great big military beast parked in the coastal waters of Mobile, Alabama. If you get the opportunity to tour this ship, do it! And do it on a week day morning when no one else is around and maybe you’ll catch a shadowy visitor in your photos as well.
Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie, Louisiana
Oak Alley Plantation…a beautiful estate fabled for its iconic live oaks flanking the front and back entrances to the property.
This place has been in several movies and upon our arrival the view did not disappoint! We arrived at the plantation super early before it opened and lucky for us we had the place to ourselves for a little while to soak it all in.
There were barns, outbuildings, old slave quarters and gardens to explore. A red fox scampered by us on the lawn, greeting us upon our approach to the main house. Shortly after they opened, an employee was serving up early morning mint juleps and mint julep lemonades. According to her, ‘there is no wrong time, day or night, to sip on the medicine of the south’. We agree.
So, after roaming the grounds looking for signs of the paranormal and with medicine in hand, we entered the “Big House” on a small tour with our guide leading the way.
We listened intently to the history and tragedy that took place inside these walls. Guests and employees have reported numerous strange encounters with dark shadowy figures roaming the halls, phantom people in 1800s clothing appearing and disappearing out of sight and faces looking through windows from empty rooms.
During our tour I spoke to an employee who told me she refuses to enter a particular room on the second floor. While giving a tour, she lost her voice in the room and experienced a rising sense of panic. Several others have had similar experiences mysteriously losing their voice while in the room. Interesting to say the least. So, of course, the next logical step for Kristin and I was to meander over to that room and start provoking the breath stealing specters within.
Repeatedly we asked for them to try and quiet us while we took videos and photos. And just like that what happened next was completely expected…nothing. No unusual sights or sounds. Just a feeling of awe for how incredibly difficult it must have been to construct a mansion of such magnitude in the mosquito laden swamps of the hot, humid south with rooms so detailed and beautiful. No on-demand ghosts this time……so back to the over to the other side of the mansion we caught up with our tour.
Having finished our hour long exploration inside the sweltering “Big House” we went outside to the grounds again for one final walk around this majestic place.
We left Oak Alley with memories of a gorgeous historical place, whose former residents still seem to roam about, entertaining guests and scaring the very breath out of them. It is a bit off the beaten path, but if you are willing to make the visit, go early, not only to avoid the crowds but to avoid the heat and humidity that sets in as well.
Myrtles Plantation, Francisville, Louisiana
Our second haunted southerly estate was Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. It is regarded to many as one of America’s most haunted houses. I’ve wanted to come to this incredible place since TAPS explored it several years back and peaked my interest.
From objects moving, hand prints appearing on mirrors, shot gun murders, poisoning, drownings, hangings, epidemics and even possessed dolls that come alive at night, this place has ALL the makings of a Hollywood nightmare.
Like Oak Alley, Myrtles also lies on the Mighty Mississippi River, about 25 miles north of Baton Rouge, and nowhere even close to the beaten path. It lies deeeep within the Bayou country of this great state.
We arrived at dusk and took an evening tour on a weeknight. We had an awesome guide (Miss Allison) who was dressed in antebellum style attire and was extremely knowledgeable about the history of this beautiful plantation. Most tours have 30-40 people, and somehow we lucked out…we had a private tour with just one other couple.
However, before our tour even started we arrived and stepped out of the truck into a thick steaming cloud of humidity teaming with mosquitoes, lizards, birds, bats and insect noises of all sorts. Just like one would imagine the deep-south to offer up! I LOVED it as it made for the perfect setting in my opinion, although Kristin did not share in my sentiment, as she frantically slapped away mosquitoes.
Together we walked around the grounds of this mossy covered jungle stopping periodically to imagine life 200 years ago. The history of Myrtles is quite long and very much worth reading up on (even if you never make the hike out to this destination).
However, in the four hours that we spent here we were blown away by the stories and private photos taken by guests and staff. Not to mention, our own experiences. And believe it or not, it is actually a functioning bed and breakfast and has guest rooms on the main floor and second floor (which we were unfortunately not able to enter). I would love to stay the night here since these rooms are ‘off limits to tours’ and have a tremendous amount of ghostly activity. Kristin would not.
Miss Allison told us about a few first-hand accounts from recent overnight B&B guests (some of whom did not complete their stay and left hurriedly in the middle of the night), as well as some of her own experiences. A few of these first-hand accounts….
Some people felt a ghostly presence tap them awake in the middle of the night and others felt their feet being grabbed while in bed. The ghosts seem to be particularly drawn to women, and a few have felt their hair being pulled and an arm put around them.
One particular guest room is full of dolls…and the overnight guests placed one of the dolls (which was rumored to be possessed) in the hallway. The couple woke in the middle of the night to find it back in the room, sitting on the husband’s chest. In yet another room there is a little girl who peeks over the edge of the bed, jumps on the bed, and tries to snuggle with guests in the bed, before disappearing.
In a downstairs guest room, a butler in a tuxedo appeared to a guest and asked if they needed anything, after responding they did not, he walked around a corner and disappeared. By the way, this bed and breakfast has no butlers. And many potential guests have called to complain that they were turned away at the gate, being told by a gatekeeper that the plantation was closed. There are no gatekeepers at Myrtles Plantation and they were never closed!
Pictures are not allowed throughout the house except in the entry way. We took pictures of the mirror here that seems to have some unexplained phenomena. Every time it is cleaned and restored, the mirror is clear of imperfections, and every time there are marks and discolorations that reappear. Some resembling claw marks as though something is trying to get out…
These are just a few of the stories and paranormal events that have been experienced here. And although we didn’t encounter any phantoms throughout our tour of the house, we did have two strange things happen. Both of us felt goosebumps and cold breezes on the tour at different times in different rooms. Funny enough the house has no air duct system, nor AC units. The windows were closed downstairs and the warm, humid air was the only thing surrounding the house. We’re not sure where the cold came from.
Lastly, our guide stopped in her tracks when a door behind Kristin and I started to rattle and shake while she was talking. Paranormal? We can’t say for sure, but both occurrences sure helped to cap off the exploration of the plantation in a memorable way.
After the tour was over we walked the grounds across a boardwalk bridge to an island gazebo surrounded by a pond of chirping frogs!
It was so crazy loud we could barely hear each other talking! We walked around the pond, past the little cabins, looking for Chloe, the highly active ghost of a former house slave. In addition to Chloe, we also looked for the many spirits that are said to run freely both day and night around the property grounds. We walked and listened and looked but soon it became pitch black so we decided to head to the truck and call it a night. All I can say is WOW, this place really lives up to its reputation as one of America’s most haunted houses. I would definitely come back here.
All in all, the south has many mysteries and stories to be shared. Enough to fill a month’s worth of front porch rocking chair conversation sessions (with medicine in hand of course)! So grab your bug spray and your sense of adventure and high tail it down to the Bayous of the deep-south for a frightening good time, we promise you that you won’t be disappointed in the experience.
Cheers!
Matt
Stubs says
I hope I sleep after reading this one!