by Kala Ambrose
The Mountain of Terror appears to deliver as its name implies. Whether you connect with the ghosts of Civil War soldiers, the ghosts from the native tribes, the spirits of miners lingering in the area, or the young girl- and boy-ghost that live in the haunted house, the likelihood of seeing and experiencing something paranormal is very high.
Haunting Theme Parks of North Carolina
The Tweetsie Railroad is a theme park located in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The park offers amusement rides and a working steam locomotive that takes visitors on a three-mile ride around the area. Launched in 1957 as a Wild West theme park, it has continued to expand and grow over the decades. One of the most popular events at Tweetsie is the Ghost Train Halloween Festival held in October. Train engineer Casey Bones and his crew take you on a haunted train ride, and there’s a haunted house with 13 rooms in the park, as well as a bone yard and a “black hole.” The Freaky Forest was added in 2009, and dances with ghosts and ghouls are held on Tweetsie’s Main Street in the evening. There’s also a Creepy Carnival and Haunted Saloon.
The Carowinds Theme Park, located just outside of Charlotte, is best known for two major attractions—the park boasts 12 roller coasters, and in October the park turns into “Scarowinds,” releasing more than 300 monsters that wander the park scaring ghouls and guys. Haunting attractions include Corn Stalkers, Dead Inn, Slaughter House, the Asylum, the Feeding Frenzy, and the Cemetery.
In downtown Reidsville, the largest indoor haunted attraction is called Nightmare on Scales Street. The building was the former site of the Klenner Clinic, owned and operated by Fritz Klenner, who committed nine murders. Recent paranormal invesigations have shown that the building is haunted beyond its spooky attractions.
The Mysterious Vortex of Mystery Hill, Blowing Rock
Along your journey of strange, mysterious, and unexplainable sites in haunted North Carolina, Mystery Hill should be on your list of places to check out and explore. The main attraction at Mystery Hill is the Mystery House, where there is a gravitational anomaly. As you enter the Mystery House, your body begins to lean at a 45-degree angle from the gravitational pull. The laws of physics work differently here, and the guides will show you a variety of examples, including watching water and a ball move uphill. Their exhibits and interactive displays in the Hall of Mystery also include the Spooky Spigot, the Magic Light Bulb, Hologram, and the Flying Mirror. It’s also just plain fun to try and stand upright while your body fights to lean at a 45-degree angle.
The explanation for the anomalies at the Mystery Hill is a vortex. A vortex is a pull of force that moves in a spiral pattern and appears on earth in electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic forms. Scientific examples of this force include the funnel formed by a tornado, the circular pattern and eye formed in a hurricane, or the motion of our solar system revolving around the sun. In metaphysical terms, vortices are said to be formed not only by natural occurrences as seen in storms, but also by people and beings who understand how to open portals to the other realms and spiritual planes. There are also energy center vortices along the chakra lines of the earth, and certain sacred sites are built on these lines, which are called ley lines. The most well known examples are the Great Pyramid in Egypt and Stonehenge in England. Other natural areas display strong vortex energy, such as Sedona, Arizona, and Mount Shasta in California. Mystery Hill displays many of the anomalies that can be observed in an area with a vortex, including having two people stand on a level platform to see how perspective changes in a vortex. As a person walks closer to magnetic north, they appear to be shorter and as they move toward magnetic south, they appear taller in height. Were you to observe the person standing in either of these spots, you would swear that they are taller or shorter depending upon their location; the effect is eerie when they leave the spot and stand in front of you. All in all, it’s a fun adventure to experience the vortex firsthand.
Ghosthunting Travel Guide
Visiting the Haunted Sites of North Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA CAN BE DIVIDED into three major sections: Coastal Carolina (the East Coast and the Outer Banks); the Piedmont, which includes the Triad and the Triangle area, and West Carolina (the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Mountains and surrounding foothills). This book has been divided into these three sections for ease of travel.
North Carolina was one of the 13 original colonies, settled by colonists with a small number of slave plantations along the east coast. In the 1700s, North Carolina’s biggest problem was pirates along the coast. The rest of the state developed into farms, with tobacco and cotton being the largest crops. The state was largely impoverished after the Civil War and remained so through the Great Depression. The largest economic recovery for the state began with farm programs for cotton and tobacco in the 1930s.
The information included in this book was gathered during my research and writing of Ghosthunting North Carolina, and the history is reported to the best of my knowledge. Some of the historic sites do not wish to share information regarding any haunted history or paranormal activity at their locations, and in those cases, I gathered information from locals, visitors, and employees who agreed to speak off the record. As well, throughout the book I report my personal experiences and observations as they occurred at the various sites. It still must be said, though, that in researching haunted sites, there are more legends than facts in many cases, and this book is to be taken in this regard.
I believe that there are many more haunted locations around the state of North Carolina than are currently widely known. During my travels across the state meeting with people, I found that many local residents were willing to discuss haunted activities in their local neighborhoods, including restaurants, bars, theaters, homes, and historic locations, but the owners of the sites many times refused to discuss the matter in any capacity.
While writing this book, I encountered this situation in several historic locations during my research. While many Southern states share and often embrace the information of their haunted history, North Carolina is still in a state of flux, as the younger generations are open about discussing what they’ve experienced and seen in regards to supernatural and paranormal experiences, while some of the older generations are not comfortable admitting that the afterlife may continue in ghost form on the earth plane.
I’ve encountered every kind of response during my journey with this book, including having one senior staff member at a well-known historic location respond to my question by saying to me, “When you have a legitimate question, you are welcome to return and ask it.” Ouch! My “illegitimate” question, by the way, was, “Are there any stories of haunted history in this location?” Evidently for some, even daring to ask about the possibility of ghosts existing in an area is not a “legitimate” question.
By e-mail, I queried the staff of another historic site about its haunted history, which hundreds of people have experienced. They did not respond directly to my e-mail, but accidentally copied me as they sent my e-mail up their chain of command, in which they asked what should be “done with me asking these questions.” In the past, this location had admitted on its public tours that it had haunted activity but now was receiving pressure not to discuss the matter anymore.
The staff at yet another historic location told me that they had been warned that they would lose their nonprofit standing and funds should they discuss the haunted events ongoing at their location.
My hope is that this book, along with the interest in both history and ghosts from many of the residents and visitors to the state of North Carolina, will sway these organizations to begin to report and share the paranormal activity taking place at their haunted historic sites.
GHOSTHUNTING RESOURCES
THE INFORMATION BELOW contains contact information for the sites mentioned in the book. As with any travel arrangements, it is always best to verify information before making travel plans to insure that the destination is still open and accepting visitors.
EAST CAROLINA
512 Pollock St.
New Bern, NC 28560
(252) 638-8558
newbernhistorical.org/attmore-oliver-history
Beaufort Historic District
historicbeaufort.com
Bellamy Mansion
503 Market St.
Wilmington, NC
(910) 251-3700
bellamymansion.org
Blount-Bridgers House
130 Bridgers St.
Tarboro, NC 27886
(252) 823-4159
edgecombearts.org/bbh.htm
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Off Rte. 12, 30 miles south of Rodanthe
Buxton, NC 27920
(252) 995-4474
nps.gov/caha
Cedar Grove Cemetery
701 George St.
New Bern, NC 28563
(252) 639-7501
newbern-nc.org/PW/cem_loc.php
Currituck Beach Lighthouse
1101 Corolla Village Rd.
Corolla, NC 27927
(252) 453-8152
currituckbeachlight.com
Fayetteville Women’s Club
225 Dick St.
Fayetteville, NC 28301
(910) 483-6009
womansclubfay.org/club/about.htm
Fort Fisher
1610 Ft. Fisher Blvd. S
Kure Beach, NC 28449
(910) 458-5538
nchistoricsites.org/fisher/fisher.htm
Fort Macon
2300 E Fort Macon Rd.
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
(252) 726-3775
ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/foma/main.php
Foscue Plantation
7509 U.S. Hwy. 17
Pollocksville, NC 28573
(252) 224-1803
foscueplantation.com
Ghosts of New Bern Tour
235 Craven St.
New Bern, NC 28562
(252) 571-4766
ghostsofnewbern.com
Harvey Mansion Historic Inn
221 S Front St.
New Bern, NC 28560
(252) 635-3232
harveymansion.attractionsbook.com
Lake Phelps
Pettigrew State Park
2252 Lake Shore Rd.
Creswell, NC 27928
(252) 797-4475
Lost Colony Genealogy DNA and Archaeology Research Group
Anne Poole, Co-founder and Research Director
rootsweb.com/~molcgdrg;the-lost-colony-blogspot.com
Lost Colony Waterside Theatre
1409 National Park Dr.
Manteo, NC 27954
(252) 473-2127
roanoke-island.com/attractions.html
North Carolina Maritime Museum
315 Front St.
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-7317
ncmaritimemuseums.com
Oakdale Cemetery
520 N 15th St.
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 762-5682
oakdalecemetery.org
Old Burying Grounds
East of Turner St. and north of Ann St.
Beaufort, NC 28516
historicbeaufort.com/burygnd1.htm
Somerset Plantation
2572 Lake Shore Rd.
Creswell, NC 27928
(252) 797-4560
nchistoricsites.org/somerset/somerset.htm
USS North Carolina Battleship
#1 Battleship Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 251-5797
battleshipnc.com
CENTRAL CAROLINA
Bentonville Battlefield Historical Association
5466 Harper House Rd.
Four Oaks, NC 27524
(910) 594-0789
nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/bv-today.htm
Cabe’s Land Cemetery
6101 Cole Mill Rd.
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 383-1686
cemeterycensus.com/nc/orng/cem103.htm
Carolina History and Haunts
Greensboro and Charlotte, NC
(336) 905-4060
carolinahistoryandhaunts.com
Carolina Inn
211 Pittsboro St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(800) 962-8519
carolinainn.com
Cary Community Arts Center
101 Dry Ave.
Cary, NC 27513
townofcary.org
Chowan University
1 University Pl.
Murfreesboro, NC 27855
(252) 398-6500
chowan.edu
Devil’s Tramping Ground
Bennett, NC
On private property, trespassing not allowed
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Tramping_Ground
Hillcrest Cemetery
At the end of Page St.
Cary, NC
cemeterycensus.com/nc/wake/cem069.htm
Horace Williams House
610 E Rosemary St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 942-7818
chapelhillpreservation.com/?page_id=42
Korner’s Folly
413 S Main St.
Kernersville, NC 27284
(336) 996-7922
kornersfolly.org
Mordecai Plantation
1 Mimosa St.
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 857-4364
raleighnc.gov/mordecai
Page-Walker Hotel
119 Ambassador Loop
Cary, NC 27512
(919) 460-4963
friendsofpagewalker.org
Raleigh Pub Crawl & Haunted Adventure Tour
Tobacco Road Tours
P.O. Box 134
Morrisville, NC 27560
(919) 371-2653
tobaccoroadtours.com
Raleigh State Capitol
1 E Edenton St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 733-4994
nchistoricsites.org/capitol/default.htm
Rhine ESP/Parapsychology Museum
2741 Campus Walk Ave.
Bldg. 500
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 309-4600
rhine.org
Stagville Plantation
5828 Old Oxford Hwy.
Durham, NC 27712
(919) 620-0120
nchistoricsites.org/stagville/stagville.htm
Star Hotel
118 N Main St.
Star, NC 27356
(910) 428-2565
starbedandbreakfast.com
WEST CAROLINA
Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria
42 Biltmore Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 255-0504
barleystaproom.com
Biltmore
1 Lodge St.
Asheville, NC 28803
(800) 411-3812
biltmore.com
Blowing Rock
432 Rock Rd.
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 295-7111
theblowingrock.com
Brown Mountain Lights
Blue Ridge Pkwy.
Mile Post 310
Morganton, NC
westernncattractions.com/BMLights.htm
Carowinds/Scarowinds Theme Park
14523 Carowinds Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28273
(704) 588-2600
carowinds.com
Chapel of Rest
NC Hwy. 268, 9 miles north of Lenoir
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 758-8619
chapelofrest.org
Dunhill Hotel
237 North Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 332-4141
dunhillhotel.com
Green Park Inn
9239 Valley Blvd.
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 414-9230
greenparkinn.com
Grove Park Inn
290 Ma
con Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804
(800) 438-5800
groveparkinn.com
Joshua P. Warren’s Asheville Tourism Center and Free Museum
ashevilletourcenter.com
Latta Plantation
5225 Sample Rd.
Huntersville, NC 28078
(704) 875-2312
lattaplantation.org
Loonis McGlohon Theatre
345 N College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 372-1000
performingartsctr.org
Mountain of Terror
4537 Linda Ln.
Asheboro, NC 27205
(336) 861-0532
mountainofterror.com
Mystery Hill
129 Mystery Hill Ln.
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(828) 263-0507
mysteryhill-nc.com
Nightmare on Scales Street
207 South Scales St.
Reidsville, NC 27320
(336) 361-0011
nosshauntedhouse.com
Old Settler’s Cemetery
200 W Trade St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
wikimapia.org/9688379/Old-Settler-039-s-Cemetery
Tweetsie Railroad
300 Tweetsie Railroad Ln.
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
(800) 526-5740
tweetsie.com
Further Reading
LIST OF BOOKS USED IN RESEARCH
Auchincloss, Louis. The Vanderbilt Era: Profiles of a Gilded Age. New York: Collier Books, 1989.
Barrett, John G. The Civil War in North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press, 1963.
Blackman, Ann. Wild Rose: Rose O’Neale Greenhow, Civil War Spy. New York: Random House, 2005.
Bradley, Mark L. Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1996.
Glatthaar, Joseph T. The March to the Sea and Beyond: Sherman’s Troops in the Savannah and Carolinas Campaigns. Baton Rouge, LA: LSU Press, 1985.
Gould, William, IV. Diary of a Contraband: The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002.
Gragg, Rod. Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher. New York: Harper Collins, 1991.
Hassler, William W. The General to His Lady: The Civil War Letters of William Dorsey Pender to Fanny Pender. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press, 1965.
Hughes, Nathaniel Cheairs. Bentonville: The Final Battle of Sherman and Johnston. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press, 1996.
Redford, Dorothy Spruill and D’Orso, Michael. Somerset Homecoming: Recovering a Lost Heritage. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press, 2000.
