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| There are those in Memphis who swear they see the ghost of Elvis still lingering around the city, but The King of Rock and Roll isn't the spirit lingering around the Mid-South. Below is a list compiled from about.com of the other haunted sites around town. You may not see anyone wearing blue suede shoes, but you might be lucky enough to witness your own ghostly encounter. 1. Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery: Located in Atoka, the Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery (aka the old Bethel Assembly of God Church Cemetery) has got to be one of the scariest sites on this list. Sure it's got paranormal activity, but it's the type of paranormal activity that gives one the willies. According to those who have dared to visit the old cemetery, this site has several spirits --and they're not nice. Visitors have reported coming across dead criminals, ferocious beasts and even the ghosts of malicious children --some of whom have been dead since the 1850s. For those of you who are dying to run in with some seriously dead bad guys, the cemetery is located at 3406 Tracy Road in Atoka. 2. Brister Library: It might be just us, but this ghost story brings to mind scenes from Harry Potter -- probably because the ghost hangs out in an old school library. The Brister Library is the former library building at The University of Memphis. According to legend, a student was raped and murdered among the book-filled shelved. The murderer was never caught, but the spirit of the student still roams around the building, screaming for help. "UPDATE" This building has been torn down. 3. Ernestine and Hazel's: Nobody really knows who haunts Ernestine and Hazel's dilapidated bar. The bar is located in downtown Memphis on the corner of Main and GE Patterson, and the building once housed a brothel upstairs. Drop by one night during the witching hour. Witnesses tell us the jukebox plays by itself and ghostly figures have been spotted by the bar. The most haunted building in Memphis. Russell makes a world famous "Soul Burger". Have one and tell him the ghost hunters sent you. 4. Ornamental Metal Museum: The Ornamental Metal Museum is one haunted site even we're reluctant to visit. It's located on the grounds of Memphis' old Marine Hospital, but it's not the hospital that creeps us out --it's the basement. In fact, even the people who work there don't like to go downstairs. That's because the basement originally was the hospital's morgue. This morgue saw thousands of yellow fever victims during the city's epidemic and the ghosts of some of those victims still haunt the area today. 5. Orpheum Theatre: If scary spirits aren't your thing, you might want to check out the child ghost that inhabits the Orpheum Theatre. Mary is probably Memphis' most famous ghost. The poor child was killed when she was hit by a street car outside the Orpheum while her family was going to the theatre. Although she's over a 100 years old, Mary is still a child. She spends her eternity playing pranks in the theater such as opening doors and laughing out loud. But whatever you do, don't sit in sit C-5. That's Mary's favorite seat in the theatre and she is frequently spotted hanging out there enjoying the show. In addition to Mary, paranormal investigators believe that there are as many as six other spirits residing in the Orpheum Theatre. 6. Overton Park: This is Memphis's own Lady of the Lake. There seems to conflicting dates on when this woman actually died. Some stories say it was the 1940s while other say it was in the 1960s. The one thing all stories are sure of is that the body of a young woman was found floating in the lake at Overton Park. The woman was wearing a blue dress and she was raped, then stabbed to death, but she's definitely not at peace. Many people who park their cars by the lake swear they have seen the ghostly apparition of the woman rising out of the lake still wearing the blue dress. Perhaps she is looking to see if her murderer has returned...or maybe she's looking for revenge. 7. Voodoo Village: Voodoo Village sounds like it's something from a Scooby-Doo cartoon, but it really does exist in Southwest Memphis. Located on Mary Angela Road, the area is home to St. Paul's Spiritual Temple and is enclosed in a huge iron fence. But if the stories and legends are true, there's more than church services taking place behind those walls. Sacrificial offerings, black magic, revenge spells and the walking dead...if you are looking for buffet of supernatural activity, Voodoo Village is the place to go. You never know what you'll find...or what will find you. 8. Woodruff Fontaine House: We have personally investigated this house. It is not haunted AT ALL! Tourist Trap! Please don't waste your money. You'll find the elegant Woodruff Fontaine house located between two French Victorian mansions. Built in 1870, the mansion is located in Memphis's old "Millionaires Row" and is still a popular place for people to wed. Molly Woodruff Henning, the daughter of the original owner and the first person to get married in the home, is "said" to still inhabit the room. NOT! The staff all but jumped out of rooms yelling, "BOO"! What a tacky over-decorated joke this was. 9. Hunt Phelan Home: If you haven't been to Hunt Phelan, you really should go! Worth every penny to spend the weekend and get pampered and see a ghost at the same time. Not only do they have the best bread pudding this side of the Mississippi, but the place is haunted. You can't miss the house. It's the big one with pillars located on Beale Street and Danny Thomas Blvd. The stately antebellum mansion was built in 1828 and is said to be haunted by a servant. And not just any servant. This one died while holding onto a secret treasure and he really wants someone to find it. The servant's ghost often appears to visitors of the home, trying to point them to the treasure's burial spot. 10. More creepy spooky places: We are still looking for one more haunted spooky place in the Memphis area. If you know of one that needs to be added to our list, email: michelle.ponto@wreg.com. Until then, happy ghost hunting! Compiled from: Memphis Ghosts, Teresa Simpson, about.com Boo Who? By Greg Akers, The Memphis Flyer, October 5, 2006 and Memphis Paranormal Investigations, www.memphisghost.com |
| More spooky haunts and urban legends ... Part 2 Also on The Web Memphis Paranormal Investigations Memphis people LOVE their spooky haunts. After posting our Haunted South Top 10 List earlier this October, we got so many email's asking for more, we couldn't resist making a second list. So...for all of you who need a little more fright in your life, below is a list of other spooky places in the area. 1) Liberty Land Theme Park This legend is a little gruesome. Years ago the man who operated the carousel in the park was trying to retrieve a balloon for a little girl and was accidentally decapitated. Of course, he died, but the question we have is...does his ghost roam the grounds with or without a head? 2) Old Raleigh Cemetery Built back in the 1800s, this cemetery is the resting place for many of Memphis's wealthy landowners. We know that doesn't sound spooky, but the thing is, these landowners aren't exactly resting. According to Memphis Paranormal Investigations, the area is extremely active and you just might see a few floating apparitions wandering around. 3) Chase Mansion At wedding ceremonies we say "until death do we part", but in this case the couple is together for eternity. The Chase Mansion is located near Shelby Forest State Park and apparently the couple who lived there used to drive each other crazy --literally. In fact, the woman got so angry with her husband she killed him and then chopped up his body and threw the pieces into the Mississippi river. But she wasn't free of his bickering yet. People now see both ghosts walking around the property ..And, get this, they are still fighting. 4) Lyle's Lake This urban legend could be a horror movie --or at least a Friday the 13th sequel. Lyle's Lake, which is located in Shelby Forest State Park, is said to be haunted by all the children who drown there and by Mr. Lyle himself. If that doesn't give you the shivers, we dare you to take a boat out on the water. The lake is almost black and even the people at Memphis Paranormal Investigations admit that its a creepy place. Just be careful. If a skeleton hand reaches out of the murky depths and pulls you under, don't say we didn't warn you. If you have a spooky legend you want to share, email it to michelle.ponto@wreg.com. Compiled from: Memphis Paranormal Investigations |
