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Iconic South Carolina Theater Named One Of The World’s Most Haunted Locations

Author Melanie Day

I’d rather hear ghost stories from history about real locations and real experiences than go to a haunted house. I’m a sucker for ghost tours in any city I visit. And I would gladly spend the night in a haunted hotel given the opportunity. Though if there is a specific room I’m not sure I’m on board with that one. So when I came across a list from Conde Naste Traveler about the world’s most haunted places I had to check it out. The list certainly spans the globe with locations from Romania, Egypt, and Scotland among the 43 places recognized. But the United States was also well represented. This includes an iconic South Carolina theater that was named one of the world’s most haunted locations.

Charleston’s Dock Street Theatre

If I gave you one guess on the city this theater is located in I’m sure you’d guess Charleston. And you’d be correct. Charleston’s iconic Dock Street Theatre dates back to February of 1736 when it was the first American building constructed exclusively as a theater. The name comes from the building’s location at the corner of Church Street and Dock Street. Though Dock Street has since been renamed to Queen Street the name has stuck. It’s closed and opened several times, even operating as a hotel prior to the Civil War. It re-opened in it’s current state in 2010 after a $19 million dollar renovation by the City of Charleston.

But when your history includes being destroyed by a fire as well as an earthquake and then falling into disarray, some sort of paranormal activity can be expected. Reports are often heard of spirits roaming the theater, shadows in the rafters, and even reported sightings of ghostly apparitions on the theater’s stage. (If I come back as a ghost I will 100% be spending some time on a stage). The ghosts are thought to be those of two individuals Junius Booth and Nettie. You can read more about their stories via Ghost City Tours.

Haunted Locations

I’ve never been inside the Dock Street Theatre. I have seen it from the exterior and would love to catch a show there sometime. I have been to some of the other locations Conde Naste Traveler including on their list including the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO (where Stephen King got the inspiration to write The Shining. Other spots include the Queen Mary ship which is docked in Long Beach, CA, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff Canada, and Savannah’s Forsyth Park. You can view the full list of the World’s Most Haunted Places here. Conde Naste Traveler also wrote about 32 spots just in the US. However, no other South Carolina spots made the most haunted locations in the US list. You can read that one here.

6 Truly Haunted South Carolina Locations You Can Actually Visit

Fall is quickly approaching. One of my favorite things to do as the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to fall is to immerse myself in the spooky season. This can include things like the countless options for haunted houses, mazes, theme parks, etc. And those are always jam-packed with people for good reason. They are great sources of a little frightening fun. But if you’re anything like me maybe you prefer your spooky experiences a little more grounded in reality. If that is the case, you’re in luck- there is no shortage of haunted locations in South Carolina. These spots are full of history and the unknown to me is more scary than the jump scare of a manufactured haunted house.

Whenever I head to a new city I love to go on ghost tours if they have any. Highlights are Savannah and Charleston but most cities have some form of rumored paranormal activity. And actually, Charlotte even has some as well that I need to check out! If these types of things pique your interest then this list is for you. This list contains 6 haunted places in South  Carolina places you can actually visit. You’ll learn about haunted locations all across the state .  All of these locations are places you can enter and wander around. Looking for an even more immersive experience? Several of these are hotels which means you can even check in for the night! If you dare! You may have even stayed at or visited some of these locations without knowing it!

You may also be interested in some of the ghost stories surrounding North Carolina as well. You can read that here. Perhaps a haunted road trip the weekend before Halloween is in your cards? Sounds perfect to me.

  • Westin Poinsett (Greenville, SC)

    What is it with luxury hotels and uninvited guests? This one is the Westin Poinsett in Greenville, NC. Dating back to 1925, the hotel sits on the site of a former hotel that once housed John C. Calhoun. While there is no evidence it’s him reports of an elderly man making brief appearances in some suites before disappearing. A figure also gazes out a window on the third floor of the hotel before removing a black coat.

    Source

  • The Dock Street Theater (Charleston)

    Like most old southern cities Charleston boasts its fair share of spirits. In fact, we will see another Charleston location later in this list. But for now, we turn our attention to the Dock Street Theater. Located in an old ‘Antebellum’ style hotel dating back to 1809, several ghosts are said to reside at the theater including the father of John Wilkes Booth and a prostitute referred to as Nettie.

    Source

     

  • The Old City Jail (Charleston)

    Our second stop in Charleston is the Old City Jail which held some of the worst criminals in its time. Thousands of those died in the jail as well leading to some interesting activity. Ghosts known to still inhabit the jail include a young boy accidentally shot by wardens to another warden who worked at the jail. Reports of paranormal activity include voices, objects moving, and doors slamming. It’s even been visited by professional ghost hunters.

    Source

  • The Gray Man (Pawley's Island)

    According to News 2, the legend of the Gray Man dates all the way back to 1822. The ghost is reportedly sighted before hurricanes threaten the area. Previously reported sightings include before Hurricane Hazel in 1954, before Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and before Hurricane Florence in 2018.

  • The Ghosthound of Goshen (Sumter National Forest.)

    The Ghost Hound of Goshen is sometimes referred to as “Happy Dog”. But don’t let the name fool you this ghost dog is not a nice spirit. He is said to still be upset about the killing of his master. He now haunts the roads of Sumter National Forest. Learn more about this story here.

  • 37 Meeting Street (Charleston)

    The ghost of 37 Meeting Street is said to be a pirate who haunts the area around the southern mansion searching for his treasure. The treasure that is said to be buried at the home has never been located.

    @haunted_tales

    Pirate Lore #Hauntedtalesfromsuburbiapodcast #fyp #paranormaltiktok #TalesFromSuburbia #spooky #hauntedtiktok #historical_stories #piratesofthecaribbean #pirate #pirates

    ♬ My Mother Told Me NEURODIVERGENT - Jonny Stewart

     

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.

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