Explore the haunted history of cemeteries and find the best spots for ghost sightings. Learn about different types of hauntings found in cemeteries, get essential ghost hunting equipment recommendations, and check out practical tips for finding spirits. Get the scoop after the jump.

Our Fascination With Cemeteries

Cemeteries have always fascinated people. They hold a mix of fear, history, and spirituality. For centuries, They’ve been places to honor our departed loved ones and connect with our past. The strong, painful emotions linked to death and loss often make people think spirits could linger near their graves.

Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, cemeteries were seen as peaceful spots for families. Yes, families used to have picnics there, enjoy the beautiful grounds, and pay respects to their loved ones. You could think of cemeteries as city parks.

But today, we think of cemeteries as spooky places. Pop culture and ghost stories have made them symbols of fear and the supernatural.

In folklore, cemeteries were thought to have portals between the living and the dead with stories of restless spirits who can’t move on. Maybe they have unfinished business, weren’t buried properly, or died violently. These spirits are believed to haunt the places where their bodies lie.

They also have a long history of rituals and superstitions, which adds to their spooky reputations. Some of those include:

• Placing coins over the eyes of the dead to pay the ferryman taking their souls to the afterlife (Victorian England)
• Putting garlic in a coffin would keep evil spirits away (Slavic culture)
• Using graveyard dirt would deflect curses and hexes (American South)
• Ringing a bell at a grave would help a lost spirit find peace
• Disturbing graves would bring vengeful spirits back to haunt the perpetrator

As you can tell from these superstitions, it makes a cemetery ripe for a good tall tale, eh?

And, as a ghost hunter in the modern day, I absolutely love a haunted cemetery. The gravestones, mausoleums, and spookiness can be hard to ignore. Especially a site with loads of ghost stories linked to it. Whether it’s folklore, urban legends, a personal story or morbid curiosity, I’ll always head out to investigate a cemetery with a haunted reputation.

Best Locations in a Cemetery to Find Ghosts

If you’re searching for ghosts in a cemetery, some spots are better than others. In my experience, here are the best locations to focus on:

Gravestones of Notable Individuals

Graves of well-known people or those with tragic stories often attract paranormal activity. Spirits tied to these graves might linger due to the strong emotions and attention surrounding their lives and deaths. For example, the grave of Marie Laveau in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is a hotspot for ghost sightings. Visitors often report strange sounds and sightings near her tomb.

Why this a haunted hotspot: Celebrity can generate overwhelming positive emotions, and emotions are a great anchor to hold spirits on our earthly plane.

Mausoleums and Family Tombs

Mausoleums are enclosed, private resting places that can hold many family members. These structures often have an eerie feel and are known to be places where paranormal energy collects. People have reported hearing knocks, whispers, or even seeing ghostly figures inside or around these tombs. Mausoleums in places like Highgate Cemetery in London are famous for their haunting atmosphere.

Why this is a haunted hotspot: In my experience, these tombs work best if you or a team member has a relation with the deceased. Being kin is a great trigger object, after all.

Unmarked Graves

Unmarked graves are often associated with unrest. Spirits connected to these graves may be more active because they feel forgotten or ignored. In some cemeteries, unmarked graves belong to those who died under tragic or mysterious circumstances, and these spirits are thought to still linger, seeking recognition or closure.

Why this is a haunted hotspot: We settled this in the description, but you can look just outside the cemeteries perimeter for old headstones and additional graves. When people were buried outside the cemetery, they may have been thieves, murderers, prostitutes, or the unbaptized.

Cemetery Gates and Entrances

The gates of a cemetery are believed to be thresholds between the living and the dead. I’ve experienced strange activity near entrances, like sudden cold spots or disembodied voices. It’s said that spirits may gather near the gates, either trying to leave or keeping watch over the grounds.

Older Sections of the Cemetery

The older parts of a cemetery tend to have more ghost sightings. These sections often have worn, crumbling headstones, and a history that can go back hundreds of years. And due to that age, the spirits may feel neglected, so the activity may simply mean they want to connect with the living.

Types of Cemetery Hauntings

Each cemetery has a unique environment, and you might find different types of hauntings. Here are the most common ones I’ve experienced:

Residual Hauntings

Residual hauntings are like recordings of the past that play over and over again: They are moments frozen in time. Imagine seeing a figure walking the same path every night or hearing footsteps at the same hour. This type of haunting doesn’t respond to the living. It’s just an echo of from the past.

For example, many visitors to Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Illinois have reported seeing a woman in white who sits on a gravestone, staring off into the distance. She doesn’t interact with anyone—she just repeats the same actions.

Intelligent Hauntings

These are the hauntings where the spirit engages with you. They can interact, answer questions, and even follow people. Spirits in intelligent hauntings might have unfinished business, a message to deliver, or they may want to have some fun.

Union Cemetery in Connecticut is known for its “White Lady” ghost. Drivers have reported her appearing in front of their cars, and some claim she even tried to communicate with them.

Shadow Figures

Shadow figures are another common type of haunting in cemeteries. Witnesses describe them as dark, human-like shapes that move quickly. Some people think they are spirits that haven’t fully manifested, while others believe they might be something more sinister.

A famous example comes from St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans, where visitors have reported shadowy figures lurking near the tombs, especially around the grave of the voodoo queen, Marie Laveau.

Common Ghostly Activities In Cemeteries

In my experience, here are other signs ghosts and spirits may have manifested around you:

• You see apparitions around the perimeter of the cemetery (ghosts rarely appear right next you)
• You capture ghostly voices, called EVP, on your audio recorders
• You feel intense cold spots around the cemetery (a 5 degree or greater difference from the ambient temperature)
• You hear strange whispers, hear footsteps with no one there, and feel something touch you

Equipment for Cemetery Investigations

Ok, I don’t think you need a lot of gear to document your ghostly evidence. Plus, you need to be nimble and move quickly when something strange happens. That’s hard to do when you’ve got a van full of gear to move. You just need a few items like these:

Infrared Camcorder

Video is where it’s at. You get the full context of the activity, so it’s easier to debunk. You also get a light spectrum your eyes can’t peer into, and that means a ghostly figure may become visible. Now, daylight will probably wash out the infrared recording, so use it at dusk or night.

Digital Audio Recorder

You can never go wrong with an audio recorder. EVP, those ghost voices caught on an electronic device, are probably the most credible bits of evidence you’ll capture on your ghost hunts.

EMF Meter

Many ghost hunters believe ghosts can manipulate electromagnetic fields (EMF) when they manifest. So, if you get some wonky readings, it may indicate a ghost is standing right next to you.

Now, you may be tempted to bring more gadgets (believe me, that would be like me), but the cemetery will still be there at a later date. If you get enough evidence on these 3 gadgets, then it might be time to bring in more gear.

Rules to use when ghost hunting in a cemetery

Here are just a few common-sense rules to go by when you head out to your local haunted cemetery:

1. Most cemeteries are closed at dark – get permission for an after-hours hunt
2. No gate doesn’t mean the cemetery is open to the public
3. Don’t investigate a grave with the family present or mourning
4. Respect the dead
5. Never take anything out of the cemetery
6. Never investigate an open crypt/tomb

As a last point, I usually state something like no spirit can follow me home as I leave, but that’s up to you. In the past, I’ve had a few hitchhiker ghosts follow me home, and I don’t want any creepiness in my house.

Prioritizing Haunted Hotspots In A Cemetery

If you have limited time, you’ll need to prioritize where to investigate. This is what I do:

1. Visit plots with a documented history of activity
2. Look for graves outside the cemetery fence. These tend to be people that were considered ‘trash.’ This means prostitutes, transients, suicides and criminals. They weren’t ‘good’ enough to have a proper burial or their families didn’t want to claim them. This type of trauma usually leads to some ghostly activity.
3. Spend time at neglected graves (for example, the headstone is knocked over or it’s old and damaged)
4. Visit graves with a lot of inscriptions, engravings and symbols. There’s usually a good story behind all the markings. Check the family genealogy, if you can, to see what you discover

… and that’s a wrap. Let me know in the comments how you approach ghost hunting in cemeteries. What gear do you use? What’s the best evidence you’ve captured? Thanks for reading Ghostly Activities and take care!

Last Updated on November 20, 2024 by Jacob Rice