Can you visit Haunted Asheville, like The Biltmore or Grove Park Inn? Get Into the Halloween Spirit in Haunted Asheville.
Just days away from the witching hour, we hope you’re prepared for Halloween in Asheville. But beyond the trick or treating and costume parties, what does Asheville have to offer someone obsessed with the macabre? There’s good news! While you aren’t going to be buying one of the most famous haunted homes in Asheville any time soon, you can certainly visit these spooky sites. Where can you catch a glimpse of a real ghost? Here’s the top 4 haunted historic homes in the city.
Chicken Alley
If you think a haunted house is scary, consider an entire haunted street. Chicken Alley sits in the heart of Asheville’s downtown. It was named for the chickens that used to congregate there in the past, but today there is only a mural by artist Molly Must that depicts Chicken Alley’s past.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century, a prominent doctor named Dr. Jamie Smith practiced in Asheville. In many ways, the Asheville of that era was similar to our own with tourism as the primary source of industry. But in that era, tourism also came with a lot of baggage including pre-prohibition bars and brothels. It was said that Dr. Smith loved the entire vibe of the city.
In 1902, a bar called Broadway’s Tavern was on Chicken Alley. The hard-partying Dr. Smith was caught up in a bar brawl and it cost him his life. The bar burned down a year after his murder and the case was never solved.
Today, Asheville residents and tourists alike admit to seeing a shadowy figure in Chicken Alley. He wears the same broad brimmed hat, carries a medical bag, and a cane taps the ground with each step. Though it’s believed this is Dr. Jamie Smith, no one knows why he still haunts the alley.
The Biltmore
The Biltmore Estate is on the top of the list for a lot of tourists in the Asheville area. Even locals are drawn to the massive American castle throughout the year. But ghost enthusiasts have some words of caution for visitors.
George Vanderbilt built the extensive estate as a vacation home, which bolstered Asheville’s place as a destination even in the 1800s.
While there are many possible ghost stories to tell about the Biltmore, one common tale is that of Edith, George’s wife. Many guests have admitted to hearing her voice in the library whispering her husband’s name.
Many other ghosts of the estate seem to be in an eternal party as some of the other sounds overheard include laughter and the clinking of glasses. There is sometimes even a loud splash in the indoor pool, which is now empty.
Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Famed Asheville Author, Thomas Wolfe, once said you can’t go home again. It’s unclear that any of the ghosts in the home are Wolfe himself, but people have reported a man in a rocking chair in the upstairs window. A woman has been spotted in the dining room. And other people have reported the sound of a typewriter coming from the home.
Grove Park Inn
Nestled in the mountains that surround North Asheville is the singular Grove Park Inn. This unique hotel was once a hot spot for notable names like Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Ford, and almost every U.S. President since it was built in 1913.
But one guest may not have left its rocky walls. The Pink Lady may be The Grove Park Inn’s most famous resident. It’s believed she’s the spirit of a young woman who fell from a fifth-floor balcony in the 1920s. But don’t worry, this spirit is kind. She seems to like children and will often play pranks on guests. She has been seen as a pink mist and, occasionally, an apparition in a full pink ball gown.
Though we can’t say for sure that your next home in Asheville won’t have some spirits of its own, we can help you buy it. Talk to our mortgage experts to learn more about financing, with or without ghosts.
