Looking for a frightfully good time this spooky season? Book a room at one of these 20 Haunted Hotels In South Carolina.
For help planning your trip, check out all our travel posts.
If you know me well, you know I don’t do scary things. No ma’am. No thank you. Watching scary movies, being scared, all not things for me.
Even writing this post is giving me the heebie jeebies.
But, if you like scary things, you’ll love this list of 20 Haunted Hotels In South Carolina. Book one of them for spooky season. But don’t invite me. I already stayed at one of them. And one was enough for me.
20 Haunted Hotels In South Carolina
Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.
I wasn’t really sure of the easiest way to assemble this list, so it’s broken down by town. And the towns are in alphabetical order. Hopefully it helps.
Haunted Hotels In Abbeville, SC
Abbeville is a quaint town near the South Carolina border. It’s home to the Hogs & Hens BBQ Festival. For more, check out our list of things to do in Abbeville.
Belmont Inn
104 E Pickens St, Abbeville, SC
The Belmont Inn, a hotel built in the early 1900s’s, is home to two (main) ghosts: a bellhop named Abraham and an unnamed ghost who roams the staircase.
Visitors have reported seeing Abraham in their beds, hearing him jingling the doorknobs on their hotel rooms, and feeling him in the shower (the latter was my mom’s experience! Read about it in our full The Belmont Inn review).
In addition, there have been unexpected deaths at the hotel (most notably a woman who was meant to perform at the Abbeville Opera House next door who fell ill, retired to the inn, and never awoke).
Haunted Hotels In Aiken, SC
Aiken is known for its outdoor activities, mostly polo and horseracing. It’s home to the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame.
Annie’s Inn Bed & Breakfast
3083 Charleston Hwy, Aiken, SC
Annie’s Inn Bed & Breakfast is a pre-Civil War inn that’s technically in the unincorporated town of Montmorenci (right outside of Aiken). It’s a two-story inn now, but it used to be three stories before a cannonball was shot at Union soldiers by the Confederates. Only two stories, plus an attic, were crafted when the building was rebuilt.
When it was a two-story building, it was purchased by a doctor who moved in during the late 1800’s and used the second story as a hospital. Many people passed away on that floor and one, a young girl, remains.
That floor is used for guests of the Bed & Breakfast now, and some guests have reported hearing her laughing.
Haunted Hotels In Charleston, SC
Charleston is a port city, which was built on the backs of slaves (and, quite literally, pirates. Their bodies make up the foundation of many of the water-lined streets in Charleston). Our The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon review has more details about that history.
1837 Bed & Breakfast
126 Wentworth St, Charleston, SC
This Bed & Breakfast was original a private home when it was built (yes, in 1837) and the owners of the home owned slaves. Those slaves were sold to a family in Virginia. Their young son, George, stole a rowboat and attempted to chase the slave ship but, tragically, drown in the Charleston Harbor.
As legend goes, George returned to the home since it was the last place he was with his parents.
The home was turned into 1837 Bed & Breakfast, where George has been known to shake the beds in some of the rooms. He has also attempted playing hide and seek with some of the guests.
Andrew Pinckney Inn
40 Pinckney Street, Charleston, SC
The pair of historic structures that make up the Andrew Pinckney Inn are over 300 years old.
While there aren’t any specific spirits with names residing at the Inn, guests have noted hearing footsteps above their rooms (when there aren’t any people there) and seeing movements of spirits in their peripheral.
Barksdale House Inn
27 George St, Charleston, SC
The Barksdale House Inn is a home almost as old as the constitution (it was built in 1778). The home boasts 14 rooms for guests and one guest.
The unnamed ghost is a man in his 60’s who famously appears and then disappears through a closet wall. I can only find one telling of this story in a hotel review here, but numerous references to it online.
20 Battery (previously known as Battery Carriage House Inn)
20 S Battery St, Charleston, SC
The Battery Carriage House Inn is filled with paranormal activity, it’s hard to figure out where to start. But let’s start with the headless man.
Yes, guests have reported seeing the limbless torso of a man. One skeptic saw the torso, and even tried to touch it. He was growled at, and, even without a face, the guest knew the torso meant harm. A nicer ghost is dubbed the Gentleman Ghost. He’s quite … frisky. He’s been known to spoon with guests in Room 10. And finally, there’s a young girl that plays in the hotel’s fountain and in some of the rooms.
This was all when it was under previous ownership and operated as the Battery Carriage House Inn. It was bought, underwent an 18-month renovatiion, and is now known as 20 Battery. The new hotel doesn’t embrace the ghost stories as the old one did, so no telling how the ghosts feel about that.
Embassy Suites
337 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC
The current Embassy Suites, in the historic district of Charleston, was the former location of the Citadel Military College. Many cadets have lived on the top floor, since it was originally officer quarters.
Many guests have reported seeing orbs of light bouncing around the rooms, especially in the jacuzzi rooms.
One very specific ghost, known as the Half Head Man, has been sighted at the hotel. You can tell it’s him because the cadet is missing half his face. He’s usually found in room M113, which apparently is only booked when the rest of the hotel is sold out.
The hotel is located on the edge of Marion Square Park, a very park in Charleston, which is home to the town’s farmer’s market and annual tree lighting. (You can see it in the background of a photo we happened to take during a trip to Charleston at Christmas.)
Francis Marion Hotel
387 King St, Charleston, SC
First thing’s first: Francis Marion sounds familiar because that’s the name of the famous revolutionary war military official “Swamp Fox.” And yes, the hotel is named after him. It’s not haunted by him.
Francis Marion Hotel is haunted by Ned Cohen, a businessman from New York. He visited Charleston for a weekend, partially for sales work for his job at Florsheim Shoes but mostly to see the Southern Belle he was in love with during the time of the Civil War. Because he was from the north and she the south, she decided they couldn’t be together. Ned didn’t take the news well. He opened a window at the hotel and committed suicide, found face down on King Street with her goodbye note in his pocket.
Guests have heard rattling at their windows, felt Ned brush their cheek, or have seen him roaming the 10th floor … yes, the floor he jumped from.
John Rutledge House Inn
116 Broad St, Charleston, SC
John Rutlegde, a signer of the constitution and former (obviously) chief justice of South Carolina, used to own the home that now operates at the John Rutledge House Inn. But, it’s not his spirit that haunts the home. Rather, it’s one of a young girl.
The story is that she died in a fire (although, no word on if it was The Great Fire or just another fire). When she’s nearby, visitors smell smoke. She’s known to run around, play pranks on the guests, and stare at them through the windows.
Meeting Street Inn
173 Meeting St, Charleston, SC
The Meeting Street Inn has a long history. It began with a Charleston Theater, which operated at the spot for nearly 25 year before being destroyed in the famous The Great Charleston Fire. The property was split into four lots, two of which were purchased by German immigrant Adolph Tiefenthal.
The building operated as a saloon on the bottom floor and Adolph lived with his family on the upper floors.
Two main spirits are known to haunt the hotel. One is of a female who is said to sit on the edge of the guest’s beds and watch them as they sleep. Another is one who locks deadbolts from the inside when no guests are in the room.
Two other restless souls, a male and female, are known to roam the building. One is believed to be Adolph. The other, a female, could be his wife or one of their three daughters.
Mills House
115 Meeting St, Charleston, SC
The aforementioned fire, The Great Fire, ravaged Mills House just as it did so many buildings in Charleston. But, the memory of it remains at Mills House more than other buildings. That’s because guests have seen ghosts of Confederate soldiers roaming the hotel’s halls looking for water to put out the fire.
One of the ghosts seen looked like Robert E. Lee. It makes sense. The Confederate general stayed at Mills House during the time of The Great Fire.
But — BUT — that was a different Mills House. That one was in such bad shape, it was demolished and a new Mills House (with two more floors) was constructed. So, as the legend goes, the Confederate soldiers returned to the spot of the fire but can’t find any water and don’t know their way around the hallways — since they’re all new (to them) hallways.
Haunted Hotels In Georgetown, SC
Georgetown is South Carolina’s third oldest city and is located just south of Pawleys Island.
Mansfield Plantation Bed & Breakfast
1776 Mansfield Rd, Georgetown, SC
The Mansfield Plantation Bed & Breakfast is a preserved antebellum plantation that was originally constructed in the 18th century.
Paranormal teams have investigated the area. And, the most famous story is that one of them caught an EVP (electronic voice phenomena) of a voice saying, “Don’t leave me.”
Haunted Hotels In Greenville, SC
Embassy Suites
670 Verdae Blvd, Greenville, SC
No one has actually seen a ghost at Embassy Suites, but something is definitely there because lights will flicker on and off for no reason.
Lights flickering on and off happened during the construction of the hotel too … before the building even had electricity.
Some of the hotel’s guests have also reported hearing wailing.
Westin Poinsett
120 S. Main St, Greenville
This Westin Poinsett was built on top of the Mansion House Hotel. No word on if the ghost was at the first incarnation of this building or just the current, but either way, there’s an elderly man who has been known to haunt the hotel.
There’s another man who has been seen looking out a third floor window. When he’s detected, he takes off his black coat before disappearing.
Haunted Hotels In Lyman, SC
The entire town of Lyman was built around a general store owned by Augustus Belton Groce, which is why the town is colloquially known as Groce’s stop.
Walnut Lane Inn
110 Ridge Rd, Lyman
It seems like the Walnut Lane Inn, a bed and breakfast built on a circa 1902 cotton plantation, is closed, and we don’t know what that means for the spirits there.
A man and a woman were known to haunt the building. The man hung out in the kitchen and the woman, dressed in a black dress, spent her time knocking photos off the walls and disturbing lampshades. Then, there was a voice outside that liked to bother the dogs.
Haunted Hotels In Pawleys Island, SC
Most of Pawleys Island is haunted by the Gray Man. If you see him, you need to leave as soon as possible. He is only sighted when a horrible hurricane is on its way to Pawleys Island.
Pelican Inn
506 Myrtle Ave, Pawleys Island, SC
Most of these haunted hotels are occupied by humans. But not Pelican Inn. At least, not totally. There have been reports of a woman in an gingham gown on the property. But, most of the sightings are of dogs.
It’s said that a caretaker had two Boston Terriers. One ran into the ocean to save a child and drowned. The other dog was so lonely, it died shortly after. Guests have claimed to both see and hear the dogs.
Haunted Hotels In Sunset, SC
Sunset is an unincorporated community in Pickens County and is home to Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina.
Shamrock House
814 Moorefield Memorial Hwy, Sunset, SC
Shamrock House is a cabin located at the base of Sassafras Mountain. US president Lyndon B. Johnson once stayed at the cabin, but it’s not his ghost that haunts it.
There are actually three cabins on the property, but it’s the main cabin that’s haunted by Nancy, a partygoer from 1927.
The story is that she and two of her friends were hired to be “entertainment” for a few gentlemen that evening. Nancy got to the cabin and changed her mind, so she went upstairs to hide. Her father, a preacher, found out and was on his way to the cabin. (How he found out, and how she found out he was on his way, in a pre-cell phone world is beyond me, but, back to the story). Nancy ended up overdosing on pills, on Friday the 13th, and died at the cabin.
Guests have heard footsteps, have seen the lights flicker, have seen doors open and close, and have felt cold spots in the home.
Other Haunted Places In South Carolina:
It has been said that ghosts have been seen and heard at The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon in Charleston and at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston. Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet is known to have some ghost stories as well.
And Barman Joe haunts The Bowery, the oldest music bar in Myrtle Beach.
Which of these 20 Haunted Hotels In South Carolina will you book first?
Lydia C. Lee
Sunday 30th of October 2022
Wow. That seems to be a lot of haunted hotels!!
Kerri Ann Rose
Thursday 20th of October 2022
Heebie jeebies is right! I love reading about it but I’m cool with not experiencing all the fun. 🤣