by Travis Dean

Created on: August 23, 2008   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

So you want to be a Ghost Hunter, do you? There is probably no better place to start off your ectoplasmic journeys then in the Holy city, Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1670 and the site of the first shots of the Revolutionary War (Ft. Johnson)and the Civil War (Ft. Sumter), Charleston is home to some of the most poltergeist infested haunts in the country. Whether you're a neophyte or a full-fledged Ghost buster, Charleston will not disappoint.

The most famous haunted location in Charleston is The Battery Carriage House Inn where the spirit of a headless ghost stalks the guests and employees alike. Clad in a Confederate gray wool overcoat, this apparition hovers over peoples beds at night a moans as if it is in extreme pain. Most people attribute this to the fact that the spirit is a soldier that lost his head and most of his limbs in an artillery explosion across the street at what once was the munitions storage building for the Confederate Artillery Batteries. Specifically, Battery Ramsey sat across the street from the Carriage House Inn, and the soldiers assigned there frequently spent the night within the walls of the courtyard. Anyone wishing to experience this ghastly apparition should visit www.batterycarriagehouse.com and make reservations well in advance.

Just around the corner from 20 Battery South is another remarkable haunted hotel located inside what was once the South Carolina State Arsenal. The Embassy Suites Hotel Charleston is encased within the walls of what is known locally as the Old Citadel, and has a disfigured revenant roaming it's old stone courtyards as well. The spirit is known as "Half Head" or The Lost Cadet. The apparition appears as a teen aged cadet with the top half of it's head missing as if torn off by a cannonball. The spirit is said to be playful, but it has scared the employees on a number of occasions so that some will not venture into certain parts of the old hotel. The best way to experience this one is also to reserve a room well in advance.

Another popular and haunted destination in the Holy City is the Provost Dungeon and Jailhouse. This tour is said to be the spookiest tour one will ever take, here or anywhere. Bulldog Tours is the way to experience the denizens haunting these places. They have exclusive access to the Dungeon, Jailhouse, and Graveyard, and this tour will not disappoint. There are many summer interns who will never step into the Jailhouse again. They have experienced far too many strange goings on not to believe in ghosts anymore. One former guide said that the Jailhouse is just plain evil, and she will never go inside again. She actually quit her job on the spot after running into what she described as "something evil and not of this world." She refused to elaborate. For all of those wishing to truly experience something paranormal, this is the best bet.

There are a number of sidewalk ghost tours in downtown Charleston for those too faint of heart to stay the night in a haunted hotel. For all of those who really want to find the supernatural though, The Battery Carriage House Inn, The Embassy Suites Hotel Charleston, and the Provost Dungeon and Jailhouse are your most haunted places. Just remember, sometimes you really do find what you're looking for...

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