Port city ghosts from pirates to the Civil War. Walk Wilmington's 13 most haunted stops. 3 free, no guide needed.
On November 10, 1898, a white supremacist mob overthrew Wilmington's elected government and murdered up to 300 Black residents — the only successful coup d'état in American history. The violence saturated every block of the historic district, and the city didn't officially acknowledge it until 2006. The Bellamy Mansion's slave quarters, where William B. Gould escaped by rowboat on September 21, 1862, hold the heaviest presence — footsteps on empty floors, a woman in the kitchen who vanishes when addressed. At the Burgwin-Wright House, built in 1770 on an old jail's foundation, Lord Cornwallis held American prisoners in basement cells during the Revolution. The USS North Carolina, hit by a Japanese torpedo on September 15, 1942, replays general quarters alarms after hours. Walk 14 free, self-guided stops through a port city haunted by war, slavery, and massacre.
The first burial at Oakdale was six-year-old Annie DeRosset on February 5, 1855. Her father, Dr. John DeRosset, served as the first president of the c...
Built in 1858 by architect James F. Post, Thalian Hall stood as Wilmington's crown jewel—a temple to the performing arts in a city drunk on naval stor...
Dr. John Dillard Bellamy moved his family into this 22-room mansion in early 1861, joined by nine enslaved workers who lived in the brick quarters beh...
When this fortress opened in 1898, Wilmington was still reeling from the November 10 coup d'état—the only successful overthrow of an elected governmen...
John Burgwin built his townhouse in 1770 on the ruins of Wilmington's decommissioned city jail, incorporating the old ballast stone walls into his fou...
The Price-Gause House at 514 Market Street is one of Wilmington's oldest surviving residences, dating to the early 1800s. The house has served as a pr...
On September 15, 1942, Japanese submarine I-19 fired a torpedo that ripped through the USS North Carolina's port side, killing five sailors instantly ...
On January 15, 1865, Union forces launched a massive assault on Fort Fisher after a fifty-six-ship bombardment. Six hours of brutal hand-to-hand comba...
The church was chartered November 27, 1729, but the graveyard tells darker stories. Cornelius Harnett, American Revolutionary hero, died here April 28...
Wilmington was the terminus of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad—at 161 miles, the worlds longest railroad when completed in 1840. But progress came ...
The Cotton Exchange opened in 1878 as Wilmingtons commercial heart, but its eight restored buildings stand on older, bloodier ground. Before the Excha...
The De Rosset House has stood at the corner of Second and Dock Streets since 1841, built by one of Wilmington's most prominent physician families. Dr....
The Wilmington ghost tour includes 13 documented haunted locations covering 270 years of documented history.
The first 3 stops are completely free — no account required. To unlock all 13 stops, a History Nearby premium subscription is $4.99/month or $49.99/year.
No. This is a self-guided walking tour. Each stop includes the address, a map pin, and the full haunting story. Walk at your own pace, start anytime, and take any route you like.
Plan for approximately 2.5 hours. This accounts for walking between stops and reading each haunting story. You can also split it across multiple evenings.
The most visited stop on our Wilmington tour is Oakdale Cemetery at 1416 Market Street, dating back to 1965.
3 stops free in Wilmington. No guide, no schedule — walk at your own pace after dark.
Last updated February 22, 2026. Researched by the History Nearby editorial team.