Say Western North Carolina and picture of the Blue Ridge Parkway and beautiful leaves pop into people’s minds. Asheville, the center of the parkway, comes complete with its own spooky and haunted places.
Tours of the Biltmore house occur every day of the year, except Christmas. However, few people know of the Biltmore House’s haunted past. If you make a Halloween trip to the Biltmore House, ask employees about the Biltmore House ghosts. Some visitors claim that the voices of George Vanderbilt and his wife can be heard throughout the halls of the estate. His wife Edith loves the huge library and spent many an evening there. Some people claim they have heard a female voice talking to George in the library. Mr. Vanderbilts favorite room was the billiard room. As you tour the mansion, imagine evenings when he spent time there, playing pool with his wife and guests. The mansion was miles from the town and the Vanderbilts home was equipped with all the entertainment they needed. Some have claimed that Mr. Vanderbilts’s voice echos throughout the billiard room as he plays a friendly game of pool.
An architectural marvel , the Grove Park Inn, makes Asheville its home. Made with uncemeted mortar blocks, the house has since been reinforced with cement between the blocks. While staying at the house, ask staff about the pink lady. Be careful near room 545, as the lady has an affinity for this room. Some guests claim they feel a cold presence near this room. Keep your toes under the covers. The lady in pink loves to tickle any toes sticking out from under the covers. If your lucky, you can even hear her walk the halls of the inn and laughter might be heard from vacant rooms. Be sure and ask for the $199 haunted stay package.
The Brown Mountain Lights are a phenomenon that is located in Burke County, near Morganton, which is located about 30 miles outside of Asheville. The Blue Ridge parkway comes complete with a stop and plaque, explaining the Brown Mountain Lights. On a dark night, visitors claim to see flickering lights, that go on and off. The lights resemble lanterns or flashlights. Researchers have tried to locate the cause of the lights, to no avail. The premise was that chemicals were emitting from the ground, but none have been found. There are many versions of the story of the lights, however the most popular one credits the lights as coming from lanterns of Civil war widows who lost their husbands in the war. It is said they will not stop searching until they finds their long lost loved ones.
While looking at fall leaves, stop by these places for a bit of Halloween fun or scary fun any time of year. Remember to bring your camera! While ghosts, supposedly can’t be photographed, at least the haunted spots can be!
