Buzz
Let's be honest. If you're in a cemetery at night, you're probably there for one of two things: partying or ghost hunting. I mean, you're not planning on sharing a midnight snack with your long-departed great-great-grandmother, right? No, most likely, you're out there hunting spirits. If you weren't, entire YouTube channels would cease to exist.
Cemeteries at night, setting aside the ghostly encounters, can be a bit eerie. The soil feels soft because it has been disturbed so often, you're walking over the remains of the deceased, and the lighting is usually poor. But the real danger in a cemetery isn't the spirits. In fact, a quiet, undisturbed cemetery can feel quite serene. The real risk comes from other strange people who may be lurking around while you wander aimlessly after dark.
That said, tranquil cemeteries rarely make headlines or get featured on top-ten lists. What we really want in a cemetery is paranormal activity! So, without further ado, here are ten graveyards where you definitely wouldn’t want to spend the night.
10. Union Cemetery, Easton, Connecticut
One of the oldest and most haunted cemeteries in America is Union Cemetery, located in Connecticut, which dates back over 400 years. Its eerie reputation has earned it enough attention that even renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren conducted a case study on it.
During the day, Union Cemetery is calm, but there's a certain heaviness in the air as you walk through it. At night, that oppressive energy comes to life. Paranormal investigators have reported hearing and seeing the spirits of soldiers and children, but the real attention grabbers are The White Lady and Red Eyes.
The origins of The White Lady remain a mystery, but two popular theories suggest she could be a woman who died during childbirth or a wife murdered by her husband and discarded in a sinkhole behind the nearby church.
Red Eyes is far more terrifying. Thought to be the vengeful spirit of Earle Kellog, who was burned alive across the street in the 1930s, Red Eyes is exactly what it sounds like: glowing red eyes. This ghost is known to chase people through the cemetery, often breathing down their necks.
If the ghosts aren’t enough to deter you from staying the night, the local police certainly will. They’re quick to issue trespassing tickets, faster than you can shout 'run!'
9. Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland
Located next to one of the world’s first documented concentration camps, Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland, carries a dark history—and an even darker ghost. In the 1670s, those who identified as Covenanters (essentially Presbyterians) were put on trial for both political and religious reasons. The religious aspect stemmed from Presbyterian Scots seeking the freedom to practice their beliefs without persecution. The Catholic parliament of the time, however, opposed this notion and acted quickly to crush it.
Enter George Mackenzie, a ruthless judge who oversaw the trials. He imprisoned and tortured over 1,200 Covenanters in a field next to the cemetery, forcing them to endure brutal conditions with only four ounces of bread a day. Hundreds perished from starvation.
Fast forward to the late 1990s, and “Bloody Mackenzie” was finally laid to rest in Greyfriars within a massive mausoleum. In 1999, a homeless man broke into the tomb, and many believe this act unleashed the vengeful spirit of Mackenzie—a poltergeist. The attacks from this malevolent spirit became so intense that the cemetery had to suspend tours for a while. Now, the tours come with a stern warning about the potential physical and mental risks.
8. La Noria Cemetery, La Noria, Chile
Deep in Chile's Atacama Desert sits La Noria, an abandoned mining ghost town with a cemetery that’s just as eerie. Not only would visiting this cemetery at night be a bad idea due to its remote location in a scorching desert with no resources nearby, but it’s also haunted (obviously!).
The living conditions in La Noria during its active days were far from ideal. Many people met untimely deaths, and the cemetery itself has been looted multiple times. As a result, coffins are left open and scattered across the grounds; human and animal bones are visible in the sand, and some eyewitnesses claim to see the souls of the disturbed walking from the cemetery into the town as the sun sets.
La Noria is definitely not a place you'd want to be after dark, especially with angry spirits roaming the area.
7. Buckout Road Cemetery, White Plains, New York
A few years ago, a Canadian indie film titled 'The Curse of Buckout Road' hit the screens. It was pretty awful, don’t waste your time. But the real story behind the legend is pretty fascinating.
Buckout Road is infamous as one of New York’s most haunted roads, a challenge for high schoolers and adventurous adults in the White Plains/West Harrison area. It used to be much more terrifying before they paved it, but it still has plenty of spine-chilling qualities.
As you drive along the road, you'll come across a small cemetery, where most of the headstones are overturned. The only one still standing is that of John Buckhout (yes, the 'h' is correct). People have reported sightings of apparitions, drained batteries, and all the other classic signs of a haunting. But the real reason you shouldn't visit this cemetery at night lies with the road itself.
Legend has it that if you drive to the red house on Buckout Road and honk the horn three times, albino cannibals will emerge to attack you. Additionally, three witches were burned on the hill across from the cemetery, and Isaac Buckhout allegedly murdered his wife and neighbor in a nearby house.
The Buckhout family certainly carries a lot of dark history with them.
6. El Panteon de Belen, Guadalajara, Mexico
El Panteon de Belen is a historic cemetery that once served as the final resting place for several famous individuals from Jalisco, though their remains were relocated in the 1950s. Today, it is a popular spot for ghost tours that take place at night.
While it may not have the same level of notoriety as Greyfriars, there are enough ghost stories and sightings at this cemetery to make visiting it after dark a disconcerting thought. For one, this cemetery is technically disturbed. A section, also known as a patio, where the poor were buried, was demolished because the headstones became unrecognizable. Additionally, those buried here most likely succumbed to epidemics and poor living conditions.
As a result, many living people report seeing the dead wandering around the cemetery. The spirits most commonly seen include a pair of lovers, a monk, and even a vampire.
5. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, Midlothian, Illinois
No list of creepy cemeteries would be complete without mentioning Bachelor’s Grove. You might have seen the famous photograph of a ghost taken here: a woman sitting on a gravestone, ankles crossed, dressed in outdated clothing. Known as the Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove, she is the cemetery’s very own White Lady. Many people report seeing her on full moon nights, often carrying an infant.
But this is child's play compared to the more terrifying sightings people have experienced. Visitors report seeing a full-house apparition (yes, an actual house), a 1940s gangster-style ghost car, and even a farmer with his horse who tragically perished when they were pulled into a pond.
4. Highgate Cemetery, London, England
If you're not a vampire hunter (and even if you are), you might want to skip Highgate Cemetery at night. This graveyard is one of the most haunted in England, and it's easy to see why.
People report seeing vampires draining the blood of animals, as well as an imp-like creature wandering the grounds. This led to the infamous 'vampire hunters' who would exhume caskets, open them, and drive wooden stakes into the deceased. This bizarre activity ceased in 1970. Visitors also spot a ghostly bicycle rider (who is definitely not Nicolas Cage) and a man in a top hat.
If only the cemetery's more famous residents would make an appearance, like Karl Marx and Douglas Adams, for example.
3. Green Lady Cemetery, Burlington, Connecticut
As you drive down the rugged, pot-holed road of Upson Road, you might find yourself questioning your decision to go there. It's a dreadful road, but the destination is worth the discomfort. Green Lady Cemetery in Burlington, Connecticut, is in a state of decay—completely ruined. No gravestones remain, and the last one, a replica once belonging to the Green Lady herself, was stolen in 2010. The surrounding trees and stone walls are regularly vandalized.
At night, many claim to witness the Green Lady materialize as a full-body apparition, wrapped in a green mist with a glowing smile. However, others suggest this might just be a tale concocted by a camp counselor at the long-abandoned fresh air camp across the street. (The camp is now completely deserted.)
Nevertheless, rumors of satanic rituals and untimely deaths continue to circulate, making it a place best avoided by anyone who doesn’t want to end up in trouble with the law at night.
2. Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
For the record, I have visited Cemetery Hill twice and have yet to experience anything that would stop me from returning at night. However, others would tell a different story.
Cemetery Hill isn’t technically a cemetery, but it certainly served as the final resting place for many soldiers. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest of the Civil War, and after the conflict, the hill was filled with so many dead bodies that the stench of death lingered for days. The bodies couldn’t be buried fast enough, and the smell was so overwhelming that even after burial, passers-by would cover their noses.
Even today, some people claim to smell peppermint, a scent once used to mask the overwhelming odor of death.
1. Chase Vault, Barbados
Shouldn’t the dead stay dead? Well, the restless spirits of Chase Vault may not agree. Since the 19th century, the coffins inside the partially sunken tomb have been found in new positions every time the vault was reopened to add a new body. Each time, the coffins appeared to have been violently moved around. Imagine what might happen if you decided to spend the night there.
