The Haunted Plantation

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana bills itself as "One of America's Most Haunted Homes". It operates as a bed and breakfast, so for as little as $115 a night (plus tax), you can stay there and see for yourself how haunted it really is.

The property passed to Bradford's son-in-law Clark Woodruff who lost his wife and two of his three children to yellow fever. Legend has it that during Woodruff's reign at the plantation, he had a relationship with a slave girl named Chloe while his wife was pregnant. Chloe became paranoid when Woodruff ended the affair, and he allegedly cut her ear off as punishment for eavesdropping. From that point, Chloe always wore a turban to cover the scar. Image by Flickr user stevesheriw.

Ruffin Grey Stirling purchased the plantation in 1834 and expanded the main house to twice its original size and renamed it The Myrtles after the crape myrtles that grew there. Stirling and his wife Mary Cobb had nine children, five of whom died young. The Civil War saw The Myrtles robbed of many fine furnishings and expensive accessories. The family fortune was wrecked, as most of it was tied up in Confederate currency. After Stirling's death, his son-in-law William Winter oversaw The Myrtles. On January 26, 1871, an unknown man approached the house and shot Winter dead on the front porch. It is the only confirmed murder at the plantation. Legend says that Winter staggered through the house as he died, climbing 17 of the stairs before he collapsed. Today, footsteps can be heard on those stairs when no one is there. Image by Flickr user stevesheriw.

A mirror in the hallway reportedly shows faces of the dead from time to time. The smudges that were thought to be responsible had been cleaned over and over but still returned, even after the glass was replaced! It has been posited that imperfections in the wood behind the glass could be to blame. A French woman in a black skirt has been seen dancing with her feet slightly above the floor. Children's voice are heard, and sometime a baby is heard crying. Image by Flickr user Corey Ann.

If you can't get reservations to stay the night by Halloween this year, you can take a tour of The Myrtles, or enjoy dinner in the plantation restaurant.

See also: The Haunted Hospital