Take a Ghost Tour in Charlotte to Learn about its Unique History

Anytime I travel to a new place, one of the first things I look up (after where to eat) is what haunted places are around. Haunted locations have been a passion of mine since I was probably too young for them. And while I can’t say with certainty that I’ve experienced anything supernatural, the idea still fascinates me. I long for the stories of unusual happenings and macabre affairs. So it’s surprising that it took me so many trips to North Carolina before I did a ghost tour in Charlotte. And I have to say, it’s one of the best I’ve ever done.

A Little History of Charlotte

The city of Charlotte, North Carolina was established in Mecklenburg County in 1768. Both the city and county were named in honor of King George’s consort, Queen Charlotte. North Tryon Street runs through the center of downtown Charlotte, but it used to be known as Great Wagon Road. It was the trail that connected all original thirteen colonies. So there is bound to be lots of history. Lots of stories. And lots of ghosts.

Fun fact: Great Wagon Road is the name of a distillery in the NODA district of Charlotte.

So with any city that has centuries of history, haunted places in Charlotte abound. So on my last visit to Queen City, I brought my cousin’s kids on their first ghost tour. (And that’s why their parents say the kids like having me visit!) I booked us tickets for the Beyond the Grave tour with Carolina History and Haunts. Then we trekked to downtown Charlotte for dinner before the tour.

Dinner Before the Ghost Tour

In every city I go to, I love finding food markets. Grown-up cafeterias, if you will. Why? Because they cater to smaller businesses, typically minority-owned. And there are so many options. You can get an appetizer from one place and an entrée from another. A drink from a third place and dessert from a fourth… if you’re hungry! Smaller than Charlotte’s famous Optimist Hall, The Market at 7th Street is a great option if you’re dining downtown.

I enjoyed a delicious liege waffle covered in peanut butter, bacon, and bananas at Sweet Crunch. One cousin joined me in ordering a chocolatey waffle, while the other got a smash burger and fries from Mad Dash. And I couldn’t leave the market without getting some unique bitters for my cocktails from Assorted Table Wine & Shop.

Another great food market you should check out is Salt City Market in Syracuse, NY.

Haunted Places in Charlotte

The ghost tour started right on North Tryon Street, appropriately the most historic street in Charlotte. Our tour guide was incredible throughout the night, theatrically filling the night air with stories of haunts, death, and unusual happenings from Charlotte’s history.

Ri Ra Irish Pub

The first stop discussed on this tour is located right across the street. The two-storied Irish pub features not one, but two bars imported from Ireland. There’s also a 19th century statue of St Patrick. Whether the spirits that haunt the pub are from Charlotte or from Ireland remains to be discovered. But what is known is that the owner of Ri Ra’s has a binder full of ghost stories reported over the years.

One of the stories revolves around a man in red period clothing sitting at the end of the bar. Bartenders report tending to patrons with thick Irish accents who mysteriously disappear. Another common story pertains to a small girl in a white dress holding chalk. And there’s proof of her existence. Look at the top of the wall on the second floor for sign that she has left there in chalk…

Carolina Theatre

Has the recent construction at the Carolina Theatre caused some disturbance among the spirits that inhabit the building? Lights inexplicably burn out. Sounds are heard when there is no one around. Rumors have it a ghost named Fred is still wandering the halls…

Dunhill Hotel

Built in 1929, the Dunhill Hotel has a reputation as being the most haunted place in Charlotte. As an Historic Hotel of America, it certainly has stories to tell. Originally known as the Mayfair Manor, the hotel sat abandoned for several years. When it was being remodeling in 1988, a skeleton was found at the bottom of the elevator shaft. It wasn’t until May 2023 that DNA samples helped local police finally identify the remains as Oliver Doc Mundy, a WW2 veteran.

I kid you not, when I was searching for the article about Oliver Mundy’s identification, my computer stopped working. None of the links worked. In just that tab. I had to close it out twice and restart before it did. Perhaps his spirit didn’t want me sharing?

Now, even though the Dunhill is a beautifully restored historic hotel, staff members still refuse to go to the top floor alone.

McNinch House Restaurant

The historic house-turned-restaurant on Church Street was once the home of former Charlotte Mayor Samuel Sylvanus McNinch. Unfortunately, the mayor’s young daughter Mattie died unexpectedly in the house. The McNinch family abandoned the house quickly. Years later, diners at the McNinch House Restaurant report seeing the little girl hanging around the house. Passersby on the street say they see the figure of the former lady of the house in an upstairs window. Do you dare to dine there?

First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte

During the Civil War, the parish wanted to hide the silver and other valuables. A black man named Ambrose was tasked with building a tunnel to do just that. Unfortunately, stories say that Ambrose was crushed when the tunnel collapsed. Rumors have it that his spirits still resides in the walls – or grounds – of the church.

Old Settler’s Cemetery

Located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte across from the First Presbyterian Church, Old Settler’s Cemetery was the first burial ground within city limits. The exact number of bodies buried there is unknown, as some research has shown several stacked on top of each other below the ground. Certain corners of the cemetery were used for the enslaved people associated with the families buried there. So records were, and still are, incomplete.

But yet, all of the original ‘permanent residents’ of the cemetery are no longer there. Graves were robbed and bodies were taken by local medical students for research.

Love ghost tours as much as I do? I highly recommend a ghost tour in St. Augustine, Florida. Or a paranormal investigation of Rolling Hills Asylum in New York.