Who’s up for a ROAD TRIP through some of the spookiest ghost towns in South Carolina? Unlike some places in the midwestern U.S., South Carolina only has a handful of ghost towns that have been mapped or documented with photos. And then, of course, there are those other towns that have been reported as bonafide ghost towns, but they are still very much alive with actual people living in them, even though the towns are slowly fading. The ghost towns on this road trip are from the first group; they are gone and only small tokens remain.
Google Maps This road trip is just over five hours of drive time and covers locations in the upstate and the lowcountry. We’ve plotted out the ghost town locations on this Google map.
Go ahead. Invite your friends, make sure the camera’s charged and the tank is filled and let’s go!
Pinckneyville
Flickr/Mark’s Photo Travels
Flickr/Marks Photo Travels What remains of the upstate’s “Little Charleston,” is just piles of rubble or stone foundations. See the link at the end of this article for an in-depth article about Pinckneyville.
Pickens Courthouse
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM Possibly the only remaining part of the town of Pickens Courthouse is this church which was completed in 1851. There may be a marker for the site of the old courthouse.
Glenn Springs
Flickr/Special Collections at Wofford College Was this a “town proper?” Either way, the area known as Glenn Springs was once a thriving destination as people flocked to a luxurious hotel built in 1834 that used to be located at the springs. The hotel burned in 1941. In 1974, the Glenn Springs Academy home for boys opened near the site, but it closed in May 2015. This road trip takes you to the site of the old Glenn Springs Academy (Spartanburg Boys School).
Colonial Dorchester
Wikipedia/lazyksaw
Facebook/South Carolina Parks Colonial Dorchester was established in 1697 as a trading post and then abandoned at the start of the Revolutionary War. The state of South Carolina has managed to preserve the few remaining structures on this site. They still conduct archaeological digs to uncover more secrets of Colonial Dorchester.
Want to learn more about one of these ghost towns? Read: This Creepy Ghost Town In South Carolina Is The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of.
Google Maps
This road trip is just over five hours of drive time and covers locations in the upstate and the lowcountry. We’ve plotted out the ghost town locations on this Google map.
Go ahead. Invite your friends, make sure the camera’s charged and the tank is filled and let’s go!
Flickr/Mark’s Photo Travels
Flickr/Marks Photo Travels
What remains of the upstate’s “Little Charleston,” is just piles of rubble or stone foundations. See the link at the end of this article for an in-depth article about Pinckneyville.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Possibly the only remaining part of the town of Pickens Courthouse is this church which was completed in 1851. There may be a marker for the site of the old courthouse.
Flickr/Special Collections at Wofford College
Was this a “town proper?” Either way, the area known as Glenn Springs was once a thriving destination as people flocked to a luxurious hotel built in 1834 that used to be located at the springs. The hotel burned in 1941. In 1974, the Glenn Springs Academy home for boys opened near the site, but it closed in May 2015. This road trip takes you to the site of the old Glenn Springs Academy (Spartanburg Boys School).
Wikipedia/lazyksaw
Facebook/South Carolina Parks
Colonial Dorchester was established in 1697 as a trading post and then abandoned at the start of the Revolutionary War. The state of South Carolina has managed to preserve the few remaining structures on this site. They still conduct archaeological digs to uncover more secrets of Colonial Dorchester.
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Address: Pinckneyville, SC, USAAddress: 149 SC-183, Seneca, SC 29672, USAAddress: Glenn Springs, SC 29302, USAAddress: Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, 300 State Park Rd, Summerville, SC 29485, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
ghost towns in south carolina May 20, 2020 Leah What are the creepiest places in South Carolina? When it comes to the paranormal, there are some haunted places in South Carolina that might just be the creepiest of them all. One of the oldest performance theaters in the US, the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, is home to multiple restless spirits that have lingered long after their deaths. One of those spirits is supposedly that of John Wilkes Booth’s father, Junius Booth. You can take a ghost tour of the theatre to see if you spot him wandering the halls - if you’re brave enough. Another spooky spot in SC is definitely the small town of Hilda, where people say they often hear a nearby train - whistle, rumbling, and all - despite the fact that the tracks have been removed for decades. They call it a ghost train, and it’s beyond creepy. What is the most haunted place in South Carolina? There are quite a few abandoned places in South Carolina that are supposedly haunted, but a certain location of fort ruins definitely takes the cake as the most haunted. Fort Fremont, located on St. Helena Island, has been empty and falling to ruin for decades since it was deactivated in 1912. According to the many myths and legends that surround the spooky-looking buildings, many lingering spirits haunt the place. The ghosts of soldiers, slaves, and more are apparently stuck here for eternity. There is even a ghost car that you might encounter if you visit late at night, with a distant light that seems like headlights coming towards you and passing but no car being there. What are the most popular ghost stories in South Carolina? If you’re feeling brave enough to hear some South Carolina ghost stories, there are quite a few. They’ll make you want to keep your lights on at night and include everything from the infamous Gray Man, Booger Jim, a headless woman, and more spine-chilling stories. Read some of these spooky tales by clicking here.
The OIYS Visitor Center
ghost towns in south carolina
May 20, 2020
Leah
What are the creepiest places in South Carolina? When it comes to the paranormal, there are some haunted places in South Carolina that might just be the creepiest of them all. One of the oldest performance theaters in the US, the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, is home to multiple restless spirits that have lingered long after their deaths. One of those spirits is supposedly that of John Wilkes Booth’s father, Junius Booth. You can take a ghost tour of the theatre to see if you spot him wandering the halls - if you’re brave enough. Another spooky spot in SC is definitely the small town of Hilda, where people say they often hear a nearby train - whistle, rumbling, and all - despite the fact that the tracks have been removed for decades. They call it a ghost train, and it’s beyond creepy. What is the most haunted place in South Carolina? There are quite a few abandoned places in South Carolina that are supposedly haunted, but a certain location of fort ruins definitely takes the cake as the most haunted. Fort Fremont, located on St. Helena Island, has been empty and falling to ruin for decades since it was deactivated in 1912. According to the many myths and legends that surround the spooky-looking buildings, many lingering spirits haunt the place. The ghosts of soldiers, slaves, and more are apparently stuck here for eternity. There is even a ghost car that you might encounter if you visit late at night, with a distant light that seems like headlights coming towards you and passing but no car being there. What are the most popular ghost stories in South Carolina? If you’re feeling brave enough to hear some South Carolina ghost stories, there are quite a few. They’ll make you want to keep your lights on at night and include everything from the infamous Gray Man, Booger Jim, a headless woman, and more spine-chilling stories. Read some of these spooky tales by clicking here.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
When it comes to the paranormal, there are some haunted places in South Carolina that might just be the creepiest of them all. One of the oldest performance theaters in the US, the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, is home to multiple restless spirits that have lingered long after their deaths. One of those spirits is supposedly that of John Wilkes Booth’s father, Junius Booth. You can take a ghost tour of the theatre to see if you spot him wandering the halls - if you’re brave enough. Another spooky spot in SC is definitely the small town of Hilda, where people say they often hear a nearby train - whistle, rumbling, and all - despite the fact that the tracks have been removed for decades. They call it a ghost train, and it’s beyond creepy.
What is the most haunted place in South Carolina?
There are quite a few abandoned places in South Carolina that are supposedly haunted, but a certain location of fort ruins definitely takes the cake as the most haunted. Fort Fremont, located on St. Helena Island, has been empty and falling to ruin for decades since it was deactivated in 1912. According to the many myths and legends that surround the spooky-looking buildings, many lingering spirits haunt the place. The ghosts of soldiers, slaves, and more are apparently stuck here for eternity. There is even a ghost car that you might encounter if you visit late at night, with a distant light that seems like headlights coming towards you and passing but no car being there.
What are the most popular ghost stories in South Carolina?
If you’re feeling brave enough to hear some South Carolina ghost stories, there are quite a few. They’ll make you want to keep your lights on at night and include everything from the infamous Gray Man, Booger Jim, a headless woman, and more spine-chilling stories. Read some of these spooky tales by clicking here.
