Write Dark Tales in Richmond, Virginia

The ghosts of the past don’t stay buried for long

A cartoon of a zombie colonial ghost rising up from Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia wears its history like a second skin. With Civil War battlefields, colonial architecture, and centuries of unrest, the city offers no shortage of ghost stories and unsettling legends.

Wander the shadowy paths of Hollywood Cemetery, where twisted trees and elaborate tombs house the famous and the forgotten. Or explore the lingering energy of The Byrd Theatre, where guests report flickering lights and mysterious figures in the balcony. Richmond’s layered past makes it a rich hunting ground for horror writers seeking something deeply haunted.

5 Haunted and Historic Facts About Richmond

  • In 1811, the Richmond Theatre fire claimed the lives of over 70 people, including Virginia’s governor. The site is now home to Monumental Church, and some say the cries of the trapped can still be heard on quiet nights.

  • Belle Isle, once a Civil War prison camp, is now a scenic park with bike trails and river views. Hikers have reported the sound of chains rattling and voices calling from the woods, especially near the old ruins.

  • The Byrd Theatre, a historic movie palace from 1928, is said to be haunted by its longtime projectionist. Some moviegoers have reported flickering lights and doors opening on their own during late-night screenings.

  • The Edgar Allan Poe Museum celebrates one of Richmond’s most famous literary figures, but some believe the building itself holds a lingering presence. Staff and guests have claimed to hear footsteps in empty rooms and voices behind closed doors.

  • Locals say that Church Hill, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, comes alive after dark. Ghost tours often highlight tales of phantom carriages, disembodied voices, and unexplained lights flickering in windows long abandoned.

Photo of poe museum in Richmond, Virginia

Ghosts of Power and Pain in Richmond

Richmond’s past is soaked in war, politics, and poetry; and so are its ghosts. Explore eerie cemeteries, haunted mansions, and more.

Richmond Horror Writing Prompts

  • While walking through Hollywood Cemetery, your protagonist hears growling from behind the W.W. Pool mausoleum. When they turn around, the crypt door is ajar and a shadow crawls out on all fours, muttering their full name.

  • Inside the sealed Church Hill Tunnel, your character sneaks in through a drainage grate and finds train tracks covered in claw marks. A distant whistle echoes underground, followed by unnatural screams.

  • During a ghost tour in Shockoe Bottom, your character takes a shortcut through a cobblestone alley and finds a door that leads into a bar that shouldn’t exist. Inside, the ghostly patrons raise glasses in silence.

  • At an old row house in Jackson Ward, your character finds a mirror that shows not their reflection, but a room engulfed in flames. When they look away and back again, a figure now stands in the fire, watching them without blinking

  • Your character explores Belle Isle just before sunset and stumbles upon a rusted Civil War-era shackle with fresh blood inside. As night falls, they begin hearing soldiers arguing in the woods, followed by a single gunshot that never seems to end.

  • While staying at The Jefferson Hotel, your protagonist hears the laughter of children playing in the hallway every night at 2:14 a.m. When they finally open the door to confront them, they see wet footprints leading toward the grand staircase and no children in sight.

What to Ask Before Exploring Richmond’s Haunted Past

  • Yes. The Edgar Allan Poe Museum, located in one of Richmond’s oldest buildings, is said to be haunted by Poe himself. Visitors have reported sightings of his apparition and unexplained phenomena.

  • The Richmond Vampire is an urban legend associated with the mausoleum of W.W. Pool in Hollywood Cemetery. Locals claim that Pool was a vampire who fled England and was entombed in Richmond. The legend gained popularity among students in the 1980s.

  • Yes. Hollywood Cemetery is reputedly haunted, with reports of ghostly apparitions, including the Richmond Vampire and a cast-iron dog statue said to guard a child's grave.

  • The Church Hill Tunnel collapsed in 1925, trapping several workers. The site is associated with ghost stories and is linked to the Richmond Vampire legend.

  • Yes. The Byrd Theatre is known for paranormal activity, including sightings of a former manager and unexplained occurrences.

  • Yes. The Byrd Park Pump House is reputedly haunted, with reports of ghostly apparitions and unexplained phenomena.

  • Tuckahoe Plantation, the childhood home of Thomas Jefferson, is said to be haunted by a disembodied bride who strolls the garden path.

  • Yes. Julep's is reputedly haunted by the ghost of a gunsmith's assistant who was shot on the premises in the 1820s.

Go Where the Haunting Spreads

Move beyond Richmond and keep exploring eerie destinations or enter The Horror Hub for creative tools that echo through time.

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