Have you ever wondered what spooky secrets the historic city of Winston-Salem holds? 

Winston-Salem’s history first began in 1766 when Salem was established. The Old Salem area is now one of the oldest settlements in the U.S.

With a rich history that spans three centuries, Old Salem has long been the backdrop of ghostly legends and eerie tales. The meticulously preserved village is rumored to shelter remaining spirits from days gone by. Visitors and employees have reported mysterious footsteps echoing in empty corridors, phantom figures appearing in period attire and inexplicable cold spots that defy logic.

The Tavern in Old Salem

It was in the winter of 1831 when an unknown man entered the doors of Salem Tavern in need of a place to sleep for the night. The man was obviously very sick, and the local doctor was called to tend to him. 

By morning, his symptoms were worse, and the man slipped into a coma before passing away. No one tending to the man had even learned his name.

They buried him, but kept his belongings at the tavern, hoping that, one day, his family would come to claim them. A few days later, tavern staff began complaining about strange things happening in the tavern’s basement. They reported feeling an icy, unsettling presence, as well as strange noises seemingly without a source. 

Soon, after these strange occurrences, the tavern keeper was by himself one evening, when an apparition appeared before his eyes. The spirit was clearly the man they had buried. The ghostly figure told the tavern keeper his name and asked that he write to his family and inform them of what happened to him. The tavern keeper did as he was asked, and within a few weeks, received a reply. The dead man’s family confirmed his identity and requested the keeper to send the man’s belongings back to Texas. Oddly enough, when the tavern keeper fulfilled this request, all paranormal activity at Salem Tavern came to a halt.  

Salem College

Established in 1772, Salem College is the oldest female educational establishment in the United States. Any location with such a long and colorful history is bound to have a ghost or two.

In 1907, two girls were electrocuted and died in the Gramley Building on campus grounds. According to reports, their full-bodied apparitions have been seen in the building. Chillingly, if you meet their gaze, they are said to scream! 

In the attic of the Gramley dorms, a student is believed to have hung himself. His spirit is said to be the reason for the dragging sounds and scratching coming from the attic late at night.

In Clewell’s dormitory, you may come across the ghost of a young girl who apparently fell to her death down the elevator shaft.

Reynolda Gardens 

Could the beautiful grounds at Reynolda have a spooky side? Many visitors think so. The home and surrounding gardens were built in 1917 for tobacco tycoon R.J. Reynolds, his wife, Katharine, and their children. R.J. would unfortunately die of pancreatic cancer the following year, leaving Katharine alone to manage the estate, which she did until her own death in 1924.

While very little paranormal activity is reported inside the home, the same cannot be said for the surrounding grounds and gardens. Most accounts focus on a mysterious “lady in white” who is seen floating along the wooded trails and wetlands. Sometimes she’s seen on horseback, and sometimes she’s not wearing white, but she’s almost always accompanied by an enveloping mist and a deep cold. Could it be that Katharine is still wandering around the grounds at Reynolda watching over her beloved estate? Considering she spent hours each day strolling the grounds, it certainly makes sense.

Blum House

Multiple employees of the J. Blum House have reported feeling a type of dread while working there, especially on and around the staircase. According to some, the feeling can become so intense, they refuse to go up the stairs at all. 

One man was in the house on a sunny afternoon, hanging flags for an upcoming event. He began hearing someone typing on the computer in the office next door. Once he finished with the flags, he walked over to say hello…only, no one was there, and nobody could have come into the office without first walking by him.

The Blum house got its name from John Christian Blum, a printer who lived in the house during the early 1800s. One fateful night, Mr. Blum was running behind schedule. Hurrying to close his printing business down, Mr. Blum failed to blow out a candle before leaving for the evening. Unfortunately, Mr. Blum had a stack of $10,000 dollars placed near the candle. The money burned up, and Mr. Blum suddenly found himself in an incredible amount of debt. The only way to keep afloat was to mortgage both his house and his business to the church. Mr. Blum eventually passed away in 1854.

Fast forward to 1995 when renovations began on the Blum House. It was decided to return Mr. Blum’s printing press to the house as part of a permanent exhibit, and once there, paranormal activity quickly began. Staff began noticing that the doors in the house would mysteriously open and close by themselves. Other times, the doors would be difficult to open as if someone were on the other side attempting to keep them shut.

Over time, employees also began reporting hearing the sounds of a man and a woman conversing softly in the house. But, every time they would go to look around, nobody else could ever be found.

Why not plan a visit to some of these historic locations this fall and see if you too might be in for a paranormal encounter?