As Hawkings is Damned in Stranger Things, Arkansas is also home to a bunch of allegedly haunted places. We explore Arkansas’s most haunted locations
Arkansas, a state known for its natural beauty and rich history, has a darker side to it. The state is home to numerous sites that are said to be haunted, including the King Opera House, Toltec Mounds, and the Allen House. This article takes you on a spooky journey as we explore some of the most famous haunted places in Arkansas.
King Opera House – A Tale of Murder and Ghostly Activity
King Opera House, located in Van Buren. This 19th-century opera house is not only known for its beautiful interior and performances but also for a tragic incident that occurred in September 1903. Actor Charles Tolson, the owner of the Tolson Stock Company, was shot by Dr. William Parchman at the train station, just as the troupe was leaving town.
Parchman believed that Tolson was planning to elope with his 17-year-old daughter, even though there was no proof of such intentions. Tolson died of his injuries, and Parchman was found not guilty of the murder.
Today, the King Opera House is said to be haunted by Tolson’s ghost, which is not surprising given that it was the location of his last performance. Though the opera house is not currently open to the public, it is available for rental.
Toltec Mounds – A Lost Civilization and Mysterious Orbs
Toltec Mounds, located in Scott. This site is a National Historic Landmark and the largest and most complex mound in Arkansas. The site was built between 650 and 1050 A.D. by a group of people referred to as the Plum Bayou culture, who mysteriously disappeared around 1050 A.D. The site contains 18 mounds, with the tallest standing at 49 feet.
Many visitors have reported seeing orbs or lights near the mounds, as well as hearing footsteps and encountering ghosts. While these reports are unconfirmed, the site remains an active archaeological site and a popular destination for history buffs and paranormal enthusiasts.
The Allen House – A Tragic Suicide and Endless Unexplainable Instances
Allen House, located in Monticello. Built in 1905, the house was named after its original owner, Jolie Allen. The house was the site of a tragic suicide when Allen’s daughter Ladelle took her own life by drinking potassium cyanide in one of the bedrooms. The room remained closed off from the rest of the house until after Allen’s wife, Caddy, passed away in 1954.
After the house was converted into rental apartments, tenants reported hearing footsteps and moans from the closed-off bedroom. In 1985, new owners discovered the cyanide bottle still in the closet. Since then, the house has changed hands several times, and each owner has reported paranormal activity.
In 2008, paranormal investigators recorded over 40 voice phenomena during an investigation and had their own unexplainable experiences. In 2009, Ladelle’s love letters were discovered in the attic, detailing a 1948 love affair that ended with her taking her own life on Christmas night.
Arkansas Highway 365
One of the most well-known haunted sites in Arkansas is Arkansas Highway 365. According to a tale, a young man picked up a young girl on the roadside who was cold and soaked from the rain. He draped his coat over her shoulders and offered her a lift to her house. She provided him directions, but when he stepped outside the vehicle to assist her in getting out of her seat, nobody was present.
The man approached the home in confusion and rapped on the door. When a woman responded, she identified the young child as her daughter, who had been murdered in the past. She hitchhikes back home once a year, and the young man found his coat draped over her tombstone in the cemetery.
Mary Walters
Another haunted spot is Kirin Hall, currently the home of the Little Rock Visitors Information Center. The house was built by Colonel Ebenezer Walters for his young bride Mary, who died in childbirth just before the house was finished. Visitors have reported experiencing the presence of Mary Walters, including eerie occurrences like a picture coming off the wall and a copy machine making coffee with no grounds or water present. Apparently, Mary Walters haunts this ground now and the areas surrounding it, but she is not considered dangerous.
The Clayton House
One of the most haunted sites in Arkansas is The Clayton House, serving as the residence for William Henry Harrison Clayton and his family. The second-floor bedroom where boots have been heard stomping and doors banging is avoided by director Martha Seiler and her staff.
Seiler and her daughter both seen an apparition of a gray-haired woman wearing a brown outfit in Clayton’s study. Numerous recordings of paranormal activity have been made at the home, including one that features a guy screaming obscenities and a cat meowing. A woman reported having her hair pulled when the public was invited to these investigations, while a male claimed to have seen a face.
Mount Holly Cemetery
Every town has its own haunted cemetery, and Little Rock, Arkansas is no exception. The Mount Holly Cemetery, located at Broadway and 12th Street, is the final resting place of many notable people.
However, several reports of paranormal sightings and photographs have been taken at the property, including apparitions of people dressed in period clothing and bright lights and mists. Some visitors have even claimed that statues have been mysteriously relocated to the lawns of nearby houses, while others have heard the sounds of a flute echoing in the cemetery. Could it be a spirit that likes the flute, or something more sinister? Tell me in comments if you know.
1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa
The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa is a well-known haunted destination in Arkansas that offers tours revealing secret underground passages and the hotel’s old morgue. Michael, a stonecutter who helped build the hotel, is the most famous ghost, and his supposed haunt, Room 218, is the most requested room in the hotel. Another ghost, Dr. John Fremont Ellis, the former hotel physician, is often seen on the staircase from the second floor to the lobby, and visitors have reported other eerie sightings.
Toltec Mounds
The mounds and earthen embankments in Toltec Mound Archaeological State Park, known as the “Stonehenge of Arkansas,” are remnants of the Plum Bayou culture. The Plum Bayou people constructed 18 mounds for ceremonial, religious, governmental, and social purposes, with at least one acting as a burial mound.
Archaeological studies at the site have unearthed objects that cannot be linked back to other Native American societies, implying that the Plum Bayou people just vanished, leaving no evidence of where they went or why they left. Visitors to the current park have reported seeing lights, orbs, and even ghostly apparitions of ancient people during the night, and footsteps have been heard near the extant mound site.
Natural Steps
Natural Steps, a fascinating geological formation along the Arkansas River’s banks, is a small town with an unnerving history of buildings, structures, and people disappearing. A few days after a local couple’s wedding atop the Natural Steps, the groom died of an unknown disease.
Overwhelmed with sadness, the widow vanished after the burial, many suspects by plunging down the Natural Steps. Residents and visitors have both reported seeing a woman dressed in white walking around town. Confederate forces are said to have sunk their own gunboat with large funds during the Civil War, adding to the mystery and intrigue of this small town.
Conclusion
Arkansas is a state steeped in a rich history, and it’s no surprise that it boasts a plethora of haunted places just waiting to be explored. From the grandeur of the King Opera House to the eerie ambiance of the Mount Holly Cemetery, these sites offer a tantalizing glimpse into the past and the paranormal. While some may dismiss the tales as far-fetched, the evidence of ghostly activity and unexplainable occurrences is too compelling to ignore.
So if you’re feeling adventurous, why not plan a trip to Arkansas and immerse yourself in the haunted sites that lie within its borders? Book your flights from Traveljunctionus for the best deals, and start with a one-way ticket- who knows, you may even have a ghostly encounter of your own!
Amazing article.