Charming by Day, Haunted by Night: East Coast Weekend Escapes

October 15, 2025

History lingers longer in some towns than others.

If autumn has you craving both crisp mornings and a brush with the uncanny, the East Coast has plenty of places where you can wrap yourself in a sweater, book an elegant historic inn, and spend the weekend with the past. Each of these destinations comes with its own ghost tale — and just enough charm to balance the chills.

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport’s Gilded Age mansions have grandeur by day, but at night the stories rise. At Belcourt Castle, a servant’s ghost is said to appear in mirrors, and guests swear they’ve heard phantom music from the ballroom.

• Stay: The Chanler at Cliff Walk — a 19th-century mansion turned boutique inn, with fireplaces and moody elegance that feels pulled from a gothic novel.
• Eat: The White Horse Tavern — America’s oldest tavern, where patrons have long reported shadowy figures and unexplained cold spots in the upstairs rooms.
• Do: Ghosts of Newport Walking Tour — lantern-lit and winding through colonial streets, where ship captains and servants are said to wander still.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

The Battle of Gettysburg left behind more than scars on the land. Soldiers are said to march through Devil’s Den and the Wheatfield, their uniforms tattered, their faces pale. Visitors describe hearing cannons when the fields are silent.

• Stay: The Gettysburg Hotel — open since 1797 and located right on Lincoln Square. Guests have reported seeing Civil War soldiers in the halls.
• Eat: Dobbin House Tavern — serving hearty fare in candlelit rooms. Some diners claim to feel unseen hands brush their shoulders during dinner.
• Do: Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Tour — one of the oldest ghost tours in town, with guides who blend battlefield history with chilling firsthand accounts.

Savannah, Georgia

Spanish moss hangs heavy over Savannah’s squares, and so do its ghost stories. At Colonial Park Cemetery, visitors tell of shadowy figures moving between the tombs. Others whisper of children’s laughter echoing from the dead of night.

• Stay: Hamilton-Turner Inn — a grand home turned inn, where phantom children are said to run through the halls.
• Eat: The Pirates’ House — once a tavern for seafarers, rumored to have tunnels used for smuggling. Guests have reported voices rising from beneath the floorboards.
• Do: Savannah Ghost Trolley Tour — an evening ride that blends folklore, history, and a few jump-scares along the way.

Bar Harbor, Maine

This seaside town is known for lobster rolls and Acadia National Park, but locals still talk about the spirit of a ship captain who lingers near Frenchman Bay. On foggy nights, some say they’ve seen his figure moving through the mist.

• Stay: Bar Harbor Inn — perched on the water, with Victorian-era architecture that leans into the town’s history.
• Eat: Galyn’s — a classic Bar Harbor restaurant where the creaks of the old building sometimes feel like more than just settling wood.
• Do: Bar Harbor Ghost Tour — stroll past old sea captains’ homes and hear stories of wrecks, hauntings, and the lives left behind.

Williamsburg, Virginia

By day, it’s costumed interpreters and colonial charm. By night, Williamsburg’s Duke of Gloucester Street becomes one of the most haunted miles in America. Tales of former residents, from loyalists to revolutionaries, fill the candlelit air.

• Stay: Fife & Drum Inn — a cozy, family-run inn with antiques and colonial character, steps away from the stories that still haunt the historic district.
• Eat: King’s Arms Tavern — serving 18th-century-inspired meals by candlelight. Rumors swirl of spirits joining diners after hours.
• Do: Colonial Ghosts Tour — guides share stories that blur the line between history lesson and horror tale.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston’s pastel houses hide centuries of dark history. At the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, whispers of Revolutionary War prisoners still echo in the stone walls. Some locals say pirates, too, never left the harbor.

• Stay: The Meeting Street Inn — a pink 19th-century townhouse with wrought-iron balconies. Guests often mention footsteps on the stairs when no one’s there.
• Eat: Husk — housed in a restored Victorian home, where dinner comes with the creaks and whispers of a century-old building.
• Do: Old City Jail Ghost Tour — explore Charleston’s infamous jail, once home to pirates, Civil War prisoners, and Lavinia Fisher, the first female serial killer in the U.S.

If You Go

• Balance spooky with cozy. Haunted doesn’t mean uncomfortable — these inns lean into charm as much as chills.
• Book a tour. The best stories often come from guides who live them night after night.
• Leave room for wandering. Some of the best moments are found on quiet streets at dusk, when the line between history and haunting is thinnest.