In the shadowed heart of Baltimore, the Westminster Burying Ground whispers tales of history, mystery, and the spectral. The burial ground, bought by prominent laymen from the westside of old Baltimore, became a revered final resting place. Since 1786, this hallowed ground has cradled the remains of Baltimore’s influential merchants, politicians, statesmen, and war veterans. Here you can find generals and heroes of the American Revolution and War of 1812, as well.
Shrouded in Gothic Revival architecture, the grounds also hold the remains of Edgar Allan Poe, America’s master of the macabre. Yet, Poe’s eternal slumber is but a chapter in the cemetery’s enthralling saga. People say ghostly figures and enigmatic mists roam there, more lost than the living themselves. Ghostly apparitions, dark misty figures and an air of the inexplicable draw the curious and the brave. And my friend and I. We’re more curious than brave.
Looking for other haunted places in Baltimore? Check out the Admiral Fell Inn!
As the twilight of 1852 fell, the Westminster Presbyterian Church rose, its foundation a macabre dance over the graves and vaults, crafting the catacombs below—a sight that might have stirred Poe to pen tales as dark as those in “The Fall of the House of Usher.” This edifice served as both a guardian over the dead and a church for Baltimore’s booming living population. Despite persistent urban legend, it wasn’t built to align with a (non-existent) city ordinance about graveyards and churches.
Edgar Allen Poe and Westminster Burying Ground
Edgar Allan Poe’s original burial in an unmarked grave in Westminster Burying Ground in 1849 marked the beginning of the site’s allure. In 1875, a local school teacher started the original crowd-sourced fundraising with “Pennies for Poe.” They collected enough to purchase a large marble monument and move Poe’s remains to the front of the cemetery facing Fayette Street. To this day, it is traditional for visitors to leave a penny on Poe’s monument.
The Poe House Museum is close by the Westminster Burying Grounds.
Westminster Burial Ground So Very Haunted
Yet, it is the phantoms of Westminster that whisper the loudest, casting this sacred ground among Baltimore’s most haunted. Ranked among Baltimore’s top haunted places, its catacombs are home to unrested souls, disturbed by body snatchers of the past. From Gen John Swann’s spectral admonitions to depart to Poe’s own spirit, lingering in timeless sorrow near his monument, the air is thick with tales of the beyond, each shadow and sigh a story waiting to be told.
The “Screaming Skull of Cambridge” adds to the cemetery’s eerie reputation. Linked to a murdered minister, its high-pitched screams pierce the silence, a chilling reminder of the site’s dark legends.
Visitors often see Lucia Watson Taylor, a young spirit in white, praying at her grave. And if you’re loud and unruly, you might find yourself chased by a 19th-century groundskeeper. He chastises you as his voice echoing through the tombstones.
In this realm, where the past and the ethereal merge, the Westminster Burial Ground dares you to explore its depths. Although we didn’t encounter any ghosts that night, it is a place “deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing,” inviting the brave to discover its secrets, where every whisper and shadow is a tale, endlessly unfolding.
Know Before You Go
To enter the Westminster Burying Ground use the gates at the corner of Greene and Fayette Street. Self-guided tours are free to the public; tour guides are not available. However, tours are offered the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Please dress appropriately; a portion of the tour is held outside. Tours include the Burying Ground and Catacombs. Fees are $5 for adults; children 4 and under FREE. Please bring exact change.
There is limited street parking.
Getting there: 515 W Fayette St, Baltimore, MD
Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Website: Westminster Hall
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