The Haunted Rams Head Tavern

Posted: 01.03.2025 | Updated: 01.03.2025

Located at 33 West Street in Annapolis, MD, the Rams Head Tavern has stood for hundreds of years but has gone by many different names and served a variety of purposes. As a result, the building has become haunted by ghosts dating back to the colonial era. These entities regularly make themselves known, giving the tavern a haunting reputation.

The city of Annapolis is rich in history and played an integral role in the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. You can learn about the city’s history and hauntings that followed by booking a ghost tour with Annapolis Ghosts for your next visit!

Is the Rams Head Tavern Haunted?

There are at least two ghosts who haunt the Rams Head Tavern, though there could be several more, considering the age of the building. The most famous apparition is that of a young woman simply known as Amy, who lost her life at the tavern in the 18th century. Amy is known to cause a fair amount of mischief around the bar and has even been caught on film. 

One story goes that Amy’s ghost wrote her name in wet cement during renovations on the building, scaring off a team of construction workers. It’s no wonder the Rams Head Tavern makes its way onto ghost tours of Annapolis.

History of the Rams Head Tavern

The building that now houses the Rams Head Tavern was originally owned by St. Anne’s Parish. In the mid-1700s, the parish leased the building to business entrepreneur William Reynolds. Reynolds had made his money working as a hatter, dry goods salesman, and venture capitalist. He also owned the Reynolds Tavern, another well-known haunted bar in Annapolis. 

In 1769, Reynolds subleased the building to a man named Samuel Chase, who would go on to play an integral role in the founding of the United States. Chase was a member of the Maryland General Assembly and signed the US Constitution while acting as a representative for the state of Maryland. He eventually served for 20 years as a Supreme Court associate justice.

The building would change hands again in 1792 when William Faris opened a clock and silversmith shop called the Crown and Dial. However, his tenancy was short-lived, and the building was renamed the Sign of the Green Tree in 1794. The Sign of the Green Tree was billed as a “house of entertainment” and was most likely a bordello. It’s during this time that a 16-year-old girl named Amy lost her life and became one of the ghosts that haunt the Rams Head Tavern today.

In 1989, after a couple of centuries of changing ownership, the Rams Head Tavern was purchased by Bill Muehlhauser. The tavern could only seat 30 people at the time, but Muehlhauser renovated and expanded it, transforming it into the full-scale restaurant and bar it is today. No trip to Annapolis, ghost-related or otherwise, is truly complete without a stop at the Rams Head Tavern.

Hauntings at the Rams Head Tavern

Staff at the Rams Head Tavern will tell you that the place is haunted. The full-bodied apparition of an old woman has been spotted in the tavern over the years, as well as that of a young woman named Amy. Unseen forces are also known to knock over drinks at the bar and rearrange silverware when no one is looking. One particularly thirsty ghost will shake the wire mesh door to the bar’s liquor cage.

The Ghost of Amy

Like many ghost stories, there are a number of variations in Amy’s story. Some say she was a sex worker when the Rams Head Tavern operated as the Sign of the Green Tree. Other versions claim that Amy was merely the daughter of a madam who met a tragic and disturbing end. On all accounts, Amy was a 16-year-old girl whose life was taken far too soon.

In the late 1700s, a sailor entered the Sign of the Green Tree and acquired Amy’s services. The two headed upstairs to a room above the bar, and those sitting at the bar started to hear a great deal of noise coming from the bedroom. It wasn’t long before dust began sifting from the rafters over the bar as well. Suddenly, there was a crash, and the entire bed fell through the floorboards, killing Amy. While the story sounds outlandish at best, one of the bed posts allegedly from Amy’s bed is still stuck in the ceiling above the bar as a reminder of her bizarre and untimely death.

Staff at the Rams Head Tavern have reported running into Amy’s spirit over the years, and her apparition was captured in a photo by one paranormal investigator. Amy is also said to prank female patrons who are there with their boyfriends or husbands. Women have reported feeling their hands pushed as they take a drink, causing them to spill it down the front of their shirts. Amy is typically blamed for this mischief. 

During the expansion of the Rams Head Tavern, a construction crew claimed that a member of the tavern’s staff had moved their equipment and written their name in wet cement. When Bill Muehlhauser went to investigate, he found the name “Amy” crudely drawn into the dry cement. 

Haunted Annapolis

Although the haunting story of Amy has little historical fact to back it up, there’s no denying the ghostly activity at the Rams Head Tavern. This paranormal hotspot has been around since before the Revolutionary War and has seen Annapolis transform from a small town to the capital city of Maryland. So it’s safe to say that the Rams Head Tavern isn’t going anywhere, and neither are its ghosts.

Want to learn more about the ghost stories of Annapolis? Hear all the haunting tales by booking a tour with Annapolis Ghosts today! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Maryland hauntings.

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