Top Ten Haunted Places in Annapolis

Posted: 03.24.2025 | Updated: 03.24.2025

In a city whose history stretches back more than three hundred years, one would expect nothing less than a good assortment of hauntings. On this front, haunted Annapolis does not disappoint. 

America’s Sailing Capital harbors more than just boats within its midst. Countless spirits roam its streets and buildings, making their presence known as they see fit. Looking for the spookiest haunted Annapolis attractions? Read on to discover this coastal city’s vast array of ghost-ridden sites, some of which are the most haunted places in Maryland. 

Eager to hear some of Crabtown’s ghost stories in person? Take one of our chilling Annapolis tours with Annapolis Ghosts. 

What Are ​​the Most Haunted Places in Annapolis? 

Known to shelter some of the most haunted locations in Maryland, Annapolis brims with specters and restless spirits. From the ghostly apparitions of Kent Island Resort to the singing spirit of Reynolds Tavern, Annapolis has no shortage of eerie houses, taverns, and inns.

Annapolis is so steeped in ghost stories that even its governing buildings are haunted. The Maryland State House has long been considered the most haunted Annapolis locale. Occupied by the wronged spirit of a man who worked on the dome in the late 1700s, this unnerving presence has been spied smoking a pipe in the very dome the man died working on. 

Pocomoke State Forest

Maryland’s Pocomoke State Forest contains many bizarre legends and odd creatures. Tales of a werewolf and other mysterious forest spirits mark the spots known as the Hanging Hole and the Old Tree. Meanwhile, the historic area known as Furnace Town is said to be haunted by the ghost of Sampson Harmon. 

Strangest of all is the tale of the old Nazarene Church, which held a bible that no one could steal. Any thieves who attempted its theft discovered the bible to become heavier and heavier as it approached the door until they could carry it no longer. 

There’s also the legend of a woman who left her abusive partner only to lose her child in the river and be murdered by her husband upon her return. Legend says you can still hear the child crying in the Pocomoke River, paired with the mother’s sobs. 

The Rising Sun Inn

Located a short nine miles Northwest of Annapolis, the historic Rising Sun Inn is a property as old as it is haunted. Portions of this structure date back to 1753, when tobacco farmer Edward Baldwin first erected it.

This quaint inn and museum is said to be haunted by the spirit of Randolph Williams, a blacksmith who once lived on the property and died in 1913. He is rumored to appear at the upstairs window, gazing out as if deep in thought.

A second spirit called Abigail haunts this establishment as well. This flirtatious female spirit likes to pinch male patrons, occasionally cuddling up to them in the night. 

Kent Island Resort

Kent Island Resort is another renowned Maryland haunted location found on Kent Island in neighboring Stevensville. Known previously as Kent Manor Inn, this refined hotel and wedding venue is said to be haunted by a former resident, Alexander Thompson, who constructed portions of the property and died here. 

Thompson is said to have passed away in either room 209 or 210, where the TV occasionally switches on and off by itself. Staff have felt their hair being pulled by unseen hands and smelled the scent of tobacco smoke in the air.

Still more have sighted the ghostly figure of a man on horseback, approaching the manor on his stead. 

The US Naval Institute

This academy has yielded several ghost stories over the years. The most acclaimed involves the spirit of Lieutenant John Paul Jones, the man whose remains lie interred below the floor of the Naval Academy Chapel. Cadets have often reported experiences linked to his spirit, spying on strange figures in the shadows or hearing odd noises in the chapel. 

Others have proclaimed that his ghost can be found roving the campus cemetery close to Halloween. Might he feel lonely in his solitary crypt, opting for a nighttime stroll in search of company?

The Maryland Inn

Established in 1770, this historic Annapolis haunted inn has seen reports of various specters over the years, from soldiers of the Revolutionary War to figures in 19th-century garments. Employees have recounted missing objects, inexplicable sounds, and peculiar smells attributed to this cadre of strange spirits. 

However, the two most famed ghosts are those of Captain Charles Campell and his nameless bride, both of whom tragically died before reuniting.

Now, the lovers haunt the inn. The bride-to-be is rumored to pace the fourth floor as if anxious for her wedding day, eliciting a cold presence. Like any husband-to-be, the Captain is seen most often in the basement taproom. 

Rams Head Tavern

The Rams Head Tavern staff on West Street have experienced a flush of ghostly activity within this time-worn building. Odd occurrences have included the liquor cage’s chain link rattling, toppled-over drinks, and moved silverware. 

This watering hole is said to be haunted by the apparition of a woman named Amy, who used to “entertain” the male tavern guests in centuries past. Tavern servers have reported running into her apparition, while others have claimed to have captured her in photographs.

Yet she isn’t the only spirit in the building. Another resident ghost appears to be an elderly woman. 

Cornhill Street

The ghost of Cornhill Street is certainly hard to miss on account of him being headless and all. According to legend, he is said to wander along the street on a quest for his missing skull, which lies in the Annapolis Harbor. How did this poor gentleman end up in such a state?

As the story is told, two orphaned brothers lived in a house on this very street who were known for their drinking and rough behavior. One particularly rambunctious evening, the elder brother fell while the two were drunkenly brawling and died. The younger brother decided to throw the elder’s body bit by bit into the harbor, where the crabs would consume him.

His head went first, but after, the younger brother lost his nerve. The neighbors soon smelled the decomposing corpse from the house, half-buried in the basement, and the deed was found out. For generations, apparitions of the elder brother have been seen on Cornhill Street, cursed to wander in search of his head. 

Reynolds Tavern

Reynolds Tavern is a site so old that it predates the state of Maryland and the formation of the United States. One must only step inside to see the proof. Within its walls, you’ll find an original stairwell from 1737 and a ghost or two. 

Reynolds Tavern is so named because this quaint little pub resides in what was once William Reynolds’s hat shop. It’s his wife Mary who is said to haunt this old-timey drinkery.

Inside these aged walls, items move on their own, unruly patrons have found themselves locked in bathrooms or had drinks spilled on them, and some occasionally hear the spirit of Mary singing Christmas carols softly. 

The Shiplap House

Now home to the Historic Annapolis Foundation, the Shiplap House is one of the oldest in Annapolis, dating back to 1715. It has long been believed to be haunted by the spirit of a murdered woman, known to be “a working girl” during its time as a tavern. Called Adrianne, she is thought to have been murdered on the property by a spurned suitor.

Throughout the years, she has been known to crawl into bed with people, although she is friendlier to men than to women.

Some have smelled her rose perfume or heard her footsteps ascending the stairs. Other spirits are rumored to linger here, including a blonde girl named Audrey in a blue dress and her maid.

Maryland State House

This 1772 Annapolis landmark is well-known to be haunted. Within the Maryland State House, guests have recounted footsteps in the night, although no person can be seen. There have also been accounts of flickering lights, gusts of ice-cold air, and doors swinging to and fro. 

Many believe the spirit of one of the dome’s laborers resides here, the man having fallen to his demise while doing plasterwork in 1793.

As the tale is told, the contractor declined to pay the man’s outstanding wages or pension to his wife, which left the family in dire condition. As such, he lingers, occasionally thought to be a reenactor by visitors. His spirit is sometimes seen walking the balustrade at the dome’s top or smoking a pipe within the building, 

Dive Deeper in the History of Haunted Annapolis

Crabtown remains a site packed with history, spirits, and fascinating figures within its many Annapolis attractions. To learn about its lore in even deeper detail, book one of our Annapolis ghost tours to uncover the legends surrounding some of the most haunted places in Maryland.

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