From the blood-drenched fields of Gettysburg to the windswept plains of Little Bighorn, America’s historic battlegrounds are more than monuments to courage—they’re portals to the past where restless spirits still march, whisper, and replay the chaos of war. These 15 haunted battlefields, preserved by the National Park Service and steeped in tragedy, draw millions of visitors each year seeking history, chills, and unexplained encounters. Whether it’s phantom drumbeats at Shiloh, glowing orbs over Antietam’s Bloody Lane, or the ghostly charge of Custer’s cavalry, these sites prove that some battles never truly end. Explore them at dusk, bring a camera (and courage), and step into America’s most haunted chapters of history.
1) Gettysburg National Military Park – Gettysburg, PA
Few places in America carry the weight of history like Gettysburg, where over 51,000 soldiers fell during the bloodiest three days of the Civil War (July 1–3, 1863). Today, visitors report chilling encounters: a barefoot Confederate sharpshooter appears near Devil’s Den, offering help before vanishing into the rocks. At Little Round Top, the steady beat of a ghostly drummer boy echoes across the ridge. Jennie Wade, the only civilian killed in the battle, is said to linger in her sister’s home with the faint scent of fresh bread. After dark, phantom cannon fire, rebel yells, and the clash of bayonets fill the air—some even claim to see a Revolutionary-era rider galloping through the mist.
Address: 1195 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Website: https://www.nps.gov/gett/
2) Antietam National Battlefield – Sharpsburg, MD
Known as the single bloodiest day in American history (September 17, 1862), Antietam’s Sunken Road—nicknamed “Bloody Lane”—still echoes with the cries of the fallen. Hikers report hearing Irish battle songs from the famed Irish Brigade, smelling gunpowder on calm days, and watching ghostly Confederate lines march in formation before fading away. Near Burnside’s Bridge, glowing blue orbs hover above the water, and visitors feel sudden, unexplained cold spots. Park rangers often hear faint pleas for water long after the gates close.
Address: 5831 Dunker Church Road, Sharpsburg, MD 21782 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/anti/
3) Chickamauga Battlefield – Fort Oglethorpe, GA
Deep in the Georgia woods, Chickamauga—“river of blood” in Cherokee—hosts one of the Civil War’s most haunted sites. The infamous “Ol’ Green Eyes,” a glowing is seen roaming Snodgrass Hill. A lady in white searches endlessly for her lost love, while phantom campfires flicker with moaning soldiers who vanish when approached. Galloping hooves and clashing steel ring out near the Brotherton Cabin, especially at night.
Address: 3370 Lafayette Road, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/chch/
4) Shiloh National Military Park – Shiloh, TN
On the banks of the Tennessee River, Shiloh’s “Hornet’s Nest” saw brutal fighting in April 1862. A ghostly drummer boy still beats a steady rhythm, leading visitors toward unmarked graves. In the Bloody Pond area, cold hands brush against shoulders, and the air fills with drumbeats, rebel yells, and musket fire. At dusk, spectral soldiers in blue and gray rise from the earth, reenacting charges frozen in time.
Address: 1055 Pittsburg Landing Road, Shiloh, TN 38376 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/shil/
5) Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument – Crow Agency, MT
On June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and over 260 of his men were killed in a stunning Native victory. Today, ghostly cavalry and Lakota warriors ride in endless loops across Last Stand Hill. Limbless figures stumble through the grass, and Custer himself—golden hair flowing—appears briefly before dissolving. War cries and screams pierce the wind, especially near Medicine Tail Coulee.
Address: 756 Battlefield Tour Road, Crow Agency, MT 59022
Website: https://www.nps.gov/libi/
6) Fredericksburg Battlefield (Sunken Road) – Fredericksburg, VA
Behind the stone wall at Marye’s Heights, Union troops were cut down in waves during the December 1862 battle. Ghostly Confederates still stand guard, reloading and firing into empty fields. Visitors hear war cries, the whistle of bullets, and faint pleas from dying Federals near the Innis House. The ground itself seems to breathe with the memory of slaughter.
Address: 1013 Lafayette Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/frsp/
7) Cold Harbor Battlefield – Mechanicsville, VA
In June 1864, Ulysses S. Grant launched a disastrous assault that left 7,000 Union soldiers dead or wounded in under an hour. Shadowy figures claw at trench walls, and a little girl in white—rumored to be a nurse’s lost child—wanders the woods. Sudden fog brings the stench of blood and decay, while visitors feel phantom pains in old wound sites.
Address: 5511 Anderson-Wright Drive, Mechanicsville, VA 23111 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/cold-harbor.htm
8) Yorktown Battlefield – Yorktown, VA
The decisive siege of the Revolutionary War ended here in October 1781. Redcoats in tattered uniforms flee across Redoubt 10, pursued by unseen patriots. John “Jackie” Custis, George Washington’s stepson, died of camp fever and is said to haunt the Moore House with youthful laughter. Phantom cannon fire booms from Cornwallis Cave.
Address: 1000 Colonial Parkway, Yorktown, VA 23690
Website: https://www.nps.gov/york/
9) Siege of Savannah Battle Site – Savannah, GA
In just 90 minutes on October 9, 1779, over 1,000 men fell in one of the bloodiest hours of the Revolution. Sgt. William Jasper clutches his mortal wound near Madison Square, while Count Casimir Pulaski’s ghostly horse charges past his monument. Orbs float above Colonial Park Cemetery, and the scent of gunpowder lingers in the humid air.
Address: Battlefield Memorial Park, 5824 US-80, Savannah, GA 31419
Website: https://www.nps.gov/savh/ (Savannah National Historical Park)
10) Minute Man National Historical Park – Concord, MA
The “shot heard round the world” rang out here on April 19, 1775. Phantom minutemen march silently along Battle Road, and the smell of gunpowder precedes ghostly musket fire near the North Bridge. Redcoats retreat toward Boston on gravel that makes no sound. At Hartwell Tavern, a spectral barmaid still pours ale for long-gone soldiers.
Address: 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA 01742 (North Bridge Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/mima/
11) Stones River National Battlefield – Murfreesboro, TN
On New Year’s Eve 1862, brutal fighting left thousands dead. The ghost rider—Lt. Col. Julius Garesché, killed by a cannonball—gallops across the Slaughter Pen at midnight. Ghostly campfires glow with silent Union soldiers, and shadowy figures reload near the Hazen Monument.
Address: 3501 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/stri/
12) Manassas National Battlefield Park – Manassas, VA
The first major battle of the Civil War erupted here in July 1861. Phantom artillery shakes the Stone Bridge, and the Stone House hospital echoes with screams and surgeons’ saws. Ghostly sentries pace Henry House Hill, and General P.G.T. Beauregard’s cigar smoke lingers in the air.
Address: 6511 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20109
Website: https://www.nps.gov/mana/
13) Vicksburg National Military Park – Vicksburg, MS
For 47 days in 1863, the city endured a relentless siege. Footsteps follow visitors along the Shirley House trail, and faded Union soldiers appear at the Illinois Memorial. The restored USS Cairo rocks as if under fire, with crew briefly visible through portholes.
Address: 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/vick/
14) Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park – Kennesaw, GA
In June 1864, Union forces assaulted Confederate entrenchments atop the mountain. A ghostly cavalryman charges through solid fences and vanishes. Near Kolb’s Farm, gunshots ring out and the air turns metallic with blood. Doors slam and lights flicker inside the historic farmhouse.
Address: 900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30152 (Visitor Center)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/kemo/
15) Spotsylvania Court House Battlefield – Spotsylvania, VA
At the “Bloody Angle,” 20 hours of savage hand-to-hand combat in May 1864 left bodies piled like firewood. Ghostly hands reach from the mud, and spectral soldiers grapple in eternal combat under moonlight. The air grows thick with groans and the clash of bayonets.
Address: 9550 Grant Drive West, Spotsylvania, VA 22553 (Exhibit Shelter)
Website: https://www.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/spotsylvaniabattlefield.htm