Hauntings in the Columbus, GA area

Columbus, Georgia, once the site of a Creek Indian Village, is one of the few cities in the United States to be planned in advance of its founding. Established in 1828 as a trading post to strengthen the western border of Georgia, Columbus was the last "frontier town" of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Although many towns have claimed the rites to the "last battle of the Civil War", surprisingly Columbus is the actual owner of this historic event.  As you travel through town you will see a marker at the corner of 14th Street and 4th Avenue as well as near the 14th Street bridge where the actual battle occurred. In short, the battle was the last significant engagement of Wilson's Raid where Bvt. Maj. General James Harrison Wilson lead three divisions through Alabama and into Georgia in the Spring of 1865. The divisions were lead by Generals Emory Upton, Edward McCook and Eli Long. After taking Selma and Montgomery on April 2 and April 12, 1865 respectively, they headed to Columbus, Georgia, which they captured. Upton's division was the one most involved in the attack on Columbus. His brigades were lead by Generals Andrew J. Alexander and Edward F. Winslow. Major General Howell Cobb commanded the 3,000 Confederate troops in defense of Columbus.

Alexander's brigade attempted to capture the lower bridge between Girard and Columbus at about 2 p.m. on Easter Sunday April 16, 1865, but was repulsed. General Upton decided to try a night assault and received General Wilson's approval. General Winslow lead the attack on the 14th Street bridge after dark, about 8 p.m. By 10 p.m. the bridge was captured and Columbus fell. General Wilson made his headquarters at the Mott House on the river. The last person killed in the battle was Colonel C.A.L. Lamar of General Cobb's staff. He was shot from his horse at the foot of the bridge a few yards from the Mott house. Wilson left for Macon, GA on April 18. Johnston's truce with Sherman ceased hostilities in that theater before General Wilson arrived in Macon on April 20, 1865.

Columbus boasts many haunts including the Springer Opera House.  We have found there to be many private homesteads as well as businesses in the downtown (or uptown) area claiming paranormal activity.  We have captured EVP on several occasions near old homesteads, former slave quarters and tunnels in the local area.

Below you will find a listing of reputedly haunted locations.  Some of these locations have been submitted by our visitors and may not have been verified as genuinely active by our team or others.

Please be advised.  Effigy Paranormal does NOT condone trespassing.  Please do not take it upon yourself to investigate any of the locations listed without prior written approval from the owner/landlord.  Effigy Paranormal always seeks permission from the appropriate parties before embarking on any investigation.

The Springer Opera House

Mention the words "haunting" and Columbus and the first words out of anyone's mouth is... Springer Opera House

The Springer Opera House is most likely the most "famously haunted" site in all of the Columbus area.  It is said to be haunted by the spirit of Edwin Booth, John Wilkes Booth's brother who starred in Hamlet here at the Springer.

Anna was a stage manager and was used to walking around in the dark, so she didn't let a thing slow her down. As she approached the entrance to the elevator lobby she was startled to get a light tap on the shoulder. Anna turned in the direction of the tap but no one spoke to her. She then stepped toward the elevator and pressed the call button. When the elevator door opened and flooded the lobby with light, Anna was stopped dead in her tracks by a disembodied hand floating in the air before her. The hand extended its forefinger and wagged it disapprovingly inches from Anna's nose. Blocked from the elevator door by the floating hand, she couldn't enter the lift before the door closed. Frantically, she pawed at the darkened wall for the call button. Hitting it, the doors automatically opened again and once more bathed the lobby in light. Anna was relieved to find herself alone.

The Third Floor Balcony Ghost

One of the actors was on the main stage practicing her scene in the play when she noticed that the heavy door to the lighting room on the third floor balcony was open and she knew that it wasn't supposed to be. She stopped the scene and called the lights manager and told him that the door was open, so he went up the stairs and shut the door, but as soon as he walked off the balcony and down the stairs she noticed that the door had once again been opened. The second that the lights manager came down from the balcony she ran over to tell him that the door he had just shut had once again been opened. Halfway to the man she stopped dead in her tracks and looked up into the balcony.  There she saw a ghostly figure standing by the door smiling as if he thought everything was a game, then in a flash he was gone.

Other instances have been told where he just sits up there and watches the plays and the practices. He has clearly been identified as Edwin Booth, brother to John Wilkes Booth.

The Costume Room Ghost

It takes a lot to put together a play, therefore it takes a lot of people to make a good play happen. During one play at the Springer one costume designer was staying late to finish one of the costumes, which involved making a dress and a suit. The woman had already finished making the suit and had moved on to the dress. While the dress was being pinned for size on a mannequin, the elderly women turned around to get more pins and when she turned back all of the mannequins had been lined up in one straight line from the smallest children's size, to the tallest of the adult sizes. The women looked around questioningly as there was no one there but her. No matter, the woman kept working on the dress and once again needing more pins she turned around for just a minute and when she turned back around to finish pinning the dress, all the mannequins except for the one she was working on had been scattered across the room. She looked around again, and still saw no one. This time she heard a snicker coming from the corner of the room It sounded like a little girl, but when she walked over to the corner of the room she still saw no one. Suddenly she thought it must be a ghost, this is the Springer! So now whenever a play is put on she warns the costume designers that there is a little girl who likes to play games. And they never understand what she means until they walk into the costume room.

*thanks to Theatre ghosts for these 3 stories

Team Conclusion:

Although we did not experience much activity on this one given night, we believe this site to produce activity.  The presence of unknown visitors can be felt on site and stories have been told by both believers and skeptics alike.

Twin Chapel Creek

Riverwalk - Downtown

Local legend has it that those visiting this location late at night were said to be met with a clown sitting by the creek crying, children playing and the moans of slaves being heard coming from an old slave tunnel.  Due to the obvious ridiculousness of the thought of a clown sitting on a creekbed crying...we can't tell you how many times we have heard far fetched tales such as these...we were reluctant to investigate this site.  We, of course, experienced no clown and no children.  We did, however, pick up a few good EVPs near what once was an old slave tunnel.  These were not the moans said to be heard by others, but actual names being whispered.  You will find these EVP on our EVP page.

Team conclusion:

Local legend.  Not haunted.

Some that have walked this area after dark are said to have heard voices and experienced cold spots.  


Team Conclusion:

Our team has personally never experienced either of these phenomenon.  It is to be kept in mind that the riverwalk is located right alongside the river with another walk directly across.  Voices do echo across bodies of water and although we are not suggesting these phenomenon have never occurred, we find there are natural causes for them.

Port Columbus - Naval Museum

The National Civil War Naval Museum tops our most haunted list!

The team was afforded the opportunity to investigate this amazing location.  Not only did we capture several EVP, but recorded one of the most exciting pieces of data the team has ever experienced. 

Click on the investigations tab above to view the full report and listen to a handful of the EVP captured on site.

Be sure to visit the Port Columbus site and book a ghost tour!