12 Scariest Abandoned Places in Virginia You Can Still Visit

Virginia holds centuries of haunted history and chilling folklore. War, illness, and despair have left behind structures that breathe dread into those who dare to visit. Each abandoned site whispers stories through creaking wood, rusted hinges, and eerie silence.

Roaming these places offers a bone-tingling thrill that combines curiosity with a sense of dread. Long-forgotten medical facilities, ghost-riddled mansions, and battle-worn ruins still beckon those who crave a brush with the past.

Before packing flashlights and cameras, keep in mind that safety and legal access are not optional.

Some of these locations are private property, and others have been deemed structurally unsound. Proceed only with permission, caution, and respect.

1. Western State Hospital (Staunton)

Constructed in 1828, Western State Hospital began as a treatment facility based on moral therapy. What remains today includes partially restored buildings alongside decaying wings that echo outdated medical practices.

Certain corridors remain open through guided tours, where stained walls and fractured floors hint at past suffering. The stonework alone chills the spine, as visitors walk through rooms once used for crude treatments like isolation and hydrotherapy.

Ghost enthusiasts report cold spots and unsettling murmurs after dusk. Shadows flicker even with no light source nearby. Despite redevelopment in areas, the untouched parts keep alive a grim reminder of mental health’s brutal past.

2. Central State Hospital (Petersburg)

Founded in 1870, this asylum was one of the first facilities for African American psychiatric patients. Layers of abandonment now coat its buildings, overgrown paths twisting into hollow halls filled with tales of neglect.

Decades of mistreatment, racial segregation, and crumbling records have left behind more than just debris. Many believe emotional residue remains, whispers, sudden drops in temperature, and a lingering sense of unrest.

Few dare linger after dark. Paranormal investigators describe oppressive energy and electronic interference. The legacy it holds is as heavy as the air that surrounds its broken walls.

3. St. Albans Sanatorium (Radford)

Once an elite boys’ school, later turned psychiatric hospital, St. Albans sanatorium near the small town of Radford, gained notoriety through its treatment methods. Electroshock therapy and lobotomies were common. Ghost sightings? Even more so.

Rooms still hold rusting beds and peeling wallpaper. Reports include disembodied voices, moving shadows, and violent poltergeist activity. Legends say spirits of former patients roam, stuck in emotional limbo.

Visitors walk through halls where fear once echoed louder than screams. Many leave shaken. Some refuse to go back.

4. Swannanoa Palace (Afton)

Constructed in 1912  by railroad magnate James Dooley, Swannanoa Palace served as a grand tribute to his beloved wife. Time has turned the once-glorious structure into a decaying relic shrouded in eerie silence.

Its Carrara marble halls now echo only the footsteps of occasional visitors and, some believe, the presence of spirits.

Guided tours offer access to its deteriorating beauty. Visitors describe a strange stillness and report sightings of ghostly figures drifting past grand staircases or appearing in windows without explanation.

Despite its elegance, the palace feels haunted by more than memories. Strange sounds often come from locked-off areas. Visitors leave with goosebumps, and sometimes, inexplicable photos showing uninvited guests.

5. Paxton Manor (Leesburg)

Dating back to 1790, Paxton Manor bears centuries of turbulent history, once serving as a home, shelter, and medical facility. Now, it’s best known for its haunted house attraction “Shocktober,” drawing thousands each year.

Some thrills are staged. Others are not.

Legend holds that the manor hosts real spiritual activity. Staff and guests alike recount encounters with shadow figures, sudden chills, and whispers in vacant rooms.

Ghost-hunting teams have confirmed unusually high EMF levels and unexplained noises during investigations.

Even when empty, Paxton Manor feels alive. Cracks in plaster hide secrets no one dares disturb. Visitors often leave entertained, but many admit to lingering unease they can’t shake off.

6. Lorton Reformatory (Lorton)

Lorton Reformatory operated for nearly a century, housing everyone from petty criminals to infamous offenders.

Constructed in 1910, it grew into a vast complex with cell blocks, factories, and even a farm. Although parts have been redeveloped, large sections remain frozen in time.

Peering through rusting gates reveals decaying towers and desolate cell corridors. Paint peels in layers, and broken furniture still clutters some rooms. Cold drafts snake through barred windows, carrying whispers that many claim aren’t caused by wind.

Even in daylight, the site emits dread. Old punishment cells seem to trap not just air but memory. Visitors often describe unease and the odd feeling of being watched.

7. Sailor’s Creek Battlefield (Rice)

Site of one of the last major Civil War battles, Sailor’s Creek holds bloodstained history beneath quiet fields and preserved buildings. Some houses still stand, though warped by age and haunted by those who perished nearby.

Paranormal activity reported here includes phantom gunshots, shadowy figures near trees, and ghostly moans around mass burial areas. Preservation efforts have maintained its somber tone without sanitizing its atmosphere.

After sunset, visitors often report inexplicable chills and flashes of movement in the distance.

8. Appomattox Court House (Appomattox)

While officially preserved, Appomattox Court House exudes solemn energy. Known as the place where General Lee surrendered in 1865, its buildings remain intact, churches, homes, and courtrooms all seemingly paused mid-moment.

Tourists describe a strange stillness inside its buildings. Shadows stretch longer than expected, and echoes seem delayed. Despite its museum-like appearance, the aura carries sorrow, not celebration.

Even with well-kept paths and exhibits, the courtrooms and chapels feel unnatural in silence. Eyes of portraits seem to follow, and those who linger too long often speak of discomfort they can’t explain.

9. Carytown Streetcar Tunnel (Richmond)

Once a key part of Richmond’s electric streetcar system, the Carytown Tunnel has long been sealed to public transit. Now hidden beneath a bustling neighborhood, the tunnel exists as an echo chamber of urban myth and industrial decay.

Its walls are tagged with graffiti, its floor strewn with debris. Few enter without a flashlight and nerves of steel. Some report hearing footsteps echoing behind them when no one else is there.

Urban explorers speak of claustrophobia and dizziness after entering. Phones and lights flicker without warning. Legends say something still waits in the dark, long after the last train left.

10. Belle Isle (Richmond)

Located in the middle of the James River, Belle Isle once held Union prisoners during the Civil War. Later, it became the site of a hydroelectric power plant. Today, its ruins rest quietly under the forest canopy.

Concrete remnants of the prison and plant still jut out of the ground like bones. Twisted iron and shattered walls blend into the wilderness, but the energy shifts as dusk falls. Hikers have reported figures darting behind trees and whispers that fade into the wind.

Though picturesque by day, the island transforms after sundown. Nature reclaims structures, but something else refuses to leave. The air thickens, and footsteps begin to echo, sometimes without a source.

11. Wise County Orphanage (Wise)

Tucked in Virginia’s mountainous region, Wise County once operated a small orphanage during the early 1900s. The building now sits hollow, surrounded by thickets and silence that seems to press in on every visitor.

Locals whisper about shadows in the windows and distant laughter that breaks the night. Paranormal groups claim the energy here is heavy with sorrow.

Toys are said to move without explanation, and EVP recordings have captured what sound like children’s voices pleading in hushed tones.

Visitors describe oppressive stillness, especially near the decaying play areas. A rusted swing sometimes moves with no breeze in sight. Not everyone who visits chooses to stay long.

12. The Renaissance Faire Grounds (Fredericksburg)

Created during the 1990s as a grand Renaissance village, this themed destination never met expectations. Nature has since reclaimed the once-lively streets. Wooden castles, towers, and stages now rot beneath ivy and fallen leaves.

Despite its fairytale concept, many describe the grounds as unnerving. Costumed mannequins left behind now lie toppled or hanging half-disassembled in old booths. Silence dominates, but many report the strange feeling of being watched.

Wanderers describe the sensation of walking through a cursed village. Wooden structures creak in windless air, and old speaker systems occasionally click without power.

The Bottom Line

Virginia remains a state where history lingers in unsettling silence. Ghost stories aren’t just tales, they’re experiences waiting to be lived.

Each abandoned site offers something spine-tingling: echoes of pain, traces of fear, or spirits that refuse to fade. Whether it’s a crumbling asylum or a decaying castle, thrill-seekers will find no shortage of places to feel the past breathing down their necks.

Tread carefully. Respect the dead, the living, and the places that remember both. For some doors may open, but not all are meant to be walked through.