MACON, Ga. — It's almost time for Halloween, and that means that ghosts and goblins are afoot.
If you want to see some spirits this Halloween, these places in Macon are said to be visited from souls of the past.
1) Hay House
The Hay House is a Macon staple and is known as the “Palace of the South." It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974 and is famous for its owners, the Hay family.
It was built in 1859 by the Johnston family, and then was home to the Feltons. In 1926, the Felton heirs sold the house to Parks Lee Hay, founder of the Banker’s Health & Life Insurance Company.
After Mrs. Hay’s death in 1962, her heirs then established the P.L. Hay Foundation and turned the house into a museum.
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation took over it in 1977 and is still in service under the company.
With the many years it has under its belt, many people say the house has memories that take the form of spectres.
Several people say they see sightings of an elderly woman dressed in mid-1800s attire wandering through the hallways. People have reportedly walked through cold spots, heard footsteps and have heard/seen doors slam on their own.
Visit Macon's profile of the house says some people also "claim to have felt a presence breathing over their shoulders or heard eerie moans emanating from the master bedroom. Incredibly, there are even claims of witnessing the apparition of the home’s former owner, Mary-Ellen Felton, rummaging through a chest of drawers."
If you want to listen to more in-depth stories of the haunting of Hay House, they offer a 'Haunts & History on the Hill' walking tours. You can learn more about the history of the ghosts that haunt not only the house but buildings in Macon’s College Hill Corridor.
The tours are Oct. 21 and Oct. 26 of this year, and you can learn more or get tickets here.
2) Grand Opera House
The Grand Opera House also has its share of spooky happenings.
Folks say the ghost of former director Randall Widner still wanders the staircase where he died.
They also report a "lady in white," who is said to disappear quickly when spotted. Some people say that you can even hear a soprano voice echo through the performance hall.
Workers and visitors say cold spots, seats opening and closing on their own, and lights that turn on and off by themselves are common.
In an interview for Macon Magazine in 2020, then-senior technical director Bob Mavity said that he would turn on lights just to come back and have them turn on again. He said it happened all over the house, on stage, in the wings, on balconies and more.
He also said that himself and many restoration and maintenance crews would hear music drifting through the building at night during repairs.
The Opera House still screens films and puts on shoes, and if you want to visit for yourself, you can visit their website here.
3) Rose Hill Cemetery
Finally, there's Rose Hill Cemetery, the resting place of many Maconites along with the Allman Brothers.
Some visitors say they have seen shape-shifting ghosts wander through the gravestones, and feel a chill on their necks.
There are even YouTube and other videos of said spirits, and one particular one has over 35,000 views. You can find it here if you want to see for yourself.
You can find out more about Rose Hill Cemetery on their website, linked here.
If you want to check out more ghostly locations in Georgia, you can visit www.exploregeorgia.org for Visit Georgia's full guide on spirits all over the state.