The Myrtles Plantation

Built in 1796 by General David Bradford, a leader of the Whiskey Rebellion who fled to Louisiana after George Washington ordered his execution. Named "America's Most Haunted Home" by the National Enquirer in the 1980s and featured on Unsolved Mysteries, Ghost Hunters, and Ghost Adventures.

The Myrtles Plantation rises from the misty landscape of St. Francisville, Louisiana, a stately antebellum home built in 1796 that has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted houses in America. National Geographic has called it exactly that, and the endless stream of ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, and thrill-seekers who visit each year would agree. Within these walls, tragedy has left its mark in ways that refuse to fade.

The most famous ghost of the Myrtles is Chloe, an enslaved woman whose legend has become inseparable from the plantation's identity. According to the story, Chloe was owned by Clark and Sara Woodruff, and she had a habit of listening at keyholes to learn news of her master's business dealings. When she was caught, one of her ears was cut off as punishment, and she wore a green turban to hide the disfigurement.

Seeking revenge—or perhaps trying to prove her value as a healer—Chloe allegedly baked a birthday cake containing poisonous oleander leaves. The cake killed Sara Woodruff and two of her daughters. When word of her deed spread among the other enslaved people, they hanged Chloe, weighted her body with rocks, and threw her into the Mississippi River. Her ghost, still wearing her green turban, has been photographed on the grounds and glimpsed peering from between the plantation's buildings.

Historians note that the legend may be more lore than fact—no records confirm an enslaved woman named Chloe at the Myrtles, and the Woodruff women actually died of yellow fever. But the stories persist, and so do the sightings.

The haunted mirror stands in the main house, and it has become one of the most examined paranormal artifacts in America. According to custom, mirrors should be covered after a death to prevent spirits from becoming trapped. But after the deaths in the Woodruff family, this particular mirror was overlooked. Visitors have reported seeing the faces of Sara and her children trapped within the glass. Handprints appear on the mirror's surface—or seemingly from inside it—that cannot be wiped away. Even after the glass has been replaced, the mysterious impressions return.

William Drew Winter suffered the only verified murder at the Myrtles. Shot on the front porch of the main house, he staggered inside and attempted to climb the stairs to reach his wife. He collapsed on the 17th step and died there. Guests and staff have heard his phantom footsteps on the stairs, always stopping at the same step where he drew his final breath.

Children's apparitions have been seen playing on the veranda. A grand piano plays by itself in empty rooms. Unsolved Mysteries filmed a segment here in 2001, and Ghost Hunters investigated in 2005, both capturing evidence that defied explanation.

Today the Myrtles operates as a bed and breakfast, welcoming guests who hope to experience the supernatural for themselves. Many get their wish—and some get more than they bargained for.