1. Wright Square, Savannah, Georgia
Walking into Wright Square, you might brush past the ghost of Alice Riley, the first woman hanged in Savannah, who’s said to wander seeking her infant. Locals say that if you run around her memorial three times whispering “Tomo-Chi-Chi,” you might glimpse her spirit. The square was also once the site of gallows and desecrated graves, giving it a sorrowful aura. Even tour guides shy from telling everything by daylight.
Down one side of the square is the courthouse, and night-visitors claim to hear disembodied sobs or see figures dressed in colonial garb fading into the trees. Some say the Spanish moss won’t grow directly around certain trees in the square because of “innocent blood” legends. Others swear they see a dark silhouette following mothers carrying babies. It’s a mix of tragedy, supernatural rumor, and history that still unsettles people.
2. Madison Square, Savannah, Georgia
Madison Square is known mostly as a charming city square, but beneath that charm lies shadows. The square sits above grounds believed to hold remains of Revolutionary War dead, some allegedly buried alive during panic burials. People report cold gusts, whispering voices at dusk, and shadowy figures half-seen beyond the trees. At night it’s said you can hear footsteps pacing when no one’s there.
One of the statues in the square—William Jasper—attracts attention, but it’s the background that gives it its ghosts. Many believe that houses around the square hold restless spirits watching over. Tour guides mention lights turning on in empty rooms bordering the square. The overlap of war, death, and urban growth makes Madison Square more than a pretty spot for a picnic.
3. Columbia Square, Savannah, Georgia
Columbia Square is less famous than some other Savannah squares, but that’s part of its power: its quiet makes the whispers louder. It’s flanked by old row houses including ones called haunted (like the Davenport and Kehoe houses). Spirits associated with this square include a servant named Anna, restless children, and odd pet apparitions. Some guests claim sudden chills or phantom footsteps in nearby inns.
The neighborhood was once called Eastern Commons and housed bordellos and taverns, which adds an edge to its lore. Because it’s less trafficked at night, people often feel the presence more keenly—voices in alleyways, shadows crossing front yards. A few tour operators include it in ghost walks precisely because it tends to surprise late walkers. Its relative obscurity strengthens its weirdness.
4. Monterey Square, Savannah, Georgia
Monterey Square is atmospheric by day, but by twilight it feels like the past leaks through. There’s a strong legend that General Casimir Pulaski still “guards” his monument, appearing in silhouette near the statue. Many visitors say they hear phantom footsteps echoing cannon fire, or muffled whispers from old houses. Cold spots linger around corners and benches even in warm evenings.
At the heart is the Mercer-Williams House (of Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil fame), which itself carries stories of flickering lights and spectral visitors. Some report seeing motion in upstairs windows when the interior is dark. Others say they felt pressure on their shoulders while standing near old oaks. The layering of a famous murder scandal, historic homes, and lingering war ghosts makes it endlessly talked about.
5. Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.
Lafayette Square—right behind the White House—is no quiet park: it’s called “Tragedy Square” by ghost-enthusiasts. In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles shot Philip Barton Key in full view of passersby in that square. Witnesses later claimed they saw Key’s ghostly figure wandering near the spot of his death. The square was also once a slave market, graveyard, and encampment, layering cruelty onto its roots.
Apparitions of former presidents (especially Andrew Jackson), strange lights, and whispers in the trees have been claimed repeatedly. In the adjacent Cutts-Madison House, Dolley Madison’s ghost is said to rock in a chair on the porch overlooking the square. During evening tours, people report cold pockets, figures in colonial dress, and footsteps mismatched to ambient noise. The political weight of the place gives the legends extra punch.
6. Courthouse Square, Central City, Colorado
Central City calls itself the “Richest Square Mile on Earth,” and its courthouse square is steeped in both boomtown glamour and darkness. In its mining heyday, violent deaths, mysterious disappearances, and sudden financial reversals were routine. One old building on the main intersection hosted spirits reportedly seen peering from second-story windows long after the town faded. Even today, light flickers and creaks echo in late hours.
Ghost tours in Central City point out specific storefronts where spectral faces appear at windows or silhouettes cross alleys. The mining boom’s despair, sudden fortunes and losses, and the climate of lawlessness left residue. Locals whisper that the spirit of a forlorn miner roams near the courthouse steps. The small scale of the square means you feel closer to the past—and to the stories never quite let go.
7. Calhoun Square, Savannah, Georgia
Calhoun Square (aka Massie Square) is one of the last Savannah squares to keep all its original surrounding buildings intact. That architectural preservation seems to trap whispers. Legends swirl: suicides, disappearances, and at least one Confederate soldier said to haunt its paths. Visitors claim to hear low sobs and see odd shapes behind trees.
Because it’s less central in the tourist loop, ghosts lingering there often go unchallenged and become part of local habit. Some say a figure cataloged in the era of slavery still lingers among the oaks. Others say windows in bordering houses sometimes flick with movement even when no one is inside. It’s quiet—and in quiet, the odd tales echo the loudest.
8. Reynolds Square, Savannah, Georgia
Reynolds Square is often overshadowed by its four more famous sisters in Savannah, but that gives it mystery. It’s tied to the life of John Wesley (preacher) and whispered to host spirits or lingering presences tied to early colonial life. On tours, some claim feeling a presence near stones beneath benches. Others report voices carried out in the wind around sunset.
The square’s historical buildings have stories of tragic family deaths, early epidemics, and unrecorded grief. Because it’s less trafficked, nighttime explorers say they hear soft murmurs or footsteps along the paths. The whispering is faint, but locals acknowledge the stories—“don’t sit too close to that fountain at dusk,” they’ll tell you.
9. Taylor Square, Savannah, Georgia
Taylor Square is another of Savannah’s haunted set, with dark tales brushing against its gentler beauty. Some say when walking past certain houses at night, people glimpse figures in 19th-century clothing across the lawn. There are claims of lights flickering in abandoned upper windows during late hours. On certain nights, people say they hear crying and short, urgent footsteps by the tree line.
Because it’s farther from the tourist stream, the stories are more local — passed among residents and lingering in memory. Some believe the spirits are tied to yellow fever epidemics that hit Savannah, or to deaths during early city building. Others say the energy is strongest after midnight when sidewalks are empty. The square’s combination of architecture and legend gives it a quiet tension.
10. Lafayette Square, Savannah, Georgia
Lafayette Square is praised for its tragic shadows. It’s surrounded by the Andrew Low House and Hamilton-Turner Inn, both of which claim frequent paranormal activity. People report rocking chairs moving, opera voices in empty rooms, and disembodied perfume in hallways. Those visiting by torchlight sometimes glimpse figures in Victorian dress drift through gardens.
The stories from Savannah’s Lafayette lean into the Civil War, fires, and social collapse. The border between its elegant façades and the undercurrents of death make the hauntings feel alive. Some believe a lady still walks the square, mourning loss. Because many festivals and parades cross through the square, locals say the square itself collects restless memories.
11. Oswego Harbor / Central Square, New York
In the town of Oswego near Central Square, one local legend is that a violent storm in 1942 drowned six lighthouse crew members, and their ghosts haunt lights on the harbor’s breakwall. Some nights, flickering lights appear along the waterline, as though lanterns bobbing in fog. Though this is technically along the waterfront rather than the literal town square, people in Central Square say they hear moans and see orbs drifting toward shore.
Locals tell stories of residents walking toward the harbor at midnight, believing they’re being called by phantom signals. Boats passing by sometimes report engines dying momentarily as they pass the breakwall. Tales say that the dead men are trying to guide vessels back to land—or drag them under. The square’s orientation toward the water heightens the tension.
12. Mt. Vernon, Indiana (Downtown Square / Courthouse)
In Mt. Vernon, Indiana, locals speak of “Black Annie” (or “Lady of Sorrow”) haunting the downtown square and courthouse area. The legend says she was chased out or fled after frightening animals, and since then has appeared in doorways or windows. Town grammar suggests that cattle behaved strangely, doors slammed unreasonably, and people glimpsed her silhouette.
Some say she appears especially after storms or on moonless nights, her figure moving through courthouse windows or across old brick facades. Because the courthouse dome towers over the square, people claim they hear sobs echoing upward. The fear is enough that residents sometimes avoid the square at midnight.
13. Washington D.C. Capitol / Grounds (Demon Cat & Ghosts)
While not a typical “town square,” the open grounds around the U.S. Capitol serve as a kind of public square in the seat of power—and they host odd stories. The Demon Cat is one of the more famous legends: a ghostly feline seen in the Capitol tunnels or basement before major national crises. Some say it appears just before presidential elections or disasters, then vanishes in a puff.
Beyond the cat, the lawn and sidewalks see legends of former presidents walking at night, spectral orbs, and whispered footsteps. Because it’s public ground and politically charged, the hauntings feel like warnings rather than mere flickers. Guards and staff sometimes report hearing voices in empty rooms or feeling presences when corridors are sealed at night.
14. The Octagon House / Lafayette area, D.C.
Near Lafayette Square in Washington is the historic Octagon House, itself deeply implicated in haunting lore. It’s been tied to alarms going off without triggers, shadows flickering behind curtains, and cold drafts in sealed rooms. Because of proximity to the square and the White House, some say ghosts cross between properties—Dolley Madison, former staff, even enslaved people.
Visitors report instruments acting up, footsteps overhead, and feeling watched in distant rooms. The house was once a temporary White House after the British burned the main one, giving it weight in national trauma. The square and house share storylines about lingering political ghosts, betrayal, and secrets. It’s a “square plus house” hybrid for odd stories.
This post 14 Town Squares Where the Oddest Stories Still Get Whispered Around was first published on American Charm.
