20 Haunted Military Places Where You're Likely To See A Ghost

Stories of spirits and unexplained phenomena have persisted on U.S. military bases for years.

November 01, 2021

By: Maggie Miller

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Military Haunted Hotspots

Unfortunately, most military holdings have been touched by the violence of war. With so much tragedy tied to the grounds, it’s no wonder that stories of hauntings have circulated these sites for decades. From phantom cats to headless torsos, these forts and bases seem to be full of bizarre otherworldly activity. Validated by staff, civilians, and the enlisted people serving on site, the following haunted hotspots definitely require a stiff spine to navigate. Here are 20 of the U.S. Military’s most haunted installations.

West Point Military Academy, New York

Often ranked as one of the most haunted places in the state, West Point has earned a reputation for both its academic excellence and paranormal activity. Thrillist reported that in 1972 multiple cadets saw a spectral figure dressed in a vintage school uniform drifting around Room 4714. Students also claim to have had their bed covers tossed and possessions moved without explanation. These reports were taken seriously enough that after the incident in 1972, the school’s Superintendent asked famed Demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren to tour the grounds in an attempt to communicate with the spirits.

Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York

Now a civilian airport, the Plattsburgh Air Force Base has seen its fair share of paranormal activity since opening its doors in 1838. There have been multiple accounts, from soldiers and civilians alike, of shadow figures dressed in antiquated garb wandering the on-base cemetery. Figures materialize without warning in the Old Stone Barracks, where numerous soldiers allegedly took their own lives. Matthew Boire, the owner of the Greater Adirondack Ghost & Tour Company, recounted to the Military Times, “Shadowy figures dressed in period clothing have been seen promenading along the porches only to disappear through one of the many boarded-up entryways.”

Fort Concho, San Angelo, Texas

Despite closing in 1889, it seems the grounds of Fort Concho have not yet been abandoned. Several staff and visitors claim to have witnessed what they believed to be the spectral form of commander Ranald MacKenzie roaming the grounds near Officer’s row. Some have spotted the spirit of Edith Grierson, the daughter of a post commander who died of typhoid in the late 1870s. Yet others have remarked on the inexplicable smell of roses wafting through the dank hallways, the suspected handiwork of Lt. Francis Henry French. French served as the last officer before the fort closed, and was an avid gardener.

Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas

Once the home and office of a physician, the Sallie House in Atchison is said to be haunted by a 6-year-old girl who died on the operating table during a botched appendectomy. Tony and Debra Pickman, a couple who rented the house in the 1990s, claimed that a ghost frequently attacked Tony, leaving visible scratches on his back, chest and arms. (Though she never harmed Debra or their baby.) Tours and overnight stays are now available at the home. Known as the most haunted town in Kansas, Atchison is a popular destination for paranormal enthusiasts and also offers cemetery tours, haunted trolley rides and ghost hunts.

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Most of the crumbling brick buildings of the Youngsan Garrison predate the U.S. military’s tenure on the base, some dating back to Japan’s pre-World War II occupation. One of these buildings is shrouded in mystery and terror. According to a U.S. Army Garrison spokesperson, multiple soldiers have claimed that the building, rumored to have once been a crematorium, is haunted. Many have described ominous feelings that cause the hair on the back of their necks to raise up, as well as shadow figures and unexplainable noises emanating from the forsaken halls.

Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

Beginning operations in 1867, F.E. Warren has seen its fair share of tragedy. In the 1920’s, not far from the present day base, cavalry troops assaulted and murdered a young indigenous woman along White Crow Creek. Her screams have echoed across the years, to such an extent that multiple airmen have called base security forces to report them. Responders are usually sympathetic, noting that their own building, number 34, often causes their K-9 units to cower when they reach its steps. It was once the hospital, complete with a basement morgue. Inside 34’s hallways, residents have often spotted a spectral nurse completing her eternal rounds.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

During the summer of 1863, the battle at Gettysburg claimed the lives of approximately 51,000 soldiers over a three-day period. In the intervening years, visitors to the site have spotted spectral forms wandering the long-deserted battlefields. Others have spotted bright orbs that appear to hover over the blood-soaked grounds. Some of the site’s hotspots include the Jennie Wade house, where the battle’s only civilian death took place, Gettysburg College, and a collection of boulders known as the Devil’s Den where a specter was reported as recently as 2010.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

Once the site of a hotel known as the Red Shield Inn, the military base has had its fair share of paranormal activity, including an alleged exorcism. According to the JBLM Army Museum, in 1927 a worker on the set of “The Patent Leather Kid” was murdered at the Inn. Following the incident, staff began seeing a shadowy man in a cowboy hat and brown jacket wandering the halls. The haunting continued after the hotel closed its doors, prompting the recruitment of three priests to banish the spirit. While the exorcism has yet to be confirmed by the Catholic church, museum staff continue to experience odd sounds and equipment malfunctions.

March Air Reserve Base, California

Serving as a children’s tuberculosis clinic early in its history, the March Air Reserve Base hospital has seen many deaths. Several contemporary staff and service members have encountered the ghosts of what they believe to be former patients running and laughing in the corridors. While conducting a paranormal investigation, Senior Airman Joe Mora found a member of his team standing still in shock. Later she reported that a shadow figure had blocked her exit from the room.

Vancouver Barracks, Washington

Dating back to the 1800s, the Vancouver Barracks are now believed to be one of the most haunted military installations in the Pacific Northwest. In the barrack’s hospital, numerous sources have reported being alone in the building, only to hear the sounds of nearby footsteps. Staff also note that the building’s fire alarms and other security devices seem to continuously malfunction. Building 647 is another hotbed of activity. Employees return to find locked doors they made sure to lock mysteriously open. One civilian custodian even went so far as to place tape over the door to check for tampering. When he returned, the door was unlocked, but the tape hadn’t been touched.

The Alamo, San Antonio

A thirteen-day siege led to the deaths of nearly 200 soldiers on the grounds of the Alamo mission. Shortly after the battle ended, survivors began reporting strange events, which appeared to have persisted throughout the years. It began with a band of six Franciscan monks appearing in the fort’s chapel. More recently, an insubstantial figure has been seen pacing hurriedly across the mission’s ramparts. In other parts of the mission, smoky forms emerge from the walls amidst the sounds of clashing armies and screams, and visitors often report seeing the torso of a little boy posted in the mission’s windows.

Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana

In a state rife with history and ghost stories, it takes some big scares to make an impression. The spirits at the Barksdale Air Force Base seem up to the task. On base, the hospital was at one point located along Davis Avenue. Contemporary Military staff working along the street seem to experience the structure’s echoes. Many have reported doors slamming shut on their own, the sounds of running in empty corridors and being assaulted by objects flinging themselves across the rooms.

Little Bighorn, Montana

The site of the most significant battle during the Great Sioux war of 1876, massive amounts of death took place on these plains. Now a national monument, it is also the final resting place of 5,000 veterans. Whose souls may still roam the grounds. Inside the “Stone House” library, lights flicker on and off as mysterious footsteps pace the abandoned second floor. A ghostly woman has been spotted descending the steps, and the disembodied head and torso of a soldier appear in windows from time to time. On Custer Battlefield, visitors have witnessed spectral battles playing out as shadow cavalry race across the bluffs.

Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia

Warner Robins is surrounded by myths and legends. The nearby city of Macon is home to the infamous “Hay House”, and not far from the base exists a gravity-defying mound. Warner Robins, however, is known for the multiple UFO sightings experienced on its grounds. Interestingly, one of the largest mass bird mortality events in the United States took place there in 1954. On the night of October 7th, approximately 50,000 birds crashed down on the runways. 53 different species were involved in the event, which to date, is still baffling experts.

Fort Monroe, Virginia

Fort Monroe saw many significant historic events during its active years. Nowadays, it’s become known for the high level of paranormal activity on the grounds. It’s rumored that the ghost of acclaimed author Edgar Allen Poe, once stationed at Ft. Monroe as an artilleryman, can be seen pacing high up on the fort’s battlements. The shadowy forms of other famous figures, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Chief Black Hawk, have all been added to a growing list of celebrity ghosts within Monroe’s walls. During an investigation into the claims of paranormal happenings, a team of paranormal enthusiasts caught electronic voice phenomena of a young girl calling out to her cats, an interesting turn of events considering the misty four-legged figure has often been reported near the southwestern ramparts.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

This massive base houses hundreds of historic planes and one very haunted building, number 219. A former hospital, the ethereal events of 219 became so well documented, that the Department of Justice granted paranormal investigators unprecedented access to the site. The crew was able to capture the sounds of footsteps in empty hallways, an incessant tapping, and EVP of a woman laughing.

Fort Pulaski, Savannah, Georgia

With walls eleven feet thick, Pulaski was intended to be an impenetrable fortress for the Confederate army. However, after a well-planned barrage from Union forces, the fort fell in under 30-hours. Union soldiers quickly rebuilt, and the remaining Confederate soldiers were held as prisoners of war. For both armies, provisions were hard to come by, resulting in rampant illnesses and deaths on the grounds. Now a national monument, visitors and staff roaming the grounds often say they felt unexplainable waves of despair in parts of the fort, and have seen specters from both sides of the civil war staring into the distance, waiting on a battle that played out over a century ago.

The USS Hornet, Alameda, California

The USS Hornet served the nation during both World War II and Vietnam. Hundreds of soldiers lost their lives during the conflicts, leaving a lasting mark on the vessel. Now part of the USS Hornet Sea, Air, & Space Museum, the ship is open for overnight visitors. Staff and guests have seen uniformed sailors materialize in the ship’s corridors and found their electronics going haywire. The events are so frequent that the museum has started offering paranormal tours of the ship.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii

Even before the events of December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was surrounded by rich local folklore. However, following the devastating surprise attack in which 2,403 soldiers lost their lives, numerous military members began witnessing terrifying paranormal events. In bunks and machine rooms, the lights would flicker on and off, while cabinets and doors flung themselves open. Staff at the base museum have heard disembodied murmurs and phonograph music wafting from the main floor. Otherworldly activity on the grounds has become so frequent, that multiple paranormal investigators have flocked to the grounds, capturing spectral orbs, footsteps, and voices.

Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan

Located in Okinawa, Japan, the Kadena Air Base is host to several haunted hotspots. Among them are Building 2283 and the installation gate. While patrolling at the gate, numerous guards have encountered a blood-soaked soldier in WWII garb, always enquiring after a light for his cigarette. Residents and staff of Building 2283, once a single-family home, have heard laughs and entered rooms to find their faucets and lights switched, accompanied by the drifting sounds of children laughing.

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20 Haunted Military Places Where You're Likely To See A Ghost

Related To:

Shop This Look

Military Haunted Hotspots

West Point Military Academy, New York

Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York

Fort Concho, San Angelo, Texas

Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

March Air Reserve Base, California

Vancouver Barracks, Washington

The Alamo, San Antonio

Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana

Little Bighorn, Montana

Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia

Fort Monroe, Virginia

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Fort Pulaski, Savannah, Georgia

The USS Hornet, Alameda, California

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii

Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan