30 miles north of Baton Rouge, high on the bluffs above the Mississippi River, lies the tiny town of St. Francisville. A place locals jokingly call “two miles long and two yards wide.” Population? Barely 1500. But what it lacks in size… it makes up for in secrets. Tucked beneath ancient oaks and veils of Spanish moss, sits one of America’s most famously haunted homes: The Myrtles Plantation. This estate has witnessed its fair share of tragedy from rumored lynchings to accidental deaths, even whispered tales of cold-blooded murder. And while many of these stories are not confirmed by historical fact, that hasn’t stopped locals from keeping these tales alive. A servant punished for eavesdropping, a man gunned down by unknown intruders and the heartbreaking deaths of children whose presence, some say, never truly left. Today, the Myrtles stands as a beautifully restored bed-and-breakfast but guests and staff continue to report chilling encounters: children’s laughter echoing down empty halls, shadowy figures drifting across the grounds, disembodied voices, footsteps, and knocks in the dead of night. What’s most unsettling? Some visitors still can’t make it through till morning. Would you be brave enough to try?

Sources:

“Paranormal Plantation: The Haunting of The Myrtles” by Mike Huberty on American Ghost Walks on August 1, 2023 (https://www.americanghostwalks.com/articles/the-myrtles-louisiana)

“Myrtles Plantation | A Southern Haunting” on U.S. Ghost Adventures on January 26, 2025 (https://usghostadventures.com/americas-most-haunted-trending/myrtles-plantation-a-southern-haunting/)

“The History of the Myrtles” on The Myrtles (https://themyrtles.com/pages/history-culture?srsltid=AfmBOoqdF1i9dsYsen9Ut4tnGmgbEzn9D9x0vOJ18y0BaGpHcIfwbG6k)

“Myrtles Plantation: The South’s Spookiest House” on National Geographic on October 31, 2008 (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/myrtles_plantation_the_souths)

“Town History” on Town of St. Francisville (https://stfrancisville.net/about/history/)

“The Haunting of the Myrtles Plantation” by Aaliyah Strachan on The Haunted Walk (https://hauntedwalk.com/news/the-haunting-of-the-myrtles-plantation/)

https://www.facebook.com/weirdohistoryfacts/posts/stay-here-if-you-dare-the-myrtles-plantation-%EF%B8%8Fbuilt-in-1796-by-general-david-bra/1378122903670103/

https://www.facebook.com/100064779665728/posts/myrtles-plantation-is-an-antebellum-mansion-in-st-francisville-louisiana-built-i/1262121625957148/

Unsolved Mysteries: Season 11, Episode 9 on Tubi