Anytime you find yourself in Vicksburg, Mississippi you absolutely MUST visit McRaven Home; the”Most Haunted House in Mississippi.”
Located in Vicksburg Mississippi the home has plenty of history and bone-chilling tales to impart during their historic or haunted tours; either will have you believing in things you can’t see.
Whether you enjoy learning more about early United States history, or you have a penchant for the paranormal, you’ll enjoy a visit to this uniquely built house and fascinating stories.
Vicksburg MS is full of Civil War History and the house itself was first built prior to Mississippi receiving statehood.
“The Time Capsule of the South”
One of the most fascinating things about this house is its architecture, the house received two remodels before opening to the public in 1961.
Each of the remodels added new sections to the house, leaving the old ones untouched, however, the final amendment, a greek revival facade, was later changed by the same owner to an Italianate faced which featured Vicksburg pillars, a popular choice in this town.
The McRaven House was built in 1797 when John Adams had yet to take over as the second president of the United States.
It began as a two-room brick home with a bedroom over a kitchen.
The builder, a highway robber named Andrew Glass, became the first ghost to haunt the McRaven House.
Interestingly, the next owner of the house was a Sheriff by the name of Stephen Howard. He added a bedroom, a stairway (the previous version used a removable ladder to avoid an ambush), a two-story cover porch, and an enclosed patio in 1836.
The expansion was done in the Empire period. Artifacts from each period remain in the appropriate sections of the house.
The most active spirit in the house, Howard’s wife Mary Elizabeth still has personal items in the house.
The final change came in 1849. It included a parlor, men’s changing area, master bedroom, and a flying wing staircase.
VERY happy to be checking McRaven off my list of haunted places to visit!
McRaven Home Historic and Haunted Tours
There are traditionally two kinds of tours at McRaven House. One is a simple history tour, while the other focuses on the house’s hauntings.
There are at least three known apparitions in the house, including Mary Elizabeth, Andrew Glass, and the most recent builder, John Bobb who met his tragic end at the hands of Union troops one year after the Vicksburg siege at McRaven.
I couldn’t decide which tour to take so I figured why not both. I would get some history which is so important to understanding the hauntings and I’d get the paranormal with, hopefully, a visit or three from McRaven’s ghosts.
Both of the tours are outstanding. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and have many personal stories about their time at McRaven.
Each tour only had myself plus my friend and the guide. Three of us going through the house during the day for the historic tour was awesome. Three of us alone in the darkest of night was a little more spooky. I loved it!!
The Two Sisters of McRaven
The most recent residents of the home were Annie and Ella Murray, two sisters, who lived here until the early 60’s. They were 2 of the seven children that grew up here. The history tour shares their story in detail and it’s very interesting.
At times, they were considered the witches of McRaven, but I think they were just quiet, shy adults that didn’t have many, if any, friends and lived a very lonely existence. Theirs might have been the saddest story I heard during the tour.
So intrigued by their story, my friend and I tracked down their burial plot at the cemetery at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the help of a very nice employee.
To find their headstones, enter the cemetery at Gate 3, drive down H Street (there are signs). Once you cross 12th Street look for the big MURRAY sign on the left. If you cross 15th Street you’ve gone too far.
Please visit them if you have the chance. I’ll be sharing more about this interesting cemetery in another post because it’s too gorgeous to not visit.
More Haunted Places That Will Leave You Scared
McRaven Paranormal Activity
Sadly, we only had one potential paranormal incident and it was, of all crazy things, during the history tour.
We were in Mary Elizabeth’s bedroom and the left top door of a tall, upright dresser swung shut.
There did not appear to be a breeze or anything that would cause this to happen.
The guide said is was Mary Elizabeth saying hello. From chatting with others and doing some research this seems to be a very common occurrence in the house. I’m on the fence if it’s paranormal or not.
It could be, it could also be sloping floors and someone stepping in the right spot to cause a shift and the door swinging closed. I have a feeling that happens a lot in old homes.
Either way it was really cool and I’d love to think it’s a hello from Mary Elizabeth.
Candlelight Tours
Candlelight tours have replaced the Haunted Tours in October and will continue through Halloween. If you’re brave enough, these tours take place in the dark only by candlelight.
Ghost Investigations
McRaven House also offers paranormal investigations. More than a tour, this experience is a once a month event. It includes a tour of the house followed by refreshments and a Q & A before the investigation commences.
Guests on the investigation use the equipment and ask all the questions as they attempt to gather evidence of hauntings such as EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon).
The investigation carries well into the night ending as late as 2:00 am depending on the cooperation of the spirits.
You can even call 601-501-1336 to get pricing for a private investigation.
If you have any interest in history or the paranormal you’ll definitely want to visit the McRaven House in Vicksburg, MS!
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