Known as “Hell’s Gate Cemetery,” Oakwood Cemetery in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is one of the most haunted places in the Upstate. With many visitors experiencing paranormal activity, such as seeing ghosts, cold spots and puzzling sounds, it is recommended not to go there alone.
Opening in 1883, the cemetery has been through many years of neglect, restoration and expansion. Until the bankruptcy of the Board of Directors in 1941, many Spartanburg residents found rest in Oakwood’s fields. The gravesites and memorials were left uncared for. That is, until 1983, when Martha Chapman reformed the board of directors, reviving the cemetery and starting annual housekeeping. In 2016, Oakwood expanded with the introduction of Converse Gardens.
Though the scenery and nature might be nice for walking a dog, some unsettled spirits might join you. The “Woman in White” is the most well-known ghostly figure at Oakwood. With her real identity unknown, she was a young woman who passed suddenly on her wedding day. She was buried in her wedding dress and can be seen walking with it trailing behind her, as if she were still walking down the aisle.
Oakwood is also known for having a children’s section, as sad as it is. Near the back of the cemetery, there are toys and other tokens of love placed next to their resting place. But when things are quiet throughout the land, visitors have heard the cries of young children or babies while no one else was around. Landowners on the outskirts of the cemetery have even felt the presence of unwanted shadows right in their own homes.
From beautiful to rather disturbed, Oakwood Cemetery has it all. The fields hold the history of not only Spartanburg, but South Carolina too, with many stones having World War I, World War II and epidemic stories behind them. But watch your back, visitors never know if they are accompanied or not.
