Westminster Hall and Burying Ground

Westminster Burying Ground in downtown Baltimore was established in 1786 and holds the grave of Edgar Allan Poe, and the Gothic Revival Westminster Hall was built in 1852 on brick piers directly over the graves, creating a catacomb beneath the church. The site is run by the nonprofit Westminster Preservation Trust with the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. Local ghost lore says Poe walks near his grave and stands at the altar, with other spirits including a young woman, a Revolutionary War officer and an angry groundskeeper, and the Baltimore Sun has called it one of the city's spookiest places. Its annual Halloween evening offers tours of the catacombs and Poe's grave with readings of his work. The ghost stories are folklore told by tour guides.