October is here, and Greater Parkersburg offers several spooky, haunted and supernatural attractions! Here’s five haunted attractions for you to add to your itinerary during your visit.

1. Blennerhassett Hotel & Spa – 320 Market St, Parkersburg, WV

The Blennerhassett Hotel is West Virginia’s most haunted hotel. Built in the late 1800s, there have been several ghosts reportedly seen at the hotel, mostly from the industrial era. Guests and staff have reported that they’ve seen children riding tricycles, vaudevillians and men wearing top hats and bowler hats.

They offer monthly paranormal tours on the third Friday of each month. These tours will go over all the reported hauntings as you explore the several parts of the hotel. Participants will also get to analyze EMF frequencies, voice recordings and more.

2. The Silver Run Tunnel – North Bend Rail Trail, Cairo, WV

The North Bend Rail Trail is a multi-use recreational trail that is home to the Silver Run Tunnel—a 1,376 ft long tunnel haunted by a woman in a white dress. The legend goes that a bride was riding on a train with her groom and either she was pushed or fell from the train and died. There are several stories and reports of train engineers stopping the train after having thought they ran over her only for nothing to be found.

Finding the parking place that allows you to access the Rail Trail at a point near the tunnel is a little tricky. If using phone or car navigation, use Silver Run Road, Cairo,  WV as your destination and when you get to Cairo, proceed to step (3) .

To get to the parking spot for access to the tunnel – (1) from Parkersburg go east on US Rt 50. From the intersection of Rt 50/Interstate 77 go 17.6 miles, turn right onto WV RT 31 South. (2) Follow 31 South for 4.1 miles into Cairo WV. (3) Turn right onto Silver Run Road. Follow Silver run road for 2.8 miles. (The road turns to gravel after you go about 1.7 miles). You will come to a gate where the Rail Trail crosses the road. Park beside the gate and take the trail west (past the gate) it is approximately a half mile to the tunnel entrance. 

3. The Weeping Woman of Riverview Cemetery – 1341 Juliana St, Parkersburg, WV

The Riverview Cemetery located in Julia-Ann Sq Historic District is a beautiful, well-kept cemetery—a notable resting place for the departed. Here in the cemetery sits a large monument called the “Weeping Woman,” who watches over the Jackson family plot in the back of the cemetery. This statue is said to grant wishes and help with women’s fertility when brought an offering. It’s very common to see her statue adorned with flowers, coins and other small offerings. Legend says that her spirit is also known to trip people, rip clothes, pull hair and even unzip the pants of those who displease her.

There’s a small pedestrian gate to the left of the main entry gate that is open to the public from 8 a.m. to dusk.

4. The Anchorage Mansion – 424 George St, Marietta, OH

The Anchorage Mansion in Marietta, OH is one of the scariest places I’ve ever been in. This mansion is open for guided and self-guided tours complete with paranormal investigative equipment as well. The Anchorage was built in 1859, the Italianate dream-home mansion of Eliza Putnam. Unfortunately, she died in the home three years after it was built, but legend has it that she has never left. Her lonely spirit has been encountered throughout the house by visitors, guests and staff.

Many families moved in and out of the Anchorage over the years, each adding on a layer of history and a lasting legacy. From the 1960s-1980s the mansion operated as a senior care facility and was the last home to a number of its residents. Many of the eerie experiences that take place in the mansion are attributed to the souls of kindly nursing home patients eager for visitors.

5. October Exclusive Attractions

Although the rest of these attractions are open year-round, Greater Parkersburg also has some spooky offerings exclusive to October.

The Castle – 418 4^th St, Marietta, OH

The Castle is a beautiful historic house museum open for public tours, and this October will put a spooky spin on the mansion. Visitors can take a guided lantern tour of the Castle and learn all about the ghostly apparitions, sounds and strange occurrences reported by staff, volunteers and guests of The Castle in the past.

Butcher Bend Autumn Festival – 2230 Butcher Bend Rd, Mineral Wells, WV

For those with kids, the Butcher Bend Autumn Festival is a family-friendly event with a costume contest, a haunted barn, a hayride, a trunk or treat and more. The haunted barn is a fun, spooky haunted walk experience with scare actors sure to give you a good fright! The Butcher Bend Autumn Festival is on Oct. 4, 5, 11 & 12, 2024 from 7 – 10 p.m. daily.