10 Spooky Abandoned Places In North Carolina

For dark tourists and history buffs, explore the creepiest abandoned places in North Carolina to learn more about the state’s history. Visit a few ghost towns, too.

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Like much of the South, you’ll uncover quite a few abandoned places in NC, including towns, theme parks, construction areas, and even a plane wreckage site (they finally removed the plane in 2023).

Today, many of the NC ghost towns are popular visitor attractions, including Henry River Mill Village – think The Hunger Games District 12 (it’s worth a visit; I promise) – and Outer Banks’ Portsmouth Village.

Others have a much darker, tragic, and somber history with limited to no access. However, they provide invaluable lessons so that history may never repeat itself. Witness quite a few broken promises, too. Warning: Some of the information in this post may be triggering. 🖤 Christine

10 Abandoned Places In North Carolina

This curated list is written in collaboration with dark tourist historian (and good friend) Jeremy Paterson. As North Carolina locals, Tom and I have visited many of the abandoned sites mentioned near Asheville, NC. This list has been updated to remove North Wikesboro Speedway, which has fully reopened.

1. The Road to Nowhere, Bryson City, NC

Head down Bryson City’s Lakeview Drive, a bittersweet and scenic two-lane road, ending at a tunnel with hiking trails.

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In the 1940s, to open/create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Fontana Lake and dam, the government forced people to relocate, leaving behind the villages they’d lived in for generations. They also removed much of Old Highway 288, which connected communities to the outside world, promising residents that the road would be replaced, and – most importantly – would provide access to the cemeteries that the residents also had to leave behind.

Unfortunately, an environmental issue stopped construction of the new “Lakeview Drive,” just six miles into the park. Because of the expense, it hasn’t been completed since.

Today, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a “Road to Nowhere,” ending at a dark, echoing tunnel. Drive six miles to the tunnel and park in a designated dirt lot to explore the area. Lakeview Drive also has multiple pull-overs, including a stunning view of Fontana Lake.

This is one of the most bittersweet abandoned places in NC since the Road To Nowhere is a sore spot for locals, yet also provides a beautiful recreational strip for hiking, cruising, and biking.

2. Stonewall Jackson Manual Training and Industrial School, Concord, NC

This monument to mistreatment – a place of cruelty and horrific crimes against children – sits off Old Charlotte Rd SW in Concord, NC. Back in the 19th century, there weren’t as many laws about processing juveniles for petty crimes. In fact, any young boy convicted of a minor crime was given the same sentence as an adult, meaning some teenagers ended up doing years of hard labor.

To combat this, local residents – led by a man named James Cook – petitioned to have a place for young offenders. In 1909, the North Carolina General Assembly opened the Stonewall Jackson Training School.

Originally, the school operated in a strict but tolerable manner. But following the end of World War II, the school descended into something quite inhumane, with beatings, sterilizations, and much worse. Over the years, the population dwindled as prison reforms took place and the treatment of juveniles changed.

Now, the buildings of the original complex stand empty, surrounded by barbed wire fencing. The Stonewall Jackson Manual Training and Industrial School is undeniably one of the darkest abandoned places in North Carolina on this list.

3. Portsmouth Village, Ocracoke, NC

Situated across from Ocracoke Village on the Outer Banks, encounter Portsmouth Island, home to Portsmouth Village. Established in 1753, this tidal island settlement remained inhabited for over 200 years, until the last resident left in 1971.

Walking around this area is like stepping back in time. Find 21 buildings still standing in Portsmouth Village, including a church, a post office, and a general store, as well as plenty of wood-paneled period-style housing. What visitors won’t find: drinkable water, food, or electricity.

Ocracoke Island Visitor Center | 38 Irvin Garrish Hwy, Ocracoke, NC 27960

4. Land of Oz Theme Park, Beech Mountain, NC

Originally opened in 1970 by Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher, the Land of Oz Theme Park ran for five years until a fire destroyed buildings and many of the props and costumes. After the fire, the park never recaptured its former glory and closed in 1980. Everything decayed, overgrew, or was stolen.

In the 1990s, former employees renovated and opened the park once a year for a Wizard of Oz-themed festival. Unfortunately, post-Hurricane Helene, all events are on hold until at least 2026.

Land of Oz Theme Park | 2669 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604

5. Endor Iron Furnace, Cumnock, NC

Nestled amongst a 426-acre nature reserve and park, Endor Iron Furnace is one of the oldest abandoned places in North Carolina on this list. Constructed to make use of the iron deposits along the Deep River in Lee County, this 35-foot-tall pig iron furnace first operated in the 1860s and worked up until 1874. It’s one of the oldest structures still standing in Lee County, and as such, conservationists maintain it with an eye toward full restoration.

Because of the delicate nature of this historic relic, the site is not easily accessible to the public. Contact the NC Historical Society if you want to visit.

6. Castle Mont Rouge, Rougemont, NC

A European castle is not something you might expect to find among the ghost towns in NC, but thanks to one American artist, you can…

Tucked away in the forestry of Rougemont, NC, half an hour’s drive north of Durham, stumble upon one of the most unusual buildings in the state. The brainchild of sculptor Robert Mihaly, Castle Mont Rouge started as an artistic retreat – a combination private home and studio where Mihaly could create art in peace.

The structure boasts a turret, 18 pinnacles, gargoyles, cone rooftops, and no blueprints, which may explain why it looks like a mess. People also spread romantic rumors about why the castle wasn’t finished: Did the builder’s wife die, and was he too broken-hearted to continue!? (Mihaly later debunked this myth: he and his wife split up, and he had other projects to complete.)

The castle became a hangout for graffiti artists until 2017, when Mihaly began work on it once again.

Castle Mont Rouge | 957 Mountain Brook Rd, Rougemont, NC 27572

7. St. Agnes Hospital, Raleigh, NC

While the original St. Agnes Hospital building opened in 1896, what you see today was not completed until 1909, after a fire in 1904 rendered the original building unusable.

St. Agnes Hospital was one of the most important medical and nursing training facilities for African Americans. During segregation, it was the only hospital to treat Black patients between Atlanta and Washington. The hospital eventually closed to the public in 1961.

Quite rightly, St. Agnes Hospital became a Raleigh Historical Landmark in 1979 and sits on the southwest corner of the grounds of Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh. It is one of the most important historically abandoned places in North Carolina on this list.

Saint Augustine’s University | 1315 Oakwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27610

8. Crashed Passengers Aircraft, Waterrock Knob near Balsam, NC

Please note that as of summer 2023, they removed the plane from this site. The Parkway asks that visitors no longer hike here. Tom and I hiked this trail before the removal, when it was OK to be in the area.

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This plane crash site is one of the more morbid abandoned places in NC. In the winter of 1983, Pilot Ernest Martin and his secretary, passenger Centa Jarrett, flew down from Illinois, intending to land at Jackson County Airport. Unfortunately, in low-lying clouds and rain – and without having filed a proper flight plan – their Cessna 414A airplane crashed into the side of Waterrock Knob in the Smoky Mountains, killing both Martin and Jarrett. While their bodies were recovered, the remains of their aircraft remained on the mountain until 2023.

Located near the top of Waterrock Knob, this was (quite literally) the peak of dark tourism in North Carolina. Before its removal, the site was accessible by hiking from Waterrock Knob up to Browning Knob and then veering down a treacherous side trail.

Waterrock Knob Visitor Center | BRP Milepost 451.2 (Basic restrooms, no running water on-site)

9. Ghost Town Village/Ghost Town in the Sky, Maggie Valley, NC

There has been endless talk of reopening Ghost Town Village, and many of Uncorked Asheville’s readers remember visiting as a kid. Today, find the remains of the theme park, but please respect all “no trespassing” signs. The police monitor it, and you will get arrested.

High up on the peak of Buck Mountain sits one of the most extensive and talked-about abandoned towns in North Carolina. NC has its fair share of theme parks, but Ghost Town Village (also known as Ghost Town in the Sky) has a richer history than most.

First opened on May 1st, 1961, Ghost Town Village’s location at the top of a mountain gave it the distinction of being “North Carolina’s mile-high theme park.” This wild west-themed complex could only be reached via the 3,370-foot-long chair lift or a funicular railway, had mock gunfights in the main town “street,” and averaged half a million visitors every year.

Then, one day in 2002, the chairlift got stuck for over 2 hours, causing the park to close. This was the latest in a long list of malfunctions and necessary renovations, so the owners put it up for sale.

Since that day, Ghost Town Village has been something of a ghost town (haha), aside from a very brief spell where the park was renovated and reopened in May 2007, only to close again in 2009.

Ghost Town In The Sky | 16 Fie Top Rd, Maggie Valley, NC 28751

10. Henry River Mill Village

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So many iconic movies were filmed across NC, and for famous NC ghost towns, you might recognize Henry River Mill Village from scenes in The Hunger Games. In fact, welcome to Katniss and Peeta’s home, District 12.

Located in Burke County, this is a 120-year-old textile village (1905) – specifically cotton – that visitors can tour with a ticket. Abandoned in the 1970s, there was never running water, but you’ll now find powerlines. This cotton mill village essentially created an insular community.

Workers lived on the property, and the mill also employed their children until the government implemented child labor laws. Laborers would earn one dollar a day, and for a short period, the village had its own currency, the “doogaloo.” Families would use this money at the on-site grocery store, and eventually, a boarding school was added to the property (which has since burned down).

Along with a somber and interesting history – filled with unsavory stories – channel your inner movie buff. These days, Henry River Mill Village is a site for book lovers.

One of the only houses you can safely enter on the property, see where the Everdeens lived. Look ahead to see Peeta’s bakery – the former general store – and spy where Katness hunted in the woods.

Along with guided tours, find special events, an on-property Bed & Breakfast, and a surge of potential renovation plans. You can even book a photoshoot. While there are no on-site restrooms, find a porta-potty. Please exert extreme caution around the homes, carefully paying attention to posted signs.

Henry River Mill Village can be a dangerous site since many of the homes have been falling apart for decades – please heed staff members’ advice. You don’t want to fall through a crumbling floor.

Although one of the spookiest abandoned places in North Carolina, Henry River Mill Village has largely made a comeback thanks to the movie, even if the owners denied access for the sequels after realizing the production team blew up one of the dilapidated houses without permission (I learned this on a tour).

Henry River Mill Village | 4255 Henry River Rd, Hickory, NC 28602