When I was a teenager in Huntsville, Alabama, we had a favorite place to take a “legend trip” – a term that means visiting the real sites that are the basis of scary legends and lore, usually carried out by teenagers and generally at night.

Back in the 1980s, when I was in high school, our rite of passage was to visit “Sally Carter’s Grave.” I use the quotation marks because, although Sally Carter was a real person, “Sally Carter’s Grave” is largely a legend.

It all started at Cedarhurst Mansion, a house built in 1823 by Stephen Ewing. Sally Carter, a relative, was visiting the house in 1837 when she died of illness at the age of 16. As was often the case at the time, she was buried on the grounds of the manor. The first and most famous report of Sally’s ghost did not occur until decades after her death, after a teenage boy stayed with his family at the mansion in 1919. The boy said that one night particularly stormy, he had received a visit from the ghost of Sally, who had asked him to repair his tombstone which had been knocked over during the storm. When the boy told his family, they laughed at the story, but nonetheless followed him to the stone and found that it had indeed fallen. Teenagers would regularly check on her headstone, so often that the family eventually had poor Sally Carter reburied in an unmarked grave in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville. The mansion is still there but it is not open to the public. It was transformed into a clubhouse for the surrounding gated community.

However, there are some legendary places that can be visited and which are easily accessible to the public in broad daylight without any problem. I’ve listed 10 of them below.

NOTE OF CAUTION: We have intentionally not listed sites located on private property. Be sure to obey trespassing laws, including those regarding visiting cemeteries after dark, and treat the sites with respect.

Adams Grove Cemetery, Sardis, Alabama.

This cemetery adjoining an abandoned building that was once the stately Adams Grove Presbyterian Church has been investigated by several paranormal groups, including the host of “American Ghost Hunter” and Southern Paranormal Researchers. The dilapidated church, built in 1853 in the Dallas County community of Sardis, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The ruins of Fort Morgan, built in 1819, are frightening on their own. But at night, people have reported seeing dark figures wandering inside the ruined walls, as well as strange mists and strange noises. Another story says that when people feel a sudden sense of terror, they soon see the appearance of a soldier. This makes sense, as the fort was used during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.

Rawls Hotel, Enterprise, Alabama.

The Rawls Hotel was built in 1903 by Captain Japeth Rawls. It is now a restaurant. When it was a B&B, the website included an account of the hauntings: “Unusual occurrences are not uncommon at the historic Rawls Hotel. The children’s laughter was heard by those working on the third floor, and even outside the restaurant’s restrooms – when there were no children around. Hayden Pursley spent three years restoring the historic hotel and often told several stories, including seeing a girl around 12 years old running through the hallways. He also experienced a ghost, thought Captain Rawls, who repeatedly took down the window treatments he had attempted to install.

Malaga Inn, Mobile, Alabama.

The Malaga Inn consists of what were originally two separate townhouses built by two brothers-in-law for the Goldsmith and Frohlichstein families. Construction of the houses began in 1861 and the houses remained in the family for several decades, but changed hands several times during the 20th century. These are purchases made by the current owners’ family in the 1960s when the houses were restored and a rear addition was made when the houses were converted into a boutique hotel. Guests have reported seeing the ghost of a woman pacing on the balcony of room 007. Others have seen chandeliers swinging for no apparent reason, furniture moving on its own, and lamps mysteriously unplugged.

Old Cahawba, Cahaba, Alabama.

The Old Cahawba Archaeological Site contains the preserved remains of Alabama’s first capital. Cahawba, or Cahaba, served as the state capital from 1820 to 1825, but was eventually abandoned due to flooding of the Alabama and Cahaba rivers. The site has two municipal cemeteries as well as a slave cemetery. It was also once the site of Castle Morgan, used to house prisoners of war during the Civil War. The site is said to be haunted by many spirits, the most famous being the ghost of Pegues. Colonel Christopher Claudius Pegues built a stately home on the property between Pine and Chestnut streets. A few months after Pegues died in combat in 1862, traveling lovers claimed to have seen an orb in the garden behind the house. Some claim to see the orb today. The legend was recorded by author Kathryn Tucker Windham in “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.”

Chamber of Commerce Building, Wetumpka, Alabama.

The Chamber of Commerce building was built in 1910 as a bank. Employees say they heard disembodied footsteps and voices. On the third floor, people report doors opening and closing and furniture moving on its own. According to the Chamber of Commerce website, a scarecrow apparition moves from room to room on this floor. Other entities haunt the main staircase and the basement.

Dismals Canyon, Phil Campbell, Alabama.

This magnificent natural site is said to be haunted by the spirits of the outlaws who once hid there. The canyon’s proximity to the Natchez Trace, known as the Devil’s Backbone, made it a prime hiding place for many outlaws who robbed and murdered travelers along the Trace. Jesse James is said to have locked himself in the canyon. Jesse was believed to be in the area when his brother Frank was accused of stealing payroll from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Muscle Shoals in 1881. After a sensational trial in Huntsville in 1884, two years after Jesse was shot, Frank was acquitted of the crime. Before this period, the canyon was used as a “holding pen” for Native Americans forced off their land.

Athens State University, Athens, Alabama.

Athens State was founded in 1822 as the Athens Female Academy, making it the oldest institute of higher learning in the state. It contains several ghost legends, but the story of Abigail Burns is the most popular. McCandless Hall Auditorium, opened in 1914, is said to be haunted by the spirit of Abigail Burns, an opera singer. According to legend, Burns performed at the buildings opening night and carried a bouquet of roses as she got in her car to return to her hotel in Huntsville. It was a stormy night and his car overturned, killing Burns. Her spirit would haunt McCandless because she told her audience she would return.

Dead Children’s Playground, Huntsville, Alabama.

Adjoining the historic Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville is a playground much like any other, complete with a swing and a pavilion. But this playground is not like the others. Passersby often say they can see the swings moving of their own accord, as well as orbs or spectral figures. Legend has it that the spirits of the children buried in the cemetery founded in 1822 come to play there. Some also like to repeat the myth that the children were buried in the playground following a series of kidnappings in the 1960s.

Gravity Hill, Talladega County, Alabama.

Alabama has several “gravitational hills” and “mystery spots” where cars appear to be going uphill on a downward slope. This one, near Sylacauga, is perhaps the best known and the street name was changed to Gravity Hill Road. Find it by typing the address 117 Gravity Hill Road into your phone’s GPS.