Local lore asserts that there are some eerie roads in Ohio that are better left untraveled. Whether local lore is based in fact or fiction, spooky destinations send chills down the spine and ignite the imagination. You’ll feel your heartbeat skip at these spooky places, and your mind just may play tricks on you. Don’t drive down this seven haunted roads in Ohio at night — unless you are completely immune to fear.
- Walhalla Road (Columbus)
brutalSoCal/Flickr Within a unique geographical niche in north Columbus winds Walhalla Road, where it is said that passerby are haunted by a man who killed his wife before committing suicide beneath the road’s bridge. This isolated spot is ideal for the birth of a local legend, as it’s isolated, surrounded by shadow-casting trees, and brings with it tales of mystery and murder that seem to date back to the 1950s.
- Lick Road (Cincinnati)
Google Maps (Street View) This country road twists and turns its way through the woods into a dead end right at the border of Hamilton and Butler counties. It is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a girl named Amy, who ran into the woods to escape an unknown assailant who killed her. Tucked just outside of the Cincinnati area, legend asserts that poor Amy continues to interact with visitors to this forsaken road. She’ll write words on your windows or, if you’re lucky, might manifest an orb or two then and there.
- Schrader Road (Chillicothe)
Don O’ Brien/Flickr Part of this road, located in Chillicothe, goes through a railroad tunnel where you can supposedly hear a baby crying if you drive through the tunnel at night with your lights off and windows down. (Something I will not try, thank you very much.) Crybaby bridge stories are actually common throughout much of Ohio, and it seems that many communities have their own version of this often told legend.
- Euler Road (Bowling Green)
Google Maps (Street View) Also known as “Crybaby Lane,” this tree-lined country road is where people report hearing the cries of a baby at night. Legend has it that a mother hung her baby on one of the tree branches that hang over the roadway and that the cries are from the ghost of the infant. Nobody really knows what the outcome of this purported event was or what became of the mother, but the legend persists in and around this community.
- Buckley Road (Oxford)
Google Maps (Street View) If you take Route 732 north out of Oxford and turn left onto the country road Buckley Rd. at night, you might encounter the “Phantom Bicyclist,” who was struck by a car and killed one evening. Turn off your engine, flash your headlights three times and wait. People who have done this report seeing a white light coming toward them from across the hills. This tale is made extra sad in one telling, which asserts that the young bicyclist was waiting to meet his forbidden lover when his story came to an unexpected and tragic end. Could he still be waiting to meet up with his young love?
- Egypt Road (Salem)
Wikimedia Commons The Egypt Road “Cry Baby Bridge” (pictured) isn’t actually located on Egypt Road, but on an old, unusual road right off of Egypt Road in Salem near the Mahoning County line. This road and bridge is associated with a couple who once lost their child along this road while stopped at the bridge. Some say the child drowned beneath the bridge, while others say it just wandered off. Whatever the story, many say you can still hear the child’s cries at night.
- Pond Run Road (New Richmond)
Google Maps (Street View) Pond Run Road near New Richmond is said to be haunted by “Hook Man,” a ghost with a hook looking for his hand and his disturbed parents, whose house was struck by lightening. Legend has it, their bodies were found, but all that was left of the child’s was his hand. Some version of the legends claim that this area was once a lover’s lane, until dearly departed couples started showing up with stab wounds… which, the legend purports, were rather hook-like wounds. Spooky.
Have you traveled down any of these haunted roads in Ohio at night? Do you have any spooky stories associated with them? Share your experiences (and photos, if you have any) with us in the comments below!
brutalSoCal/Flickr
Within a unique geographical niche in north Columbus winds Walhalla Road, where it is said that passerby are haunted by a man who killed his wife before committing suicide beneath the road’s bridge. This isolated spot is ideal for the birth of a local legend, as it’s isolated, surrounded by shadow-casting trees, and brings with it tales of mystery and murder that seem to date back to the 1950s.
Google Maps (Street View)
This country road twists and turns its way through the woods into a dead end right at the border of Hamilton and Butler counties. It is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a girl named Amy, who ran into the woods to escape an unknown assailant who killed her. Tucked just outside of the Cincinnati area, legend asserts that poor Amy continues to interact with visitors to this forsaken road. She’ll write words on your windows or, if you’re lucky, might manifest an orb or two then and there.
Don O’ Brien/Flickr
Part of this road, located in Chillicothe, goes through a railroad tunnel where you can supposedly hear a baby crying if you drive through the tunnel at night with your lights off and windows down. (Something I will not try, thank you very much.) Crybaby bridge stories are actually common throughout much of Ohio, and it seems that many communities have their own version of this often told legend.
Google Maps (Street View)
Also known as “Crybaby Lane,” this tree-lined country road is where people report hearing the cries of a baby at night. Legend has it that a mother hung her baby on one of the tree branches that hang over the roadway and that the cries are from the ghost of the infant. Nobody really knows what the outcome of this purported event was or what became of the mother, but the legend persists in and around this community.
If you take Route 732 north out of Oxford and turn left onto the country road Buckley Rd. at night, you might encounter the “Phantom Bicyclist,” who was struck by a car and killed one evening. Turn off your engine, flash your headlights three times and wait. People who have done this report seeing a white light coming toward them from across the hills. This tale is made extra sad in one telling, which asserts that the young bicyclist was waiting to meet his forbidden lover when his story came to an unexpected and tragic end. Could he still be waiting to meet up with his young love?
Wikimedia Commons
The Egypt Road “Cry Baby Bridge” (pictured) isn’t actually located on Egypt Road, but on an old, unusual road right off of Egypt Road in Salem near the Mahoning County line. This road and bridge is associated with a couple who once lost their child along this road while stopped at the bridge. Some say the child drowned beneath the bridge, while others say it just wandered off. Whatever the story, many say you can still hear the child’s cries at night.
Pond Run Road near New Richmond is said to be haunted by “Hook Man,” a ghost with a hook looking for his hand and his disturbed parents, whose house was struck by lightening. Legend has it, their bodies were found, but all that was left of the child’s was his hand. Some version of the legends claim that this area was once a lover’s lane, until dearly departed couples started showing up with stab wounds… which, the legend purports, were rather hook-like wounds. Spooky.
Craving more spookiness? Ohio is full of strange happenings and purported hauntings. Explore them by embarking on a haunted road trip through Ohio.
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Address: Walhalla Road, Walhalla Rd, Columbus, OH 43202, USAAddress: Lick Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45251, USAAddress: Schrader Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601, USAAddress: Euler Rd, Ohio, USAAddress: Buckley Rd, Oxford, OH 45056, USAAddress: Egypt Road, Egypt Rd, Salem, OH 44460, USAAddress: Pond Run Rd, New Richmond, OH 45157, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Haunted Roads In Ohio August 23, 2020 Nikki Rhoades What is the oldest town in Ohio? Marietta is the oldest city in Ohio, and it dates back to 1788… before Ohio was even a state! As you may suspect, this area is also full of ghost stories. From haunted hotels and cemeteries to totally unsuspecting spooky sites, this community is full of surprises. What are the most haunted places in Ohio? Ohio is full of hauntings, but both the Ceely Rose House and Mansfield Reformatory are said to be among the state’s most haunted places. In fact, these spooky spots rank among the most haunted places in the nation! Are there any urban legends in Ohio? There absolutely are Buckeye State legends, namely the Crybaby Bridge tale told time and time again. From an X-Files style UFO chase to a phrenology fad, there have been many strange happenings in Ohio.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Haunted Roads In Ohio
August 23, 2020
Nikki Rhoades
What is the oldest town in Ohio? Marietta is the oldest city in Ohio, and it dates back to 1788… before Ohio was even a state! As you may suspect, this area is also full of ghost stories. From haunted hotels and cemeteries to totally unsuspecting spooky sites, this community is full of surprises. What are the most haunted places in Ohio? Ohio is full of hauntings, but both the Ceely Rose House and Mansfield Reformatory are said to be among the state’s most haunted places. In fact, these spooky spots rank among the most haunted places in the nation! Are there any urban legends in Ohio? There absolutely are Buckeye State legends, namely the Crybaby Bridge tale told time and time again. From an X-Files style UFO chase to a phrenology fad, there have been many strange happenings in Ohio.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Marietta is the oldest city in Ohio, and it dates back to 1788… before Ohio was even a state! As you may suspect, this area is also full of ghost stories. From haunted hotels and cemeteries to totally unsuspecting spooky sites, this community is full of surprises.
What are the most haunted places in Ohio?
Ohio is full of hauntings, but both the Ceely Rose House and Mansfield Reformatory are said to be among the state’s most haunted places. In fact, these spooky spots rank among the most haunted places in the nation!
Are there any urban legends in Ohio?
There absolutely are Buckeye State legends, namely the Crybaby Bridge tale told time and time again. From an X-Files style UFO chase to a phrenology fad, there have been many strange happenings in Ohio.
