Haunted Georgetown: The Spookiest Spots in Washington DC's Oldest Neighborhood

Haunted Georgetown has a reputation that goes way beyond Halloween. Washington DC's oldest neighborhood was founded in 1751, four decades before the capital itself, and in more than 270 years its brick houses and steep streets have collected war, disease, slavery, scandal, and a famous movie demon. No wonder so many people swear the neighborhood never really sleeps.

Some of haunted Georgetown's stories are pure legend. Others are tied to real people and real tragedies. Either way, you can see nearly all of them on foot in a single evening, from the spires of Georgetown University down to the oldest building in DC.

TAKE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF GEORGETOWN:

The Georgetown Haunted Walking Tour is a self-guided GPS audio walking tour through Georgetown, Washington DC. It starts at Healy Hall on the Georgetown University campus and ends at the Old Stone House on M Street, telling the ghost stories and the real history behind each stop.

Along the way you'll learn:

• Why Healy Hall seems to have a fifth floor that "doesn't exist"

• What really happened in the 1949 case that inspired "The Exorcist"

• How one nanny's ghost still enforces a 10 p.m. bedtime at Foxhall Manor

• Why some visitors avoid the third floor of the Old Stone House

The walk takes about an hour, and it's best at dusk.

Check out the Georgetown Haunted Walking Tour here.

THE MOST HAUNTED SPOTS IN GEORGETOWN:

Healy Hall—Legend says a student read aloud from a forbidden book on the sealed fifth floor and opened a doorway to the underworld. Students still talk about moans coming from above.

The Exorcist Steps—These 75 steep steps were the setting for Father Karras's deadly fall in the 1973 film. Some visitors say they feel a chill or hear whispers on the stairs at night.

Halcyon House—Built in 1787 for America's first Secretary of the Navy, this mansion was later rebuilt again and again by an eccentric owner. Stories of moaning in the basement and a woman in the upstairs window have made it one of DC's most haunted homes.

Foxhall Manor—For generations, a strict nanny's ghost is said to have turned off the lights on the top floor at exactly 10 p.m.

Laird-Dunlop House—Robert Todd Lincoln, the president's son, lived here until his death in 1926. He was near three presidential assassinations, and some believe a sense of sorrow still fills the house.

The Old Stone House—The oldest unchanged building in Washington DC is said to be home to many spirits, including an angry ghost known simply as "George."

THE REAL STORY BEHIND "THE EXORCIST":

William Peter Blatty, a Georgetown University graduate from the class of 1950, read a newspaper story as a student about a real exorcism performed on a 14-year-old boy from nearby Maryland in 1949. That case became his best-selling novel and the 1973 film.

The movie was filmed right here in Georgetown. The crew built a fake wing onto a brick house on Prospect Street so the bedroom window would sit right above the famous steps. In 2015, the steps were officially named a Washington DC landmark.

GHOSTS AND REAL HISTORY:

Not every haunted Georgetown story is just for fun. Some come from painful chapters in the neighborhood's past.

The Underground Railroad—Georgetown was both a busy slave-trading port and a hub for people helping others escape. Stories of whispers at Mount Zion Cemetery are tied to those who sought freedom.

Disease outbreaks—In the 1800s, cholera and yellow fever swept through the town, and many victims were buried in a hurry.

Old homes, long memories—Many of the houses on the tour are more than 200 years old, and their stories have been passed down for generations.

TIPS FOR A HAUNTED GEORGETOWN WALK:

• Go at dusk. The streets feel spookier as the light fades, and the Exorcist Steps are at their eeriest.

• Wear good shoes. Georgetown is hilly, the brick sidewalks are uneven, and the steps are steep.

• Visit the Old Stone House in daylight. It's free, but it's only open during the day.

• Plan for no Metro. Walk in from Foggy Bottom-GWU or across Key Bridge from Rosslyn.

PLAN YOUR TRIP:

Want the full breakdown—where to eat, where to stay, and the best things to do in Georgetown, DC beyond the ghosts? Our Georgetown travel guide covers all of it.

Check out our Georgetown travel guide to plan your trip.