If you’re looking to experience alleged paranormal activity, check out these three notably haunted properties around Northern Virginia. Arguably even scarier than the haunted attractions in our recent roundup.

Gadsby’s Tavern Museum | Alexandria

In the early 1800s, a wealthy couple arrived at Gadsby’s Tavern, a bustling hotel and popular watering hole in Alexandria. The woman was dangerously ill, but her husband acted strangely, swearing the doctor to secrecy and taking extreme measures to conceal their identities.

She tragically died shortly after, leaving behind one of Virginia's greatest mysteries. Today, she rests in St. Paul’s Cemetery beneath a tombstone marked only as 'The Female Stranger.’

Paxton Manor | Leesburg

This historic property is renowned for its ghostly folklore, with reported sightings including the original owner Rachel Paxton, orphans from its era as an asylum, and Civil War soldiers. Just miles from a major Civil War battleground, the home has earned a reputation as one of the area's most haunted landmarks.

The Carlyle House | Alexandria

Built in 1753, Carlyle House is among Old Town Alexandria’s oldest surviving structures. Local legend surrounds Sarah Carlyle, wife of original owner John Carlyle, whose family endured the heartbreaking loss of several children. According to ghost lore, Sarah’s spectral figure still wanders the hallways in colonial attire, checking on her long-lost children.