Avenel Plantation

Bedford, VA · Historical Buildings

Built around 1838 by William M. Burwell and his wife Frances Steptoe, the historic home eventually, in 1985, was purchased by the Avenel Foundation, a non-profit organization known to restore and preserve historic Avenel. A ghostly Lady in White has been seen walking on the grounds and in the halls, and also has been seen from the outside through the windows. Other ghosts, including a phantom cat, are said to reside here; the cat has been heard meowing as well as seen. The phantom smell of tobacco also has been reported by witnesses.

Geographic Information

Address
413 Avenel Ave
Bedford, VA 24523
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GPS
37.338447, -79.524547
County
Bedford County County, Virginia
Nearest Towns

Contact Information

Website

Quick Answers

Is Avenel Plantation really haunted?
Visitors rate Avenel Plantation at 82.8 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 7 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.
Where is Avenel Plantation located?
The address is 413 Avenel Ave, Bedford, VA 24523. GPS coordinates: 37.338447, -79.524547.
What kind of haunted place is Avenel Plantation?
Avenel Plantation is listed under Historical Buildings in our Virginia section.
What is the nearest town to Avenel Plantation?
Bedford, VA is the closest town, about 0.3 miles away, with Montvale (11.8 mi.) and Forest (13.0 mi.) also nearby.

Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other regulations.

Share Your Experiences

Comments (7)

  • Lori Stetson |

    I have spent numerous evenings at Avenel during fundraising events and have twice smelled a very strong perfume in one of the upstairs bedrooms and once seen the dining room chandelier begin to sway as we were finishing our cleanup.

    • Heather Adams |

      In.i I recently went to see this house and snapped pictures and actually caught a spirit of a little boy in the window

      • Stormie Wills |

        Do you have the photo?

  • Susan Magerkurth |

    Years ago I went with a group from Roanoke and when we went to the attic, I noticed the distinct smell of lilacs. Our guide informed us that lilacs were one of the lady of the house's favorite flowers. It was a strange experience!

  • Weston |

    I just need to find a place to make a album in

  • Weston |

    we're a deathcore metal band and it would be delightful to go to a scary haunted place to make the album

  • CKTCiaara |

    I went there for a Civil War wedding in 2003 or 2004. The reen-actor for Robert E. Lee was renewing his vows with his wife. During a CW reenactment weekend. I went inside the house to walk through it. I was in awe of its beauty and excited to be there. As I went up the second half of the steps something grabbed my right ankle and sprained it! I couldn’t put any weight on it and was in tremendous pain. I guarantee you, the sprain was not caused from my tripping or losing my balance. It definitely made the rest of the afternoon miserable for me.
    After I got home I looked up this haunted site and read there were other people, like me, who went home with a mysterious sprained ankle. And they believe the sprains may have been caused by the female ghost reported to be seen there at the house. In any case, it was a spirit with much strength that grabbed my ankle and sprained it!
    Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find those comments. Maybe someone can look back at the archives to find them.

Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the truest sense, ghost stories. Haunted Places makes no claims that any of these stories are factually accurate or scientifically provable.