The Civil War Museum at the Exchange Hotel is rumored to house some residents who died over a century ago. The hotel became a hospital in 1862, and was considered America’s first triage hospital. One of the ghosts here is believed to be a Union corporal who was the last patient to leave when the hospital closed in 1865. Strange sounds, cold spots, and closing doors have been witnessed, and another ghost, an African-American cook named Anna, has been known to speak. When she was asked what she was cooking, she said, “I cook fried chicken.” Other apparitions here also have spoken to guests, tricking them into thinking they were historic re-enactors or employees. Ghosts that have been seen here include nurses, children, and the surly Major Quartermaster Richards.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 400 S Main St
Gordonsville, VA 22942
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 38.13266040729079, -78.18565814418031
- County:
- Orange County, Virginia
- Nearest Towns:
- Gordonsville, VA (0.3 mi.)
Orange, VA (8.8 mi.)
Blue Ridge Shores, VA (9.0 mi.)
Ruckersville, VA (12.1 mi.)
Louisa, VA (12.4 mi.)
Hollymead, VA (14.0 mi.)
Lake Monticello, VA (16.6 mi.)
Mineral, VA (17.3 mi.)
Charlottesville, VA (17.4 mi.)
Madison, VA (17.6 mi.)
Contact Information
- Web:
- http://www.hgiexchange.org/
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
Would like to join ur ghost hunters?
This place is definitely haunted. I have been there twice on ghost tours. Paranormal activity happened both times in all three locations (the main house, the depot, and the kitchen). It was mostly stuff picked up on the various types of equipment like voices on the Ovulus and the gausse meter going off. There are lots of orbs. A group got spooked and ran out of the kitchen when I was there, but I didn’t get anything scary. I did get the creeps while standing in the depot, but it was nothing that you could put your finger on.
Although the .org website address still works, it’s being redirected to the primary address http://www.hgiexchange.com
I HAVE BEEN THERE 3 TIMES THERE IS ALOT OF PARNORMAL ACTIVTY I HAVE BEEN TOUCH ON MY SHOULDER IN THE DEPOT I HAVE GOT LOTS OF ORBS I HAVE USE RODS AND ASK THE LITTLE GIRL EMMA TO GIVE ME A HUG AND THE ROD CAME AROUND AND TOUCH MY SHOULDER I HAVE SEEN THINGS THOUGH THE THERMO CAM A SICK FIGURE THE GUIDE SAID I SEE YOU IAM WAVING CAN YOU WAVE BACK AND IT DID THIS PIC IS IN THE CAPTAINS ROOM OF HIS BED AND THIS SHOW UP
THIS IS IN THE HALL LOOK AT IMAGE TO YOUR LEFT NO ONE IN THE HALL BUT ME WHEN I TOOK THIS
That me in picture and my cake down on right lemon. I see you but you not see me and when you leave I was in front of car and you drove through but it did not hurt.
We experienced an encounter in 2015 when we visited for a night time paranormal tour. On the third floor landing we did a little session where I played spin the bottle. After spinning the bottle several times it landed in the same spot facing a bracelet I placed on the floor. We then asked if the spirit would give us a sign and light the flashlight for us. Each time (7 in all) the flashlight lit up. As I was sitting on the floor my fiancé was using one of my cameras and snapping pictures of me. When I got home and downloaded the photos, this showed the spirit behind me in the doorway. I believe it is the ghost of the young corporal from the war based on his facial image and the uniform in the picture attached.
The paranormal group I belong to got the chance to investigate there a year ago. I truly believe it is haunted. I had an experience in one of the rooms upstairs. The minute I walked in I felt like I was being stared at and then I became dizzy and the cold feeling, I couldn’t shake.. I ended up walking out of there. And after a few minutes, I was ok… Would love to go back and see what happens this time.
I’m a paranormal investigator and have been a volunteer at the Exchange Hotel since 2014 roughly. Those that gave negative ratings haven’t visited or haven’t spent enough time at the museum. There was a time I was the only one in the building after closing and sitting in the admin room working on my laptop when the door to the gift shop opened by itself and slammed shut. Startled the bejesus out of me. lol Another time I was waiting for Angel to open the museum to do an investigation. I walked up to the door getting ready to knock when I heard 2 women talking in the gift through the door. Then I heard one of them laughing. When I knocked, the talking stopped. A few minutes later, Angel drove up from running errands. She said no one was in the building when I told her about what I had heard. During another investigation between 22:30 and about 0 Dark 30, several members my paranormal team and I witnessed unexplainable light anomalies in the hallway on the third floor. One came up the stairs and looked long and wispy and resembled a solar flare as it arced over the banister, then moved from door to door but stayed in the hall way. Some lights were fast moving dots and didn’t follow the same pattern as the usual dust orbs would. Before it was over, the initial anomaly that came up the starts moved from the door on the left, closest to the camera and started to manifest into a transparent full-bodied female apparition. We sent investigators up to check it out and try to debunk it as car lights, but it was still going on while they were up there and they saw nothing. I highly recommend visiting and investigate as often as you can. Spend enough time there and you will have your own encounters. If you’re not in a paranormal group, find one in your area that is taking new members or attend the public night tours.
I have been there a few times and one day I was in the gift shop and someone asked me what my name was, the voice was very soft, when I turned around no one was there. They could not have hidden or ran because I would see them because of the position I was in. It was very cold in that area and I was the only one in there exsept for the cashier (who was reading). The voice sounded like a little girl’s. Eventually I convinced myself it was nothing. Then I felt a hand pull on my top and the voice (sounding angry) asked for my name. There was no one there. So I did the practical thing and ran to my car (it was dinner time anyway).