Children's Graveyard Visit
A short walk to a small, historic hillside cemetery with markers dating to the 1700s and 1800s, long the subject of Greenville ghost lore.
- Duration:
- 30 min
A small, old hillside burial ground off Old Buncombe Road near Furman University in Greenville, SC, locally called the 'Children's Graveyard,' where visitors report lights, laughter, and running sounds among 18th- and 19th-century graves.
Old Buncombe Road (near University Square), Greenville, SC 29617
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Historic cemetery; no admission. Respect the grounds and any posted access rules.
Access
Limited Access
Small wooded hillside cemetery reached by a short unmarked trail; uneven ground.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1847 · Burial ground of the former Duncan Chapel Methodist Church (founded c. 1847) · Surviving markers reportedly range from the 1700s to the late 1800s · Long known in Greenville folklore as the 'Children's Graveyard' · Documented by multiple regional history and paranormal sources
The small hillside cemetery commonly known in Greenville as the 'Children's Graveyard' is, by documented accounts, the burial ground associated with Duncan Chapel Methodist Church. Local history sources, including Random Connections and Upstate Greenville cemetery coverage, identify the congregation's origins around 1847. The church itself no longer stands, but the cemetery survives on a wooded rise off Old Buncombe Road, near the University Square shopping area and not far from Furman University.
The surviving markers reportedly span from the eighteenth century into the late nineteenth century. Despite the popular 'Children's Graveyard' nickname and the lore of child spirits, researchers who have surveyed the site note that it does not contain a disproportionate number of children's graves relative to other cemeteries of its era — the name appears to be folklore-driven rather than reflecting an unusual burial pattern. (Some Greenville sources also distinguish this well-known roadside cemetery from a separate, lesser-known 'real' children's cemetery in the area, underscoring how the legend has attached to this accessible site.)
The cemetery has become a fixture of Greenville-area ghost lore and is documented by multiple regional sources, including local history blogs, South Carolina paranormal groups, and South Carolina Haunted Houses. Like many small historic burial grounds that attract legend-tripping, it has suffered from trespass and disturbance over the years, and visitors are encouraged to treat the graves with respect.
Sources
According to Random Connections, South Carolina Haunted Houses, and regional Greenville ghost coverage, the legend of the 'Children's Graveyard' holds that the small hilltop cemetery is animated by the spirits of children. The most commonly reported phenomena are auditory: visitors describe hearing children's laughter and the patter of running feet among the markers, often when no one else is present. Others report seeing unexplained lights, a dark mist, or feeling sudden disorientation and waves of uncontrolled emotion when on the grounds.
The lore is tied closely to the cemetery's nickname, even though, as the history section notes, the site does not actually hold an unusual number of children's graves — a discrepancy that local researchers point to as evidence the legend grew in the retelling. The cemetery's secluded, wooded setting and the age of its markers (some reportedly dating to the 1700s) have made it a long-standing destination for Greenville legend-trippers.
This listing presents the activity as reported folklore rather than verified fact. Visitors should also be aware of practical, non-paranormal hazards documented at the site: it is reached by an unmarked trail, sits near a police facility, and wildlife including bobcats has reportedly been seen in the area. HauntBound encourages respectful daytime visits and discourages the trespass and vandalism that have damaged this historic burial ground.
Notable Entities
A short walk to a small, historic hillside cemetery with markers dating to the 1700s and 1800s, long the subject of Greenville ghost lore.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
McConnells, SC
The Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground at Historic Brattonsville in York County, South Carolina, holds the remains of at least 481 people of African descent enslaved at the Bratton plantation. The cemetery was formally reconsecrated in February 2025 with markers placed at each documented grave. Watt, the enslaved man whose 1780 warning enabled the Patriot victory at the Battle of Huck's Defeat, is buried here.
Charleston, SC
Magnolia Cemetery was dedicated in 1850 on the grounds of the former Magnolia Umbra Plantation on the Cooper River, becoming Charleston's first rural-style cemetery. Architect Edward C. Jones designed both the landscape plan and a Gothic Revival chapel. The cemetery's Soldiers Ground became the principal Confederate burial location for Charleston during the Civil War.
McCormick, SC
Badwell Cemetery in McCormick County holds the remains of the Petigru family and other French Huguenot settlers who established Badwell Plantation in the mid-to-late 18th century. The site is tied to New Bordeaux, the last of seven French Huguenot colonies in South Carolina, founded in 1764 by the Reverend Jean Louis Gibert. The Sumter National Forest acquired the property in the 1970s and has collaborated with local historical organizations to restore the site since 2009.