Two Annapolis taverns rank among Maryland's ten most haunted places

With Halloween approaching, two Annapolis taverns, Ram's Head Tavern and Middleton Tavern, rank among Maryland's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index. The index ranks 87 Maryland sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Ram's Head Tavern ranks #6. In 1769, Samuel Chase, who signed the Declaration of Independence and later served on the United States Supreme Court, subleased the building; by 1794 it operated as the Sign of the Green Tree house of entertainment. Four separate published accounts describe activity there. Staff describe drinks knocked over and silverware rearranged overnight, and full-bodied apparitions of two women seen on separate occasions. Accounts differ on the figures' identities, which HauntBound treats as tavern tradition rather than documented history.

Middleton Tavern ranks #10. Ferry operator Horatio Middleton bought the waterfront building in 1750 and opened it as a tavern serving the Annapolis-Rock Hall ferry, a route that carried George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Five separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1876. Staff call the resident apparition Roland, a man in revolutionary-era dress reported at the harbor-facing windows in early morning, along with the smell of cigar smoke and plates that topple from shelves untouched. None of the proposed identities for Roland is documented in surviving records, and HauntBound treats them as oral tradition.

Statewide, Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville ranks #1, and Antietam National Battlefield, the state's most famous haunted site, ranks #7.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Ram's Head Tavern, 33 West St., Annapolis, is a working restaurant, bar and music venue.Middleton Tavern, 2 Market Space, Annapolis, is a working restaurant and bar on the waterfront.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/maryland/The fact sheet, with Annapolis numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/maryland/Venue contact: ramsheadtavern.com and middletontavern.comA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

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