Woodland Cemetery

Posted: 04.10.2025 | Updated: 04.10.2025

Graveyards have long been a source of ghost stories. It’s easy to see why – the quiet tombstones creating sweeping shadows and eerie sounds are easy ways to stir the imagination. With their somber beauty and aura of mystery, graveyards remain perfect settings for supernatural legends to take root and grow ever darker.

We’ll let you decide if the ghost stories coming from the Woodland Cemetery in Cincinnati are just the result of people’s overactive imaginations, legends mixed with some fact, or true haunted tales.

Ask around some of the locals about this historic graveyard, and they’ll tell you all about the ghosts that are said to live there, from the Girl in White to a ghostly battalion and more! 

Keep reading on to learn just who these ghosts are. After you’re done, we’re sure you’ll want to learn even more about haunted Ohio at large. The best way to do that is by booking an in-person ghost tour with us at Cincinnati Ghosts.

Who Haunts Woodland Cemetery?

As we mentioned, the residents who live here have had more than a few ghosts populate their local cemetery. Some (like the Girl in White) are steeped in mystery while others (like Joe and his dog) have more of a concrete backstory behind them. Read on to learn all that we’ve found out about this haunted cemetery. 

Cemetery History

The history of the cemetery spans centuries. Established in 1841 on the outskirts of Dayton, Ohio, it was designed to accommodate the city’s growing population. A growing population means a growing number of bodies, so the need for a cemetery was a foregone conclusion. 

It served (and continues to serve) its intended purpose well and has achieved a stellar reputation as a graveyard. In fact, it has been safeguarding the remains of over 112,000 individuals since its inception. Some of these individuals are still mentioned in the pages of history books and art museums, such as the Wright Brothers, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Charles Kettering. 

Some of the people buried there might not be famous but are no less fascinating, like the very first burial that the Woodland Cemetery ever had. That was the burial of a man by the name of Allen Cullum in the year 1843.

Allen Cullum

Allen Cullum was an odd fellow…literally. At the time of his death, he was a long-standing member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a fraternal order dedicated to charitable work and inclusivity. Their name came from the fact that in the 17th century, such charitable efforts were seen as “odd.”

The Order offered free burial plots and orphan care at a time when such services were difficult to come by, especially for the poor and immigrant families in Ohio. Cullum’s grave marked the establishment of the Odd Fellows area, honoring those who took part in the order and were buried in Woodland. 

These days, the cemetery, for being a place housing the dead, is still full of life and not just mourners and headstone visitors. Indeed, it’s actually classified as a Level II Arboretum, and it’s home to over 150 species of trees and plants, which draws numerous birds and wildlife (and birdwatchers hoping to get a glance).

Hauntings at Woodland Cemetery

But birdwatchers aren’t the only eager onlookers who flock to Woodland Cemetery year after year. Ghostwatchers, too, find Woodland to be quite the draw, due to the reputation it’s garnered over the years. While police officially discourage visits to the graveyard after dark – citing past vandalism – it nevertheless always draws those with an interest in the haunted. 

One of the ghosts with the biggest draw is known as the Girl in White. She’s a mysterious figure without much known about her early life but is, by far, the most commonly spotted ghost around the cemetery. 

People who have spotted her describe her as a fresh-faced, blonde girl always dressed in white trainers and blue jeans. She seems to have an ethereal glow that marks her as something maybe beyond human. 

In all of her sightings, the Girl in White is sitting on a gravestone. Typically, it’s just an ordinary headstone, but it begins to glow bright blue whenever she sits on it. This blue light will sometimes even follow her when she stands up and walks away, and some say it even merges with her form right before she vanishes into thin air.

That vanishing into thin air seems to be her modus operandi when visitors startle her. However, there have been reports that when people approach her gingerly and with respect, she’ll sometimes stop and have a brief chat with them. She won’t want to give any details about herself but she’s happy to chat about the weather or what’s going on with you.

Ghost Dogs and Old Soldiers

But the Girl in White isn’t the only ghost that traipses through these hallowed grounds. Another couple of notorious ghosts is that of Johnny Morehouse and his pet dog. 

Johnny was a boy who tragically died before he could grow up when he played in a canal and drowned. Obviously, his friends, his family, and the town took his death hard. But they weren’t the only mourners – Johnny’s dog was said to have remained by his kid’s grave until, it too, died. 

A tragic tale indeed but, fortunately, it had a happier ending because the two of them are said to have been reunited after death. Visitors and mourners to the cemetery alike have reported hearing the laughter of a child and a dog barking echo throughout the night. Some have even sworn that they’ve seen the two playing together, ducking in and out of the headstones while they run. 

To this day, Johnny’s tombstone – featuring an image of him and his dog – is often adorned with toys and dog treats left behind by mourners.

There are also the ghosts of the Civil War soldiers that people see all the time marching through the cemetery. Although Ohio wasn’t a hotbed for Civil War activity, there were a few notable skirmishes there. 

Cincinnati was also a key supplier and headquarters for the Union Army and perhaps this ghostly regiment is leftover from that bygone era. Some say they may even serve as a kind of watchful ghost bodyguards, looking over the many spirits like the Girl in White and Johnny and his dog. 

Haunted Cincinnati

Hopefully, those same soldiers will also keep a watchful eye over you too, if you dare to brave the ghosts there and visit the Woodland Cemetery. If you do, there are far more haunted places besides Woodland to visit, and we’re confident you’ll find all of them worth the trip. 

If you liked this story and want to learn similar tales, check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They spotlight other offbeat ghost stories all over the United States. Checking our blog is another good way to stay up-to-date with all the latest ghost stories and haunted spots in Ohio.

If you want to explore Cincinnati ghosts up close, a ghost tour with Cincinnati Ghosts is the best way to do that. Our guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and can provide even more information on the area. 

Sources:

• https://woodlandcemetery.org/history/
• https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/this-truly-odd-fellow-was-the-first-person-buried-woodland/Vmb534ZPrGIkVbx5uFJWxO/
• https://eerielights.com/eerielightsblog/haunted-woodland-cemetery-dayton-ohio
• https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/things-see-woodland-cemetery/n0N7Q1eSNRHAUiLK9C1gGO/