USS Yorktown (CV-10) — the haunted aircraft carrier of Patriots Point

The USS Yorktown (CV-10) is an Essex-class aircraft carrier that served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and later in the Vietnam War. Now permanently docked at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, the carrier has become one of the most haunted military vessels in America. Over 140 sailors died aboard the Yorktown during its combat service, and their spirits are said to remain. Visitors and staff have reported seeing apparitions of sailors in World War II-era uniforms in the engine room, the hangar bay, and the berthing compartments. The most commonly reported ghost is a sailor seen in the lower decks who appears to be performing maintenance duties before vanishing. Ghost Hunters investigated the ship and documented EVP recordings, cold spots, and shadow figures moving through the narrow corridors below deck. Staff members who work late on the carrier describe hearing footsteps on metal gangways, hatches opening and closing, and the distant sound of announcements over the ship's intercom system — which has been disconnected for decades. The ship's hospital ward and the brig are considered particularly active areas. The Yorktown offers overnight camping programs for youth groups, and many young visitors have reported encounters during the night.