Unusual Halloween Destinations: Rose Hall Great House, Jamaica

Annie Palmer was once the pretty young wife of a plantation owner in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She was also said to be a cruel witch who practiced voodoo and tortured and killed her slaves. Tours of Rose Hall focus on reports of hauntings and disembodied voices heard calling from the dungeon.

The legend that surrounds Rose Hall and its infamous owner, Annee Palmer, is one that has fascinated generations of locals and visitors alike since its construction in 1770. Annee was called the “White Witch” because she bedazzled then did away with the three husbands and countless slave lovers. Quick with the whip, she was notorious for torturing slaves for her own entertainment.

Annie's Overseer was a slave known to be quite a powerful Voodoo practitioner, a fact he managed to conceal from Annie, at risk to his own life. The Overseer had a daughter who was engaged to marry another handsome young slave on the plantation. Unfortunately, Annie's lustful eye fell upon the young man, and he was soon called upon to pleasure the mistress of the house. The Overseer knew what to expect, and began to make preparations to protect the young man from Annie's "disposable lover" policy.

However, Annie did not follow her usual pattern, and she killed the young man that same night, instead of playing with him for a week or so. Perhaps he objected to her attentions and declared his love for another. Whatever the reason, the young man was dead, the Overseer's daughter grief-stricken, and the Overseer was filled with helpless rage. Annie must die, at all costs.

A special grave was prepared in the woods, within sight of the Great House, using Voodoo ritual and markings. The Overseer then entered the house, confronting the White Witch, and engaged her in magical and physical battle. He succeeded in killing her, sacrificing his own life in the process.

Slaves who were privy to the Overseer's plan entombed the body of the White Witch in the specially prepared grave... a grave designed to keep her from rising and walking the plantation again. But they failed to complete the ritual properly, and the White Witch is said to roam the Great House to this day.

 Follow in the footsteps of the SyFy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters International” and “scariest Places on Earth” and see if you can capture an image of the White Witch.

Rose Hall is a Georgian mansion built in the 1770s and restored in the 1960s. It is decorated with silk wallpaper printed with palms and birds, ornamented with chandeliers, furnished with mostly European antiques, and features a downstairs bar and restaurant. It is currently owned by former Miss World USA Michele Rollins and her entrepreneur husband John Rollins.

Rose Hall also offers night tours that focus on the "Annie Palmer" legend: supposed locations of underground tunnels, bloodstains, hauntings and murders. Seances are also held on the property in an attempt to conjure Annie's spirit.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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