Entry No. 21 — the Columbus file — filed under: haunted
Green Lawn Cemetery (Hayden Mausoleum)
Established in 1848, this massive, park-like cemetery is the final resting place of notable Ohioans and features the grand, decaying Hayden Mausoleum. Built in 1905, the Romanesque mausoleum is the cemetery's largest and is famously haunted, with a local legend claiming that if you knock on its heavy doors, a ghostly boy will knock back from the inside.
The story
In 1904, local newspapers began reporting that vast shipments of stone and marble were arriving inside Green Lawn Cemetery, setting off neighborhood speculation before anyone realized banker Charles H. Hayden was building a family tomb. Designed by noted Columbus architect Frank Packard, the Romanesque structure became the largest single-family mausoleum in central Ohio. Behind its iron gate and oversized carved wood doors, Packard arranged marble sarcophagi beneath a stained glass dome engineered to suggest a sunflower from above—a lavish centerpiece set within a 360-acre, park-like cemetery established back in 1848.
Despite its grand architecture, the mausoleum is best known across Columbus for a specific piece of ghost lore: local legend claims that if you step onto the granite steps and knock on the heavy doors, a ghostly boy will tap back from inside the dark chamber. Today, the Hayden family descendants are gone and the structure sits in severe disrepair, damaged by dome leaks, peeling copper roofing, and decades of decay. You won't hear it from us, but standing on the porch near the cemetery's central pond to test the legend remains one of the city's strangest rites of passage.
What it's like
Navigating Green Lawn Cemetery's winding roads requires a slow drive or walk through mature oak forest until you hit the central pond, where the massive stone facade comes into view. You won't be going inside—the entryway is locked tight due to structural decay and water damage—so your visit happens entirely on the exterior steps. Give the heavy doors a deliberate tap if you want to test the ghost rumor, then take time to explore the surrounding 360 acres, which hold the graves of notable Ohioans like author James Thurber and aviator Eddie Rickenbacker. Mind the time while you wander; cemetery gates are strictly locked at sunset.
The move: Take a quiet stroll through the cemetery's oak forest to find the Hayden Mausoleum, and gently tap on the door to see if you hear a mysterious response.
- 📍 Green Lawn
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1000 Green Lawn Ave, Columbus, OH 43223
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery — Pair two of Columbus's most famous haunted burial sites for a back-to-back tour of 19th-century cemetery history.
- WitchLab — Follow up a trip to a decaying, rumored-haunted mausoleum with a short drive to Franklinton's massive occult and curiosities shop.
- The Book Loft of German Village — Trade the quiet, eerie solitude of Green Lawn for a maze-like wander through 32 rooms of books in nearby German Village.
Good to know
Can you go inside the Hayden Mausoleum?
No. The mausoleum is sealed and permanently closed to visitors due to interior decay, water damage from the roof, and preservation concerns.
What is the ghost legend behind the Hayden Mausoleum?
Urban legend says that if you knock on the mausoleum's front doors, the ghost of a young boy will knock back from inside.
Where in Green Lawn Cemetery is the mausoleum located?
It stands near the center of the 360-acre grounds, close to the central pond.
Who built the Hayden Mausoleum?
Columbus banker Charles H. Hayden commissioned the mausoleum in 1904, hiring architect Frank Packard to design it.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: columbuslandmarks.org · Wikipedia · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21