Description:

The Natchez City Cemetery was established in 1822 on a bluff overlooking the MS River. It is approximately 100 acres in size. The cemetery is full of haunting stories. A self-guided driving tour with a CD to provide audio assistance in your car will reveal many of these interesting stories.

One such story there is a statue of an angel at the front of the cemetery that, as you approach from a particular angle, appears to turn to greet you. This has been the subject of Natchez legend throughout the years… but the thing about it is, this legend is true. Because of this, the statue has been dubbed, “The Turning Angel”. In this case, there is a logical explanation. If you read the inscription on the statue, it says: “Erected by the Natchez Drug Company to the memory of the unfortunate employees who lost their lives in the great disaster that destroyed its building on March 14, 1908.” The five girls who were killed are buried under the watchful gaze of the angel. The Natchez Drug Company commissioned the statue, and the artist carved it in such a way to form an optical illusion. Approaching the statue from the correct angle makes it appear to turn as you grow nearer.