You may have noticed that there has been a recent trend for horror movies set in or inspired by Connecticut in recent years. There is a very good reason for this. In short, the state of Connecticut is pretty much crawling with paranormal activity.
Let’s take a closer look at the eleven most haunted places in Connecticut.
1. Union Cemetery, Easton
Union Cemetery, like most burial grounds, has its fair share of ghost stories. The most prominent one is probably the White Lady. She has been reported by many witnesses, including members of the local police force and fire service.
There have also been some photographs which claim to show her. Even famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren claim to have seen the White Lady of Union Cemetery and have captured her on film.
The apparition is described as a lady with long dark hair dressed in a nightgown and matching bonnet. She is most often reported on Route 59 but has also been known to appear on Route 111.
In 1993, one motorist reported having actually collided with the white lady, leaving a dent in his car. It has been suggested that the white lady is actually a lady who was murdered in the 1940s, although some say that rather than being the murder victim, she is actually the murdered girl’s mother.
Another entity that is said to haunt the Union Cemetery is known simply as ‘red eyes.’ He is said to appear as just a pair of glowing red eyes peering out of the bushes.
Witnesses who have seen this and turned to run away say that they heard footsteps in pursuit but were too afraid to look back! It has been suggested that Red-Eyes could be the spirit of Earlie Kellog, a man set on fire in the street back in 1935!
Location: Routes 59 and, CT-136, Easton, CT 06612
The hauntings of Union Cemetery, Easton
2. Fairfield Hills State Hospital, Newtown
One of Connecticut’s most haunted places has to be Fairfield Hills State Hospital, a place with a dark and ugly history. Like most mental hospitals of the time, the way that the patients were treated would today be considered barbaric and inhumane.
Standard treatments included things like psychosurgery, hydrotherapy, electric shock therapy, and of course, completely unauthorized full frontal lobotomies! There were countless suicides, and suspicious deaths in the hospital, and tales of unnecessary cruelty and abuse were rife. All of this is the perfect recipe for some restless spirits!
It is common for visitors to the old hospital to hear disembodied voices, screams and crying. These are presumably the spirits of long-dead patients reliving the agony of their so-called treatments whilst held at what is possibly one of the most haunted abandoned mental hospitals in the entire U.S.
There are also multiple reports of apparitions in white roaming the grounds, which are believed to be a mix of former staff and patients who are still bound to the hospital even in death.
The haunted Fairfield Hill State Hospital, Newtown
3. Remington Arms, Bridgeport
Remington Arms in Bridgeport, Connecticut first opened in 1867 as the Union Metallic Cartridge Company, but was bought by Remington arms in 1915 and was expanded into a 73-acre manufacturing plant. During the early 20th century, Remington Arms was one of America’s biggest munitions companies employing over 15000 people and producing tons of munitions every year.
Like many factories, Remington Arms has seen its fair share of accidents – many of them fatal. A few of the deaths on these premises include two employees who fell into a giant bat of molten metal and several more in an explosion in 1942. The explosion occurred at the height of wartime efforts, right on the production floor.
Seven employees died, and around 80 others suffered injuries. It is believed that the shadowy figures that are frequently seen on the factory floor could be the spirits of those who perished in the explosion!
Location: 812 Barnum Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06608, United States
The haunted Remington Arms, Bridgeport
4. Dudleytown, Cornwall
One of the main reasons Dudleytown is said to be one of the most haunted places in Connecticut is that it is allegedly subject to a powerful curse! All people by the name Dudley are said to trace their family line all the way back to a Saxon by the name of Dudd, who was the Duke of Mercia and died in the early half of 700AD.
It is upon his land that Dudley Castle was eventually built. The alleged curse’s origin goes back to England circa 1510 when Edmund Dudley was beheaded after making plans to overthrow King Henry VIII. At that time, it is said that a curse was placed on all Dudley family members, both present and future and that all of his lineages would be surrounded by untold horrors!
Fast forward a few hundred years, and members of the Dudley family came to settle in Cornwall, Connecticut, having emigrated from England. The area was dubbed Dudleytown. Ever since the area has been plagued by tales of the paranormal! It has been claimed that several residents of Dudleytown saw demons and ended up going insane and committing suicide, although this has largely been debunked.
However, there are plenty of other strange things, afoot! Hikers and other visitors to the area, including demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, have captured unexplained events, including strange orbs of light. It is also tranquil, and there is no wildlife at all living in the area!
Location: Cornwall, CT 06754, USA
The haunted Dudleytown, Connecticut
5. 1754 House Inn, Woodbury
Formerly known as the Curtis House Restaurant & Inn, the 1754 House Inn in Woodbury is consistently ranked as one of the country’s most haunted inns. Considering it’s the oldest inn in Connecticut, that can be expected.
There are countless spirits said to haunt the building, some dating back over 200 years. If you choose to stay in any of the rooms, there’s a possibility you could come face to face with a male entity described as wearing 17th-18th century clothing. If you’re in the liquor room, you might also see the spirit of a confederate soldier.
A female ghost is also known to disturb guests in the dead of night, and the ghost of a former worker, Joseph Hardesty. As well as spirits being seen all over the inn, you’ll likely hear a lot of strange sounds too, disembodied voices and footsteps are a common occurrence here.
The constant feeling of someone in the room with you has also been reported, and an inexplicable heavy feeling is common. On an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Hotel (under its former name, Curtis House), he told of several strange things during his stay. In one particular instance, he described an uncontrollable fear of something at his door, stopping him from leaving.
6. Yankee Pedlar Inn, Torrington
Opening in 1891 and originally named the Conley Inn, the building was one of the region’s finest. Over several decades, there has been an ever-growing haunted reputation that the Yankee Pedlar inn couldn’t shake.
There have been sightings of mysterious figures lurking in rooms and disembodied voices heard attempting to communicate with guests.
One of the most well-known of the hotel’s ghosts is that of the original owner, Alice Conley. She is rumored to have died in room 353 and still checks on her beloved hotel. Her ghost is known to wander around the hotel though she is particularly active in 353. A female apparition has been seen in this room, and unexplainable smells are often reported here.
There’s also a rocking chair of Alice’s located in the hotel lobby. There’s a sign that warns guests not to sit on it, and it’s been witnessed rocking of its own volition many times.
7. Norwich State Hospital, Preston
We have already seen one hospital on the list, but let’s look at one more. This time it is the Norwich State Hospital in Preston. The hospital first opened its doors back in 1904, taking in 95 patients. Over time it was expanded and ended up with 20 buildings and some 2000 patients.
The majority of patients were mentally ill, but those with tuberculosis or a chemical dependency were also admitted. The first recorded death occurred the same year that the hospital opened when one of the patients committed suicide by hanging himself.
Two employees also lost their lives in a hot water explosion in 1919. There have been multiple deaths in the building since then, many by way of suicide. The hospital closed for the final time in 1996, and attempts to sell the property have been a failure ever since!
As you might expect, Norwich State Hospital is actually one of the most haunted places in Connecticut, and without a doubt, one of the most haunted hospitals in the country!
The most active spot is in the Salmon Building, which housed criminally insane patients. Effectively this was a prison. It has steel doors and bars with rooms that were to all intents and purposes cells! It is not at all unusual to hear disembodied screaming coming from the Salmon Building.
Many of the patients were tortured and abused in the hospital. Just some of the barbaric practices that patients would have been subjected to include starvation, packing them in ice, beating them, and even sexually abusing them.
This place is truly terrifying, and paranormal investigators have documented hundreds of unexplained events, including hearing a woman sobbing residual sounds of operating rooms such as beeping equipment and rattling of tools.
There are also sudden cold spots, and many people have heard doors slam and seen children running around!
The Haunted Norwich State Hospital
8. Sterling Opera House, Derby
Back in its heyday, it welcomed world-class performers, including Harry Houdini and Red Skelton, and did so until it closed its doors in 1945. Since then, the building has sat empty and tragically decaying.
The paranormal reputation has been growing for decades. In 2011 the opera house was the center of an investigation by the crew from TV’s Ghost Hunters.
Although there have been no stories of deaths occurring at the Sterling, the spirit of its namesake, Charles Sterling (is said to be lurking there. There’s also believed to be the spirit of a boy called Andy hanging around the balcony seats playing with a soccer ball.
9. Gunntown Cemetery, Naugatuck
The Gunntown Cemetery in Naugatuck is a small unsuspecting cemetery established in 1790. Although no urban myths and famous legends are surrounding this graveyard, there are countless claims of paranormal activity occurring here.
People have often sighted the shadow figure of a small boy playing near the old wall at the entrance. The apparition of a man carrying a lantern and leading a horse has been seen walking across the grounds, and people often hear small children laughing.
Having been investigated by Connecticut demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren and deemed an “officially haunted” location, the cemetery has been a popular spot with paranormal investigators.
Many have captured strong EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) and caught orbs in pictures and with the naked eye.
10. Devil’s Hopyard, East Haddam
As with many of Connecticut’s state parks, Hopyard is known for its intense natural beauty, and one of the main draws to the park is Chapman Falls, a 60-foot cascade of water over rock ledges.
It’s here where legend says Satan himself used to hang out, sitting at the very top of the falls on a huge boulder playing a fiddle, whilst his followers mixed evil brews in the cauldron-like potholes in the rocks below.
Native Americans were also believed to have conducted rituals here, fuelling the lore surrounding the place.
Over the decades, dark shadows and phantoms have been purportedly seen moving around the woodland. In more recent times, people have allegedly experienced spirit orbs and mists and strong feelings of foreboding.
Others have heard demonic voices and inexplicable laughing. EVPs have also been supposedly recorded.
People visiting the Chapman falls area have often reported seeing dark figures roaming around the woodland, orbs, strange lights, and an overwhelming sense of fear.
11. Snedeker House (The Haunting in Connecticut House)
It started back in 1986, when the Snedeker family moved to the small town of Southington, CT, and into the unassuming house that would later spawn numerous TV documentaries, books, and a major Hollywood movie!
Having fallen into money troubles after their eldest son was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the family jumped at the chance to rent the home that’s located near the hospital where he was receiving treatment.
It was shortly after moving in, that Al the father, shockingly came across a number of embalming tools and tables in the basement. It turned out the home had been used as a funeral home for a number of years.
Carmen the mother, began experiencing small things at first, items going missing, and strange sounds. However, shortly after activity became more intense. The children started seeing strangers walking around their house.
The eldest son, who was at the time going through chemotherapy treatment, began to experience severe personality changes.
During one intense episode, he attacked his cousin with the intent to rape her. The family had him arrested and hospitalized, where he was later diagnosed as schizophrenic. He started to get better but deteriorated again when he returned home.
Paranormal activity continued to occur, and with the family becoming increasingly terrified they reached out to the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren to help clear the house.
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