The Most Haunted Places in Boston, MA

Boston holds the distinction of being one of the oldest and most haunted cities in the entire United States, so as you might imagine it has quite a history behind it. This, in turn, means that there is no shortage of haunted hotels, creepy cemeteries, and other terrifying locations.

Join us as we explore some of the most haunted locations Boston has to offer!

The Hooper-Lee-Nichols House is said to be the site of an everlasting game of cards!

Many believe the spirits of five Hessian soldiers, who stuck around after the Revolution, were awoken by construction work when adding a new wing to the house in 1915.

It seems they have been locked in a game of cards ever since.

Visitors to the house say that they have heard the sounds of the game and disembodied voices.

Some have also seen apparitions of the soldiers coming and going from the table!

This haunted house was once the home of Dr. George Parkman. His claim to fame is that he was murdered and dismembered in Harvard’s Holden Chapel in 1849. This was the university’s very first cadaver room.

Dr. Parkman is said to linger here still causing various types of disturbances.

The Mass Avenue residence hall of Berklee College is believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in Boston.

Many students perished in a fire that occurred within the building. This incident is rumored to be the main reason for the haunting. For it is believed their spirits still linger here.

Students and faculty members alike have reported seeing phantom fires and apparitions all over the building!

Although the Omni Parker House Hotel now has had a 20th century upgrade, it actually dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Over the years it has played host to many a distinguished guest including the likes of John F Kennedy and Charles Dickens.

However, it is not any of these famous guests who are haunting the hotel today. Rather its founder Mr. Harvey Parker who has been seen roaming the corridors for several years now.

Although the main entity said to be haunting the hotel is Mr. Harvey, there are a handful of guests who say that they have seen Charles Dickens looking back at them from the mezzanine level mirror.

Fort Warren was named in honor of a Revolutionary War hero named Dr. Joseph Warren. It was first built in the Civil War era and remained in use intermittently up until the end of World War II. It is no longer in use as a fort but is open to the general public.

A number of visitors have described seeing a woman in black haunting the fort. It is believed that this could be the restless spirit of a woman who was executed as a spy, after being caught attempting to help her husband (a confederate soldier), escape from the fort where he was being held as a prisoner.

Related: The Most Haunted Forts in America

In 1897 there was a massive gas explosion at Boylston Street Station which killed ten people. Several of the victims are said to be wandering the station and the subway tunnels at night.

The Cutler Majestic Theatre is a performing arts venue that is part of Emerson College which was built in the early 1900s.

One of the most prominent spooks here is said to be the ghost of a former Mayor of Boston. Who actually passed away in the theatre right in the middle of a performance. However, nobody has been able to find records to indicate that there is any truth in the tale, and nobody is even sure which mayor it might have been!

Nevertheless, whether he is the mayor or not he is still making his presence here known.

There is also said to be a married couple who watch performances from the balcony, as well as the spirit of a little girl who people like to leave small gifts for.

The small trinkets that people leave for her almost always vanish from where they were left.

Granary Park Burying Grounds is said to be the third oldest cemetery in Boston. It is also one of the most haunted! It was founded back in 1660 and is the final resting place of not one, not two, but three Declaration of Independence signatories – Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine.

Paul Revere was also laid to rest here and some say that it is his spirit who is haunting the cemetery. Witnesses say that they have seen him around the cemetery, often riding the horse made famous by his midnight ride!

He is certainly not the only spirit that lingers here beyond the imposing iron gates that mark the entrance to Granary Park Burying Grounds.

Visitors often report feeling very uncomfortable and that there is someone (or something) lurking behind them!

There have also been shadow figures, light anomalies and unexplained faces appearing in photographs.

The victims of the Boston Massacre are buried here and this area is said to have a very strange feeling about it.

The property dates back to 1839 when it was built as an inn to accommodate Pilots and Captains who had to stop in Boston overnight.

It is said to be haunted by a lady in white, who appears frequently in the kitchen of the property. However, there is some debate amongst those who have seen her as to whether or not she is simply a spirit that happens to be wearing white, or if she is an actual ‘lady in white’ which is a very specific type of spirit associated with cheating spouses.

Some visitors to the house have also reported hearing the sound of a male entity laughing somewhere in the building, but there is nothing to suggest that the two spirits have a connection.

Other paranormal activity that has been reported in The Pilot House includes clinking glasses, disembodied laughter and doors that slam on their own!

The Charlesgate Hotel is one of Boston’s grandest hotels and it dates back to 1891 when it was built by J. Pickering Putnam. It is no longer a hotel, but the building still stands as imposing as it ever was.

While the hotel was in operation a man committed suicide there in 1908 by shooting himself in the head.

It is this death that has apparently left its mark on the property and those who visit say that the building has some bad vibes. Back when the building served as a dormitory some of the students reported being harassed by a mean spirit!