Most Haunted Places in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, NY is considered to be one of the most haunted towns in America. In fact, it has previously been referred to by some as the ‘Western door to the spirit world’.

So, as you might expect, it is full of a wide range of haunted locations. With spirits of all shapes and sizes causing a wide range of spooky fun!

Let’s look a little bit more closely at some of the most haunted places in Buffalo, NY:

Buffalo Central Terminal ceased operation in 1979 and over the years it has gradually began to fall further and further into a state of disrepair and decay. It is now said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Buffalo NY.

It is a popular spot for photographers and urban explorers and many of them have had strange experiences while visiting.

One of the most haunted locations in Buffalo, NY is St Mary’s School for the Deaf. It was established in the middle of the 1800s and over time it seems to have accumulated a number of rather unsettling spirits.

Some of the more commonly reported apparitions in the school include, a group of nuns haunting the third floor who are said to move around a large bell and an unsettling tale of a young boy who drowned in the swimming pool, that was once situated in what is now a gym.

Canisius College is a private college which was founded back in 1870 and it is now said to be one of the most haunted places in Buffalo NY.

There have been reports of supernatural activity and unexplained noises in various different parts of the property, but by far the most active area is the school chapel.

Those individuals who have toured the building will tell you about the strange voices drifting out of the empty confessionals in the chapel.

The basement is also said to be a bit of a paranormal hotspot and people have encountered dark, shadowy figures, phantom footsteps and even disembodied voices.

The German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum was built in the middle of the 1800s and finally closed its doors in 1956. It has now come to be known as one of the most haunted abandoned places in Buffalo, NY.

Following the closure of the asylum in the 1950s, the building was used as a preparatory seminary until the 1990s when it was sold to a private owner.

It is said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity including unexplained noises, strange shadows and various light anomalies which are often captured in photographs.

Back in the day, the Town Ballroom served as a speakeasy during the prohibition era. It is believed that Al Capone was a frequent visitor to the establishment.

The basement area was known to be used for illegal meetings and gambling which explains why even to this day people have heard the sounds of parties drifting from those basement rooms.

There have also been unexplained incidents in which the security alarms have been triggered and plenty of reports of people seeing ghostly apparitions in the building!

We’ve certainly been happening upon more and more educational establishments that are reputedly haunted!

Here is another one, this time in the form of Buffalo’s Daemen College…

It is said that Curtis Hall in particular, is very haunted thanks to the presence of the ghosts of two brothers, who lived in a house that stood on the land prior to Curtis Hall being built.

Their story is a sad one. Apparently, they had a serious argument and ended up hanging themselves, unbeknownst to each other on opposite ends of the property.

Now it seems that the brothers are together forever in death and making themselves known to students using a variety of methods!

Shea’s Performing Arts Center is very much considered to be the very heart of the theater district, but it is also considered to be one of the most haunted theatres in NY as well. The theater itself is something to behold.

It is a grand building which is the last of its kind from the wonderful vaudeville era. The building was constructed in the 1920s using a combination of Spanish and French baroque and rococo styles.

The interior was designed by none other than Louis Comfort Tiffany – of Tiffany lamp fame and the theater boasts one of only five Might Wurlitzer organs in the world.

However, for all its beauty and grandeur there is also something very strange at work at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.

Among the many ghost stories that are linked to the property, you will hear of a well dressed man with a large mustache who has been seen chatting to patrons up on the balcony.

It is said that he expresses great pride in the theater, leading many to believe that this could be the spirit of Michael Shea himself!

Most people have heard of the USS The Sullivans, a ship named for the five Sullivan brothers who were killed by a Japanese torpedo while they all served on the same ship during WW2.

The USS The Sullivans is now docked at Buffalo Naval & Military Park and many believe that the spirits of the brothers still linger in the park watching over the visitors.

It probably is not only The Sullivans who are hanging around here…

Visitors and crew alike have said that many of the ships have a definite presence, but most will agree that these are simply the spirits of former crew members and that they mean no harm.

Well, most of them mean you no harm. We are not sure that the same can be said for the angry spirit residing onboard the USS Croaker!

This submarine was integral to battles in the Pacific theater against the Japanese and the vessel was awarded 3 battle stars.

It also harbors a spirit that has been nicknamed John – although nobody knows who he really is.

He is an angry spirit and has been known to pull visitors hair, breathe on the back of their necks and sometimes even blocks passageways and refuses to let people pass.

It is believed that this must be the spirit of someone who died while serving on board the sub.

Believe it or not, the USS Croaker is not the most haunted vessel in the park!

That honor belongs to the USS Little Rock where visitors experience an onslaught of near constant activity including shadow figures, whispering voices, phantom footsteps and even a sink that turns its own taps on.

The most common apparitions encountered are a sad, lonely sailor who follows women around the ship hoping one will offer some form of comfort and a cheeky sailor who loves to play pranks on visitors!

Iron Island Museum is not only haunted, but also one of the most interesting spots in Buffalo.

It was built in the late 1800s and has served a variety of different purposes over the years, including a brief period where it was used as a church and also a stint as a funeral home!

These days it is a museum filled with interesting historical artefacts and restless spirits.

The ghosts here have been known to call people by name, move items around, knock on walls, move furniture, drain batteries and play with doors and light switches!

The H.H. Richardson Building in Buffalo is better known as Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane and it is considered to be one of Buffalo’s most haunted locations.

In fact, the things going on here are so strange that visitors may be left questioning their own sanity, never mind that of the former residents!

The hospital was built in 1870 and consisted of eleven buildings connected by tunnels. It remained in use as a mental hospital until its closure in the 1970s, but it was the period from the 1920s to the 1940s that is of most interest in terms of why this location is so haunted.

During this time period, some of the so-called treatments that were administered to the patients were nothing short of torture and it is likely to be this cruel treatment that has left a stain on the building that has resulted in a large volume of paranormal activity!

Photographers often capture anomalies on film and it is also fairly common for visitors to see shadows creeping around and to hear disembodied screaming and moaning coming from the remaining buildings.