Buffalo, aka the “City of Good Neighbors,” might be better known as the “City of Ghosts” because it’s one of the most haunted spots in America! Some folks even call it the “Western Door to the Spirit World.” How’s that for a spooky title?
Buffalo’s brimming with haunted hangouts, where spirits of all kinds are stirring up eerie fun. So, grab your ghost-hunting gear, because we’re diving into some of the most haunted places in Buffalo, NY! Ready for a scare? Let’s go!
1. The Richardson Olmsted Campus

The Richardson Olmsted Campus, formerly known as the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, is not just a historic landmark—it’s a hotspot for paranormal activity that’ll have you questioning your own sanity! Originally designed in 1870 by renowned architect H.H.
Richardson with the lush landscapes of Olmsted and Vaux, this eerie asylum was built following the ‘Kirkbride Plan’ for mental health. But things took a dark turn in the 1920s and 1940s, when “treatments” dished out to patients were more like medieval torture, leaving behind some seriously unsettled spirits.
These days, while the grounds have been beautifully restored and even host a hotel, the ghosts of the past aren’t so easy to evict!
Visitors and brave photographers have captured strange anomalies, heard eerie screams, and even spotted shadowy figures creeping through the hallways and tunnels that connect the eleven original buildings.
Stay the night at the Richardson Hotel if you dare—but don’t be surprised if you hear more than just your neighbors walking the halls. Some guests may have checked out long ago, but their spirits never really left. | Stay at The Richardson Hotel
2. Iron Island Museum

The Iron Island Museum in Buffalo isn’t just a hotspot for history buffs—it’s a playground for ghosts! Built in the late 1800s, this place has worn many hats over the years, serving as a church, a funeral home, and now, a museum packed with artifacts… and a few restless spirits, of course!
The ghosts here don’t just float around aimlessly—they get pretty interactive! From calling visitors by name and moving furniture to draining batteries and flicking lights on and off, these spirits definitely keep things lively.
If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on your nerves), you might even hear some knocking or witness doors swinging open on their own.
3. Buffalo Naval & Military Park

If you’re into naval history and ghostly encounters, then Buffalo Naval & Military Park is your next stop. Most people have heard of the USS The Sullivans, named after the five Sullivan brothers who tragically died when their ship was torpedoed during WWII.
Now docked in Buffalo, many believe the brothers’ spirits still linger, watching over the park’s visitors like protective sentries.
But The Sullivans aren’t the only spirits aboard these ships. The USS Croaker boasts a resident ghost named “John”—an angry spirit who doesn’t take kindly to visitors.
John’s been known to pull hair, breathe down necks, and even block passageways like he’s the bouncer of the afterlife.
However, the real paranormal hotspot is the USS Little Rock, where ghostly pranks and eerie shadow figures are the norm. From taps that turn on by themselves to a lonely sailor ghost who follows women around, this ship’s spirit crew keeps things far from quiet!
4. Buffalo Central Terminal

Buffalo’s Central Terminal is more than just an Art Deco masterpiece – it’s a ghostly hotbed of paranormal activity. Built in 1929, this grand train station was once bustling with thousands of passengers and 200 trains per day.
Today, it’s a spooky relic of the past, and many say it’s one of the most haunted places in Western New York.
The station’s eerie atmosphere comes not just from its crumbling grandeur, but from the spirits of those who never made it out – like WWII soldiers whose luggage was never claimed or the homeless who didn’t survive Buffalo’s brutal winters.
If you’re into ghost hunting, you might bump into Rose, a cranky female spirit who really doesn’t like men – and she’s not shy about it either! There’s also Zachary, a ghostly boy who seems to linger in the shadows, and visitors often report seeing shadowy figures, hearing disembodied voices, and catching sight of orbs floating through the decaying halls.
Paranormal investigators, including the Ghost Hunters team, have all taken a crack at unraveling the terminal’s mysteries, but one thing’s for sure – this abandoned station is still standing… and so are its ghostly residents, waiting for trains that will never come.
5. St Mary’s School for the Deaf

One of the spookiest spots in Buffalo has to be St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, which has been around since the mid-1800s and seems to have picked up a few eerie permanent residents along the way.
Rumor has it, the third floor is haunted by a group of ghostly nuns who mysteriously move a large bell around—because apparently, even in the afterlife, they’re still on hall monitor duty!
If that’s not creepy enough, there’s also the tale of a young boy who tragically drowned in the school’s swimming pool, which has since been converted into a gym.
Visitors claim to feel his presence there, with some even hearing splashing sounds where no water exists. If you’re looking for chills in Buffalo, St. Mary’s has got them in abundance!
6. Canisius University

Canisius University, founded in 1870, isn’t just known for its academic reputation—it’s also considered one of the most haunted spots in Buffalo, NY! While ghostly happenings have been reported all over campus, the school chapel is the real paranormal epicenter.
Mysterious voices have been heard drifting out of the confessionals, and the basement has its own spooky charm with shadowy figures, phantom footsteps, and disembodied voices creeping people out regularly. It seems the spirits at Canisius are just as active as the students!
7. German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum
The German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, built in the mid-1800s, once provided care to over 15,000 children before it finally closed its doors in 1956, following a devastating fire that destroyed the central building.
The sprawling complex, which included a separate school building and Sacred Heart Chapel, housed countless children through the years and had its fair share of tragedy.
After its closure, the facility briefly became a preparatory seminary and educational campus until the 1990s, when most of it was sold off to private owners.
Today, only a few of the original structures remain, including buildings that have been refurbished into apartments, now part of the St. Martin Village complex.
Despite its modern use, the eerie history lingers. The grounds are said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity, with reports of disembodied voices, strange shadows, and light anomalies frequently captured in photos.
Those who visit the remaining parts of the complex, or even those living in the newly refurbished apartments, have described unsettling experiences, as though the spirits of the many children once housed there never truly left.
It’s one of those places where the past continues to make its presence felt—even in the walls of contemporary living spaces.
8. Delaware Road
Delaware Road in Clarence Center, just outside Buffalo, has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted roads in Western New York. If you’re into ghost stories and don’t mind a little spine-tingling adventure, this road is calling your name.
Once the sun sets, the road becomes pitch black due to a delightful lack of street lights. That’s when the fun starts—locals say you might spot an old man wandering with a lantern, occasionally accompanied by the ghost of a little girl. And let’s be real: ghost kids are next-level creepy.
If that’s not enough to give you the chills, there are also sightings of some bizarre dog-horse hybrid pacing the road. Yes, a dog-horse hybrid.
Add in a few ghostly pushes, strange orbs, and flashlights conveniently malfunctioning, and you’ve got yourself one eerie stroll. Feel like taking a late-night walk? Just don’t say we didn’t warn you!
9. Hayes Hall - UB South Campus

While Hayes Hall may now be the home base for architecture and planning students at the University at Buffalo, this building has a history that’s far from your average classroom fare.
Built in 1874, it originally housed the Insane Department of the Erie County Almshouse—yes, you read that right. In 1893, the building traded its padded rooms for hospital beds when it became a county hospital.
Finally, in 1909, it found its way into the hands of UB, where it got a bit of a glow-up, complete with the iconic clock tower that still chimes today.
With a past like that, you’d expect a few spooky tales to float around—and you’d be right. Over the years, there have been sightings of an old woman roaming the halls like she never quite got the memo that class is in session.
Oh, and by the way, much of UB’s South Campus sits atop a burial ground for those who died while the hospital was still in operation.
So, if you ever feel a chill while walking to class, it might not just be Buffalo’s infamous winter. Just saying.
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