New York is always a popular tourist destination, but it is also home to some of the most haunted places in America. Some of the most notorious haunted locations around can be found not just in New York City, but further afield all across New York State.
Let’s dive right in and take a closer look at the most haunted places in New York state:
1. Letchworth Village, Thiells, NY
Letchworth Village is tucked away in a rural community where the state gave 2362 acres of land to be used in the care of the mentally and physically disabled.
It was beautiful to look at having been modeled on Thomas Jefferson’s estate in Monticello. However, it hid an ugly reputation.
Like so many of these institutions, Letchworth Village earned a reputation for mistreating its residents. Reports began to filter out of patients living naked in their own filth without any bedding and barely enough food to survive.
The children here were used as guinea pigs for early polio vaccines and barbaric treatments. It is no wonder the place is haunted!
Strange noises, poltergeist activity, and apparitions are all the norm at Letchworth Village.
2. Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, NY
The Landmark Theatre is a grand former movie house dating back to the 1920s, but behind the beautiful facade, there are restless spirits lying in wait as this is one of the most haunted buildings in New York.
There are at least 3 ghosts said to haunt the building. The most common one seen is Clarissa, an actress how died after falling from the balcony.
You may also see Oscar, a stagehand who likes to flick the lights on and off!
3. The Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan, NY
The Morris-Jumel Mansion is one of the oldest houses in all of Manhattan. It also happens to be one of the most haunted mansions in New York.
The Georgian-style mansion was built by Roger Morris in 1765 and served as a military headquarters for both sides of the Revolution. In 1810, Stephen Jumel and his wife Eliza purchased the property.
Stephen died in suspicious circumstances and she married again in 1832, this time to Aaron Burr, the former Vice President who also killed Alexander Hamilton.
Rumors of paranormal activity in the mansion first surfaces in the 1960s when a visiting group of schoolchildren claimed to have seen the ghost of Eliza Jumel, who appeared and told them to quieten down.
There have also been reports of a disembodied voice coming from inside an old grandfather clock and a Hessian soldier who emerges from painting on the wall.
See more haunted hotels in New York City
Learn more about the haunted Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York City
4. Fort William Henry Museum, Lake George, NY
Reportedly one of the most haunted forts in America, Fort William Henry is actually a replica that was built in the 1950s to represent the original British stronghold just off of Lake George.
However, this certainly does not seem to have discouraged the hundreds who died in a bloody massacre here from returning after death to haunt the area.
Fort William Henry was lost in 1757 when it was attacked and destroyed by thousands of French soldiers during the French and Indian War.
Visitors have captured shadow figures in their photographs and report hearing whispered voices telling them to hurry up while visiting!
5. The Winery at Marjim Manor, Appleton, NY
The Winery at Marjim Manor is one of the most haunted houses in New York and it has appeared on various paranormal television shows including ‘Most Terrifying Places in America’.
Despite this, the owner insists that the spirits haunting the property are friendly in nature! It is believed that some of the spirits may date back to the original family who first built the property in 1834.
There are also reports of a spirit dog that brushes against people’s legs as they sit sipping their wine while looking out over Lake Ontario.
This is definitely a place for those interested in the paranormal, but who don’t fancy encountering malevolent spirits!
6. The House of Death, New York City, NY
If you visit number 14 West 10th in New York City, you will happen upon a beautiful townhouse on a quiet street.
You would never believe that this unassuming home is one of the most haunted places in New York, with up to twenty-two different spirits dwelling inside what has come to be known as ‘The House of Death’.
Mark Twain lived in the property between 1900 and 1901 and documented a number of supernatural experiences that he had.
It’s little surprise that the property is haunted given its gruesome past…
Throughout the twentieth century, there have been some horrifying events the most famous of which include a murder-suicide and a six-year-old girl (Lisa Steinberg) who was beaten to death by her adoptive father Joel Steinberg in 1987.
There has been all manner of paranormal incidents reported in the house and there have even been sightings of Mark Twain himself on a couple of occasions.
7. Gurnsey Hollow, Frewsburg, NY
Most cemeteries are pretty creepy, but few had terrifying legends on a par with those linked to Gurnsey Hollow.
The graveyard is tucked away down a side road which gradually tapers off into a dirt track ending in this burial ground.
It is said that a 7-year-old mentally handicapped girl was stoned to death here by the locals for undisclosed reasons. She is just one of the unusually high concentrations of children that are buried here.
Many of the grave markers have been tipped over or vandalized and this has caused unrest resulting in many shadowy figures poised to attack any mortal who enters the secluded cemetery!
8. Forest Park Cemetery, Brunswick, NY
Forest Park Cemetery, also known as Pinewoods Cemetery, is an abandoned graveyard in Brunswick which is only visited by the bravest of souls these days!
Those who do venture into the overgrown burial ground report feeling a cold chill running down their spines as they encounter unexplained cold spots all over the area.
There has been a great deal of vandalism here and some of the decapitated angels on the headstones have been said to bleed from their severed stone necks!
Several coffins are missing from the vandalized mausoleums and many believe that it is this desecration that has disturbed the spirits resulting in paranormal activity.
9. The Amityville House, Long Island, NY
Everyone is familiar with The Amityville Horror. There has been a debate raging regarding whether or not the book that inspired a popular horror movie franchise is a work of fiction or a true account of a genuine haunting, but the general consensus is that it was at the very least heavily embellished!
However, regardless of this, we must not forget that aside from the alleged paranormal events described by the Lutz Family, there was still a brutal murder in this property.
In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr, murdered six members of his family as they slept, claiming that ‘voices’ told him that they were plotting to murder him.
This has to have left some kind of mark on the property, so genuine hauntings are not out of the question.
10. Utica State Hospital, Utica, NY
When Utica State Hospital opened in 1843 it was the first state-run hospital for the mentally ill.
Back then it was called New York State Lunatic Asylum and it was considered to be state of the art for the time. However, like so many asylums of that era, the treatment of the patients was anything but supportive or caring.
It was routine for staff to perform lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and other inhumane treatment methods.
The patients lived in filthy conditions and were confined to cramped accommodations with little to no medical care.
This was the hospital where the ‘Utica Crib’ was invented. It was a long shallow cage where agitated patients were placed to calm them down. It was also used as a punishment for undesirable behavior.
The hospital has long since closed, but it is by no means empty! This is, without doubt, one of the most haunted hospitals in New York state, and there are still patients wandering the halls.
People have seen faces looking out of the windows and it is common to hear the patients screaming from the buildings.
For the most part, the hospital is off limits but on occasion, they do allow ghost tours and paranormal investigations to take place on the premises.
11. The Sagamore, Lake George, NYSTAY HERE
The Sagamore is a grand hotel that sits on a private island overlooking Lake George. It seems like it would be the ideal spot for anyone who is looking for a little bit of rest and relaxation.
However, it is one of the most haunted hotels in New York and it seems like some former guests have made it their eternal resting place!
You can rent a room in the hotel, but the chances are fair that you will not be alone in it! There are many ghost stories connected to the Victorian resort including a little boy who loves to play outside.
It has been suggested that this is the spirit of a little boy who used to find lost or abandoned golf balls and sell them back to the pro shop customers.
However, around 70 years ago he was hit by a car while looking for the golf balls and dies instantly.
He can often be seen on the grounds and many guests have heard him giggling.
Are you brave enough to spend a night at The Sagamore?
Read more on the haunted Sagamore Resort, Bolton Landing, New York
12. Rolling Hills Asylum, East Bethany, NY
Rolling Hills Asylum is a 19th-century poorhouse that has seen thousands of deaths. In fact, it is estimated that 1700 bodies lie in unmarked graves on the premises.
When it first opened in 1826 it was known as Genesee County Poor House where lunatics, paupers, and vagrants were put to work on the farm.
It later became an infirmary, an orphanage, a tuberculosis hospital, and a nursing home.
It is now thought to be one of the most haunted buildings in New York with a large amount of paranormal activity seemingly centered on the psych ward, morgue, and graveyard.
One of the most commonly reported apparitions is a seven-foot-tall shadow man which is believed to be the spirit of an inmate named Roy who lived at Rolling Hills Asylum for most of his life and died there in 1942.
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