Want to be completely terrified before Halloween? Then look no further; here’s a few of the best historic haunted spots scattered throughout New York City that you can easily go to by yourself, or if you want some emotional support, you can drag your friends along to truly get into the Halloween spirit!
1. Washington Square Park
It’s just a short, seven minute walk from the UC to Washington Square Park where you’ll find yourself standing over a burial ground, where as many as 20,000 bodies lie. Most of whom suffered from the 19th century epidemic knwown as Yellow Fever. You know that myth saying we’re not suppose to build things over ancient burial grounds? Well, of course we did just that, so who knows, you just might be able to catch a glimpse of a spirit wandering around.
2. The Dakota
Many residents in this famous, and haunted, apartment complex claim they’ve seen the ghost of a litte girl wandering around the hallways at night. John Lennon also mentioned seeing a “girl” he called the “Crying Lady Ghost” floating around. John Lennon himself may still be gallivanting around the vast hallways; as Yoko Ono once said she spotted his spirit playing the piano, whispering, “Don’t be afraid. I am with you.”
3. Belasco Theatre
Rumor has it that the theatre’s original owner, David Belasco, once lived in the apartment above the theatre with his main lady (The Blue Lady). Belasco passed away in 1931, but apparently his spirit (and The Blue Lady’s) have never left. If you ever find yourself seeing a play or musical there, be on the lookout for the two who’ve supposedly been seen onstage during performances, sitting in the audience, and travelling in the elevator.
4. White Horse Tavern
Located in the Financial District, this bar was a favorite of poet Dylan Thomas when he resided in New York in 1952 and 1953. Unfortunately though, he ended up drinking himself into a fatal coma there in November 1953. It has since become a favorite spot for aspiring writers, but it is believed Thomas’ ghost still lingers around and occasionally bartenders have said beer and shot glasses appear out of nowhere.
5. Kreischer Mansion
Though this is in Staten Island, this mansion has a pretty crazy past. A huge number of the Kreishcer family that built and resided in this house came to untimely ends in the 20th century. Visitors have said that their ghosts, plus the ghost of a German cook, a few small children, and other spirits have been spotted here over the years. If that isn’t enough for you, in 2005 this mansion was the setting for a deadly mob hit. The mobster was unsuccessfully drowned in the outdoor pool, stabbed in the basement, then chopped up and burned in a downstairs fireplace; so, his ghost might be there too.
6. St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery
This 200-plus year old church is a grave site to New Amsterdam governor Peter Stuyvesant, whose spirit is said to still haunt the pews of the church. According to the governor, workers and visitors there’s still a few “ghoulish women” lingering around. They’ve also claimed to have felt strange chills and experienced mysterious and loud banging and noises during their time at the church.
7. Green-Wood Cemetery
This gothic graveyard is 478 acres of graves and mausoleums, which makes it a perfect spot to be scared straight. If you can mangage to score a ticket for one of the cemetary’s Halloweekend “Spirited Strolls” you will get the chance to visit the catacombs, which are normally closed to the public. With it’s 560,000 graves, this cemetary was also home to the 1776 Battle of Long Island, so it’s a hit spot to see everything spooky.
8. One If By Land Two If By Sea
Before it was a glamorous restaurant, One If By Land served as Aaron Burr’s carriage house back in 1767; but, he is just one of many of the ghosts said to haunt the restaurant’s grounds. Burr is reportedly joined by his daughter, Theodosia; even though she was murdered by pirates sailing to South Carolina, she nonetheless made the trek to New York City to join her father. The story may sound cute, but apparently she has a thing for pulling the earrings off of female diners. One waitress even quit after she was shoved down the stairs too many times by a pair of invisible hands.
9. COS
If you find yourself in this clothing store in SoHo, you might notice an 18th century well sitting amongst the rack of clothes. It used to be a back-room basement, and a meadow, but before that it was a crime scene hundreds of years ago. According to Scouting NY the well is part of one of “the most infamous unsolved murder cases in New York City history.” The story is: “a young woman named Guilema Elmore Sands left her Greenwich Street boarding home on the evening of December 22nd, 1799, to meet Levi Weeks, a fellow boarder. The two had a secret romance and were planning to elope that night.” Two weeks later, Sands’ body was found, with clear suffocation marks, in that well, which at the time, was located in a meadow (which also may have been a sex prison until 1783). While Weeks was put on trial for murder, he was aquitted. The true killer was never found.
10. Amityville Horror House
What kind of haunted places list would this be without the most infamous house there is? Even though it is a train ride away, this is a must-see for anyone who is into haunted houses. When the Lutz family moved into their new Long Island home after the previous occupants were murdered, they had no idea what their life would become. The children started acting erractically, flies filled the home in hundreds and, not to mention, demonic beings appeared and disappeared. The Lutz’s only lasted 28 days, which is a pretty good achievement, but their story inspired countless books and movies. This has caused fans to continously visit the possessed house, and you should too.