Most Haunted Places in New York, NY
New York City is the largest city in the United States. Its founding can be traced back to 1624 when Dutch settlers established a colony known as “New Amsterdam.” The British would later seize control over the city until the inception of America and the Revolutionary War. Today, it is one of the world’s most recognized and iconic cities.
With the city spanning five boroughs and a population of well over 8 million people, it is a place that has anything and everything available to anyone visiting the city, especially for those looking for a few scares. Though the Big Apple might have haunted sites covering this vast city, ten are a must-visit place for those feeling adventurous.
Want to visit some of these locations in person? Book a ghost tour with NY Ghosts!
Washington Square Park
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Washington Square Park is one of the city’s most iconic parks. While tourists and NYU students tread the grounds and check out the entertainment nearby, they don’t realize the past that this part of the city once had. This was a mass gravesite that dates back to the late 18th century. Specifically, those who were buried were the victims of a yellow fever outbreak that spanned nearly three decades, from the late 1790s up to the 1820s.
The graves were discovered when someone dug up what turned out to be human remains. Well into recent years, archaeologists have continued digging up more bones of the dead. Even today, with many public works projects happening all over the city, the prospect of finding human remains that have long since been buried throughout the Colonial period might give archaeologists a reason to stay busy.
Empire State Building
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Who would have thought that the most recognized landmark in the entire city has a few haunts hanging around this building of more than 100 floors? While many from around the world flock to the 86th Floor Observatory to get a 360 view of the city, it has become the site of some unfortunate incidents.
Several people have committed suicide by jumping out of it throughout the building’s nearly 90-year history. One of the more notable suicides was the death of a 23-year-old woman who plummeted to her death and crashed into a limousine. A famous photograph of the aftermath was published in 1947. Her ghost was said to have been seen by several visitors over the years. Despite the inclusion of suicide prevention fences being implemented in the late 1940s, suicides were still a regular occurrence. The most recent one was last said to have happened around 2006.
Hotel Chelsea
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This hotel was established in the early 1880s. Over the years, it has hosted many famous musicians. It was also the site of a murder in which one of those musicians might have been involved. Sid Vicious, a member of the British Punk Rock Band “The Sex Pistols,” was said to be someone who may have been involved with the death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.
Another ghostly inhabitant is believed to be that of a woman named “Mary.” It’s said that Mary was staying at the hotel awaiting her husband’s arrival. Sadly, his journey to New York was on the Titanic, and he would be one of the many who perished in its sinking. In her grief, she took her own life inside the building. Today, many guests claim to see her distressed spirit wandering the halls, including The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli, who detailed his experience in an episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories.
14 West 10th Street
Infamously known as the “House Of Death,” this home might be the most haunted house in the entire city. Mark Twain was a resident for just a little over a year, and during his stay, he wrote and recounted moments where he felt a presence and may have seen some ghosts himself. The townhouse has also been the site of some homicides and even suicides. One such case was the murder of a six-year-old girl who was beaten to death by her stepfather in 1987.
Today, it is rumored that nearly two dozen ghosts have haunted the halls of this very house. It’s believed that even Mark Twain is one of the many specters.
The Dakota
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This apartment building is located in the Central Park West neighborhood and happens to be the place John Lennon of the Beatles called home until his untimely death in 1980. To this day, workers and tenants have claimed to see a figure resembling Lennon himself.
However, he is not the only spirit that might have a presence in this building. Some have claimed to see a little girl among other child-like spirits that may have died in the early 20th century.
St. Mark’s Church In-The-Bowery
Established in 1799, St. Mark’s Church In-The-Bowery is the second oldest church in New York City. It was once the home of the famous Dutch explorer Peter Stuyvesant, who is believed to be behind the church’s unsettling activity, such as the unexplained ringing of the bell and eerie church service interruptions.
It’s not hard to see why the clergy and churchgoers have plenty of stories involving the ghost of Peter Stuyvesant. Though, it’s believed he’s not the only spirit that inhabits the church.
85 West 3rd Street/Furman Hall
Before being one of the many buildings on the campus of New York University, this behemoth was once the home of Edgar Allan Poe while he was writing one of his most famous stories, “The Cask Of Amontillado.” Since the building was made from brick, it may have inspired Poe to write the fate of one of the main characters in the story.
Some parts of “The Raven” were believed to be written here during Poe’s short stay. While parts of the home are still intact, there have been students who have either felt a presence or have been spooked by one of the most legendary horror writers of all time.
Haunted New York
The Big Apple is home to some big hauntings, all discoverable on a chilling New York ghost tour with NY Ghosts. Keep reading our blog for more haunted tales of the city, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Sources:
http://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2009/01/empire-state-building-suicides-morbid.html
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2061847#ixzz38mce28ur
https://allthatsinteresting.com/nancy-spungen
https://untappedcities.com/2014/05/14/the-hauntings-of-14-west-10th-street-nycs-house-of-death/
http://www.nypap.org/preservation-history/edgar-allen-poe-house/
