The Most Haunted Places In Asbury Park

Located along the Jersey Shore, Asbury Park, New Jersey, is home to centuries of fascinating history. Over the years, the town has accumulated numerous ghost stories dating back to the Revolutionary War, making it one of the most haunted cities in New Jersey. While some of these spirits are friendly, others can be a bit mischievous, with one being downright deadly.

Want to add a dose of the supernatural to your next visit to the Jersey Shore? Be sure to book a ghost tour with Asbury Park Ghosts to learn all about the city’s history and haunts!

What Are The Most Haunted Places In Asbury Park?

If you can think of a haunted location, Asbury Park probably has it. At the Paramount Theatre, the spirits from a deadly fire are said to still catch a show from the balcony. At Monmouth Battlefield, Revolutionary War soldiers are still fighting a battle that ended centuries ago. Over at the Asbury Lanes, an evil entity preys on unsuspecting bowlers.

The hauntings of Asbury Park are unusual, fascinating, and at times, terrifying. 

Stephen Crane House

Author Stephen Crane was raised in this Victorian home in the late 1800s and wrote many of his early works there. Best known for writing The Red Badge of Courage, Crane also compiled New Jersey-based ghost stories for a 1894 publication. Some believe Crane returned to the home after his untimely death at the age of 28. 

Guests and former residents of the Stephen Crane House have reported unexplained footsteps, cold spots, voices, and the mysterious sound of children playing. Apparitions include a woman who peers out from an attic window, and a man in Victorian clothing with sideburns who appears in an upstairs bedroom.

One former resident recalled that during a family birthday party, the fireplace shovel inexplicably threw itself and hit him in the head. 

The Stephen Crane House is so infamous for its hauntings that it was investigated by Ghost Hunters in 2010. 

Paramount Theatre

The Paramount Theatre is a stunning Art Deco building located along Asbury Park’s famed boardwalk. First opened in 1930, a massive tragedy occurred near the theatre in 1934 when the Morro Castle ocean liner ran aground. 

The ship had caught fire, and 137 passengers were killed. Their bodies were taken to the Asbury Park Convention Center, which is connected to the Paramount. Many believe that the victims of the fire still haunt the convention center and theatre.

Over the years, ghostly apparitions have been reported in the hallways of the Paramount. Two girls are often seen sitting together in the theatre’s balcony. Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) have been recorded in the projection booth and backstage dressing room.

The Paramount Theatre has enough of a reputation that Kindred Spirits investigated it. During the investigation, co-host Adam Berry witnessed what he claimed was the clearest shadow figure he had ever seen in the theatre’s balcony. 

Spy House

Officially known as the Seabrook-Wilson Homestead, the Spy House gets its name from an old urban legend. The story goes that the home was a tavern during the American Revolution, and the owner would get British soldiers drunk, allowing them to reveal important information. While the story likely isn’t true, locals are certain that the Spy House is haunted. 

Built in 1650, the Spy House has accumulated several ghosts over the centuries. A woman in white has been seen wandering the home, as well as the apparition of a sea captain. Many have heard disembodied crying inside the Spy House, too. A rocking chair sometimes moves on its own, although some have seen an entity rocking in the chair.

One visitor arrived for a tour of the Spy House to find it completely locked. However, they could see a young boy in a white shirt staring at them from an upstairs window. When the tour guide finally showed up, a thorough search of the house found no evidence of a child.

Wesley Lake

Wesley Lake is a picturesque body of water that separates the towns of Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. Visitors can rent swan-shaped pedal boats and take them out on the lake for a relaxing afternoon. It all feels rather serene, except for the ghost.

In 2004, the dead body of a woman was found floating in Wesley Lake. Since then, residents of Asbury Park have seen the apparition of a woman near the shoreline who’s been dubbed “The Lady of the Lake.” 

What’s truly bizarre is that folks in Ocean Grove experience the haunting but in a completely different way. On the Ocean Grove side of Wesley Lake, it’s reported that you cannot see the woman, but you can hear her. It’s considered to be a one-of-a-kind haunting. 

Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel

The stunning Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel opened in 1925 and was visited by the biggest stars of Hollywood’s golden age. Guests included Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and Frank Sinatra, but the hotel was more than just a vacation spot for stars.

During World War II, it was used as housing for the British Navy and as a Navy hospital. Several years before that, in 1934, the Morro Castle ocean liner fire occurred only yards away from the hotel. Some believe that these events have resulted in hauntings.  

Guests have reported lights flickering for no reason and the bathroom sink turning on and off on its own. One guest said they had a creepy feeling the moment she and her boyfriend drove up to the hotel. During the night, they heard people talking loudly outside their hotel room door. 

The boyfriend went to open the door, but it felt like someone was holding it shut from the other side. When he finally managed to fling the door open, the talking stopped, and the hallway was empty. The guests checked out early in the morning.

Asbury Lanes

Asbury Lanes is part concert hall, part vintage bowling alley, and part haunted building. Over the years, multiple staff members and patrons have seen the ghost of a woman in an orange, mid-century modern dress near the bar area. 

In the men’s room, the ghost of a patron who died in a motorcycle accident returned to Asbury Lanes to haunt it. Disembodied voices and, weirdly, a dog barking have also been heard in the men’s room.

Lane 3 at Asbury Lanes has been nicknamed the “Mean Lane” due to a potentially malevolent presence lurking there. The entity is considered to be extremely dangerous, considering that three people have died from heart attacks while bowling on Lane 3.

Wonder Bar

Wonder Bar is the perfect place to grab food, listen to a concert, bring your dog, and see a ghost. Wonder Bar is known for a bizarre mural painted on the side of the building featuring a funhouse-style face. 

The face is known as “Tillie,” and it’s as interesting as it is eerie. With its wide eyes and gaping smile, there’s something a bit unsettling about Tillie. 

More than unsettling, guests have been terrified after Tillie has winked at them. That’s right, multiple witnesses have been walking by Wonder Bar and caught the painted face winking at them out of the corner of their eye. 

Monmouth Battlefield

The Battle of Monmouth was a deadly skirmish that claimed the lives of 650-1,600 British and American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. The most famous story to come out of the battle was that of Molly Pitcher, who took her husband’s place in the battle after he was wounded. She carried ammunition and provided water to weary American troops.

In terms of hauntings, wailing can be heard on the battlefield if it’s quiet. Headless soldiers and one weeping soldier have also been encountered. The nearby Tennent Church is haunted by a soldier whose blood still stains one of the old church pews where he died. 

Haunted Asbury Park

Planning a trip to the Jersey Shore and looking to make it spooky? Don’t forget to book a ghost tour with Asbury Park Ghosts today! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real New Jersey hauntings.

Sources:

• https://thelocalgirl.com/jerseyshore/ghost-stories-stephen-crane-jersey-shore-history/

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• https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g29748-d98391-r39096696-Berkeley_Oceanfront_Hotel-Asbury_Park_New_Jersey.html

• https://upperwetside.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/bowling-for-spectres-at-asbury-lanes/

• https://usghostadventures.com/asbury-park-ghost-tour/

• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/new-jersey/haunted-and-historic-place-nj