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Most Haunted Places | Albany, NY

As the oldest city in New York and the state’s capital, Albany and the surrounding Hudson River Valley are rich in history and lore. Originally inhabited by the Algonquian-speaking Mohican, the land that now makes up Albany was colonized by Dutch settlers in the 17th century. It was also a military hub during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. With its vast past and military ties, it’s no surprise that Albany is incredibly haunted by numerous ghostly attractions.

Want to experience some of Albany’s most haunted historic locations in person? Book an authentic ghost tour with Albany Ghosts and discover the sinister, spooky side of the nation’s capital.

10) Olde English Pub & Pantry

Built in 1763, the Olde English Pub & Pantry is one of Albany’s oldest and most haunted sites. Originally known as the historic Quackenbush House, staff and guests have seen ghostly apparitions staring back at them from the mirrors hanging over the bar for years. 

 

It’s been reported that much of the pub’s ghostly activity occurs in the basement. One employee claimed that his brother had come to pick him up at closing time after the pub had emptied one night. The brother heard his name being called from the open basement door. 

However, the brother didn’t recognize the voice. As he approached the basement door, the employee standing out on the street called for his brother. The brother ran from the empty bar and never went near the basement door again.

9) Old Stone Fort Museum

Built as a church in 1772, the Old Stone Fort was fortified in 1777 and used by the US military during the Revolutionary War and later by the Union during the Civil War as an armory. The building is now part of a sprawling museum campus, but echoes of the fort’s long and bloody past live on. This fort has certainly earned its place as one of the most haunted places in Albany.

Ghostly activity includes:

  • A woman screaming from the fort’s sizeable central tower
  • An organ that randomly plays by itself
  • Ghostly footsteps, noises, and scents
  • The ghost of a soldier who may be attached to his old military uniform that’s on display

8) The College of Saint Rose

The College of Saint Rose was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Stain Joseph of Carondelet. Originally a women’s college, the institution began accepting male students in the 1950s. Today, it’s believed that at least four buildings on campus are haunted, including residence halls and the theatre. 

Ghosts on the property include former staff, such as a priest and a former groundskeeper. The ghost of a young girl who died in a fire on the property has also been heard screaming on several occasions.

Haunted happenings witnessed by students include:

  • Knocking on dorm room doors with no one on the other side
  • Closet doors opening and closing on their own
  • Sounds of a young child running down the dorm hallways
  • Footsteps and a toilet flushing in the empty theatre

7) The Copper Crow

The Copper Crow started as a small brewery owned by business partners Andrew Kirk and John Outwin in 1832. The men eventually parted ways, and Kirk founded the Andrew Kirk Brewery. The son of a Scottish immigrant, Kirk would turn brewing into a booming industry for Albany and create the largest brewery in the United States at that time. After the brewery went out of business following the Civil War, the building changed hands numerous times, leading to a series of hauntings. 

There are currently two known spirits who haunt The Copper Crow. The first is the ghost of a young boy who drowned in a cistern on the property. The boy’s spirit is said to play around the bar, and he is known to knock objects off the bar as he plays.

The second ghost is that of a night watchman who worked in the building during the late 19th    century. Multiple witnesses have heard his footsteps on the second floor of the building, particularly above the bar. The server area and staircase are also known to be paranormal hotspots, according to the current owners of The Copper Crow. 

6) New York State Capitol

It took five architects and 32 years to complete the New York State Capitol building, which opened its doors in 1898. The building is known for its Million Dollar Staircase, which cost a whopping $1.5 million to construct due to the intricate stone carvings created by Scottish, Irish, and Welsh stonemasons. 

Eerie happenings at the capitol include:

  • The carving of a devil’s face in the Million Dollar Staircase was said to have been carved by a disgruntled stonemason.
  • The ghost of a fruit vendor who took his own life by jumping from the building’s interior balcony.
  • Sounds and apparitions from the 1911 fire that ravaged the building and killed employees.

5) Ten Broeck Mansion

Originally the home to General Abraham Ten Broeck and his wife, Elizabeth Vann Rensselaer, the Ten Broeck Mansion has a rather unusual ghost haunting it. The mansion was completed in 1797, but children have claimed to see the ghost of a man dressed in a 17th-century Dutch soldier uniform. 

The hauntings at Ten Broeck Mansion have made it a popular research spot for paranormal investigators. One investigation even captured an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) recording of a ghostly young girl whispering, “I’m downstairs.” Another recording was a man telling investigators to “go away.”

4) Cohoes Music Hall

Built in 1874, Cohoes Music Hall hosted numerous 19th and 20th-century celebrities, including Buffalo Bill Cody, John Philip Sousa, and Hunky Punky, the famed baby elephant owned by P.T. Barnum. 

The music hall was also the site of actress and singer Eva Tanguay’s stage debut. Tanguay was reportedly booed off the stage during this performance but would become a successful entertainer in vaudeville. After reaching the height of her stardom, Tanguay returned to Cohoes Music Hall for a successful performance.

Some believe that Tanguay has made Cohoes Music Hall her permanent residence. Her ghost has been seen in the balcony and peering out of a second-story window. Staff report that props often go missing backstage. 

3) Loudon Cottage

The ghost of Abraham Lincoln has been sighted at Loudon Cottage. Lincoln never entered Loudon Cottage, but the building has an important connection to the late president. On the night he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre, Lincoln was accompanied by New York senator Ira Harris and his daughter Clara. 

When Lincoln was shot, his blood spattered onto Clara’s white dress. Not wanting to destroy the dress or have the president’s blood cleaned off of it, Clara kept the bloodied dress in her closet at Loudon Cottage for the rest of her life. 

Sometime after witnessing Lincoln’s assassination, Clara awoke to the squeak of a rocking chair and a man’s laugh. She looked over to see Lincoln’s ghost sitting in her bedroom. Decades later, on February 12, 1909, Maine governor William Tudor Gardiner also awoke in Clara’s former bedroom to see Lincoln’s apparition. 

2) New York State Education Building

According to urban legend, the New York State Education Building had been the site of a tragedy before it opened its doors in 1912. It’s been said that an Italian stonemason named Jason tripped and fell into wet cement while the foundation of the building was being poured. 

Jason attempted to climb out of the cement, but an Irish stonemason allegedly shouted, “Keep pouring,” and Jason was forever trapped in the building’s foundation.

Although this story was likely the result of prejudice between the Italian and Irish working class of New York, staff at the education building believe that Jason’s ghost remains behind. Rather than being a vengeful spirit, staff says he helps them find books by knocking them off shelves when they cannot locate them. 

1) Albany Rural Cemetery

Located on 467 acres of beautiful rolling landscape, the Albany Rural Cemetery is as picturesque as it is haunted. Built in 1844, the cemetery is home to 135,000 graves, including famous residents such as former president Chester A. Arthur. 

Ghostly occurrences at the cemetery include:

  • The wandering spirit of a woman in a flowing gown searching for her child
  • Restless spirits of Civil War soldiers interred at the cemetery
  • Ghost lights and phantom chanting coming from the old mausoleums, particularly the Van Rensselaer mausoleum.

Haunted Albany

Have you visited any of the top 10 haunted places in Albany? The historical city is brimming with both history and the otherworldly. We invite you to experience some of the city’s most haunted locations and embark on a ghostly adventure with Albany Ghosts.

Our team of expert guides will take you on an unforgettable journey through New York’s capital, sharing spine-tingling stories and historical insights that bring the past to life. Join us for an in-depth look at the sinister side of one of the nation’s most significant and haunted cities. Keep reading our blog for more tales of the macabre, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Sources:

  1. https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Eerie-vibes-at-Ten-Broeck-Mansion-1396258.php
  2. https://www.troyrecord.com/2010/02/11/lincolns-ghost-in-loudon-cottage/
  3. https://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/She-was-vaudeville-s-Lady-Gaga-now-she-haunts-12314355.php
  4. https://medium.com/@batsoutandabout/the-haunted-history-of-albany-rural-cemetery-30da2e012f3b
  5. http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2010/10/21/capital-region-haunts
  6. https://www.milesgeek.com/hauntings-new-york-state-capitol
  7. https://www.newyorkhauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/old-stone-fort.html
  8. https://www.albany.org/blog/post/feelin-ghoully-the-ghosts-of-albany/
  9. https://www.albanystudentpress.online/post/the-seven-most-haunted-places-in-albany
  10. https://www.coppercrowalbany.com/hauntings
  11. https://www.strosechronicle.com/fresh/the-haunting-of-saint-rose/

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