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Tag: Ghost / Haunting

  • The Myrtles Plantation — St. Francisville, LA (1796)

    The Myrtles Plantation — St. Francisville, LA (1796)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Built 1796; “haunted” reputation since the 1940s–1960s  ·  Where: St. Francisville, Louisiana

    Status: Unverified — the ghost stories were promoted for tourism, and a scholar argues they reflect real violence against enslaved people.

    The Myrtles Plantation house, a long low porch building under big oak trees
    The Myrtles Plantation house, St. Francisville, Louisiana.
    Credit: Bogdan Oporowski / Wikimedia Commons · Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

    The Myrtles Plantation was built in 1796 by General David Bradford. It was worked by enslaved people, and the house has changed hands many times since. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978 and now operates as an inn with tours.

    The house was already called “haunted” in a 1948 book of Mississippi ghost stories, and a 1960 Louisiana state publication said it was reputed to have at least one ghost. It later became heavily promoted as “one of America's most haunted houses.” The best-known tales, about women called Chloe and Cleo, are mostly told from the point of view of the owners. The scholar Tiya Miles has written that these stories are really about violence against Black women.

    That is worth keeping in mind. The ghost stories are folklore built on a real history of slavery, and the historical record behind them is thin.

    Sources: Wikipedia: The Myrtles Plantation

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

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  • The Tower of London — London, England (1066–present)

    The Tower of London — London, England (1066–present)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Founded 1066; ghost reports recorded from 1816–17  ·  Where: London, United Kingdom

    Status: Unverified — centuries of stories, with the earliest named witnesses from the 1810s; none is backed by independent evidence.

    The Bloody Tower and a cobbled path inside the Tower of London on a sunny day
    The Bloody Tower, Tower of London.
    Credit: Christine Matthews / Wikimedia Commons (geograph.org.uk) · Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

    The Tower of London has been a fortress, palace and prison since it was founded after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Among those held and executed there was Anne Boleyn, beheaded in 1536, and the “Princes in the Tower” disappeared there in the 1480s.

    The Tower has a long list of reported ghosts. Anne Boleyn is said to haunt the Church of St Peter ad Vincula, where she is buried. In January 1816 a sentry outside the Jewel House said he saw a bear-like apparition and reportedly died of fright days later. In October 1817 the Keeper of the Crown Jewels, Edmund Lenthal Swifte, claimed to see a glowing tube-shaped shape floating over his wife's shoulder.

    These are some of the earliest named ghost reports in this collection, but they are accounts people gave, not tested evidence. The Tower is a working heritage site run by Historic Royal Palaces.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Tower of London

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

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  • The Bell Witch — Adams, TN (1817–1821)

    The Bell Witch — Adams, TN (1817–1821)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: 1817–1821 (as told in the legend)  ·  Where: Adams, Robertson County, Tennessee

    Status: Unverified — a folklore legend whose main written source dates from 1894; some skeptics treat that book as fiction.

    About the pin: Pinned near Adams; the farm and cave locations are not marked.

    A black and white woodcut illustration of a man and a spirit by a fireplace in a cabin, from the book Authenticated History of the Bell Witch
    An illustration of the Bell Witch story from M. V. Ingram's 1894 book.
    Credit: M. V. Ingram, Authenticated History of the Bell Witch (1894) · Licence: Public domain (published 1894) · Source

    The Bell Witch is a legend from northwest Robertson County, Tennessee. It says that from 1817 to 1821 the family of farmer John Bell Sr., near the present town of Adams, was attacked by a mostly invisible entity that could speak and affect objects around the farm.

    The main written source is Martin V. Ingram's 1894 Authenticated History of the Bell Witch. In it the spirit called itself “Kate” and focused on John Bell and his daughter Betsy. Some skeptics see Ingram's book as historical fiction or fraud, while others view it as a record of what people in the region believed in the 1800s. Some accounts say Andrew Jackson was intrigued by the story, but that detail is part of the legend.

    The Bell Witch Cave became a tourist attraction in the 20th century, and the story has inspired books, films and music. It is a legend: much-loved, widely told, and not independently documented.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Bell Witch

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

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  • Eastern State Penitentiary — Philadelphia, PA (1829–1971)

    Eastern State Penitentiary — Philadelphia, PA (1829–1971)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Open 1829–1971; hauntings reported since closing  ·  Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Status: Unverified — stories from visitors and staff; no evidence beyond personal accounts.

    A long vaulted cellblock corridor with cell doors on both sides at Eastern State Penitentiary
    A cellblock at Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia.
    Credit: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (Highsmith Archive) · Licence: Public domain (no known copyright restrictions) · Source

    Eastern State Penitentiary opened on October 25, 1829. Designed by John Haviland, it is often called the world's first true penitentiary: a wheel of corridors where each prisoner lived in near-total isolation. It was the largest and most expensive public building in the United States when it was finished.

    Famous inmates included Al Capone, who served time in 1929, and bank robber Willie Sutton. The prison ended its isolation system in 1913, closed in 1970, and briefly held city inmates in 1971. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and a museum.

    Visitors and staff have long said they see shadowy figures, hear footsteps and whispers, or feel watched in the cellblocks, and the site has become a popular place for ghost hunters and Halloween events. These are personal reports, not recorded evidence.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Eastern State Penitentiary · Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

    📍 See this case on the map. Were you there, or can you explain it? Add a verification note below — notes are read by a person before they appear.

  • The White House — Washington, DC (1860s onward)

    The White House — Washington, DC (1860s onward)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Lincoln era, 1861–1865; ghost stories from the early 1900s on  ·  Where: Washington, D.C.

    Status: Unverified — stories passed down in memoirs and retellings; none has been documented by independent evidence.

    A black and white photograph of the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, with a large bed, chandelier and furniture
    The Lincoln Bedroom, White House (Historic American Buildings Survey photograph).
    Credit: Jack E. Boucher, Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress · Licence: Public domain (U.S. government work) · Source

    The Lincoln Bedroom is part of a guest suite in the southeast corner of the White House's second floor. The rooms are named for President Abraham Lincoln, who used them as his office. During the Civil War his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, grieving the death of their son Willie, was reported to have held seances in the White House.

    Over the years, visitors and staff have told stories of seeing or sensing Lincoln in the house. Famous names are attached to these stories in popular accounts, including a queen of the Netherlands and a British prime minister, but the retellings vary and the original sources are hard to pin down.

    The White House Historical Association has plenty of history about the rooms. The ghost stories are an old Washington tradition, but they are tradition rather than evidence.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Lincoln Bedroom · White House Historical Association

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

    📍 See this case on the map. Were you there, or can you explain it? Add a verification note below — notes are read by a person before they appear.

  • Gettysburg Battlefield — Gettysburg, PA (1863)

    Gettysburg Battlefield — Gettysburg, PA (1863)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Battle: July 1–3, 1863; ghost stories since  ·  Where: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

    Status: Unverified — popular ghost lore built on one of the best-documented battles in American history.

    About the pin: The battlefield covers many square miles; the pin is placed near the town.

    A pencil sketch of Little Round Top and Devil's Den at Gettysburg drawn by Edwin Forbes
    Edwin Forbes, “The battle of Gettysburg. View of Little Round Top and the Devil's Den, held by the Fifth Corps” (1860s sketch).
    Credit: Edwin Forbes, Library of Congress · Licence: Public domain · Source

    The Battle of Gettysburg was fought around the Pennsylvania town from July 1 to 3, 1863. It was one of the largest and deadliest battles of the American Civil War, with tens of thousands of casualties.

    Visitors have long reported phantom drumming, gunfire, apparitions in period clothing and cold spots at places such as Devil's Den and Little Round Top, and ghost tours run through the town every night. The battlefield is a national military park, and these stories are personal accounts and legend rather than documented evidence.

    Please remember that this is a graveyard as well as a landmark. Stay on marked paths, respect the monuments and follow the park's rules.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Gettysburg Battlefield · National Park Service: Gettysburg National Military Park

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

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  • Winchester Mystery House — San Jose, CA (1884–1922)

    Winchester Mystery House — San Jose, CA (1884–1922)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Built and expanded from the 1880s to 1922  ·  Where: San Jose, California

    Status: Explained — historians say the famous story (a medium told Sarah Winchester to keep building for the spirits of rifle victims) is largely a later invention.

    The colourful Victorian Winchester Mystery House seen across a lawn with palm trees
    The Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California (2023).
    Credit: The wub / Wikimedia Commons · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

    The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose was the home of Sarah Winchester, widow of William Wirt Winchester of the Winchester firearms family. When she died in 1922 the house had about 160 rooms, 2,000 doors and 47 stairways, and it opened to the public as an attraction nine months later.

    The popular legend says a Boston medium warned her that she was haunted by the spirits of people killed by Winchester rifles, and that she had to build without stopping to stay alive. Historians who have checked the records say that version was shaped by later writers, in particular a 1967 book of ghost stories, and that nobody has found the medium named in it. They also say the claim of round-the-clock building for 38 years does not match the evidence. Sarah Winchester was very wealthy and had a strong interest in building, which can explain much of the oddness.

    The house still draws visitors who say they hear footsteps and see shapes. It is a good example of how a ghost story can grow around a real place.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Winchester Mystery House · Winchester Mystery House (official site)

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

    📍 See this case on the map. Were you there, or can you explain it? Add a verification note below — notes are read by a person before they appear.

  • The Lizzie Borden House — Fall River, MA (1892)

    The Lizzie Borden House — Fall River, MA (1892)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Murders: August 4, 1892; open as a B&B since 1996  ·  Where: Fall River, Massachusetts

    Status: Unverified — the double murder is real and was never solved in court; claims of ghosts are anecdotal, and one skeptical investigator attributes the usual “evidence” to the ideomotor effect.

    A black and white photograph of the Borden house on Second Street, Fall River, in 1892
    The Borden house, 92 Second Street, Fall River, in 1892.
    Credit: Unknown photographer (1892 image) · Licence: Public domain (per Wikimedia Commons) · Source

    Andrew Borden, a prominent Fall River banker, and his wife Abby were killed with a hatchet inside their home on Second Street in 1892. Andrew's daughter Lizzie was tried for the murders and acquitted in 1893, and nobody else was ever convicted.

    The house, once numbered 92 and now 230 Second Street, has operated as a bed and breakfast and museum since 1996. Tours mention possible ghostly activity, and guests and authors have described feeling presences and seeing odd things. The skeptical investigator Joe Nickell reports that these claims rest on unverifiable feelings or on methods such as table-tipping and Ouija boards, which are explained by the ideomotor effect.

    The real story is a famous crime with an uncertain answer. The ghost stories are part of the tourist experience.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Lizzie Borden House · Fall River Historical Society

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

    📍 See this case on the map. Were you there, or can you explain it? Add a verification note below — notes are read by a person before they appear.

  • The Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, CO (1909)

    The Stanley Hotel — Estes Park, CO (1909)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Opened July 4, 1909; best-known stories date from the 1970s  ·  Where: Estes Park, Colorado

    Status: Unverified — the ghost stories are folklore and visitor anecdotes; no investigation has produced evidence that settles anything.

    The long white Stanley Hotel with a red roof in front of a garden in Estes Park, Colorado
    The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado.
    Credit: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (Highsmith Archive) · Licence: Public domain (no known copyright restrictions) · Source

    The Stanley Hotel was built by Freelan Oscar Stanley, co-founder of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, and opened on July 4, 1909 as a resort and a health retreat on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Its haunted reputation grew mostly in the 1970s, after Stephen King stayed there and the building became the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in his 1977 novel The Shining. Guests and staff have long told stories of footsteps, music from empty rooms, and the sound of children, and Room 217 is the best-known room. A 1911 gas explosion that injured a hotel housekeeper is often retold as the start of the ghost stories, though the contemporary newspaper reports disagree even on her name.

    The hotel now leans into its reputation with ghost tours and overnight stays. Treat the stories as local legend: they are entertaining and widely repeated, but they are not documented evidence.

    Sources: Wikipedia: The Stanley Hotel · The Stanley Hotel (official site)

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

    📍 See this case on the map. Were you there, or can you explain it? Add a verification note below — notes are read by a person before they appear.

  • Waverly Hills Sanatorium — Louisville, KY (1910–1961)

    Waverly Hills Sanatorium — Louisville, KY (1910–1961)

    Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Opened 1910; main building 1926; closed 1961  ·  Where: Louisville, Kentucky

    Status: Unverified — ghost stories are anecdotal; some of the best-known details (such as very high death counts) are disputed.

    The tall brick Waverly Hills Sanatorium building with arched entrances
    Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, Kentucky.
    Credit: Kris Arnold / Wikimedia Commons · Licence: Public domain (released by the photographer) · Source

    Louisville had one of the highest tuberculosis death rates in the United States in the early 1900s, and Waverly Hills Sanatorium was built to treat it. It opened in 1910 as a two-story wooden facility, and a five-story building for more than 400 patients opened on October 17, 1926. It closed in June 1961 after antibiotics made long stays unnecessary.

    The building reopened in 1962 as the Woodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home, which closed in 1980 after reports of overcrowding and neglect. The site changed hands several times, and since 2001 it has been run by owners who offer tours and a Halloween attraction to fund restoration.

    Legends say that a 500-foot tunnel was used to carry bodies down the hill discreetly, and visitors report apparitions, voices and shadows. Numbers of deaths quoted online vary wildly and are not reliable. As always, the stories are part of the experience rather than proof.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Waverly Hills Sanatorium

    Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

    📍 See this case on the map. Were you there, or can you explain it? Add a verification note below — notes are read by a person before they appear.