This close to Halloween, everyone starts thinking about ghost stories, and the things that only come out at night, and perhaps only come out once a year. There are many buildings in New York and the surrounding areas that claim to be haunted, but are they really? Sometimes stories are just good for business, but whether they are truly haunted or not, these buildings are old, and have a long history. New York City itself is close to 400 years old, giving it plenty of time to gather a haunted building or two, or perhaps even more. No matter what list you find, or who you talk to, some of these buildings will always appear, rumors of their hauntings said to be far more than mere rumors.
The House of Death
With its ghastly nickname, it’s no wonder that this house appears on almost every list of the most haunted buildings in New York. Constructed in 1974 in Greenwich Village, this house is rumored to be inhabited by no less than 22 different spirits, including the spirit of Mark Twain, who once resided on the premises. Several deaths have occurred in the brownstone over the years, and there are many sources that claim it is the most haunted place in Manhattan. There are an endless amount of reports claiming that spirits have been seen walking the halls.
Morris-Jumel Mansion
This house has many ties to history, dating back even to the Revolutionary War. However, that isn’t what makes this house noteworthy and famous. Said to be Manhattan’s oldest home, there are claims of five separate spirits haunting these rooms, though the most famous by far is that of the old woman Eliza Jumel. She died alone while suffering from dementia, and many have claimed to see her spirit rambling and ranting while she walks through the rooms, frightening children as she goes. She is said to be disoriented and delusional when she appears, though when schoolchildren tour the home she has no difficulty in ordering them to be silent.
Kreischer Family Mansion
With its horror film looks and ominous history, it’s easy to see why this mansion lands on the lists of haunted New York buildings. Originally there were two mansions, identical, sitting side by side in Staten Island. However, its twin burned down, taking the Kreischer son and his wife with it. After its twin burned, that left only the single mansion, alone and creating the perfect atmosphere for stories of hauntings. It’s said that there are unexplained noises that come from the building, noises that have been attributed to the ghosts that are said to walk the grounds.
So, are these buildings really haunted, or have their sordid histories simply created fantasies that, much like the ghosts they speak of, refuse to die? It’s hard to know for sure which stories are real and which are fabricated when it comes to hearing ghost stories, but that doesn’t make the stories any less enjoyable. So, why don’t you travel to the more famous haunts, and see if you can’t scare up your own ghost stories?