Salem Witch Trial

While there are many dramatic re-creations of a witch trial in Salem, Massachusetts, there are also some genuine haunted places located right in Salem. One of these is called the Joshua Ward House.

The Witch Trial

Salem Witches

During the horrible witch hunt of 1692 to 1693, the infamous Sheriff George Corwin was one of the most evil witch hunters of all time. Being the sadist that he was, he eagerly welcomed, and even encouraged, accusations of witchcraft against people.

It gave him the chance to implement some of his most cruel methods of interrogation upon the alleged witches of Salem. Among these were tying the necks of the accused to their ankles and held that way until their noses bled and crushing them with rocks until they confessed.

Denials were turned on deaf ears.

It was while Sheriff Corwin was in the throes of hunting down witches that 19 innocent women and men were killed because they were affirmed by the Sheriff for having practiced black arts. Once they had been pronounced, the suspects referred to as Salem Witches were hung, dying a slow death of strangulation. In a twist of fate, the Sheriff dropped dead from a sudden heart attack in 1697. His family put his body in the cellar of the house because the ground was too frozen to dig a grave and they were also afraid that the mob of people that hated him would tear his body to pieces. He remained in the cellar for years until his body was finally moved to the Broad Street Cemetery.

Check out the Salem Witch Trials Video:

Haunted Salem

Anytime someone is brutally killed or dies unexpectedly, there’s always the chance of paranormal activity when their spirits return to the scene of their death. That may very well be the case with the Joshua Ward House and the Salem Witches. A young woman with black, wild hair – a witch killed for having casted spells over others – has been spotted on more than one occasion roaming the hallways. In fact, the Salem witch appeared in a photograph taken of a realtor that worked in the building. She was lurking in a doorway in the background of the photograph, and she did not look happy.

Another ghost that has been spotted there is Giles Corey, a Salem witch, too. He was interrogated through Sheriff Corwin’s infamous crushed rock method, thus being tortured before dying. Corey left the Sheriff with a curse on his dying lips. This was a curse that followed a lot of the other sheriffs that came after Corwin.

Then, there’s Sheriff Corwin himself. Many people have spotted what could have been him rocking in a chair by the fireplace. He may also have made his presence felt as several witnesses reported having felt unseen hands around their necks choking them. Of course, this could also be any of the other 19 murdered men and women known as witches of Salem showing what their deaths were like.

Salem Massachusetts

Whether you visit Salem Massachusetts to encounter ghosts from the past, attend a witch trial re-creation, or wind up at some of the most haunted houses in Massachusetts such as the Joshua Ward house, a visit to Salem will give you a scary taste. Time your trip there during any of the holidays, but particularly Halloween. You’ll be treated to ghostly memories that will last a lifetime!

Further information on the Salem Witches:

Salem Witch Trials on Wikipedia
Salem Witch Museum

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Joshua Ward House Photo

Located at 148 Washington Street in Salem, Massachusetts, it’s one block south of Town House Square, which is right in the center of historical Salem.

It used to overlook the South River, but at some point this part of the river was filled in.

It sets back from the street on a big, sloping front yard.

Impressively built, this brick home climbs three stories high and now serves as offices to Carlson Realty and the Higginson Book Company.

The Massachusetts Historical Commission was responsible for fully restoring this amazing house right down to the beautiful wooden staircase located in the center of the home that lead to the upper floors.
 
 
 
The Joshua Ward House was built by none other than retired sea captain Joshua Ward during the middle 1780s. Ward played host to George Washington in October of 1789 when he visited Salem. Late during the 19th century the house was turned into a high end hotel known as The Washington Hotel.

History of the Haunted House

The land that Joshua Ward chose to build his house on was where Sheriff George Corwin, also known as “The Strangler,” lived as well as maintained his jail in the 1680s. It was his self-appointed duty to interrogate anyone suspected of witchcraft as well as carry out the excruciating death sentences passed over anyone found to be guilty of practicing Satanism, black arts or cursing spells. These took place during the hunting of the witches of Salem between 1692 and 1693.

There were 19 alleged Salem Witches that were executed during this time and the Sheriff was responsible for all of them. These poor people were hung, slowly strangling to death if they managed to make it through the abominable process of interrogation. The Sheriff was a true sadist and was quite inventive when it came to devising some truly despicable interrogation methods. He would do such horrible things to the accused like tying their necks to their ankles until their noses bled. The suspects were even crushed by rocks in an effort to get them to confess or deny being involved in witchcraft. Many victims cursed their accusers along with the Sheriff before dying.



Since people tend to haunt the places where they have been unjustly murdered, there’s little wonder that there are many reported sightings of ghosts along with paranormal activity in the Joshua Ward House. These poor victims were mistreated so badly and their deaths were so beyond horrible that they’re returning to the scene of the crime.

Happily, the aberrant Sheriff Corwin experienced an unexpected heart attack in 1697 and died instantly. He was put in his cellar because the ground was too frozen to dig a grave when he died. In addition, he was so hated that his family feared a mad mob would dismember his body. His grave remained in the cellar for years until it was moved to the Broad Street Cemetery. It should be noted here that spirits can become restless and confused when their graves are disturbed.

The Hauntings

The spirits of two innocent victims of Sheriff Corwin are quite possibly still searching for the man responsible for their deaths in one of the most haunted houses in MA. One of these is a woman sporting wild, black hair and. This woman has been spotted wandering through the hallways of the building. She turned up in a photograph that was taken of a realtor from Carlson Realty. Her image was angry and threatening as she stood in one of the hallways.

The other one is that of a man. His name is Giles Corey and he was falsely accused of being a Salem witch. The Sheriff tortured and killed him with the crushing rocks method. In fact, the final curse he put on Sheriff Corwin has also affected several of the sheriffs following after him for years.

Various oddities and paranormal activities occur in the Joshua Ward House. Such things as trash cans overturned, books pulled from the shelves, rooms messed up, candles taken out, melted, and bent into an S shape. There are also cold spots felt in certain rooms.

The “good” sheriff himself has also been spotted as well as felt by witnesses. Sightings are of an older man sitting by the fireplace in a rocking chair. In the mid-1980s, there were people that reported an unseen entity choking them. It’s possible that Sheriff Corwin returned in an attempt to take charge once more. It may also have been one of his many victims trying to share the horrors they suffered.

One of the Most Haunted Houses in Massachusetts

The current owners of the Joshua Ward House don’t share with the public all the details of the haunting and spook of the premises built on the grounds of the Salem witches were tried. However, it can be taken for granted that the Joshua Ward House is among the most haunted houses in Massachusetts, being visited by the spirits of many of the poor, innocent murder victims of Sheriff Corwin. The photograph showing the angry female in the background pretty much says it all.

Further information on the Joshua Ward House:

Joshua Ward House on Wikipedia

Photo of the Joshua Ward House courtesy of Thomas Stirling

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Landmark Theater Syracuse

History of the Syracuse Landmark Theater

In March 1926, a man named Marcus Leow bought property on the northwest corner of Salinas Street. Then he went about building the largest theater in Syracuse, New York, complete with 3,000 seats and an 8 story office tower. Construction began on March 15, 1927, taking over 300 workers 11 months and 3 days to complete. The ornate decorations that fill the interior of the theater are still some of the most stunning and impressive found anywhere today. The red and gold tapestries along with the magnificent Tiffany chandelier as well as a 1,400 pipes Wurlitzer organ are still wondrous to behold to present day visitors. Even though the Syracuse landmark theatre, called the Loew’s State Theater at that time, was primarily a place to see movies, they also had a carpenter shop in-house. This helped to maintain the building as well as make signs and stage props when needed.

Landmark Theater Syracuse

Hauntings at the Landmark Theater Syracuse

When unexpected deaths occur from accidents or tragic events happen paranormal manifestation are more likely. Actors and theater staff are quite serious about their professions. If they die just before a performance then they won’t stop performing. They will hang around as ghosts to finish their job on stage or remain on the premises as spectral entities fulfilling their previous duties. Some examples of the haunted Syracuse Landmark Theater include:

Oscar Rau: He was a stage hand that suffered electrocution during an accident due to a faulty Westinghouse generator. He’s been spotted on the stage going about his work. His favorite place to walk around is at the theater’s large lighting board that sits backstage.

Clarissa or Claire: She was an actress with two versions of her death. In one of them, she was in the balcony when she saw Oscar, her beloved, being electrocuted. This caused her to faint and fall over the railing. In another version, Clarissa wasn’t chosen for a part in a play. This caused her to throw herself from the balcony to her death. You can tell when Clarissa is around by the scent of lilacs. She enjoys making an appearance to the living at the most unexpected times and locations. Once there was an apparition she made to the staff. They saw her standing in the balcony and went up to tell her that she had to leave. She waited until they were right in front of her before vanishing.



Charlie: He was the theater caretaker and janitor that called the boiler room his home. This room was located close to the central vac system. Charlie died in the 1970s of natural causes in the theater. He’s seen wearing clothes of the 70s styles in areas that he took care of when he was living.

Other mysterious activities: There are many spectral manifestations that cannot be nailed down to one particular cause. There’s a strange blue light, oddities in photographs, and EVPs that have been captured. Some other areas you may experience some hauntings in are the Red Room, the very back of the theater, the Walnut Room and the large basement of the theater known as the catacombs. In fact the theatre is one of the most haunted places in New York.

Paranormal Investigations at the Syracuse Landmark Theater

The Syracuse Landmark Theater has been investigated many times by the Central New York Ghost Hunters. This organization has had quite a bit of luck with capturing evidence of the paranormal. The EVPs they’ve captured suggest that Clarissa’s fall from the balcony was a tragic accident. Any paranormal group that has investigated this theater always comes away with impressive evidence of hauntings.

Is the Landmark Theater in Syracuse Still Haunted?

According to all of the evidence collected over the years by paranormal investigative groups such as the Central New York Ghost Hunters and others, the Landmark Theater in Syracuse is definitely visited by spirits. In fact, every time the ghost hunters come back for another look, they are rewarded with even more evidence!

The Landmark Theater supplements its income through renting the theater for various events such as weddings, receptions, proms, meetings, and corporate parties. The Central New York Ghost Hunters help in this regard by leading an annual ghost hunt each October. The money raised by these ghost hunts are donated to the ongoing restoration projects of the theater.

Make plans to visit haunted Syracuse in October to have a great time while helping a really good cause.

Haunted Video Landmark Theater Syracuse

This video of the Landmark Theatre was done as a class project:

Further information on the Landmark Theater:

Landmark Theater Syracuse on Wikipedia
Theater’s Website

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St. Augustine Lighthouse Photo 1

St. Augustine, also known as the Old City, holds the distinction of being the oldest permanent European colony in North America. In 1513, Don Juan Ponce de Leon of Spain, discovered Florida, or La Florida, which means Land of Flowers. About 50 years later, Don Pedro de Aviles was sent to make a more serious try to colonize Florida. He arrived on August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine.

Who was St. Augustine?

This is the day that celebrates Augustine, a man that figured prominently in the history of Christianity. He was the author of writings on original sin and predestination. He died during the attack on northern Africa by the Germanic Vandals.

History of the Lighthouse

The property now known as Saint Augustine Lighthouse was owned by Dr. Alan Ballard until 1865, when the government forced him to sell it to them. They thought it would eventually be swallowed by the ocean. The Civil War left Florida in serious financial straits and the offer made on the property that was far less than what it was worth. Dr. Ballard initially refused the offer so the government threatened to simply take it through eminent domain for free. Dr. Ballard was livid and swore he’d never leave the premises. He may have just kept his word since he can often be seen spooking on and around the property.

St. Augustine Lighthouse Photo 2

On July 10, 1873, tragedy struck as 4 of Hezekiah’s children and a workmen’s daughter were riding the hand car when the brakes went out. All of the children were thrown into ocean. Two of Hezekiah’s children were saved but his two oldest daughters, Mary and Eliza, drowned along with the workman’s daughter.

Haunted St. Augustine Lighthouse

One of these children could very well be the young girl that plays tricks on the staff on the first floor of the guest house, or responsible for the faces of young girls that are seen peeking out of the second floor windows. In addition, a tenant of the house during the 1960s had a friend sleeping in the second floor guest room. This friend once woke up in the middle of the night to see a young girl of about 13 to 15 years old standing at his bedside. She was wearing a long dress and stared at him until she slowly faded into the wall.

What’s more is that the gift shop experiences items being moved around and, sometimes, even disappearing only to return at some point. It’s believed that the spirits of the young girls are doing this. They just like playing and showing their spectral presence.



The property outside of the St. Augustine Lighthouse also appears to be haunted. There are reports of hearing young girls talking and playing around the swing sets. Dr. Ballard’s specter is also sighted stomping angrily around the grounds. There’s a ghostly woman seen right behind the lighthouse at times, too.

Inside the lighthouse itself, there’s the apparition of a man that surrounds visitors with an icy coldness. In addition, the spirit of a dead woman is sometimes seen on the stairs. Yet, another ghostly man is sometimes spotted in the lighthouse seemingly doing his job.

There are also conversations heard that are apparently conducted between a man and a woman but the words can’t be understood. Young girls laughing have been heard on the stairs, too. The ghosts of two young girls are seen on the cat walk located at the top of the lighthouse. These girls are believed to be Mary and Eliza.

St. Augustine Ghost Tours

In 2002, the lens of the lighthouse was officially retired from Coast Guard service and was turned over to St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, Inc. Now, it’s now one of the most popular St. Augustine, Florida attractions.

Is the St. Augustine Lighthouse haunted? The answer to this question is a resounding YES! But if you want to see for yourself, try going on one of the St. Augustine ghost tours and see how you feel afterward.

Ghost Hunters at the St. Augustine Lighthouse

The team from the wildly popular television show Ghost Hunters investigated the paranormal manifestations of the haunted lighthouse at St. Augustine. They were able to capture some great footage on digital film as well as recording some amazing EVPs. One very impressive capture is that of an apparition that appears to be leaning over the top railing of the lighthouse. They pronounced that the St. Augustine Lighthouse is, indeed, haunted.

Further information on the St. Augustine Light House in Florida:

St. Augustine Lighthouse on Wikipedia
Lighthouse’s Website

Photo 1 of the Saint Augustine Lighthouse courtesy of and © by Michael Pancier Photography
Photo 2 courtesy of Brian A. Pettitt

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Heceta Head Lighthouse

The 56 foot tall tower of the lighthouse is one of the original buildings there and sets 205 feet over sea level. Heceta House was meant to serve as the home of the head lighthouse keeper. There was also a duplex that housed the 2 assistant keepers along with several storage buildings. The beacon of the lighthouse was first lit in March 1894. It went automated in 1963.

The Ghost of the Heceta House

The name of the most famous resident ghost of the Heceta Head Lighthouse bed and breakfast is Rue. There are some discrepancies as to who this ghost actually was. The most popular legend is that Rue was married to an assistant light keeper in the 1890s. The couple had a young daughter that drowned in either the ocean or local estuary. It depends on which version you hear. In this one, Rue was so distraught that she took her own life. This ghost that haunts the Heceta House is looking for her daughter.

Another theory is that Rue is actually Mrs. Frank DeRoy, wife to a lighthouse keeper’s assistant. This was a strong willed and domineering woman. She was a picky housekeeper and is the person responsible for painting the boring walls of Heceta House a much happier color. Nothing official shows that she lost a child.

Heceta Head Lighthouse Haunted

A young couple was hired to look after Heceta House during the early 1970s. They heard strange, unexplainable clicks and footsteps. Cupboards that were latched opened on their own. Dishes rattled for no reason. The house was terribly warm during the night. Extreme cold spots and hot spots are often precursors to hauntings.

One night, this couple and their guests were startled by a loud scream that came from the center of the room where they sat. Their cats were also startled by this shriek. The husband went to the bedroom to obtain his car keys when he caught sight of a long skirt going across the hall. He could actually hear the swishing sound of the skirt as she moved right through a locked door that led into an empty bedroom. The wife also saw an apparition pass through a doorway when she was carrying dishes into the kitchen. Other witnesses noted a long smoky cloud climbing the stairway.

Heceta Head Lighthouse Keeper's House

On another occasion, carpenter James Anderson was working in the Heceta House attic and realized his tools had disappeared. They were eventually located in a different room. Nothing ever stayed where he put it. It was a puzzle to James because there was only one entrance to the attic and that was through a trap door. As he was cleaning windows one day, he saw the reflection of someone standing behind. When he turned around, there was an elderly woman dressed in a long skirt coming toward him. Frightened out of his mind, James ran from the attic and refused to go back in the attic again.

He did agree, however, to repairing a broken attic window from the outside of the house. When he looked in the attic, he spotted Rue floating there. This time, James left and never came back. That same night, the caretakers of the Heceta Head Light House heard a sound eerily like a broom sweeping the attic floor. Even though there wasn’t a broom in the attic, the glass from the broken window had been swept up in a tidy pile.



Whether or not these hauntings can be attributed to Rue; she has been both seen and heard lots of time. There were volunteers that painted the building and they stayed overnight in Heceta House. All night, the fire alarm kept going off even though no fires were present. Removing the battery did no good, either, as the alarm kept blaring. Witnesses have also sighted Rue looking down at them from the attic window. At times, she appears as a grayish mist. This resulted in the nickname, the Lady in Gray.

As a side note, there may or may not be a lost child of Heceta House. The precise location of her grave has never been located and there are many that don’t think it exists. Believers claim that there is an old photograph showing the tombstone. Olaf L. Hansen was the keeper of the Heceta Head Lighthouse from 1904 to 1920. His daughter claims that there once was a slab of cement located between the house and the lighthouse that served as a marker to this grave. The grave stone may be hidden by undergrowth surrounding the lighthouse these days.

Visiting Heceta Head Lighthouse

Both the Heceta Lighthouse Keepers House along with the Lighthouse itself, are part of the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse keeper’s house today is a very popular bed and breakfast. Guests love the atmosphere and amazing view of the ocean when they stay at this Oregon lighthouse bed and breakfast. If you enjoy a little ghostly excitement, there are still many reports that Rue walks about. Whether she’s in the form of Rue or shows up as the Lady in Gray, chances are good that you’ll see her.

Further information on the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Oregon:

Heceta Head on Wikipedia
Lighthouse’s Website

Image of Heceta Head Lighthouse by ~Dezz~
Image of Heceta Head Lighthouse Keeper’s House by jimmywayne

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Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Once it was completed, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was the place for celebrities to be seen. This hotel hosted plenty of opening night galas as well as many important events in Hollywood. Actually, the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 was held in the Blossom Ballroom of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

The Hollywood Roosevelt has 12 stories and contained 302 rooms and suites. The hotel experienced a restoration in 1983 that ran $240 million. The end result is that it now has 335 luxury rooms. This hotel enjoys a prime location in the center of Hollywood right across the street from Mann’s Chinese Theater with the celebrated Hollywood Walk of Fame at its front door on Hollywood Boulevard.

Is the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Haunted?

Consider that haunted places have that reputation for a reason. There are many famous people that passed some time in the Roosevelt Hotel during their lives before they moved on to the afterlife. These people are still spotted in spirit form from time to time in the rooms that they stayed in while at the hotel.

Reported Hauntings in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

One of the most famous ghosts at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is the very glamorous and sexy Marilyn Monroe. Just following her rise to fame as a model, Marilyn lived at the hotel for 2 years. She was in Suite 1200, which overlooked the swimming pool. There was a full-length mirror in her room that was later moved to the office of the hotel manager. One day, an employee of the hotel was dusting the mirror and found Marilyn Monroe’s face looking right back at her out of the mirror. Now this same mirror can be found in the hotel lobby where guests and visitors of the hotel occasionally catch of glimpse of Marilyn when looking in the mirror.



Another famous celebrity that spent time at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was Montgomery Clift. While he was filming the movie “From Here to Eternity,” Room 928 was his home. People have seen his ghost pacing in the hallway outside of the room he stayed in practicing his lines. He’s also been spotted in the hallway playing his bugle. Guests that have stayed in this room often notice a ghostly presence and have even felt pats on their shoulders. Lots of hotel employees feel a blast of cold air when they’re on the 9th floor in the vicinity of his room.

Another cold spot turns up consistently in the hotel’s Blossom Ballroom. This is unusual because there aren’t any vents for air conditioners or any other things that may cause drafts in that area. There’s a circle that’s around 30 inches in diameter that’s at least 10 degrees colder than any other part of the room. The spirit of a man dressed in black has also been seen in this ballroom.

Psychic Investigation at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Renowned psychic Peter James was asked to investigate the paranormal activities in the hotel in 1992. He was able to detect Montgomery Clift’s ghost in Room 928 and, in the Tropicana Bar, the presence of Marilyn Monroe was strongly sensed. Near the elevator, Peter felt Humphrey Bogart’s presence and noted Carmen Miranda on the 3rd floor in the hall. The Blossom Room revealed Edward Arnold and Betty Grable. Peter left the hotel feeling that it was, indeed, haunted.

As for the reason it’s haunted, there’s a theory floating around that these ghosts started appearing after the renovations were completed. Those 1983 renovations seem to have certainly stirred things up. Maybe they stirred them up a bit too much and the ghosts are protesting.

Visit Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Ghosts

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is still open for guests today. You can reserve a room there and go see for yourself what you think about ghosts also being in residence. It may be that you’ll come away with a completely different view of such things.

Further information on the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel:

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Wikipedia
Hotels’s Website

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Lalaurie Mansion

People considered themselves lucky when they were invited to social functions at the LaLaurie mansion and were properly amazed at the home’s appearance. The home was 3 stories high with a plain exterior, but amazing interior. The LaLaurie Mansion was made to be the scene of social events. There were hand-carved human faces and flowers in the mahogany doors that opened up to brightly lit parlors. Guests were served food on European China provenience that rested on expensive imported Oriental fabrics.

Delphine Lalaurie

However, there was another side to Madame Delphine LaLaurie that the general public of New Orleans never got to see. Beneath her refined surface lurked a cold-blooded, cruel woman who was also probably insane. This was seen, however, by the many slaves that the LaLauries owned. Their cook was kept chained to the kitchen’s fireplace and she treated others even worse.

The neighbors started to suspect that something wasn’t right in the LaLaurie Mansion. They noticed that slaves in that house would suddenly vanish without explanation and were replaced. One day, a neighbor witnessed Delphine LaLaurie chasing her personal servant, who was just a small girl, with a whip. The girl ran to the house’s roof, jumping to her death. Later, the neighbor saw this girl buried in the LaLaurie yard under cypress trees.



Eventually, the stories of how Madame LaLaurie mistreated her slaves started to spread. This led to a gradual shunning by their former social circle. It was in April 1834 when the truth about everything that was going on at the LaLaurie house came out with a vengeance.

It was on that day that a horrible fire raged through the mansion. Once the fire was extinguished, the fire fighters found a secret door to the attic that was barred. Over a dozen slaves, both men and women, were chained to the wall and in terrible shape. A New Orleans newspaper reported that all of them were nude and in various states of mutilation. Doctors were brought in to see what could be done for these poor people, although most were either dead or dying.

This was one of the most horrific events to hit New Orleans. Everyone felt that Madame LaLaurie was totally responsible for these atrocities, and that her husband had known and simply chose to ignore it. A mob of angry people gathered outside of the LaLaurie house hauling hanging ropes and demanding vengeance for those poor souls. They were too late, however. As they stood there, a carriage flew out from the gates and disappeared down the street. No one saw the LaLaurie family again, though there have been much speculation about what happened to them.

The Hauntings of the LaLaurie Mansion

No matter what happened to the insanely cruel Madame LaLaurie, the hauntings in 1140 Royal Street started almost immediately. After the removal of the slaves from the mansion, the mob vandalized it and the house was unoccupied for many years. During that time, there were many reports of agonizing screams and ghosts of the slaves spotted on the property.

The LaLaurie Mansion was sold in 1837 to a man who lived in it for just 3 months. He kept hearing so many odd sounds, groans and cries at night that he soon moved out. He attempted to rent out rooms to tenants for a while, but none of them stayed past a few days.

After that, the house was used as an integrated high school for girls until 1874. It was turned into a center for New Orleans society in 1882 by an English teacher who taught music and dancing there. Things went very well until the teacher was accused of improprieties with the girls. The school closed immediately.

Even when the rent was low on the former LaLaurie house, tenants never stayed very long. When it became an apartment house, many things were reported. One such report was between a tenant and a naked black man wearing chains. The black man attacked the occupant and then instantly vanished. Other reports were about animals being butchered, children being attacked by a whip waving phantom, strange shroud wrapped figures, and the constant screaming all night.

The LaLaurie Mansion was then a bar and a furniture store, but neither of them worked out. Soon the house was abandoned once more. Today, however, the house has been remodeled and turned into a private residence.

Madame LaLaurie’s Graveyard

In recent years, the house’s owners were in the middle of remodeling when they discovered a graveyard hidden under the wooden floor at the back of the house. Skeletons had been dropped in the ground. After officials investigated, it was believed to be the secret graveyard of Madame LaLaurie.

Haunted New Orleans Tour

Even though the LaLaurie Mansion has gone through many changes as well as owners through the years, one of the most recent owners is the very well-known celebrity Nicolas Cage. He quipped at one point that, while other people have beachfront property, he has ghost-front property. Sadly, Cage lost the house in a foreclosure auction. The new owner reports no paranormal occurrences, but the house remains on the tours of haunted houses in New Orleans.

Further information on the Lalaurie Mansion and Delphine LaLaurie:

Delphine LaLaurie on Wikipedia
Prairie Ghosts

Photo by Megan Sauter

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Le Pavillon New Orleans

In 1830, the New Orleans Carrollton railroad reclaimed this land and filled it so it was more useable. The main train depot was erected on the exact spot that Le Pavillon Hotel stands today. When the railroad let it go during the early part of the 19th century, the depot was renovated to host various types of entertainment. In 1867, it was turned into the German Theatre by Philip Werlein, but burned down in a fire of suspicious nature.
 
 
Finally, an amazing hotel called New Hotel Denechaud was built from 1889 to 1907. The name would change in 1970 to Le Pavillon Hotel after some massive restoration was completed.

The haunted Le Pavillon Hotel boasts Italian statues that are symbolic of peace and prosperity watching over the front door. Not only is the Le Pavillon Hotel haunted, but it also contains sparkling chandeliers of crystal, lovely antiques, and a décor of elegance that covers the whole building, which is adjacent to the French Quarter. It’s at this magnificent hotel where EVPs have been recorded of voices that tell people “Get out!” and “I see you!”

How the Le Pavillon New Orleans is Haunted

First of all among the paranormal manifestations, there’s Adda, the Pavillon Hotel’s lost ghost. She’s also known as Eva, Ava, and the Crying Lost Ghost Girl. She’s a crying teenage girl ghost that hangs around the lobby and main entrance. She has brown eyes, brown hair and fair skin, and wears a long black skirt, hat, and shawl in the fashion of the mid-1800s. The story is that a runaway carriage killed her just as she was boarding a ship with her family.

This ghost paces in the lobby and, occasionally, runs into people. Then she apologizes, saying she’s lost just before suddenly vanishing. Many times, Adda is mistaken for a person in costume or a Mardi Gras celebrant. The people that she’s bumped into report that she feels solid. Others have smelled the scent of lilacs or roses.

A great little story surrounding Adda concerns a taxi driver’s encounter with her. It’s a cold and rainy night and a hotel doorman helps her into a taxi. She tells the driver to take her to the ship passengers’ terminal. Within a few blocks of the hotel, she suddenly vanishes. When the cab driver returns to the hotel, he relates the experience to the doorman. The doorman nods in agreement, saying that this has happened to others.

Adda has also appeared to people outside of the hotel and asked if they knew how to get to the terminal. One couple was approached by her with that question. When they replied that they, too, were going on a cruise and were happy to share a taxi with her. They assumed she was an actress in costume. Though all 3 of them got into the taxi, she vanished after they had ridden a few blocks, leaving behind the scent of roses.



The Le Pavillon Hotel has a ghostly couple, too. It’s said that the man died suddenly following a walk the couple took together, with the woman dying years later. When the woman is spotted alone, she’s crying. However, when they’re spotted as a couple, they’re happy and holding hands as they walk in the gardens and the hallways. Wearing fashions of the 1920s, they stroll through doors and disappear into elevators.

The man wears a dark hat, smokes a cigar, has a dark moustache and carries an umbrella or a cane. The lady is said to not be his wife and wears a long dress of light blue, has dark hair and carries a beaded purse. Her room is believed to be on the 3rd floor because her perfume lingers there. His room on the 4th floor carries cigar smoke.

There’s also the ghost of young man with long hair and no shoes, wearing a brightly colored shirt, bell bottom pants and a sizeable belt buckle that has been seen all over the hotel, parking lot and sidewalk. He appears to be quite happy. At times, he runs through the hotel like someone’s chasing him. Other times, he walks on the sidewalk and disappears into a wall.

This ghost is a prankster and does such things like moving around the belongings of guests, hides their room keys and shoes, and also yanks the sheets off the beds through the night. Some have spotted his reflection in mirrors and his face peeking into the windows of rooms even as high as the 3rd floor and higher. Security investigates and never finds anyone: The Le Pavillon hotel is haunted indeed.

Visitors Encouraged

These are just a sampling of the ghosts that reside in Le Pavillon Hotel, which is a member of the Historic Hotels of America. This is the ideal place to celebrate during the Carnival season of New Orleans as well as Halloween. However, amateur ghost hunters enjoy this as one of the haunted hotels in New Orleans all year long.

Further information on the Le Pavillon New Orleans:
Hotel’s Website

Image of the Le Pavillon hotel courtesy of Chris Suspect

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Octagon House Washington

The Octagon House carries quite a history. Colonel Tayloe actually saved it from being destroyed by British troops during the War of 1812 by allowing the French ambassador to use it as his official Washington residence. When the White House was burned during August of 1814, the colonel invited then President James Madison and his wife Dolly to live in the Octagon House while the White House was rebuilt. The house had various owners after 1855 and now serves as the headquarters of the American Architectural Foundation.

Of all the haunted houses, the Octagon House has the most interesting ghosts. Most of them date back to events that happened in the house during its early years. Something that makes it one of the most haunted places in Washington is the serpentine staircase that goes up 3 stories reaching the top of the house.

The Octagon House is Among the Most Haunted Houses in Washington

One such ghost is the oldest daughter of Colonel Tayloe’s 15 children. It’s said that around the War of 1812, this daughter was in love with a British army officer. Even though the Colonel forbade this romance, his daughter kept seeing the man. When the Colonel found out, he and his daughter fought. During the quarrel, the girl fell from the second story landing to her death below. Many people have reported seeing the shadow of a flickering candle moving slowly up the wall by the staircase. Next, there’s a shriek followed by hearing something heavy hit the bottom of the stairs where an area rug is seen moving in the same spot.

Another of the Colonel’s daughters also fell in love with an unsuitable man with whom she eloped, only to learn that he was unsuitable. Returning to the house to patch things up with her father, she encountered him on the stairs and tried to speak to him. The Colonel brushed her off and sent her careening down the stairs, also to her death. Both sisters have been heard to scream at times, but this sister is responsible mostly for a cold spot at the foot of the stairs.

Then, there’s the Quadroon slave girl that spurned the advances of a British soldier. There are a couple of versions of this story. One claims the British officer killed the girl and hid her body in a closet. Overcome with remorse, the British officer then threw himself down the staircase. Another version claims that following her murder, her body was hidden behind the wall and one of the Colonel’s sons retaliated by killing the officer. Whichever way it happened, the slave girl’s ghost as well as the British soldier are spotted on this staircase.

Dolly Madison is perhaps the most famous ghost that appears in the haunted Octagon House. She was known for her great parties and she threw several while occupying the house. She’s seen dressed in her party attire as she walks in the downstairs reception room. Following her is the scent of lilacs, which was her favorite perfume and flower. She may also be responsible for caretakers coming to the house to find lights blazing and the doors wide open.

The ringing of bells certainly cannot be overlooked in these Octagon House haunted events. These are bells that were once used to summon servants and they would begin to ring continuously. The bell wires were actually cut to stop the noise but it didn’t stop the phenomenon from continuing. This is believed to be long dead slaves warning the family to stay away.

With all of its various reports of moans, thumping sounds inside the walls, sighs, screams, sword clanking, odors of food cooking in kitchen when there’s no one in there, footprints in dust, and ghostly footmen attending carriages, the Octagon House is believed to be one of the most haunted houses Washington, D.C. has to offer. It’s currently preserved as the Octagon Museum and is open to the public.

Further information on the Octagon House in Washington:

The Octagon House on Wikipedia
National Register of Historic Places

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On August 4th, 1892, Lizzie Borden did the unthinkable. She supposedly killed her father and stepmother by brutally murdering them with a hatchet. Although Lizzie Borden was later acquitted, the murders did happen in the Lizzie Borden house where her family lived. The gut wrenching horror of the Borden family being chopped to death with a hatchet will forever be in the history books as one of the most brutal double murders of all time.

Lizzie Borden House Haunted

Lizzie Borden House

The Lizzie Borden House is located in Fall River, Massachusetts. It still stands to this day as a constant reminder of the atrocities that were committed there. Here is a little information on the house. The Borden sisters, Lizzie and Emma, lived in the upstairs portion of the house. The rear of the upstairs was inhabited by Andrew and Abby Borden, the mother and father who were found so brutally murdered in their own home.

Lizzie and her stepmother, it’s well known, had a falling out with each other 6 years before the Lizzie Borden murders took place. Instead of calling her “Mother”, as she always had in the past, Lizzie began calling her “Mrs. Borden” or “my father’s wife” instead. It was hurtful to Abby (Lizzie’s stepmother), for Lizzie to call her by the name “Mrs. Borden”. She was very broken up about it. There always seemed to be conflict in the family about who was going to get what portion of the family’s estate when Abby and Andrew had both passed. Ultimately, it led to Lizzie and her sister, Emma, to take extended “vacations” away from the Borden household.

It’s well known that in the years before the murders, Lizzie had attempted to purchase cyanide from a local druggist. The druggist, of course, out of responsibility to his profession, refused. Lizzie proclaimed it was to clean a seal skin suit, but many people still have doubts about the validity of Lizzie’s claim. What normal girl attempts to purchase cyanide, of all things?



Just before the slaughter occurred, the entire Borden family was stricken with sickness and became violently ill. Why and how has still not been proven to this day, but most people think it’s because the Borden family was very much disliked by the people of Fall River. The Lizzie Borden house haunted many people’s thoughts and dreams for years, they just couldn’t believe what had happened.

The Lizzie Borden house is well known to be haunted and many people have reported paranormal experiences here. Just what makes the house so haunted? Many people believe there is a direct correlation between the murders and the unexplained events that happen at night. You could find out for yourself, but do you dare bring more publicity to spirits that would rather be left alone? We’ll leave that up to you…

Lizzie Borden Murders

Learn more about the Lizzie Borden Murders in this video:

Lizzie Borden House History

Since the time of the murders the house has undergone changes to a bed and breakfast and the the Lizzie Borden museum. Listed at 92 Second Street, the house accommodates people from all walks of life and invites them to stay in a house that will forever go down in history. People staying at the Lizzie Borden bed and breakfast can view the murder scene and even try to get a taste of the paranormal. There are two bedroom suites that you can stay in, Lizzie and Emma’s Room and Andrew and Abby’s room. There is also the John Morse Guest Room and Bridget’s Attic Room. Finally, there are two additional bedrooms available, the Jennings and Knowlton Rooms.

Further information on the Lizzie Borden House:

Lizzie Borden on Wikipedia
Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast

Image of Lizzie Borden House courtesy of Pamela Bohnenstiehl

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