HAUNTED NEW YORK  & EAST COAST LOCATIONS

Listed below are locations that are said to be haunted throughout New York and the East Coast. There are many more to be added but these are the most popular, many of which have been investigated by GothamPRS. Some of the histories are based on legend and others on historical fact. 

Gotham Paranormal Research Society does not endorse trespassing at any location. Trespassing is illegal.  If you wish to investigate any of these places, please be respectful and contact the appropriate authorities for proper permission. 

Albany-The Capitol Building
 The Capital is said to be haunted by a custodian who was killed in a fire many years ago.

Alexandria Bay-Boldt Castle
 The Castle was built in early 1900's, which was never completed due to the death of the builder's wife. Heartbroken, he left, never to return. On many nights, a light can be seen in the uppermost windows of the castle, said to be the ghost of Mrs. Boldt.

Astoria-American Museum of the Moving Image
 Footsteps following you at night are reported in the office area. A deep voice of a man heard in the hallway. People heard talking from the vents when no one else was in the building. A black woman, in a white dress has been seen sitting at the desk in the entrance lobby. 

Aurora-The Aurora Inn 
There is a ghost named the “White Lady” that is said to haunt the hotel and lobby of the Aurora Inn off route 90. Waiters and waitresses will even tell you that down on the shorefront of Cayuga Lake, there was once and old building that burned down and three people died. Two male ghosts haunt the shore and the white lady haunts the hotel, which is now being renovated into a restaurant and museum. 

Bayside - Fort Totten 
This 150-year-old military base also an old Indian burial ground (under soccer field). Many areas are haunted. In mid-May '00, one guard was dozing in his patrol car at night when he heard a knock on the window. He opened his eyes to see 2 men, one on either side of the car, pointing at him & laughing. He could see right thru them. This guard (an ex-marine) never believed in ghosts & taunted the others who did. The other guards wouldn't go to that area at night & warned him that it was haunted, but he didn't believe them then. 

Bohemia, NY – Normandie Inn
 The Normandie Inn is allegedly haunted by a young woman by the name of “Maria”. It is said that she was strangled to death in the back bedroom when the inn was a speakeasy over 60 years ago.
 The paranormal activity said to occur is foot prints appear on the carpeting even in the winter, shadowy figures appear in the kitchen and unidentified bones appear in the basement.

Buffalo -The S.S. The Sullivan's 
This ship was named after the five Sullivan brothers who were killed in WWII on the same destroyer. Caretakers have all had experiences aboard the ship including lights turning on and off. Doors are locked at night with the caretaker having the only key and the doors will be unlocked the next day. The keys have been changed frequently. 

Centereach, NY- Centereach High School Track
 In January of 1997 an off duty FDNY firefighter named James Halverson was shot and killed while running Centereach High School’s track. Legend has it that the fireman was shot by bored teenagers who had nothing else better to do. According to reports, one of the teens named William Sodders was accused and convicted of murder.

Soon after, visitors and students who go to the track experience an uneasy feeling on the northeast side of the visitor’s bleachers. . It is also said that you can see the ghost of the fireman running in lane #5 of the track. There are also reports of his image lying on the track in the same location where was murdered. To this day, many avoid sitting in the visitors bleachers on the northeast corner of the track.

Central Islip, NY- Central Islip Psychiatric Center
 The alleged activity at the psychiatric center includes strange noises coming from the main hospital building where patients were kept, and sightings of men working at the abandoned power plant that simply vanish.
 Witnesses have reported hearing sounds of people screaming and moaning in the engineering room. In addition, there are claims of seeing bloody IV bags lying around in a big room. Finally, witnesses have reported seeing a woman apparently folding laundry but she instantly vanishes as soon as she sees living people. 

Cobleskill-The Bulls Head Inn 
This Inn was originally home to the Danforth’s, a prominent local family. Mrs. Danforth did not like drinking. Now that her home is a restaurant that serves alcohol, she has come back to haunt the place. She has been seen sitting in a rocking chair. 

Commack, NY- Commack Multiplex Cinemas
 Employees of this popular movie theater have reported witnessing in the employee lounge door knobs turning, and lockers opening and closing by themselves as well as brand new scratches on the glass counters at the concession stand where they have been untouched and where there were no customers.

Cooperstown - Baseball Hall of Fame
 Legend has it that at closing time in the Baseball Hall of Fame, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson comes out to haunt the museum. Witness claim to hear the voice of Jackson complaining that he never made it into the Hall of Fame. There are also sounds of broken glass as well as the sound of a ball being hit by a baseball bat followed by a cheering crowd.

Fire Island – Fire Island Lighthouse
 Allegedly many years ago in the original lighthouse that stood in the spot of the present day lighthouse, the caretaker hanged himself. According to witnesses, doors that require two people to close them shut by themselves, doors that require three people open of their own volition, strange laughter, and knocks can be heard inside the lighthouse, windows that require a tool to reach them are known to rise on their own, visitors report chills while visiting the lighthouse, and finally human skulls and bones wash up on shore in front of the lighthouse on occasion.

Garrison - Bird and Bottle Inn 
There are reports of it being haunted by a young woman. 

Grand Island - Holiday Inn 
In the Holiday Inn there is a room that is all locked up. This is because whenever someone rented that room, they got a call in the middle of the night at the same time and when they picked up all they heard was a little girl laughing.  

Greenport, NY – Townsend Manor Inn
 Reports were made of tapping on the windows, scratching at the door and lights that flickered and then turned off by themselves without intervention by any of the investigators.

Hauppauge – Begjaine House
 It is said that the Begjaine’s have been haunting this house for over 200 years. Paranormal activity is said to have begun in 1778 when the Patriarch, Mr. Begjaine, was killed at Fort Ticonderoga. After his death Mrs. Begjaine took her children and moved to this mansion in Hauppauge, New York. Soon after moving in, Mrs. Begiane a man with a British accent came to their door claiming to sell hats. When Mrs. Begjaine invited him into the home, it is said that he pulled out a gun and murdered the entire family. To the present day, the police are still investigating the crime. The house is abandoned but there are claims of people hearing strange noises and gun shots coming from the house. When the police come to investigate the claims of hearing the gun shots, it is said that only very few lived to make it out. 

Huntington, NY - Mount Misery / West Hills Park
 This location, prior to becoming a park, was the location of a terrible tragedy which occurred during the 1840s. There was allegedly a hospital at that site that burned down and was rebuilt 15 years later at which time reports of moaning and crying for help were reported by the hospital staff. Five months after having been rebuilt, the hospital once again burned down. Allegedly burning specters can still be seen at this site.

Huntington, NY – Sweet Hollow Road
 Many years ago, two young boys while walking along the road were struck by a car and killed. They were unaware of the car’s impending impact as the driver did not beep the horn. Local legend states that if you do not beep your horn while approaching the overpass, the boys will jump out in front of your car.

Another account of this location is that a police officer who was allegedly killed while on duty in the area stops at parked cars along the road. No words are spoken and upon his walking away, witnesses see blood on his shoulders and the back of his head is missing.

In the main field near the road there have been reports of what appears to be a dog digging and then standing on two legs, walking into the woods and disappearing.

Local legend states that a man with an axe walks the woods at night watching people drive by in their cars.

And finally there is a legend of a “Woman in White” who apparently wanders down the road. There are many variations on who this woman was and how she died and the following are a few of them.   “Mary” as she was called, was dating a very jealous man. “The Boyfriend” suspected that she was cheating on him. And while driving down this very same road he apparently pushed her out of the moving car and she was struck by another car and killed. It is said that she wanders the road looking for her killer and will often jump out in front of passing vehicles.

Another story claims that “Mary” was a witch hanged in this area during the late 1600s.

There is one final story that “Mary” was walking along this road on her way home in the 1920s and was struck by a car and killed. Her grave is said to be in the cemetery located on this road.

King’s Park, NY – King’s Park Psychiatric Center
 There are rumors stating that there are secret rooms within the tunnels of the psychiatric center where patients were supposedly tortured and beaten. It is also said that in the basement, patients were repeatedly beaten with a cement block while they sat in a chair. There have been reports of a white image that chases people off the grounds and many witnesses claim to still be able to hear the screams and voices around the area. The building is now abandoned.

Lake George - Fort William Henry Museum 
When visiting the basement of the museum known as the dungeon, there are reports of crying and screams of men being heard. There are also reports of a woman being seen by the original stone fireplace also in the basement. The gift shop also has reports of activity where a family of hooded shadow figures roam around the shop at night when the maintenance crew comes to check on things. When we investigated this location, we found numerous areas of activity. In the Bastian areas of the fort, there were screams and heavy footsteps captured on audio . In the dungeon, there were screams heard as well as voices trying to communicate that were having difficulty speaking captured on RT-EVPs. There was also an incident where one of the investigators had their headphones ripped off their ears and their recorder thrown to the floor and smashed during an EVP session. 

The Convention Center as well as The Fort William Henry Hotel were also found to have activity. In the lower level of the Convention Center, there is said to be reports of crying children. The history of this area indicates that there was once a river trench that spans the lower two rooms of the Convention Center. Women and children were supposedly tortured and brutally murdered and left in the trench. Cries and screams as well as feelings of overwhelming dread and sadness were experienced by our investigators at this location during the investigation. In the hotel itself, we had the privilege of investigating the basement kitchen area. In this location, we were actually pushed and tapped several times in different locations, especially in the pantry area, and had loud whispers shouted in our ears.

Lake Ronkonkoma, NY – Lake Ronkonkoma
 There are several legends associated with this location among them a Setauket Sachem Indian was not permitted to marry the woman he loved, in desperation he rowed to the middle of the lake and committed suicide by putting a knife through his heart. His body was apparently recovered in another lake in Connecticut.

Another is the story of a young Indian princess who was not permitted by her family to marry a white man. Again in desperation she rowed to the middle of the lake and committed suicide where her young lover found her lifeless body. He in turn got into the canoe and was never seen again.

There is now according to legend, a curse on the lake and there have been several drownings over the years attributed to this curse. It is said to be bottomless, raises and lowers mysteriously, and that there is an underground connection from the lake that stretches for miles. None of these myths have ever been proven.
 Legend has it that the Indian princess and the drowning victims still haunt the lake to this day.

Little Falls - Beardslee Castle
 This castle is believed to be haunted by the original owners, the Beardslee family. There have been numerous reports of seeing the family many times there.

Long Beach, NY – McKinley Elementary School
 The story goes that a third grader had died in the school playground by suffering a fatal head injury while playing on the rings. The “rings” apparently move by themselves despite the fact that they are too heavy to be moved by the wind.

In the cafeteria witnesses claim that lunch trays and benches with children on them, move by themselves. This activity 1973-1984 is attributed to the claims that a young boy and girl both died inside the school building, the girl by falling down the stairs and the boy by getting into a fight with another child who had a weapon.

Manhattan - The Dakota
 The Dakota has a mixed celebrity history being home to many celebrities including Judy Garland, Leonard Bernstein, Lauren Bacall, Boris Karloff, Paul Simon, Gilda Radner, and Judy Holliday to name a few. When Ms. Holliday died in 1965, her apartment was bought by the Smiths. During their move-in process, they hired three painters to have all the walls repainted. While there, the painters felt as if they were being watched. One of them even saw the ghostly image of a little boy of approximately age 10 dressed in a Buster-Brown style suit dated back to the style of the early 1900’s. The men also claimed to have seen the ghost of a 20 year old man who had the face of a young child. On the very last day of painting, one of the men actually felt something grab his arm while in the apartment. Along with the sightings of the little boy, a little girl is also said to roam the halls of the building. She is said to have long blonde hair and bounces a ball through the hallways. The third floor apartment is said to have reports of rugs and chairs sliding all on their own. A brightly lit chandelier was said to have been seen from the outside but when entering the apartment, the chandelier was gone and only bolts remained. There are reports of metal bars, snow shovels and garbage being thrown about with no obvious source seen. At one time, an electrician who was doing work in the basement claimed to have seen the ghost of a long-nosed man with a beard, no mustache, wearing wire-framed glasses and a wig, topped with a high hat. Others also claim to have seen the same apparition. The description they all gave was the same and it matched that of its builder, Edward Clark. Yoko Ono and John Lennon were one of the most famous celebrities that called The Dakota their home. On the evening of December 8, 1980, John Lennon was fatally shot by Mark David Chapmen right outside the building. It has been said that the ghost of John Lennon has been seen in and around The Dakota on numerous occasions. 


The Dakota has also been the film location of many horror movies over the years, the most famous being Rosemary’s Baby that was filmed in 1967 in one of the actual apartments as well as the outside of the building.

Manhattan - New Amsterdam Theatre 
Haunted by a Ziegfeld Follies chorus girl, Olive Thomas, who killed herself. She has been seen on the stage and in one of the dressing rooms by workmen that were doing repairs on the theatre. She holds a blue glass bottle (reportedly that held the poison that killed her). 

New Hyde Park, NY - Iceland Ice Skating Rink
 The activity said to occur at this location varies from a man in the scoreboard operations room to hockey pucks appearing in the middle of the ice late at night and doors opening and closing by themselves.

North Babylon– North Babylon High School
 During the 1970s a young man distraught over the fact that he would not be able to graduate on time committed suicide by shooting himself. It is said while students take their regents exams, they could hear footsteps in the rooms.

Northport – Hayes Hill House
 Many years ago a young woman drowned in the family’s swimming pool. After this tragedy occurred the father was in the process of dismantling the pool when he had a fatal heart attack and died. The mother in all of her grief and being very distraught decided to hang herself in the kitchen and died. The only remaining child from this family abandoned the house and to this day it is said that the interior of the house is just as it was when these occurrences took place and if a car is parked in the driveway the outside lights will come on. It is also said that if anyone takes any item from the house that the car will not start.

Old Westbury - The New York Institute of Technology
 Many of the buildings on the campus of this school are said to be haunted and the janitorial crews who work in the art building refuse to go inside because an apparition of a woman has been reportedly seen in that building.

Oriskany - Oriskany Battlefield 
A former employee reports an awful stench was coming from the woods where Gen. Herkimer's advance party was wiped out by the King's Royal Regiment of NY. In the visitors center the men's room door likes to slam itself shut and dark cast shadows that looked as though a figure was creating them. When nobody is standing casting a shadow. The hand dryers in the bathrooms like to go on all by themselves. If you are sometimes walking through the ravine you often feel that you are not alone. People have spoken of seeing lights and orbs in the nearby woods when driving past the site. Neighbors often hear the cries of men and sometimes they say you can hear musket fire from the woods. 

Oyster Bay - Raynham Hall
 This residence has a long history. The home was originally owned by the Townsend family. The house was used as a base for the British during the Revolutionary War. John Andre was a British Major during the war and visited often. One day Townsend's daughter overheard Andre and John Simcoe (Commander of British Forces) talking about a payment to Benedict Arnold to surrender his troops. The Townsend's relayed this information to George Washington. Benedict Arnold escaped, but Andre was captured and hanged. His ghost was first reported here in the 1930s when he was seen on horseback outside a bedroom window. 

John Andre isn't the only ghost here. Sally Townsend, allegedly John Simcoe's lover is said to still haunt the house. Her former bedroom is always cold, even in the summer the curator wears a warm wool vest in that room! Paranormal investigators have said that whatever is in that room is not happy. 

In October of 1999 a volunteer was working on the property when the garden door opened and a man came out wearing a dark wool coat with brass buttons. First it was strange to see someone wearing that clothing, second the building was locked, and third the alarms were all on. In March another worker saw the same ghost materialize by the staircase. Once with the bottom half of his body missing, and then again full-figure. The ghost is believed to be Michael Conlin, an Irish immigrant who worked as a servant in the 1860's. 

In the upstairs of the former servants quarters moving shadows have been seen when no one else is in the house. In that same area the smell of roses has mysteriously been sensed. The spirit of a servant woman has materialized and walked into the kitchen. In that kitchen the smell of apple pie has also been present when ghosts want to make themselves known. The witness felt extremely privileged when they smelled the strong scent of cinnamon-apple on their way down the stairs near the kitchen. When they got down to the bottom of the stairs they could smell the strong scent of something like cinnamon rolls or apple pie! 

Another area that is said to produce some interesting smells is the front foyer. The smell of a non-existent stove has been sensed there as well as the faint smell of a smoking pipe. At one time this was the kitchen area. The former museum director Andrew Batten says he has sensed at least 5 different entities and something in Sally Townsend's room. 

Port Jefferson - Lulu's Village Pub
The owners and customers have seen apparitions along with disembodied voices.  Lulu, the owner, was physically pushed and thrown which was captured on surveillance video.  Investigations of the pub revealed numerous EVP's captured on audio and disembodied voices heard live during the course of the investigation.

Port Washington - St. Stephens Church 
In the bathroom every night a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes is said to haunt the basement, lights go on and off and you hear footsteps occasionally in the hallway. 

Putnam - Smalleys Inn Restaurant 
The building has been there since 1852. Several incidents have happened, ghostly images have appeared, phone calling each other, sightings of a little girl, and things falling from their places. There is also a very cold liquor room in the basement where strange sounds are heard and unsettling feelings felt.

Rome - Fort Stanwix 
A Revolutionary War fort rebuilt on its original site. Many soldiers in period dress have been sighted in various places throughout the fort. Around sunrise you can sometimes hear drums and fifes, a lady crying for her sick child can be heard also. A one legged man has also been spotted by employees as well as tourists sitting in one of the barracks. At all hours of the day and night you can hear footsteps, voices, sounds of someone sweeping a floor, chopping wood, and such antics as lights going on and off by themselves, doorknobs turning, and the security alarm system being tripped. 

Shirley - Kohl's 
In the break room at night the lockers and doors open and close by themselves, in the storage room toys go on by themselves, and motion detector lights go on when no one is there. There was a Sear's built on that site and allegedly a man died up there from carrying something and falling. 

Shirley - South Haven Park 
A room in the local park police station is believed to be a haunted by an unknown ghost. Strange occurrences and weird noises have been known to come from this room and for this reason it is unused and kept closed. 

Smithtown – Caleb Smith House
 Reports of loud bangs of unknown cause heard through the house. It was reported that the dolls change position in their crib and their arms move. GothamPRS has reported numerous EVPs at this location as well as communication sessions with various meters and the SB7 Spirit Box.

Smithtown - Epenetus Smith Tavern
 GothamPRS findings to post shortly !

Smithtown – Katie’s Bar
 Katie’s haunted history dates back to the Trainor Hotel which caught fire and burned down in December of 1909. In the basement of Katie’s, there is an original “dividing line” that marks and divides the original part of the old Trainor Hotel and the added on area. The bar is said to have it’s “resident” ghost of Charlie Klein, a former owner of the Smithtown Hotel who took his own life in 1933. The bar is said to have numerous entities on the premises including that of a little boy who is said to have been seen in period clothing. Spirit images are said to be seen in the mirrors of the bar and a negative entity residing in the basement. Glasses have come out of their racks, smashing to the ground and the soda fountain hoses have come out of their holders, on their own, as if something invisible was lifting them. Our investigation here was very eventful. We had captured numerous EVPs, especially in the basement area. We heard loud thuds as if someone fell down the stairs but no one was there. During our investigation, some of our equipment went missing and later found in an entirely different area. After taking a photo in the basement of the back wall by the emergency exit, we captured an image in the mirror of a little boy who appeared to be wearing an orange scarf, knickers, and white stockings who appeared to be leaning against a pole which was right next to us while we took the photo. Also during the investigation, our video cameras showed shaking movement at various times during the investigation. Katie’s has also been featured on “My Ghost Story” and "Ghost Adventures".  During a recent visit to Katie's, we actually witnessed live, a glass lifting on its own and being thrown to the floor at the upstairs bar area.

Staten Island - The Conference House
 This is next-door to The Billop House - It's said that the house is haunted by Redcoats- when walking through it you can feel someone tap your shoulder or you can hear the faint sound of singing. 

Stony Brook - Country House Restaurant 
An old farm house built in 1710, used as a stagecoach station in the1800's. Now a restaurant, is haunted by the ghost of a young woman who was hanged by the British as a spy during the Revolutionary War. It is said that her presence can be felt on the staircase and in the kitchen. 

Stony Brook - Mill House 
Abandoned historical house where a woman in white can be seen pacing the top floor of the house with a candle. 

 

Tarrytown - The Tarrytown Music Hall

Unexplained happenings and paranormal activity have been experienced at this 135-year-old historic theater. Lights mysteriously turning back on after closing. The eerie sound of an unknown singer performing vocal scales in the wings after hours. High-profile artists refuse to stay in one particular dressing room because they “sense a presence.” The hauntings in the theater also include a former stagehand from the 1880s who can be heard whistling in the wings. 

Valley Stream - Valley Stream State Park 
A young woman is seen sitting in woods then disappearing within a few seconds without a trace .

Waterville - Sanger Mansion 
Apparently the mansion used to be a monk monastery, and it is said that if you go there at night you can see the spirits of the monks walking around. 

West Babylon - South Bay Elementary School 
Many sightings of a little boy wandering in the recreation area at night, he's usually seen walking around the area where the old fire house burnt down around the late 1800's. Also, numerous times, an old man that looks poor is seen wandering. 

West Islip - West Islip High School 
In the gym at night you can hear children's voices. They are laughing and playing with each other. Also, a boy is said to haunt the school who was killed there. He now allegedly roams the hallways. 

Youngstown - Old Fort Niagara
 The French Castle at the fort is where most of the paranormal experiences have occurred.