Green Lady Cemetery – Haunted Cemetery in Burlington, Connecticut

Green Lady Cemetery stands as one of Connecticut’s most notorious haunted locations. The graveyard has terrified visitors and locals for generations with its spectral resident.

Located off Upson Road in Burlington, this colonial-era burial ground dates back to the 1700s. The cemetery earned its chilling nickname from a ghostly green-glowing figure that haunts the grounds.

Witnesses describe a luminescent woman dressed in a flowing green gown wandering among the headstones. Her appearances have been documented for over a century by countless terrified visitors.

The cemetery grounds remain active and accessible to the public during daylight hours. Yet most paranormal encounters occur after darkness falls across the weathered tombstones.

This small burial ground contains approximately 60 graves from Burlington’s earliest settlers. The modest size makes the overwhelming sense of dread here even more unsettling.

Historical Background

Green Lady Cemetery was established in the early 1700s during Connecticut’s colonial period. The burial ground served families living in what was then wilderness territory.

The cemetery received its official name from the prominent Green family who owned surrounding land. However, locals universally call it Green Lady Cemetery due to its supernatural resident.

Records indicate the graveyard was actively used through the 1800s before falling into disrepair. Many headstones now lean at odd angles or have sunken into the earth.

The identity of the Green Lady herself remains one of Connecticut’s greatest mysteries. Several competing theories exist about who this spirit was in life.

One prevalent legend identifies her as Elisabeth Palmiter who died in 1800. Her grave marker still stands in the cemetery’s northeast section near ancient oak trees.

Another theory suggests the spirit is that of a young bride killed in 1840. She allegedly drowned in the Farmington River on her wedding day wearing her green dress.

Historical records from the 1890s contain the first documented sightings of the apparition. A local newspaper article from 1896 described farmers encountering a “verdant specter” near the graves.

The cemetery suffered vandalism and neglect throughout the mid-20th century before restoration efforts began. Despite improvements, the overwhelming atmosphere of supernatural dread never diminished from this place.

Paranormal Activity Summary

The Green Lady herself represents the cemetery’s primary paranormal phenomenon reported by witnesses. She appears as a full-bodied apparition radiating an eerie green luminescence.

Visitors describe her as a young woman wearing a long flowing gown from the 1800s. Her face appears pale and sorrowful with hollow eyes that seem to stare through observers.

The apparition typically manifests near the cemetery’s oldest section where colonial-era graves cluster together. She has been spotted drifting between headstones without her feet touching the ground.

Witnesses report the temperature drops dramatically when the Green Lady appears nearby. Some people experience drops of 20 to 30 degrees within seconds of her manifestation.

Electronic devices frequently malfunction within the cemetery boundaries after dark each night. Cameras drain batteries instantly and flashlights flicker or fail completely without explanation.

Disembodied footsteps echo across the grounds when no living person is walking. The sound resembles a woman’s shoes clicking against stone pathways that no longer exist.

Visitors often report an overwhelming sense of sadness and despair washing over them. This feeling intensifies near certain graves, particularly those of women who died young.

Strange green orbs appear in photographs taken at the cemetery at night. These luminous spheres show up even when nothing was visible to the naked eye.

Some witnesses claim to hear a woman weeping or calling out a man’s name. The voice sounds distant yet somehow close as if coming from all directions simultaneously.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most famous encounter occurred in 1993 when three college students visited at midnight. They captured photographs showing a distinct green glowing figure moving between two large headstones.

The students described seeing the Green Lady materialize from thin air near Elisabeth Palmiter’s grave. She remained visible for approximately two minutes before fading away like dissipating mist.

A Burlington police officer responded to a disturbance call at the cemetery in 2001. He reported seeing a woman in old-fashioned clothing who vanished when he approached her.

The officer filed an official report describing the woman’s green-tinted appearance and period dress. He stated he felt an unnatural cold that made his breath visible despite warm August weather.

Local legend tells of a man who visited his deceased wife’s grave in 1952. He encountered the Green Lady standing directly over his wife’s final resting place.

The widower claimed the spirit spoke to him in an ancient-sounding voice. She allegedly warned him that death was coming for another member of his family.

Within two weeks of this encounter, the man’s adult daughter died unexpectedly from illness. He refused to ever return to Green Lady Cemetery after that traumatic experience.

Teenagers who visited the cemetery as a dare in 1978 reported being chased away. They described a glowing green woman who screamed at them to leave her resting place.

The teens claimed she moved with impossible speed, appearing ahead of them no matter which direction they ran. All four witnesses gave identical descriptions to local authorities despite being interviewed separately.

A paranormal researcher named David Phillips documented 23 separate sightings between 2005 and 2010. His detailed reports describe consistent patterns in the Green Lady’s appearances and behavior.

Phillips noted that the apparition seems most active during the autumn months of October and November. She appears to be searching for something or someone among the weathered gravestones.

One compelling account comes from a groundskeeper who worked at the cemetery in the 1960s. He witnessed the Green Lady on at least five different occasions during his tenure.

The groundskeeper stated she always appeared near sunset when long shadows stretched across the graves. He described feeling profound sadness radiating from the spectral figure like waves of grief.

Most Haunted Spot

The northeast corner near Elisabeth Palmiter’s grave generates the most paranormal reports consistently. This section contains the oldest surviving headstones dating back to the 1700s and early 1800s.

A large oak tree stands near this area, its gnarled roots disturbing several grave sites. Witnesses claim the Green Lady appears most frequently beneath this tree’s spreading branches.

The Palmiter headstone itself shows unusual weathering patterns despite being carved from durable granite. Strange green stains appear on the stone that cannot be explained by natural processes.

Visitors standing near this grave report feeling invisible hands touching their shoulders or backs. The sensation of being watched becomes almost unbearable for some people in this spot.

A narrow dirt path winds through this section connecting the oldest graves together. Footsteps are frequently heard walking this path though no living person is present.

Can You Visit?

Green Lady Cemetery is open to the public for daytime visits without restriction. The Burlington Parks Department maintains the grounds as an active historical cemetery.

No entry fee is required to visit this public burial ground during daylight hours. The cemetery officially closes at sunset though this rule is frequently ignored by ghost hunters.

No organized tours are available at this location due to its small size. Visitors are expected to show proper respect as this remains an active burial site.

Photography is allowed throughout the cemetery grounds for both day and night visits. However, visitors must not damage gravestones or disturb plantings while taking pictures.

Official visiting hours run from dawn until dusk every day of the week. After-dark visits technically constitute trespassing though enforcement remains inconsistent from local authorities.

Best Time to Visit

Most Green Lady sightings occur between October and November during autumn months. The apparition seems most active when leaves fall and darkness arrives earlier each evening.

The hours between 9 PM and midnight generate the highest percentage of paranormal encounters. Witnesses report the Green Lady appears most frequently around 10:30 PM specifically.

Full moon nights produce increased supernatural activity according to long-term observation patterns. The combination of moonlight and shadows creates optimal conditions for manifestations here.

Anniversary dates of deaths recorded in the cemetery also correlate with heightened paranormal phenomena. October 12th sees particularly intense activity for reasons researchers cannot explain fully.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Jennifer Martinez visited the cemetery in October 2015 with two friends from college. She described seeing a woman in green appear suddenly between two large monuments.

Martinez stated the figure glowed with an internal light that illuminated surrounding headstones. The apparition stared directly at their group before dissolving into the night air.

Thomas Burke, a paranormal investigator from Hartford, conducted overnight investigations in 2012. His team recorded unexplained electromagnetic field spikes near the Palmiter grave throughout the night.

Burke’s audio equipment captured what sounds like a woman’s voice saying “find him.” No living females were present during this recording session at 2:47 AM.

Sarah Chen photographed the cemetery at sunset in 2018 for a college photography project. Her camera captured a distinct green figure in three consecutive shots despite seeing nothing.

Chen’s photographs show the figure moving closer to the camera in each successive image. The final photo shows a woman’s face with hollow eyes staring directly at the lens.

Local historian Robert Davidson has researched Green Lady Cemetery for over 30 years extensively. He has personally witnessed the apparition on four separate occasions since 1989.

Davidson describes the Green Lady as appearing solid and real until she vanishes suddenly. He believes she remains trapped between worlds searching for a lost love forever.

Local Legends & Myths

One persistent legend claims the Green Lady drowned in the Farmington River on her wedding day. She allegedly wore a green silk gown imported from Europe for the ceremony.

According to this tale, her fiancé died of grief shortly after her tragic death. The Green Lady haunts the cemetery searching eternally for her lost love’s grave.

Another legend states the Green Lady was murdered by a jealous rival in 1840. The killer allegedly wore a green cloak to frame the victim’s sister for the crime.

Some versions claim anyone who sees the Green Lady will experience a death in their family within one year. However, numerous witnesses have disputed this particular superstition over the decades.

A darker legend suggests the Green Lady isn’t human at all but rather a nature spirit. This theory proposes she guards the cemetery from those who would disturb the dead.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigated Green Lady Cemetery in 2008 for their research database. Their team recorded significant temperature anomalies and unexplained electromagnetic field readings throughout the grounds.

Team members reported feeling an oppressive presence near the northeast section of the cemetery. Multiple investigators experienced the sensation of being touched by invisible hands during their overnight investigation.

Connecticut Paranormal Research conducted a three-night investigation in October 2014 with specialized equipment. Their thermal imaging cameras detected a human-shaped cold spot moving between gravestones independently.

The research team captured audio recordings of disembodied footsteps and whispered conversations. Analysis revealed voices speaking in what may be early 19th-century dialect and speech patterns.

Ghost Hunters of New England featured the cemetery in their 2016 documentary series. Lead investigator Michelle Santos described the location as genuinely active with measurable paranormal phenomena.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Visiting after official closing hours constitutes criminal trespassing under Connecticut state law. Burlington police do patrol the area periodically and issue citations to nighttime visitors.

The cemetery grounds contain uneven terrain with sunken graves and exposed tree roots. Visitors should exercise extreme caution when walking after dark to avoid injury from falls.

Upson Road has no street lighting and very narrow shoulders for parking vehicles safely. Several accidents have occurred when visitors park improperly near the cemetery entrance at night.

The property borders private residential land on two sides with unclear boundary markers. Trespassing onto adjacent properties can result in serious legal consequences from angry homeowners.

Cell phone service is unreliable in this rural area of Burlington County. Visitors should inform someone of their plans before visiting in case of emergency situations.