Belcourt Castle – Haunted Castle in Newport, Rhode Island

Belcourt Castle stands as one of Newport’s most impressive Gilded Age mansions. The stunning French-inspired castle has captivated visitors for over a century with its beauty and mystery.

Built as a summer residence for the wealthy Belmont family, it now harbors darker secrets. Guests and staff report numerous paranormal encounters within its ornate walls.

The castle’s reputation as a haunted location has grown steadily since the 1950s. Multiple paranormal investigation teams have documented unexplained phenomena throughout the property.

From possessed furniture to ghostly monks, Belcourt offers a unique blend of luxury and terror. The mansion’s haunted reputation rivals its architectural significance in Newport’s famous mansion row.

Historical Background

Belcourt Castle was constructed in 1894 for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont. Renowned architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the 60-room mansion in Louis XIII style.

The castle cost approximately $3 million to build, an astronomical sum for that era. Belmont filled his summer home with European antiques and priceless artifacts from his extensive travels.

Oliver Belmont was a banking heir and horse racing enthusiast who loved entertainment. The ground floor famously housed his prized horses in elaborate stalls near the main entrance.

He married Alva Vanderbilt in 1896, bringing even more wealth to the estate. The couple entertained extensively until Oliver’s sudden death from appendicitis in 1908.

Alva continued living at Belcourt until selling it in 1940 to a succession of owners. The Tinney family purchased the castle in 1956 and opened it to public tours.

During restoration work in the 1950s and 1960s, strange occurrences began escalating. Workers reported feeling watched and experiencing unexplained cold spots throughout construction zones.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Belcourt Castle experiences a wide variety of documented paranormal phenomena on a regular basis. Visitors and staff report feeling invisible hands touching them in several rooms throughout the mansion.

Objects move on their own with startling frequency, particularly in the ballroom and Gothic hall. Security cameras have captured items shifting position overnight when the building was completely empty.

Disembodied voices speaking in foreign languages echo through empty hallways and chambers. Multiple witnesses describe hearing Medieval French and Latin phrases they cannot understand.

Sudden temperature drops of 20 to 30 degrees occur without any logical explanation. These cold spots often move through rooms as if an unseen presence walks past.

Shadow figures appear regularly in mirrors and reflected surfaces throughout the castle. Guests frequently photograph mysterious dark shapes that weren’t visible to the naked eye.

Electronic equipment malfunctions constantly within certain areas of the mansion despite proper maintenance. Camera batteries drain completely within minutes, and audio recorders capture strange electronic voice phenomena.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most famous haunted objects at Belcourt are two ornate chairs in the ballroom. These Austrian chairs reportedly contain the spirits of two men who died violently centuries ago.

Visitors who sit in either chair report sudden overwhelming sensations of dread and suffocation. Many people have been physically pushed or felt invisible hands shoving them out of the seats.

One guest described feeling strangled by unseen forces after sitting in the larger chair. She collapsed gasping for air and had visible marks on her neck afterward.

A ghostly monk haunts the castle’s chapel and several hallways on the upper floors. Witnesses describe him as wearing a brown hooded robe and walking with his head bowed.

The monk’s identity remains unknown, though some believe he came with religious artifacts imported from Europe. He appears most frequently during early morning hours between 5 and 7 AM.

Staff members report the distinct smell of incense when the monk manifests nearby. The scent fades within seconds after the apparition vanishes through solid walls.

A woman in a white Victorian gown glides through the Grand Staircase area regularly. She appears solid and real until she passes through closed doors or simply fades away.

Some researchers believe this spirit might be Alva Belmont returning to her former home. The apparition wears clothing consistent with the late 1890s fashion Alva would have worn.

Multiple visitors have photographed this female spirit, capturing translucent images on their cameras. The photographs show remarkable detail including lace patterns on her elaborate dress.

Children’s laughter echoes through empty rooms despite no children being present in the building. The phantom sounds seem particularly active in the former servants’ quarters on the third floor.

Investigators recorded these childish giggles during overnight sessions when the castle was completely empty. The laughter moves from room to room as if invisible children are playing games.

A male entity with aggressive tendencies inhabits the armor collection room near the entrance. This spirit seems territorial and reacts negatively to people touching or examining the medieval weapons.

Visitors report being scratched or pushed when they get too close to certain displays. Three-line scratch marks appear on arms and backs with no visible cause.

One tour guide received severe scratches down her back after moving a medieval sword. Security footage showed her standing alone when she suddenly lurched forward and cried out.

Most Haunted Spot

The Gothic Ballroom represents the most intensely haunted location within Belcourt Castle. This grand room houses the infamous possessed chairs along with numerous European antiquities and religious artifacts.

Paranormal activity occurs almost continuously in this space according to staff and investigators. EMF meters spike to maximum readings without any electrical sources nearby to explain the fluctuations.

Guests report feeling dozens of unseen presences crowding around them in the ballroom. Many people experience difficulty breathing and overwhelming anxiety that vanishes immediately upon leaving the room.

A massive mirror in the ballroom reflects figures and faces that aren’t physically present. Photographers capture shadow people and ghostly forms appearing only in the mirror’s reflection.

The ballroom’s chandelier sways violently despite no air movement or vibrations in the building. This phenomenon occurs most frequently during evening hours when tours conclude for the day.

Can You Visit?

Belcourt Castle is open to the public for guided tours throughout most of the year. The mansion offers both standard historical tours and specialized paranormal investigation experiences for ghost enthusiasts.

General admission tickets cost approximately $20 for adults and $15 for children and seniors. Special evening ghost tours command premium pricing ranging from $50 to $100 per person depending on season.

Professional paranormal investigation tours occur monthly on select weekend nights by advance reservation only. These extended sessions last three to four hours and include access to investigation equipment.

Photography is permitted throughout the castle during standard tours and actively encouraged during paranormal events. Many guests capture unexplained anomalies and share their evidence with the staff afterward.

Regular visiting hours run from 10 AM to 5 PM Thursday through Monday during peak season. The castle closes for private events periodically and reduces hours during winter months.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity at Belcourt intensifies dramatically during autumn months from September through November. Staff report increased ghostly manifestations coinciding with the anniversary of Oliver Belmont’s death in October.

Evening hours after sunset produce the most compelling encounters according to investigation teams. Activity peaks between 9 PM and midnight when the building settles into darkness.

Cold weather months see heightened spiritual energy throughout the castle’s interior spaces. January and February investigations yield exceptional electronic voice phenomena and visual manifestations despite fewer visitors.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A tour guide named Patricia worked at Belcourt for fifteen years before retiring in 2015. She documented over thirty personal encounters with unexplained phenomena during her tenure at the castle.

Patricia reported seeing the monk spirit seventeen times in various locations throughout the building. She described feeling peaceful rather than frightened during these encounters with the religious apparition.

However, Patricia refused to enter the ballroom alone after experiencing violent attacks from unseen forces. She received scratches and was once knocked to the floor by an invisible entity.

In 2003, a family from Boston visited Belcourt during their Newport vacation. Their teenage daughter sat briefly in one of the haunted chairs before her parents could stop her.

The girl immediately began screaming and convulsing as if being choked by invisible hands. Her father pulled her from the chair as she gasped that a man was strangling her.

Photographs taken moments before show strange dark shadows hovering directly behind the chair. The family left immediately and the daughter refused to discuss the incident for months.

Paranormal investigator Jason Hawes brought his team from The Atlantic Paranormal Society to Belcourt in 2008. They recorded compelling evidence including full-body apparitions captured on thermal imaging cameras.

The team’s audio equipment picked up intelligent responses to their questions in accented English. One recording features a male voice clearly stating “Leave this place” when investigators approached the armor room.

A cleaning staff member named Maria encountered the white lady ghost multiple times during early morning shifts. She described the spirit as beautiful but sad, often appearing near windows overlooking the gardens.

Maria attempted to communicate with the apparition one morning in broken English and Spanish. The ghost turned to face her directly before vanishing, leaving Maria shaken but fascinated.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Warrens, famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, visited Belcourt in the 1970s. Lorraine declared the castle one of the most actively haunted locations on the East Coast.

The couple identified at least nine distinct spirits residing within the mansion’s walls. They warned that several entities attached to imported objects posed potential dangers to visitors and staff.

Ghost Hunters filmed an episode at Belcourt Castle featuring extensive overnight investigation footage. The team captured remarkable thermal images showing human-shaped heat signatures in empty rooms.

During their investigation, equipment malfunctions plagued the crew throughout the ballroom and chapel areas. Multiple cameras stopped functioning simultaneously despite fresh batteries and proper technical setup.

The Rhine Research Center conducted scientific studies at Belcourt measuring electromagnetic field fluctuations in 2011. Researchers documented anomalous readings that contradicted normal environmental patterns and couldn’t be explained by wiring or appliances.

Their findings suggested intelligent manipulation of electromagnetic fields rather than random environmental factors. The patterns showed responsive changes correlating directly with investigators’ questions and movements through haunted spaces.

Local paranormal groups conduct regular investigations at Belcourt with permission from current management. These teams have compiled extensive databases of electronic voice phenomena recordings spanning over two decades.

Analysis of these recordings reveals consistent voice patterns and personalities appearing across different investigation sessions. Several spirits seem to recognize repeat investigators and respond more readily to familiar researchers.

Cursed or Haunted Objects

Beyond the infamous possessed chairs, Belcourt houses numerous objects believed to harbor supernatural energy. A Gothic religious statue in the chapel allegedly weeps tears of blood on certain dates.

Multiple witnesses have photographed red liquid streaming from the statue’s eyes during anniversary dates of religious significance. Chemical analysis proved the substance was not paint, dye, or any manufactured liquid.

An ornate mirror imported from a French chateau shows faces of people who aren’t present. The mirror came from a castle where multiple murders occurred during the French Revolution.

Visitors standing before this mirror report seeing aristocratic figures in 18th-century clothing behind their own reflections. The phantom faces display expressions of terror as if witnessing their own executions.

A suit of medieval armor near the main entrance allegedly moves on its own. Security guards report finding the armor’s position changed during overnight shifts when the building was completely locked.

The metal gauntlet has been discovered in different positions multiple times despite being secured properly. Some staff members claim to hear the distinct sound of metal clanking when alone near this display.

A carved wooden chest from a Spanish monastery radiates cold temperatures regardless of room conditions. The chest supposedly contained remains of a murdered priest before being sold to collectors.

Sensitive individuals report overwhelming feelings of sorrow and betrayal when touching the chest’s surface. Several psychics who visited identified traumatic energy imprinted on the wood from centuries ago.

An oil painting of an unknown nobleman shows changes in expression depending on who views it. The subject’s eyes appear to follow visitors as they move through the portrait gallery.

Photographers have captured the painting displaying different facial expressions in sequential photos taken seconds apart. The nobleman appears angry in some images and despondent in others with no logical explanation.