The White Horse Tavern – Haunted Restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island

The White Horse Tavern stands as America’s oldest operating restaurant and tavern. Its weathered clapboard walls have witnessed over three centuries of Newport history since 1673.

This colonial landmark has served pirates, founding fathers, and Rhode Island’s colonial legislature. The building’s dark wood beams and low ceilings hold countless stories of revelry and tragedy.

Visitors today come for the fine dining and historic atmosphere. Many leave with chilling tales of ghostly encounters they never expected to experience.

The tavern’s reputation as one of New England’s most haunted establishments draws paranormal enthusiasts worldwide. Staff members and patrons regularly report unexplained phenomena throughout the property’s many rooms.

Historical Background

William Mayes Sr. constructed the building in 1652 as a private residence. His son William Mayes Jr. converted it into a tavern in 1673.

The establishment quickly became the social and political center of colonial Newport. Rhode Island’s General Assembly held legislative sessions in the tavern’s main dining room during the 1700s.

Francis Brinley purchased the property in 1702 and operated it successfully for decades. The tavern earned its distinctive name during this period under Brinley’s ownership.

British troops occupied the building during the Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1779. Soldiers used the tavern as a barracks and military headquarters during Newport’s occupation.

The property fell into severe disrepair during the early 20th century. The Preservation Society of Newport County rescued and restored the building in 1957.

Jonathan Peck purchased the tavern in 2014 and continues operating it today. His extensive renovations maintained the building’s historic character while modernizing kitchen facilities.

Paranormal Activity Summary

The White Horse Tavern experiences consistent paranormal activity across all floors and rooms. Staff members report phenomena so regularly that ghostly encounters have become routine workplace occurrences.

Cold spots appear suddenly in specific locations regardless of heating system operation. Employees and guests describe walking through invisible walls of frigid air near historical hearths.

Disembodied footsteps echo through empty dining rooms during closing procedures each night. Heavy boots sound across original floorboards when no living person occupies those spaces.

Doors lock and unlock themselves despite staff carefully securing them moments before. The front entrance has been found wide open on multiple mornings after employees confirmed closure.

Glasses and dishes move across tables without physical contact from any visible source. Servers have watched wine glasses slide several inches while turned away momentarily.

Shadow figures dart through peripheral vision in poorly lit hallways and staircases. Multiple witnesses describe seeing dark human shapes that vanish when directly observed.

Voices whisper in empty rooms when staff arrive early for opening preparations. The conversations sound like colonial-era English but words remain indistinct and impossible to understand.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most famous spirit haunting the tavern is believed to be a former patron. This elderly gentleman appears wearing colonial-era clothing from the mid-1700s complete with tricorn hat.

Witnesses describe him sitting at a corner table in the main dining room. He appears solid and lifelike until observers look away briefly and find him vanished.

Staff members have approached this figure thinking him a living customer awaiting service. The apparition disappears before servers reach his table to take drink orders.

Several employees report seeing him late at night through windows from outside. He sits peacefully drinking from a pewter mug that glows faintly in darkness.

A female spirit haunts the upper floors where private dining rooms now operate. She wears a long white dress typical of 18th-century Newport society women.

This apparition appears sad and distressed as though searching for something lost. She drifts through walls between rooms ignoring the modern layout completely.

Witnesses hear her crying softly in empty upstairs chambers during afternoon hours. The sobbing stops immediately when anyone enters the room to investigate the source.

Local folklore suggests she may be mourning a lover lost during the Revolutionary War. British soldiers frequented the tavern during occupation and several romances allegedly developed with local women.

A third entity manifests as heavy footsteps in the basement storage areas. These boots sound military in cadence suggesting a British soldier from the occupation period.

Kitchen staff refuse to enter basement areas alone due to overwhelming feelings of hostility. Multiple employees describe sensing an angry male presence watching them from shadowy corners.

This spirit allegedly moves stored items and supplies to inconvenient locations overnight. Morning staff regularly find boxes relocated and wine bottles mysteriously uncorked without explanation.

One server reported being touched roughly on the shoulder while retrieving supplies alone. She turned to find absolutely no one present in the locked basement room.

Most Haunted Spot

The main dining room near the original colonial fireplace experiences the most frequent activity. This area served as the General Assembly meeting location and hosted countless important gatherings.

The elderly gentleman spirit appears most consistently in the northwest corner table. Staff avoid seating guests there during quiet periods because so many report unsettling feelings.

Photographs taken near this table frequently show unexplained orbs and light anomalies. Several images capture mist formations that appear to take vaguely human shapes.

The upstairs Tap Room rivals the main dining area for paranormal intensity. This intimate space features the original tavern bar from the 1670s construction period.

Guests dining in the Tap Room report feeling watched by invisible observers. The sensation grows so intense that some patrons request table changes mid-meal.

Can You Visit?

The White Horse Tavern operates as a fine dining restaurant open to the public. Reservations are strongly recommended especially during summer tourist season and October.

No admission fee exists but expect upscale menu prices befitting the historic atmosphere. Dinner entrees typically range from thirty-five to sixty-five dollars per person.

The restaurant does not offer dedicated ghost tours or paranormal investigations. Guests may dine and explore the public areas while enjoying their meal experience.

Photography is permitted throughout the dining rooms and common areas. Management requests that guests be respectful of other diners when taking pictures.

Operating hours vary seasonally but generally include lunch and dinner service Wednesday through Sunday. The tavern closes Mondays and Tuesdays during off-season months from January through March.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity occurs consistently throughout all seasons at the White Horse Tavern. Staff report that October through December shows increased supernatural phenomena coinciding with tourist season.

Evening dinner hours between six and nine PM produce the most documented encounters. The dining room’s low lighting and flickering candles create ideal conditions for shadow figure sightings.

Late night closing procedures from ten PM until midnight generate frequent staff experiences. Employees working closing shifts encounter unexplained phenomena so regularly they consider it normal.

Weekday visits during slower periods allow more opportunity to sense subtle paranormal activity. The bustling weekend crowds tend to overwhelm the quieter manifestations spirits produce.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Former manager Elizabeth Moran documented her experiences in multiple newspaper interviews during the 1990s. She described the elderly gentleman spirit as a regular presence during her tenure.

Moran reported that closing staff frequently heard their names called by disembodied voices. The calls sounded urgent as though someone needed immediate assistance upstairs.

Server Janet Richardson shared her basement encounter with local paranormal researchers in 2008. She felt invisible hands shove her toward the stairs while retrieving wine alone.

Richardson quit her position shortly after despite working at the tavern for seven years. She told investigators the hostile presence made continuing employment psychologically unbearable for her.

Chef David Moriarty reported kitchen utensils falling from hooks without any physical disturbance. Heavy cast iron pans crashed to the floor when no staff members stood nearby.

Moriarty witnessed a wine glass lift off the prep counter and smash against the opposite wall. Security footage reviewed later showed the glass flying with considerable force from a standstill.

Tourist Margaret Simmons photographed her family dinner in the main dining room in 2015. Her pictures captured a transparent figure standing behind her husband in three consecutive shots.

Simmons had not noticed anyone standing behind her husband during the dinner. The figure wore colonial clothing and appeared to be observing their table with interest.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigated the White Horse Tavern in 2009 for their television series. Their equipment recorded unexplained electromagnetic field fluctuations throughout the main dining room and basement.

TAPS investigators captured electronic voice phenomena in the upstairs Tap Room during their overnight investigation. The recordings included a male voice saying what sounded like “Get out” clearly.

Temperature fluctuations of fifteen to twenty degrees occurred spontaneously near the colonial fireplace. These dramatic drops happened within seconds without any natural explanation investigators could identify.

The Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group conducted multiple investigations between 2012 and 2016. Their thermal imaging cameras recorded human-shaped cold spots moving through empty rooms independently.

Lead investigator Thomas Chen reported intense feelings of being watched in the basement. His equipment malfunctioned repeatedly in this area despite working perfectly in other locations.

Chen’s team captured photographs showing light anomalies and shadow figures in multiple locations. Several images showed the same apparition in different rooms suggesting intelligent movement patterns.

SyFy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters” featured the tavern in a 2018 episode revisit. Their investigation confirmed continued activity consistent with the original 2009 findings.

Local Legends & Myths

Newport residents share stories about a British soldier who died violently in the tavern. Local tradition claims he was murdered by colonial sympathizers during a card game dispute.

The soldier’s ghost allegedly haunts the basement where his body was temporarily hidden. His spirit remains angry about the betrayal and untimely death at young age.

Another legend involves a woman who waited nightly for her privateer lover to return. He never came back from a voyage and she eventually died of heartbreak.

Her spirit supposedly appears near the front windows watching for ships in the harbor. The white dress she wears matches descriptions of the upstairs female apparition.

Some locals believe the elderly gentleman ghost is actually Jonathan Nichols. He served as tavern keeper during the mid-1700s and died in the building from natural causes.

Nichols allegedly loved the tavern so deeply that his spirit refused to leave. He continues his eternal patronage enjoying the establishment he once managed in life.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The White Horse Tavern is private property operating as a commercial restaurant establishment. Visitors must be paying customers to access the building and grounds legally.

Attempting to investigate or explore outside normal business hours constitutes trespassing. Local police patrol the historic district regularly and prosecute unauthorized access to closed businesses.

The building features steep colonial-era staircases with low headroom and uneven treads. Guests should exercise caution when moving between floors especially in low lighting conditions.

Some visitors experience strong emotional responses to the paranormal activity they encounter. Management recommends that highly sensitive individuals consider their comfort level before visiting.

The basement remains off-limits to customers due to storage operations and safety concerns. Staff-only areas should be respected despite curiosity about reportedly haunted locations.

Cursed or Haunted Objects

The original tavern bar in the upstairs Tap Room dates to the 1670s construction period. Staff report unusual cold emanating from the wood despite no logical temperature source.

Glasses placed on this bar have shattered spontaneously without any physical impact or stress. The breakages occur most frequently during quiet afternoon hours when few patrons are present.

An antique portrait hanging in the main dining room allegedly follows observers with its eyes. Multiple guests have commented on the unsettling sensation of being watched by the painting.

Staff members report finding the portrait crooked or completely turned around overnight. The heavy frame requires significant force to move yet appears repositioned without explanation.

A pewter mug displayed near the colonial fireplace is believed connected to the elderly gentleman spirit. The mug sometimes appears tarnished in morning despite being polished the previous night.

Employees have witnessed condensation forming on the mug’s exterior in patterns resembling fingerprints. These marks appear in warm rooms where condensation should not naturally develop at all.