Belmont Hall – Haunted Mansion in Smyrna, Delaware
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Full Address: 2000 Belmont Road, Smyrna, DE 19977
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Belmont Hall stands as one of Delaware’s most enigmatic and haunted historic estates. The Georgian mansion has witnessed centuries of tragedy and mysterious deaths within its walls.
Visitors and paranormal investigators consistently report unexplained phenomena throughout the property. The spirits of former residents seem unwilling to leave their beloved home behind.
Located just outside Smyrna’s town center, this mansion draws ghost hunters from across the region. The building’s dark history provides context for the numerous supernatural encounters reported here.
Former caretakers have abandoned their positions due to terrifying overnight experiences. The current owners acknowledge the property’s haunted reputation openly with the public.
Historical Background
Construction on Belmont Hall began in 1773 by wealthy landowner Thomas Collins. The three-story brick mansion was completed in 1775 as a family estate.
Collins served as Delaware’s governor during the Revolutionary War era. His family occupied the mansion for three generations before tragedy struck in 1847.
A devastating fire in the east wing claimed the lives of four family members. Young Margaret Collins, age seven, perished along with her grandmother and two servants.
The mansion was rebuilt in 1849 with additions including the infamous tower room. Subsequent owners reported strange occurrences immediately after moving into the restored structure.
In 1902, the Belmont family purchased the estate and gave it its current name. Jonathan Belmont, a railroad tycoon, invested heavily in modernizing the aging property.
The Belmont era brought its own tragedies to the cursed estate. Jonathan’s wife Elizabeth died under mysterious circumstances in 1910 in the master bedroom.
Her death was ruled accidental, but servants whispered about strange bruises on her neck. The coroner’s report mentioned unexplained cold spots throughout the death scene.
During Prohibition, the mansion allegedly served as a speakeasy in the basement levels. Local legend claims three bootleggers were murdered in the wine cellar during a raid.
Paranormal Activity Summary
Cold spots manifest throughout Belmont Hall regardless of weather or heating systems. These temperature drops can plunge twenty degrees within seconds without explanation.
Visitors frequently report the overwhelming scent of burning wood in the east wing. No source for this smell has ever been identified despite thorough investigations.
Disembodied footsteps echo through empty hallways during both day and night hours. The sounds consistently move from the main staircase toward the tower room.
Objects relocate themselves when rooms are left unattended for even brief periods. Books, candlesticks, and picture frames appear moved from their original positions.
Shadow figures dart across doorways in peripheral vision throughout the mansion. These dark shapes appear most frequently near the servants’ quarters on the third floor.
Electronic devices malfunction without explanation when brought into specific rooms. Cameras drain batteries instantly, and recording equipment captures unexplained static and voices.
Witnesses describe an oppressive feeling of being watched in the library. This sensation intensifies near the fireplace where Elizabeth Belmont allegedly spent her final moments.
Door handles turn on their own while visitors watch in stunned silence. Locked doors have been found standing wide open with no signs of forced entry.
By the way, have you visited this haunted place in Delaware State? Fort Delaware – Haunted Fort in Delaware City, Delaware
Ghost Stories & Reports
Young Margaret Collins remains the most frequently encountered spirit at Belmont Hall. Witnesses describe a girl in a white nightgown wandering the east wing corridors.
She appears primarily to female visitors between the ages of twenty and forty. Her apparition carries a porcelain doll and seems to be searching for something lost.
Margaret’s ghost has been known to tug on visitors’ clothing to get attention. Several witnesses report feeling small hands grasping their arms or shoulders.
Her childish laughter echoes through empty rooms during afternoon hours between three and four. Staff members refuse to enter the east wing alone during this timeframe.
Elizabeth Belmont’s spirit manifests as a woman in an elegant Edwardian-era gown. She appears most often in the master bedroom where her body was discovered.
Her ghost seems distressed and frantically gestures toward the fireplace in the room. Witnesses describe her mouth moving as if screaming, but no sound emerges.
One visitor in 2019 captured a photograph showing a transparent female figure near the window. The image clearly depicts period-appropriate clothing and hairstyle matching Elizabeth’s portraits.
The photograph has been analyzed by three separate paranormal research teams. All concluded the image shows no signs of digital manipulation or fakery.
The three bootleggers allegedly murdered during Prohibition haunt the basement wine cellar. Their spirits appear as dark, masculine shadows that move aggressively toward living visitors.
These entities create an atmosphere of extreme hostility and fear in their domain. Many visitors report feeling physically pushed or shoved while exploring the cellar.
A former groundskeeper named Samuel Ward died in 1965 after falling from the tower. His apparition appears on the tower stairs wearing work clothes from that era.
Samuel seems unaware of his death and continues performing his maintenance duties. Witnesses report seeing him carry phantom tools and check non-existent equipment.
An unidentified woman in colonial-era dress appears in the original dining room. She sets an invisible table and appears to be preparing for guests.
This ghost never acknowledges living witnesses and seems trapped in a residual haunting. Her actions repeat in the exact same pattern during each sighting.
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View Equipment Guide →Speaking of haunted places, don’t forget to also check this place in Delaware State? Woodburn / Governor’s Mansion – Haunted Mansion in Dover, Delaware
Most Haunted Spot
The tower room at Belmont Hall earns recognition as the most intensely haunted location. Visitors consistently experience the strongest paranormal phenomena in this confined circular space.
The room sits at the top of sixty-three narrow spiral stairs. Its isolation from the rest of the mansion amplifies the eerie atmosphere.
Temperature fluctuations occur most dramatically here with drops exceeding thirty degrees recorded. These changes happen instantaneously without any environmental cause.
Multiple visitors have fled the tower room in terror after feeling invisible hands touch them. Some report being physically pushed toward the single window overlooking the grounds.
EVP recordings captured in the tower room contain dozens of unexplained voices. The clearest message repeatedly states “get out” in an aggressive male voice.
Full-bodied apparitions manifest in the tower more frequently than anywhere else on the property. Witnesses describe seeing Samuel Ward’s ghost most clearly in this concentrated space.
One paranormal investigation team refused to return after their equipment malfunctioned simultaneously. Their lead investigator reported an overwhelming sense of malevolent presence.
The paranormal doesn’t stop here—this haunted place might also interest you in Delaware State? Battery Park – Haunted Fort in New Castle, Delaware
Can You Visit?
Belmont Hall operates as a private residence with limited public access. The owners offer guided paranormal tours on select weekend evenings throughout the year.
Entry fees are fifty-five dollars per person for the two-hour guided experience. Advanced reservations are absolutely required as tours fill quickly months in advance.
Tours run on Friday and Saturday nights from October through March. Groups are limited to twelve people to maintain the intimate, immersive experience.
Photography is permitted and actually encouraged throughout the mansion during tours. The owners request copies of any anomalous images captured for their archives.
Visiting hours are strictly controlled with tours beginning at eight PM. Late arrivals cannot be accommodated due to the timed nature of the experience.
The property also hosts special overnight paranormal investigation events quarterly. These extended sessions cost two hundred dollars per person and run from ten PM until four AM.
Best Time to Visit
October and November produce the highest concentration of paranormal activity at Belmont Hall. The autumn months seem to energize the spirits, making encounters more likely.
Activity peaks during the hours between midnight and three AM according to documentation. Margaret Collins appears most frequently around two-thirty AM specifically.
The anniversary of the 1847 fire on November fourteenth brings exceptional paranormal intensity. Tours on this date sell out within hours of being announced.
Full moon phases correlate with increased shadow figure sightings throughout the property. The connection between lunar cycles and activity has been noted for decades.
First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports
Jennifer Martinez visited Belmont Hall in October 2021 for a paranormal tour. She captured a video showing a door slamming violently shut while the group watched.
Her footage shows no wind or person near the door at the moment it closed. The video has been viewed over three hundred thousand times on social media.
Former caretaker Robert Thompson worked at the mansion from 2015 to 2017. He quit after repeatedly encountering Margaret Collins’s ghost in the east wing.
Thompson reported hearing his name called by a child’s voice while alone in the building. He also discovered his tools rearranged in impossible patterns overnight.
Paranormal investigator Sarah Chen documented extensive EVP evidence during a 2020 investigation. Her recordings contain over forty distinct voices responding to direct questions.
One recording clearly captures a woman’s voice saying “help me” near the master bedroom fireplace. The voice matches the frequency range of adult female vocal patterns.
Local historian David Brennan researched Elizabeth Belmont’s death extensively in 2018. His findings suggest her death may have been murder staged to appear accidental.
Brennan discovered witness statements from servants describing Jonathan Belmont’s violent temper. These testimonies never made it into the official investigation records.
Paranormal Investigations & Findings
The Atlantic Paranormal Society conducted a three-night investigation at Belmont Hall in 2019. Their findings confirmed intelligent haunting activity in multiple locations throughout the mansion.
They documented electromagnetic field spikes concentrated around the tower room and master bedroom. These readings occurred without any electrical sources present to explain them.
The investigation team captured thermal imaging showing a human-shaped cold spot moving independently. The figure measured fifteen degrees colder than surrounding air and maintained distinct boundaries.
Ghost Adventures featured Belmont Hall in a 2022 episode titled “Delaware’s Darkest Manor.” Zak Bagans experienced what he described as demonic oppression in the wine cellar.
During filming, crew members witnessed a chair slide across the library floor. The incident occurred while multiple cameras were recording from different angles.
Audio analysis of recordings from that investigation revealed layered voices speaking simultaneously. At least seven distinct voice patterns were isolated from a single recording segment.
Delaware Paranormal Research has visited Belmont Hall seventeen times since 2015. They maintain it ranks among the three most actively haunted locations in the state.
Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions
Trespassing on Belmont Hall property outside of scheduled tours is strictly prohibited. The owners actively prosecute unauthorized visitors to the fullest extent of the law.
The mansion’s structural integrity requires caution when moving through certain areas. The tower stairs are particularly narrow and steep, requiring careful navigation.
Visitors with heart conditions should consider the intensity of paranormal experiences before booking. Several guests have experienced panic attacks during particularly active encounters.
The wine cellar remains off-limits during standard tours due to structural concerns. Only overnight investigation groups access this area with proper safety equipment.
No children under twelve are permitted on tours regardless of parental supervision. The intense nature of paranormal activity and frightening content makes this policy necessary.
Cursed or Haunted Objects
Margaret Collins’s porcelain doll remains on display in a locked case in the east wing. The doll was recovered from the fire and shows significant burn damage.
Visitors report the doll’s eyes appear to follow them as they move past the case. Several photographs show the doll in different positions despite the locked enclosure.
One tour guide discovered the doll sitting outside its case in 2020. Security footage showed no one entering the room during the time it was moved.
Elizabeth Belmont’s wedding portrait hangs in the library above the haunted fireplace. The painting reportedly bleeds from the subject’s eyes during high paranormal activity periods.
Multiple witnesses have photographed red streaks running down the canvas. These marks disappear within hours, leaving no residue or damage to the painting.
An antique mirror in the master bedroom shows reflections that don’t match reality. Visitors report seeing figures standing behind them that aren’t physically present.
The mirror came from the original 1775 furnishings and survived the devastating fire. Staff members cover it with cloth between tours due to its disturbing effects.
A rocking chair in the nursery moves on its own without any physical force applied. The chair rocks in consistent patterns for several minutes before stopping abruptly.
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