20 Most Haunted Places in Massachusetts: Real Ghost Stories You Can Visit
Massachusetts has been making ghosts since before America was a country.
The state holds the house of the most infamous axe murders in history, the witch city of Salem, a tunnel that killed 200 men, and a region so strange it has its own triangle.
We pulled this list from our directory of haunted places across Massachusetts. Each spot earned its place through decades of consistent reports, not a single spooky night.
Here are the 20 most haunted places in Massachusetts, the spirits that linger there, and exactly how you can visit.
Why Massachusetts Is So Haunted
Few places in America carry as much history as Massachusetts. The Pilgrims, the witch trials, the Revolution, and centuries of hard New England life all unfolded here.
The state is dense with colonial homes, old asylums, and ancient graveyards, many older than the nation itself.
That depth of history, layered with tragedy and superstition, has made Massachusetts one of the most haunted states in the country.
1. Lizzie Borden House – Fall River
The Lizzie Borden House is the site of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history.
In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with an axe in this house. Their daughter Lizzie was tried and acquitted, and the case was never solved.
Now a bed and breakfast, the home draws guests who report apparitions, the sound of a woman weeping, and objects that move. You can sleep in the very rooms where the murders happened.
2. Hawthorne Hotel – Salem
It would be strange if Salem’s grand hotel were not haunted, and the Hawthorne Hotel does not disappoint.
The hotel sits near the site of the 1692 witch trials, on land once owned by a family tied to the hysteria.
Rooms 325 and 612 draw the most reports, including lights and faucets that operate on their own and the feeling of an unseen presence. You can book a room and stay the night.
3. House of the Seven Gables – Salem
The House of the Seven Gables inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, and it holds its own ghosts.
Built in 1668, the dark mansion is one of the oldest surviving wooden homes in America, with a secret staircase hidden inside.
Visitors report a boy seen playing in the attic, a woman tied to the home’s history, and a face in the windows of the famous gabled house.
4. Omni Parker House – Boston
The Omni Parker House is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the United States, and its founder refuses to leave.
Harvey Parker opened the hotel in 1855 and loved it so deeply that guests still report his apparition checking on their comfort on the upper floors.
The third floor is the most active, where the elevator often rises to it on its own. Room 303 was once sealed off after repeated complaints. You can book a room and stay the night.
5. The Mount – Lenox
The Mount was the elegant estate of author Edith Wharton, who wrote ghost stories of her own.
Wharton built the grand home in 1902, and it later served other uses before being restored as a museum to her life.
Visitors and staff report Edith herself, her former husband, and other figures in period dress, along with footsteps and voices in the empty rooms. It runs ghost tours.
6. Hoosac Tunnel – North Adams
The Hoosac Tunnel is nearly five miles of darkness through the mountains, and it was built on blood.
Nearly 200 workers died boring the tunnel between 1851 and 1875, earning it the grim nickname “the Bloody Pit.”
Visitors report the voices of dead workers, a man with a lantern, and a presence that urges trespassers to turn back. It remains an active and dangerous rail line.
7. Bridgewater Triangle – Southeastern Massachusetts
The Bridgewater Triangle is a region so strange it has become legendary among paranormal researchers.
The roughly 200-square-mile area is a hotbed of reports, from UFOs and ghostly figures to thunderbirds and unexplained creatures.
Visitors describe an overwhelming sense of dread, balls of light in the woods, and decades of encounters that defy easy explanation.
8. Hockomock Swamp – Southeastern Massachusetts
At the dark heart of the Bridgewater Triangle lies Hockomock Swamp, whose name means “place where spirits dwell.”
The vast, eerie wetland was sacred and feared by Native peoples long before colonists arrived and added their own bloody history.
Visitors report ghostly figures, giant creatures, mysterious lights, and a heavy sense of being watched among the dark trees and black water.
9. S.K. Pierce Mansion – Gardner
The S.K. Pierce Mansion is a towering Victorian known as the Haunted Victorian Mansion.
Built in 1875, the ornate home saw several deaths over the years, including the first owner’s young wife and later residents.
Investigators report a woman in white, a man in a top hat, and the spirits of children, along with shadow figures throughout the decaying mansion.
10. USS Salem – Quincy
The USS Salem is a heavy cruiser with a heartbreaking chapter in its history.
In 1953, the ship helped recover thousands of victims after a devastating earthquake in Greece, using its decks as a temporary morgue.
Now a museum, the ship logs reports of apparitions, disembodied voices, and cold spots, especially in the areas where the dead were once laid out.
11. Spider Gates Cemetery – Leicester
Spider Gates Cemetery is the most legendary graveyard in Massachusetts, wrapped in dark rumor.
Officially a quiet Quaker cemetery, the isolated burial ground is the subject of countless legends about a gateway to another world.
Visitors report disembodied voices, a hanging tree, and a spot where sounds seem to vanish. Reaching it requires crossing private land, so many only know it by reputation.
12. Longfellow’s Wayside Inn – Sudbury
Longfellow’s Wayside Inn is the oldest operating inn in America, dating to 1716.
The historic inn was immortalized by the poet Longfellow, and its centuries of guests left more than memories.
Guests report a woman named Jerusha Howe, the “Belle of Sudbury,” who waited in vain for a lost love. Her perfume and gentle presence fill Room 9. You can book a room and stay the night.
13. Concord’s Colonial Inn – Concord
Concord’s Colonial Inn has stood since 1716, near the birthplace of the American Revolution.
Part of the inn served as a hospital during the Revolution, treating and losing wounded soldiers from the nearby battles.
Guests in Room 24, the old operating room, report a soldier-like figure at the bedside and a cold presence. You can book a room and stay the night.
14. Route 44 – Rehoboth
A stretch of Route 44 in Rehoboth is haunted by one of New England’s most chilling road ghosts.
Drivers report a red-haired man who appears in the passenger seat or steps into the road, often laughing or staring before he vanishes.
The apparition has been seen for decades, sometimes hitchhiking, sometimes simply standing in the dark before disappearing.
15. Taunton State Hospital – Taunton
Taunton State Hospital is a grim former asylum tied to some of the darkest legends in the state.
The hospital opened in 1854, and stories tell of patients and staff who practiced disturbing rituals in its basement.
Visitors report a shadowy figure in the cellar, disembodied voices, and an oppressive presence in the abandoned sections of the complex.
16. Metropolitan State Hospital – Waltham
The former Metropolitan State Hospital in Waltham was known as the Hospital of Seven Teeth.
The asylum was the site of a notorious 1978 murder of a patient by another patient, a crime that haunted the institution until it closed.
Before demolition, visitors reported shadow figures, screams, and a heavy dread in the abandoned wards and tunnels.
17. Cutler Majestic Theatre – Boston
The Cutler Majestic Theatre is a gorgeous Boston playhouse with a few permanent patrons.
Opened in 1903, the grand theater is tied to a man who reportedly died in his seat during a performance.
Staff and performers report a couple in formal dress in the balcony, cold spots, and figures watching from the empty seats.
18. Old Jail – Barnstable
The Old Jail in Barnstable is one of the oldest wooden jails in America.
Dating to 1690, the small Cape Cod jail held prisoners in harsh conditions, and their carvings still mark the walls.
Visitors report disembodied voices, cold spots, and the presence of former prisoners in the cramped, centuries-old cells.
19. Orleans Waterfront Inn – Orleans
The Orleans Waterfront Inn overlooks Cape Cod Bay from an 1875 building with a tragic ghost.
The inn is haunted by a woman called Hannah, said to have died in the building, possibly murdered, in its early years.
Guests and staff report Hannah moving glasses, appearing in the upstairs rooms, and brushing past in the halls. You can book a room and stay the night.
20. Freetown-Fall River State Forest – Assonet
The Freetown-Fall River State Forest sits inside the Bridgewater Triangle and has a dark reputation of its own.
The forest has been linked to ritual activity, unsolved murders, and a sacred Native site known as the Ledge.
Hikers report ghostly figures, balls of light, and an intense sense of being watched along its lonely, wooded trails.
How to Visit Haunted Massachusetts Safely
Massachusetts is one of the most rewarding states in the country for haunted travel, packed with accessible sites.
The Lizzie Borden House, The Mount, and the USS Salem all run tours and ghost hunts. Salem itself becomes a haunted destination every October.
Many historic inns let you sleep on site. For forests, swamps, and the Hoosac Tunnel, stay safe, respect the land, and never trespass on active rail lines or private property.
If you want to document your visit, bring the right gear. Our ghost hunting equipment guide covers the EMF meters, recorders, and cameras that actually capture evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most haunted place in Massachusetts?
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River is the most famous, tied to the infamous 1892 axe murders. Salem and the Bridgewater Triangle are also among the most haunted spots in the state.
Can you stay overnight at the Lizzie Borden House?
Yes. The Lizzie Borden House is a working bed and breakfast where you can book a room, take a tour, and even sleep in the spaces where the murders took place.
What is the Bridgewater Triangle?
The Bridgewater Triangle is a roughly 200-square-mile region of southeastern Massachusetts known for an unusual concentration of paranormal reports, from ghosts to UFOs to strange creatures.
Is it safe to visit haunted places in Massachusetts?
The inns, museums, and tour sites are perfectly safe. For forests, swamps, and the Hoosac Tunnel, stay on legal paths, never trespass, and never enter an active rail tunnel.
Plan Your Massachusetts Ghost Trip
From an infamous murder house to a swamp where spirits dwell, Massachusetts offers a haunting for every kind of traveler.
Pick the places that call to you, respect the history behind them, and keep an eye on the shadows.
Want to go deeper? Browse every documented haunt in our full Massachusetts directory or explore haunted places across all 50 states.
