112 Ocean Avenue House – Haunted House in Amityville, New York

The house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, is one of the most famous haunted homes in the world. It is known to millions simply as the Amityville Horror house.

This large Dutch Colonial sits on a quiet suburban street on the south shore of Long Island. From the outside it looks like an ordinary family home, complete with its distinctive quarter-round attic windows that many people compare to a pair of watching eyes.

Its dark reputation comes from two very different chapters. The first is a documented mass murder in 1974. The second is a family’s disputed claim of violent paranormal activity that became a best-selling book and a long-running horror film franchise.

The story has been retold so many times that separating fact from legend can be difficult. Much of what people believe about this house comes from fiction, not evidence.

For anyone drawn to the darker side of Long Island, the Amityville house sits at the top of a long list of the most haunted places in New York. This record looks at what really happened here, what was claimed, and why skeptics believe the haunting was invented.

Historical Background

The house was built in 1927 as a private family residence. It is a spacious three-story Dutch Colonial with a boathouse on the Amityville River behind it.

The true tragedy of 112 Ocean Avenue is a matter of court record. In the early hours of November 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his own family while they slept.

His victims were his parents, Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and his four younger siblings, Dawn, Allison, Marc, and John. All six were found lying face down in their beds, each killed with a high-powered rifle.

DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder in 1975. He was sentenced to six consecutive terms of 25 years to life and remained in prison until his death in 2021.

Roughly 13 months after the murders, in December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz bought the house at a low price and moved in with Kathy’s three children. They lasted only 28 days before leaving, saying the home had driven them out.

Their account was turned into Jay Anson’s 1977 book, The Amityville Horror. The book and the 1979 film that followed made the house a permanent fixture of American ghost lore, even as questions about the truth of the story grew louder.

Paranormal Activity Summary

The reported phenomena at 112 Ocean Avenue nearly all trace back to the 28 days the Lutz family spent there. Their claims were dramatic and wide-ranging.

They described sudden cold spots and foul odors with no source. Kathy Lutz said she was touched and embraced by unseen hands.

The family reported swarms of flies appearing out of season, doors and windows opening on their own, and a black substance oozing from keyholes and toilets. George Lutz claimed he woke almost every night at 3:15 a.m., said to be near the time of the murders.

Later visitors and thrill-seekers have added their own reports over the years. These include strange sounds from inside, uneasy feelings on the street, and the sense of being watched by the attic windows.

It is important to note that these are claims and impressions, not verified events. Every family that has lived in the house since the Lutzes has publicly stated they experienced nothing unusual at all.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most enduring figure from the legend is a creature the Lutzes called Jodie. It was described as a demonic pig-like being with glowing red eyes that watched from the windows.

The story claims that Kathy’s young daughter spoke of Jodie as an imaginary friend. George said he once saw two red eyes staring in from the darkness outside a second-floor window.

Another well-known scene involves a Catholic priest. In the book he comes to bless the house and hears a harsh voice command him to get out, after which he suffers illness and misfortune.

Some storytellers link the hauntings to the spirits of the murdered DeFeo family, suggesting they never left. Others frame it as a darker force that was already present in the home.

Skeptics point out that these tales first appeared in a commercial book, not in any contemporary record. The priest at the center of the story later disputed key details of how he was portrayed.

Most Haunted Spot

The single most infamous location inside the house is the basement. In the Lutz account, George described finding a small hidden room behind shelving that did not appear on the floor plans.

The walls of this space were said to be painted red, and the family dog reportedly refused to go near it. Believers claimed it was a source of evil energy and nicknamed it the Red Room.

In reality, the small crawl space in the basement was a normal feature of the home and was known to later owners. There was nothing supernatural about its existence.

The upstairs bedrooms, where the six DeFeo family members died, carry the heaviest weight of true tragedy. That documented history is far more sobering than any invented red room.

Can You Visit?

No. The house at 112 Ocean Avenue is a private residence and is not open to the public in any form.

There are no tours, no visiting hours, and no entry fees, because it is simply a family home. Ordinary people live there today and have every right to their privacy.

To discourage sightseers, the property’s street address was officially changed from 112 to a new number, and the iconic quarter-round windows were altered during renovations. The house looks noticeably different from the one shown in the films.

If you want to explore Long Island’s ghostly history responsibly, it is far better to seek out sites that welcome visitors. You can find many other other haunted places in New York that offer real tours without intruding on private homeowners.

Best Time to Visit

Because the home cannot be visited, this section is mostly about atmosphere from the public street rather than access to the property.

The legend is most closely tied to the autumn and winter months. The anniversary of the DeFeo murders falls in mid-November, and interest in the house always rises around Halloween.

Long, cold nights and bare trees give the neighborhood a heavier mood in these seasons. That mood is largely a product of the story’s fame rather than any measured activity.

Visitors who drive past should remember that the surrounding houses are also private homes. Quiet respect matters far more than any particular time of night.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

The core first-hand account is that of George and Kathy Lutz, told through Jay Anson’s 1977 book. They stood by the broad outline of their story for years, though details shifted between retellings.

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren visited the house in 1976 and described it as gravely dangerous. Lorraine Warren said she felt an overwhelming sense of evil inside.

A famous photograph taken during a night investigation appears to show a small boy with glowing eyes peering from a doorway. Believers call it the ghost of John DeFeo, while skeptics suggest it was an investigator caught on camera.

Crucially, the Lutz story faced serious challenge from within. William Weber, the lawyer who defended Ronald DeFeo, later said the haunting was invented over bottles of wine as a way to profit from the tragedy.

Every family who has owned the house since has reported a calm, ordinary home. Their consistent testimony is the strongest eyewitness evidence of all, and it points away from a haunting.

Local Legends & Myths

One persistent myth claims the house sits on a Shinnecock Native American burial ground or a site where the sick were left to die. This idea was popularized by the story itself.

Historians and members of the Shinnecock community have rejected this claim. There is no evidence for a burial ground at the location, and the myth leans on a harmful stereotype rather than fact.

Another myth holds that everyone connected to the house meets a terrible fate. In truth, later residents have lived there for years in peace and quiet.

The broader legend has also blurred the two stories together. Many people wrongly believe the Lutz hauntings and the DeFeo murders are equally proven, when only the murders are documented fact.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The house has appeared in countless documentaries and television programs, including A Haunting, Ghost Adventures, and the 2012 film My Amityville Horror, which followed Kathy’s son Daniel Lutz.

Investigators over the decades have used tools such as EVP recorders, thermal cameras, and EMF meters, the same gear covered in any modern ghost hunting equipment guide. Reported results have been vague and inconclusive.

No investigation has ever produced solid, repeatable evidence of a haunting at the address. The reported cold spots and audio anomalies have never been confirmed under controlled conditions.

Many researchers now treat Amityville primarily as a case study in how a hoax can spread. The lasting lesson is about media and belief more than ghosts.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Trespassing at 112 Ocean Avenue is strictly prohibited. The property is private, and entering the grounds or the boathouse without permission is a crime.

The current owners and local police actively discourage sightseers who block the street or approach the home. Photographing the residents or their property up close can lead to complaints and legal trouble.

The most important warning here is not about ghosts at all. It is about respecting a real family who live in a house made famous by a tragedy and a story that most experts consider a hoax.

Enjoy the legend of the Amityville Horror as the piece of pop-culture folklore it has become. Then leave the real 112 Ocean Avenue in peace.

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