15 Most Haunted Places in New York: Real Ghost Stories You Can Visit
New York hides more than skyscrapers and city lights. From a Long Island murder house to a Revolutionary War churchyard, the Empire State holds some of the most chilling ghost stories in America.
We ranked 15 real haunted places you can actually plan a trip around. Each one is a documented location in our directory of all haunted places in New York.
Some welcome ghost tours year round. Others are strictly off limits, so read the visiting notes before you go.
Planning to hunt for evidence yourself? Pack smart with our ghost hunting equipment guide before your first stop.
1. 112 Ocean Avenue (Amityville)
The 112 Ocean Avenue house in Amityville is the most infamous haunted home in the country. In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six members of his family here while they slept.
A year later the Lutz family fled after just 28 days. They described green slime oozing from walls, a red-eyed pig-like creature at the windows, and a voice that screamed “Get out.”
The basement is said to be the darkest spot, where a hidden red room was reportedly found. The home is privately owned and closed to visitors, and the address was even changed to keep thrill-seekers away.
Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated the house and called it one of the most dangerous hauntings they ever faced. The story became a 1977 bestseller and a long line of horror films.
2. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (Sleepy Hollow)
Few names carry more dread than Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, the resting place tied to Washington Irving’s famous tale. Visitors report cold spots, disembodied whispers, and the sound of phantom hoofbeats.
The Headless Horseman is the star specter here, believed to be a Hessian soldier searching for his lost head. A mourning woman in black has also been seen near Andrew Carnegie’s grave.
The area near the old Dutch burial ground is the most active. The grounds are free to enter from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with guided lantern tours in October.
Investigators have recorded EVPs and sharp temperature drops near the Irving family plot. The paths are hilly and uneven, so stick to marked routes.
3. Rolling Hills Asylum (East Bethany)
Rolling Hills Asylum began as the Genesee County Poor Farm in 1827 and saw more than 1,700 deaths. Many of the dead were buried in unmarked graves on the property.
Guests report a towering “Shadow Man” near the old morgue and a gentle giant named Roy who died here. A rusted wheelchair is said to roll across the floor on its own.
The morgue is the most haunted room, where gurneys move and voices whisper your name. Guided and overnight paranormal tours run year round, starting around $25.
It has appeared on Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters, and a “demon hallway” on the second floor drains electronics. Access is by reservation only, so book ahead.
4. Morris-Jumel Mansion (Manhattan)
The Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest surviving house in Manhattan, built in 1765. It once served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War.
The most reported ghost is Eliza Jumel, a wealthy socialite once married to Aaron Burr. She is seen in period dress gliding down the grand staircase.
A Revolutionary soldier and a sobbing servant girl are also said to roam the halls. Guided tours run Wednesday through Sunday, with special ghost tours held in October.
A hallway mirror is rumored to show faces that do not belong to the living. Ouija boards and flash photography are both banned inside.
5. Old Dutch Church (Sleepy Hollow)
The Old Dutch Church dates to 1685 and sits at the heart of the Sleepy Hollow legend. Its churchyard holds soldiers from both sides of the Revolutionary War.
People report ghostly bell chimes from a tower that no longer rings and footsteps on empty gravel paths. The Headless Horseman is said to appear near the church and the adjacent bridge.
The belfry and the graves near the southern wall are the most active spots. The grounds are open dawn to dusk and free, with seasonal lantern-lit ghost tours.
One team claimed to capture a shadow figure pacing the tombstones during a moonlit vigil. Visitors are urged not to wander the grounds alone after dark.
6. Letchworth Village (Thiells)
Letchworth Village opened in 1911 as a home for the disabled but became infamous for neglect and abuse. One of the first polio vaccine tests was performed on a child here in 1950.
Hundreds of unmarked graves fill the surrounding woods, many belonging to children. Visitors hear laughter and crying, and a figure called “The Caretaker” is seen wandering with a set of keys.
The medical building’s basement is considered the most terrifying area. The site is officially closed and patrolled, so treat any visit as trespassing unless a historical group grants access.
A team from Paranormal Files captured a whispered “Help me” inside the ruins. Local residents warn that some things at the village do not want to be disturbed.
7. Buffalo Central Terminal (Buffalo)
Buffalo Central Terminal opened in 1929 and was abandoned in 1979. Its towering, hollow halls now draw ghost hunters from across the region.
A woman in white is said to wait for a soldier who never came home. A uniformed conductor is also seen walking the platforms with a lantern in hand.
The Trolley Lobby is the terminal’s true hot spot for eerie apparitions. Guided ghost tours run in the fall and on select weekends, usually $25 to $35.
The site featured on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Hunters, with thermal footage of figures in locked rooms. Parts of the tower and basement remain structurally unstable.
8. Fort William Henry (Lake George)
Fort William Henry sits on the site of a brutal 1757 massacre during the French and Indian War. The event was immortalized in “The Last of the Mohicans.”
Visitors report phantom musket fire, ghostly drums, and a headless soldier pacing the barracks. A weeping woman is often seen near the gates at dusk.
The underground powder magazine is the most haunted spot, with unnatural cold and a watched feeling. Ghost tours run seasonally, with nighttime investigations by reservation.
It has appeared on Ghost Hunters and Most Terrifying Places in America. Daytime entry runs roughly $12 to $20, with after-dark tours costing extra.
9. The Sagamore Resort (Bolton Landing)
The Sagamore Resort is a luxury hotel on Lake George that has burned down twice and been rebuilt. Decades of accidents and unexplained deaths gave it a ghostly reputation.
The most famous spirit is a young boy who throws golf balls at players before vanishing. A woman in white and a ghostly bellhop are also reported inside.
The second and third floors of the main hotel see the most activity. Anyone can visit as a guest, and staff love sharing the resort’s ghost stories.
Investigators have captured EVPs of children’s laughter and cold spots in specific rooms. The service tunnels and closed wings are off limits for safety.
10. Belhurst Castle (Geneva)
Belhurst Castle is a Romanesque mansion on Seneca Lake, now a hotel and winery. Legend says a woman named Isabella was buried alive when a smuggler’s tunnel collapsed.
Her spirit is seen in a white gown on the lawn, often trailed by the scent of roses. Guests also hear sobbing at night and whispers near the wine cellar.
Room 214 is the most haunted, where Isabella is said to brush past sleeping guests. The castle is open year round, and you can even book a night in the haunted room.
EMF meters spike near Room 214, and some recordings whisper the name “Isabella.” A vintage hallway mirror is said to show shadows behind viewers.
11. Merchant’s House Museum (Manhattan)
The Merchant’s House Museum is a preserved 1832 row house in NoHo, frozen in time. The Tredwell family lived here for nearly 100 years.
Gertrude Tredwell, the last daughter, was born and died in the home in 1933. She is seen in 19th-century dress peering from curtains or drifting down the stairs.
Gertrude’s bedroom is the most active room, with cold air and whispers near the bed. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, with candlelight ghost tours in October.
The museum has featured on Ghost Adventures and Mysteries at the Museum. An antique parlor rocking chair is said to move on its own.
12. Hyde Hall (Cooperstown)
Hyde Hall is a grand neoclassical mansion beside Glimmerglass State Park, built for George Clarke. Family conflict and isolation marked its history rather than any single crime.
A stern man believed to be Clarke is seen gazing from the windows at night. A child’s cry is heard in the nursery, and legend tells of a servant girl in the attic.
The drawing room is the most haunted, where heavy doors slam shut on their own. Seasonal guided tours run by day, with candlelit ghost tours after dusk in October.
It was featured on Ghost Hunters, where a nursery motion sensor triggered with no one there. Adult admission runs about $15.
13. Utica State Hospital (Utica)
Utica State Hospital was the first state-run psychiatric asylum in New York, opened in 1843. Early treatments included isolation, cold water immersion, and restraints.
Explorers describe a gaunt man in a straitjacket in the seclusion cells and a woman at the old women’s ward window. Locals speak of a “Librarian Ghost” who died in a fire.
The basement hydrotherapy room is the most feared spot, where visitors report nausea and dripping sounds. The building is closed and monitored, so it is not open to visitors.
Independent teams have recorded whispers, screams, and cold figures on thermal cameras. Collapsing floors, mold, and asbestos make the site genuinely dangerous.
14. Iron Island Museum (Buffalo)
The Iron Island Museum in Buffalo was built as a church in 1883 and later became a funeral home. The remains of an unclaimed veteran were once stored on-site.
That veteran, Edgar Zernicke, is one of several spirits believed to linger here. A young boy named Tommy is often heard laughing and running on the upper floors.
The former embalming room is the most active area, where guests report labored breathing. Donation-based paranormal tours and overnight investigations run by appointment.
It has featured on Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Lockdown, with some guests reporting scratches. A child’s rocking chair upstairs is said to rock by itself.
15. New York State Capitol (Albany)
The New York State Capitol in Albany is as haunted as it is elegant. A massive fire in 1911 killed night watchman Samuel Abbott, whose ghost still patrols the halls.
A stonemason who fell during construction is seen on the stairwells. Security guards report elevators running on their own and the scent of cigar smoke with no source.
The Million Dollar Staircase and Assembly Chamber are the most active spots. Free guided tours run weekdays, with occasional haunted tours hosted in October.
The Million Dollar Staircase carries 77 carved faces and draws the mason’s ghost. A faint voice repeating “Get out” has been heard near the old library.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most haunted place in New York?
The 112 Ocean Avenue house in Amityville is widely called the most haunted in the state. Its blend of real mass murder and reported demonic activity made it a national legend.
Can you visit the Amityville house?
No, the Amityville house is a private residence and closed to the public. The address was even changed to discourage visitors, and trespassing is strictly prohibited.
Which haunted places in New York offer ghost tours?
Rolling Hills Asylum, Buffalo Central Terminal, Fort William Henry, and Iron Island Museum all run guided ghost tours. Many historic homes add candlelit tours during October.
When is the best time to visit haunted places in New York?
Autumn is the peak season, especially the weeks around Halloween. Cool, foggy nights are when most sightings are reported across these locations.
Ready to plan your own paranormal road trip? Explore the full New York directory for maps, addresses, and more haunted places near each of these stops.
