We’ve explored neighboring states and nearby haunts, but what could be more fun than celebrating the spooky season with creepy spaces right in our own backyard? That's right! We’re sharing an incredible list of Haunted Places in New York and have a paranormal experience of your own and memories to last a lifetime…and beyond.
Check out our picks for incredible road trip destinations around the state that will have the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, your heart beating faster than you ever imagined, and your mind reeling with suspicion of otherworldly terrors.
Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek
What could be better than a scenic drive through the Adirondacks for some handmade chocolates and a side of ghost stories? Wait, what!? That’s right, Barkeater Chocolates started as a small chocolate shop inside a cafe in 2008, and quickly grew in popularity. Owners Deb and Jim Morris decided to expand by purchasing the Old STerling House in North Creek. Unbeknownst to them, the building already had tenants – of the spectral kind! Both the Morris’s and the previous owners have experienced disembodied voices, footsteps on the stairs and in the halls when no one else is around, strange sounds and whispers, cold spots and heat fluctuations… It's such a hotbed of the paranormal that the couple even welcomes visitors to explore on their own with professional ghost hunting equipment.
Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks
Ghosthunters with a taste for the great outdoors will love a trip to this haunted lake! True crime aficionados will be familiar with the murder of Grace Brown, daughter of a local farmer and factory worker from Cortland, who was murdered by her lover and drowned in the lake. Since her untimely death in 1906, visitors to the area have spotted the ghost of Grace. Many have seen her in and out of the lake reenacting the drowning, wandering along the shores, and even visiting the cottages and cabins nearby. A telltale sign of her presence is her affinity for dousing all light in the house. Spooky!
Brightside Hotel in Raquette Lake
This gorgeous building was built as a private residence in the 1880s, later turned into a hotel and rustic inn, and further modernized and now owned by The Light Connection for fiber optic technician training. Over the years, guests and visitors have reported feeling as if someone is touching them, an unnerving feeling that they’re being watched, and spotting figures lurking. It’s not unexpected, however, since the original owner was a coroner, and the property’s basement also once served as a cold storage when the ground was too cold for burial. Workers on the renovation project have found mysterious belongings of unknown origin. Blue orb-like lights, shaking beds, mysterious activities in the kitchen, doors opening and closing, and cameras taking photos on their own have all been reported.
Fort Ticonderoga in Ticonderoga
This 18th Century fort is haunted by the dead of 3 different nations. Visitors and staff have heard it all: voices speaking in both French and English, flashing lights, echos of bagpipe melodies and military drumming, soldiers wandering the barracks, horses stomping and clomping, and so much more. This hotbed of spectral activity has been host to numerous ghost hunting teams and you can even take a guided tour of its most haunted areas!
Fort William Henry Museum in Lake George
It’s no surprise that historic sites and battlefields are so prone to hauntings with all the death, destruction, and violence causing unrest. This destination leans straight into it with Haunted Ghost Trail tours of each historic stop off complete with legends, local lore, and expert storytelling from a local guide.
Dr. Best House & Medical Museum in Middleburgh
This unique stop off was once a combination home and medical office, and now serves as a medical museum and fledgling plant shop. Yes, you heard right! You can request a plant to your home or office that may potentially be possessed by the spirits and specters that wander the Best House grounds. The house was built in 1884 for Dr. Best and his family and patients. Sadly, his wife, daughter, son and many of his patience passed away within its walls. Since then the home has been host to numerous paranormal occurrences, echoes of mysterious piano playing, running footsteps, and disembodied voices. You can tour the historic property and learn more about it and hope to see some of your own spirits!
Once the home of entrepreneur and industrialist Chester Wickwire, the home has picked up several additional spiritual hitchhikers and become a hotbed of haunted activity. People have reported footsteps in empty rooms, shadows moving in and out of the halls, doors opening and closing, strange knocking, and even the appearance of shadow human figures seen through the windows. You can join in a local ghost hunting excursion, rent it out for an evening for your own research, or visit the museum for a tour.
Miss Fanny’s Victorian House Party House Wappingers Falls
Built more than 150 years ago, this historic building has acquired more than a few eternal lodgers over the decades. Investigators and visitors have reported the ghostly voices of children, the longing words of a lady spirit, and other mysterious occurrences. The Victorian era was a hip and happening time for spiritual pursuits, and if you've a hankering to step back in time you can even attend a special seance or book a haunted private party in this gorgeous historic building.
Other historic haunted places of note: Hotel Saranac, Long Island Campgrounds, Sagamore Hotel, NY State Capitol Building, Vale Cemetery, Yates Elementary, Burn Brae Mansion, Murderers’ Creek, The Shanley Hotel, Beardslee Castle, Brae Loch Inn, Otseaga Resort Hotel, Slyvan Beach Amusement Park, The Farnam Mansion, The Landmark Theatre, 12 Curves Onondaga Hill, Wayside Irish Pub
