Scary stories from New York City are not limited to violent crimes and outlandish rent rates. It appears its’ nickname as the city that never sleeps also applies to the dead. New York ghosts can be found from the tops of high rise apartment buildings to down beneath the soil of its cemeteries.
Considering the its size, age, and dense population, it should come as no surprise that New York is considered one of the most haunted cities in the world. Steeped in history and legends, with streets lined in some of the finest architecture, haunted New York attractions range from spooky mansions, fancy bistros, and hotels to haunted taverns, parks, and even museums. Collected here are some chilling New York ghost stories.
1. Washington Square Park Was A Burial Ground In The 1800s
Once upon a time, somewhere in the early 1800s, Washington Square Park was a burial ground with over 20,000 bodies buried within its soil–many of whom fell victim to yellow fever.
It’s believed many of those buried here still linger in the park. Witnesses have reported apparitions dressed in 18th century outfits who simply stroll along for a bit, then vanish.
Adding more doom and gloom to the atmosphere is an old tree dubbed the “Hangman’s Elm,” which allegedly served as an execution spot in the 1800s. According to legend, a woman named Rose Butler was hanged here after burning down the house she worked in. Many people have claimed to see a shadowy figure swinging from the old elm at night.
2. Strange Anomalies Have Been Captured In Photos At Green-Wood Cemetery
Of course this overtly Gothic graveyard consisting of 478 acres of graves and remarkable mausoleums is haunted. How could it not be? This necropolis of peaceful rolling hills and sculptures wasn’t a cemetery until 1838. In 1776, it was the site of the Battle of Long Island. The land has seen its fair share of bloodshed and it’s no surprise that witnesses have seen hazy figures and felt strange gusts while visiting the grounds.
People have also claimed to capture ghostly figures in photographs and some have even come face-to-face with the spirit of Mabel Douglass. Whose body was found at the bottom of Lake Placid, petrified, in perfect condition, 30-years after she disappeared. She is buried in Greenwood and people claim to see her roaming around often.
The catacombs, which are closed to the public can only be explored around Halloween–when they turn this final resting place for 560,000 people into a haunted attraction. As if that weren’t bad enough, some bozo decided to start lurking around the cemetery dressed in full creepy-clown attire carrying balloons. Anyone looking for an all around strange time, should stop in at Green-Wood.
3. The Ghost Of Edgar Allan Poe Likes To Hang With His Old Bannister In Greenwich
As most people know, all of Edgar Allan Poe’s former homes, possessions, his grave(s), and pretty much anything he was ever in the near proximity of, is now haunted by him. He’s clearly the busiest ghost in all the afterlife. His former building in Greenwich Village (which has been mostly demolished), is now basically a facsimile of the original building’s facade with one single original banister. Which of course, the horror writer shows up to haunt every once in awhile. It’s been dubbed the ”most haunted bannister in New York.” Yes, that’s a thing. It’s New York, they have a “thing” for everything.
4. There’s A Haunted Dorm At NYU
As far as scary stories from New York City go, the Brittany Residence Hall over at NYU is infamous for its haunting. According to legend, an eight-year-old girl named Molly died tragically from a fall down the elevator shaft back in 1929, when the building was a hotel. Many claim the girl’s spirit has haunted the building ever since. Your standard paranormal activity has been frequently reported–Strange noises, cold spots, drafts, doors suddenly opening and closing.
A couple of engineers employed at Brittney Hall were conversing down in the basement during their shift when they both saw a face peering into the hallway at them, then it disappeared. They both went to investigate, but no one was down there with them.
According to Maria Molina, a Residence Hall Manager, “You have to be playful with Molly, not afraid. Say, ‘Don’t play with me, Molly!’ and you’ll be fine.”
5. For Dinner And A Terrifying Show Try One If By Land Two If By Sea
One If By Land, Two If By Sea is a restaurant located in the West Village known for two things. The first being its delicious food. The second being its 20 restless spirit inhabitants and all the insane paranormal shenanigans they cause.
Before it was a restaurant it was a carriage house. The Building dates back to 1767, and so do its ghosts. Among the apparitions able to be identified are Aaron Burr and his daughter Theodosia. They are both seen often, however, Theodosia is the more… interactive of the duo. She has shoved a maître d’ down the stairs multiple times, until she finally quit her job. She also seems to enjoy pulling earrings off female guests.
Another spirit sticks to the back room, she is believed to be a Ziegfield follies girl. There’s a man often seen by the fireplace, another always by the front door, it seems the dead have this place surrounded. Plates go flying, picture frames tilt, machinery activates itself, and lights flicker. Waiters have even almost served entities they saw sitting at a table.
6. The Dakota Is The Most Haunted Apartment Building In New York City
The Dakota, where John Lennon once lived and was shot outside of, is reportedly haunted. Lennon himself claimed to have seen the ghostly figure of a woman wandering down the halls crying. He later referred to her as “The Crying Lady.” He also claimed to have seen a UFO outside his window while living here.
Years after Lennon died he decided to make a visit to the Dakota, Yoko Ono claimed to see his ghost at the piano. He spoke to her, “Don’t be afraid. I am still with you.” Musician Joey Harrow and writer Amanda Moore both claimed to have seen John Lennon’s ghost at the Dakota as well. He was hanging out near the entrance surrounded by an eerie light.
But John Lennon isn’t the only one haunting the Dakota, a mysterious little girl has been seen playing with a ball, and a 10-year-old boy in a Buster Brown suit is known to appear on occasion. On the third floor of the Dakota is where Frederick and Suzanne Weinstein claim their rugs and chairs slide on their own and phantom footsteps can be heard. Weinstein spoke of one incident where he came home to see a large crystal chandelier glowing from outside his window. Thinking his wife just had it installed, he walked on into the house only to find there was no chandelier.
7. Dylan Thomas Is Still Drinking At The White Horse Tavern
The White Horse Tavern is famous for being the favorite watering hole of poet Dylan Thomas. It’s actually where he drank himself into a coma back in 1953. His ghost can still be seen sitting at his usual table.
8. The Kreischer Mansion Has A Violent Past Haunting Its Present
This 130-year-old Mansion has a dark past. Many members of the Kreischer family died here and their ghosts remain. Balthazar Kreischer had the mansion built for his family but died just a year after its completion, in 1886. There was a lot of talk of greed and resentment between the two sons, Edward and Charles Kreischer after that. The in-fighting was brutal, each wanted to take the business and then Edward Kreischer died “mysteriously.” He allegedly shot himself in the head after arguing with Charles. Later, Charles and his wife died in a house fire, now it’s believed both men haunt the Kreischer family mansion.
The spirit of a German cook has also been seen, as have the ghosts of two small children the victim of a mob hit that took place inside the house. Robert McKelvey, member of the Bonanno family, was first drowned but it didn’t work for whatever strange (possibly supernatural reason). Then, he was dragged downstairs and viciously stabbed, that seemed to have killed him but not willing to take any chances, his body was then chopped up and burned.
9. Things Go Bump In The Night At The Museum Of The Moving Image
Disembodied footsteps echo throughout Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image. And the deep voice of an unseen man is often heard. The full-bodied apparition of a black woman dressed in white has been witnessed after hours. Who she is remains a mystery, but she can often be found hanging around the security desk.
10. A Drowning Victim Haunts The McCarren Park Pool
McCarren Park Pool opened back in 1936 and shut down for repairs in 1983 and never reopened. As the story goes, a little girl drown there and now haunts it. Witnesses claim to have seen her ghost and to have heard her calling for help. While there is no official record of any deaths at the pool, a former guard claims to have pulled the body of a young man from the pool himself back in 1977-78.
11. A Ghost At The Merchant’s House Museum Doesn’t Like Kids Playing On The Lawn
This historical landmark has been a museum for nearly 80 years but still looks essentially as it did when the Tredwells lived there. The Tredwell family spent about 100 years in that house, and 93-year old Gertrude Tredwell never left.
Gertrude spent her entire life as a shut-in in this very house and her ghost doesn’t seem to be any more interested in outside exploration than she was. She can still be heard walking around in her former bedroom. She’ll venture out into the front yard if she doesn’t like what’s going on out there. One of the most famous tales of Gertrude’s ghost happened in 1933, just weeks after her death. Some neighborhood kids decided to play in her front yard and Gertrude rushed right out the front door to chase them away. A lot of people saw this, they all recognized her and knew that she’d been dead for weeks!
Another incident happened in 1995, to a Judicial Department official. She claimed to have been upstairs speaking to a “tattered and musty” gentleman for quite sometime about some of the objects on display, when suddenly the man vanished. As it turns out, she was conversing with the long-dead son of Samuel Tredwell.
12. The SoHo shop COS Has A Haunted 18th Century Well On Display
Inside the SoHo shop, COS, is an 18th Century well connected to a gruesome unsolved murder. Gulielma Elmore Sands left her home December 22, 1799, to meet up with her lover Levi Weeks. The two planned to run off and elope that night but less than two weeks later Sands body was found inside this infamous well. She had been suffocated to death. News of “The Manhattan Well Murder” was plastered everywhere and soon Weeks was tried in his fiance’s murder. He was acquitted and her real murderer (assuming it wasn’t Weeks) was never discovered. The Manhattan Well Murder remains one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in New York history. This morbid piece of history is allegedly haunted. In addition to giving people the willies, bottles have been known to inexplicably shoot off the shelves.
13. A Mysterious Blonde And A Boy With His Dog Roam The Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn, also known as the “Garden Cemetery” is the final resting place for around 300,000 people, but it seems quite a few of them aren’t resting all that peacefully. One specter witnessed by multiple people, is that of an unknown man with a flashlight who appears to be crazed and yelling but no one has ever heard what he’s saying. They only see him.
Another spooky legend is that of 5-year-old Johnny Morehouse, who fell into canal and froze to death while his dog fought wildly to save him. After Johnny was buried, the dog laid down at his grave and wouldn’t leave. It died of starvation and sadness but now the two are reunited and can be seen roaming the cemetery at night. In 1861 a commemorative stone was made to honor this devotion between the boy and his dog. Since then, it’s become common practice for people to leave toys and candy offerings on the stone.
A mysterious blonde girl dressed in jeans and white tennis shoes has been seen sitting on a stone. SOmetimes she radiates an eerie blue light, other times she looks so solid that the passerby she talks to don’t realize she isn’t a real person.
14. Hell Gate Bridge Has A Spook Train
According to legend, the “Hell Gate Bridge” over the East River is haunted by a demonic ghost train that blares through at night. Apparently, it’s on the hunt for souls to steal and comes by to collect those who died in the water below.
15. Sid And Nancy Haunt The Hotel Chelsea
The Hotel Chelsea, infamous hotspot among rock stars, artist, and celebrities has been long believed to be a popular hang out for the dead as well. Among the ghostly residents is are the infamous Sid and Nancy.
On October 12, 1978, Nancy Spungen was found stabbed to death on the bathroom floor in the Chelsea. Her boyfriend, Sid Vicious, the bassist for the band “Sex Pistols,” was arrested for the murder but while awaiting his trial, he overdosed on heroin and died. Many claim the couple still haunt the building.
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