Founded in 1630, Boston is one of America’s oldest cities. Its rich history and culture include the legends and lore of the paranormal. You don’t have to go far if you want to visit a haunted place in time for Halloween. If you want to experience the spookiness of the city in time for the night of the spirits, here are a few good places to start.
The Central Burying Ground on The Common has a darker past than most cemeteries. The first bodies buried here in the mid 18th century were those of the poor or immigrants. British soldiers were later buried here after the Battle of Bunker Hill. In the years following, many burials took place here and closer to what is now Boylston Street, many of those who had died of disease were buried in either open tombs or no tombs at all. When the Boylston T stop was constructed at the end of the 19th century, over 900 bodies were found. The remains were put into a mass grave in the cemetery. Visitors to the site have commented on the eerie nature of the grounds, and there are tales of ghosts such as the “girl without a face”. There are also stories of children claiming to see a young girl who appears to be sad, which their parents cannot see. Many children are said to be buried here as well.
The Omni Parker House hotel has been visited by a few influential people over the years, and some are rumored to still be roaming the halls. Charles Dickens liked to stay on the third floor when he visited the hotel, and this is where the elevators often mysteriously stop at. The tenth floor is a popular spot to run into Harvey Parker, the founder of the hotel, who died in 1884. The rotund apparition sports a black moustache and a warm smile, much like the picture of the late businessman in the hotel lobby. Guests report seeing orbs and being kept up by the sound of rocking chairs at night. There are no rocking chairs on hotel premises.
The Boston Harbor Islands have their fair share of spooky stories, and Fort Warren on Georges Island is no exception. The famed “Lady in Black” was once Melanie Lanier, a woman who came to Fort Warren during the Civil War. Her mission was to rescue her husband, a confederate soldier who was being held prisoner there. She was able to get him out of his cell, but then the guards took notice and tried to stop her. She tried to fire at them, but was miscalculated the recoil. A piece of shrapnel hit her husband in the head and killed him. She was caught, hanged as a traitor, and is said to be seen today in the same black robe that she died in.
Harvard University is home to at least two haunted buildings. Thayer Hall was once a textile mill, and students have claimed to see people dressed in Victorian style clothing disappearing through walls and doors. Massachusetts Hall is where Holbrook Smith has stopped to chat with students, claiming to be a member of the class of 1914. He would appear to be a normal person, until he left through a door without opening it. There is no record of Smith ever attending Harvard.
Emerson has a few ghost stories of its own, dating as far back as to when Emerson used the Charlesgate Hotel as dorms. Before Emerson, Boston University housed students here as well, and it also served as apartments for tenants. Multiple supernatural events have been reported, such as residents being visited by ghosts, gurneys rolling down hallways, and sudden deaths. Throughout its history, Charlesgate has been the scene of a number of suicides and the place where many deaths occurred.
More recently, the Cutler Majestic Theater is said to be haunted. Students working on shows have reported feeling presences in empty seats and there is said to be three figures spotted on the upper balcony from time to time. Lights turning on and off on their own and doors locking at random times are also common. Piano Row residence hall is also thought to be home to spirits. Two workers fell to their deaths from scaffolding outside the thirteenth floor when the building was being renovated in 2006. A motorist was also killed in the accident, and the three are said to haunt the thirteenth floor.