16 haunted and historic destinations in New York.
Ballston Spa, NY
The Crandall House was constructed in the 1800s as a Victorian mansion for Sylvester Crandall, an unsuccessful stockbroker, and his wife Julia. On a winter night in 1887, Crandall murdered Julia's mother and stepdaughter with a shotgun, fatally shot his wife, and then walked to the cupola where he shot himself. The building now operates as an apartment complex.
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Blithewood Mansion was built in 1900 by National Guard captain and real estate developer Andrew C. Zabriskie as his family residence. One of his daughters fell to her death from a window in Zabriskie's New York City apartment under unclear circumstances. In 1951, the mansion was donated to Bard College, which uses it as a library facility. The estate's gardens still contain three statues of Zabriskie's daughters commissioned during his ownership, with a notably empty pedestal marking the fourth daughter.
Staten Island, NY
Baron Hirsch Cemetery was established in 1899 by an association of Jewish men in New York and named for philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch. Located in the Graniteville neighborhood of Staten Island, the 65-acre cemetery is the final resting place of approximately 65,000 individuals. The cemetery is organized into approximately 500 plots belonging to various synagogues, Jewish associations, and family groups.
Eagle Bay, NY
Big Moose Inn is a historic Adirondack lodge built in 1903, located on the shores of Big Moose Lake near Old Forge, New York. The property gained notoriety as the setting of one of upstate New York's most sensational murder cases: the July 1906 killing of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette, which inspired Theodore Dreiser's 1925 novel An American Tragedy.
Eagle Bay, NY
Big Moose Lake in the central Adirondacks is the site of one of New York's most infamous murders. On July 11, 1906, Chester Gillette murdered his pregnant girlfriend Grace Brown on the lake, causing a crime that captured national attention, inspired Theodore Dreiser's 1925 novel An American Tragedy, and contributed to the psychological landscape of early 20th-century American letters.
Staten Island, NY
The Billop House, also known as the Conference House, was built by Royal Navy Officer Christopher Billopp around 1680 and served as the site of the 1776 Staten Island Peace Conference between British Commander William Howe and Colonial representatives including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge. The historical significance of this failed peace negotiation shaped the trajectory of the American Revolutionary War.
Garrison, NY
The Bird and Bottle Inn originated as a stagecoach stop established in 1761 on the Old Albany Post Road in the Hudson Valley. The building was later reopened as an inn and restaurant in 1940, and continues to operate today as a boutique inn, restaurant, and event venue. The structure retains significant original Colonial architecture and fixtures from its centuries of operation.
Victor, NY
Boughton Hill Park in Victor, New York sits on land with documented Colonial history. According to local tradition, a woman accused of witchcraft was buried just outside the park's northern boundary during the 17th century.
Wappingers Falls, NY
Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls occupies Hudson River shoreline with a complex history. The property once included structures and facilities connected to military detention and prisoner-of-war treatment. The paranormal accounts reference a prisoner who died at an on-site facility, possibly from forced labor or inhumane treatment methods.
Raquette Lake, NY
The Brightside Hotel was a prominent resort in the Adirondacks during the early 20th century. The hotel ceased business approximately twenty years ago (circa 2000s). The building remains standing but abandoned, with original furnishings preserved in situ.
Broadalbin, NY
The Historic Hotel Broadalbin is a restored 1854 establishment in Broadalbin, New York. Originally built as a glove factory, it became the Kennyetto Inn before operating as Dr. H.C. Finch's Keeley Cure Hospital (1895-1898), a controversial inebriate treatment facility. Renovated and reopened as a full-service hotel in July 2019, it features 12 guest rooms, a restaurant, and bar.
Westchester, NY
Buckhout Road is a wooded backroads location in Westchester County, New York dating to the 1600s. The site is historically significant as a location of alleged witch executions in colonial America, and later the location of grave crimes and murder. The road's dark history spans centuries, from witchcraft trials through 19th-century violent crimes, creating layers of documented tragedy.
Buffalo, NY
USS The Sullivans (DD-537) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned in 1943 and named after the five Sullivan brothers who died together when their ship, USS Juneau, was sunk in November 1942. The destroyer served the U.S. Navy through World War II and the Korean War before being decommissioned in 1965. The vessel has served as a museum ship at Buffalo Naval Park since 1977.
Buffalo, NY
The Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo was constructed beginning in 1871 as the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, based on the Kirkbride Plan of psychiatric treatment. Designed by renowned architect H.H. Richardson and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the 203-acre campus formally opened in 1880. The facility operated as a psychiatric hospital until 1974, when patients were transferred and the complex fell into decay. Modern restoration efforts have partially reopened the campus as Hotel Henry.
Camden, NY
Camden Middle School was formerly the Old High School, a historic educational building in Camden, New York. The structure retains original architecture and has been continuously used as a school facility for over a century.
Woodgate, NY
Camp Truk in Woodgate, New York was originally an orphanage serving children in need. The facility later transitioned to use as a Masonic youth home. The camp includes multiple cabins and facilities on lakefront property.