HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
127-room Gold Coast chateau built 1914–1919 by financier Otto Kahn — now a luxury hotel where guests report phantom piano music and a woman in white in the grand ballroom.
135 West Gate Drive, Huntington, NY 11743
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Overnight stays start at $495 for a Chateau Room; the $295 rate is a restricted Sunday-Thursday autumn package with blackout dates. Mansion tours are $30 per person by reservation; see the tour experience for full pricing tiers.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Formal gardens and paved pathways; the main entrance is reached via a cobblestone courtyard. A second entrance beside OHK Bar & Restaurant leads directly to the elevator, which serves all floors except two hotel-floor mezzanines. One accessible guestroom and five accessible bathrooms are on the main floor.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1919 · Largest Private Residence in New York State · Gold Coast Gilded Age Estate · Otto Hermann Kahn Philanthropic Legacy · Partial Inspiration for The Great Gatsby
Otto Hermann Kahn was a German-born investment banker who rose to become one of the leading figures in American finance and philanthropy in the early 20th century. When antisemitic policies barred him and his family from private clubs and golf courses in Morristown, New Jersey, Kahn resolved to build on Long Island's North Shore Gold Coast on a scale that would be impossible to ignore. His previous country home, Cedar Court, had been nearly destroyed by fire in 1905, making fireproof construction a priority.
Site preparation for Oheka began in 1914; construction reached a milestone in 1917, and the estate was completed in 1919. Architects Delano & Aldrich designed the French chateau-style structure using steel and concrete, giving Kahn his fireproof building. The name 'Oheka' is an acronym formed from the first letters of his full name: Otto HErmann KAhn. The estate originally covered 443 acres and included an 18-hole golf course, greenhouses, tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, a landing strip, orchards, stables, and formal gardens designed by the Olmsted Brothers with sunken terraces and water features.
After Kahn's death in 1934, Oheka changed hands several times. Eastern Military Academy purchased the property in 1948, occupying it until the school closed in 1979. During four years of abandonment, the building survived more than 100 documented arson attempts — validation of Kahn's fireproof design. Gary Melius purchased and began restoring Oheka in 1984; the castle eventually reopened as a luxury hotel and event venue. Oheka is cited by F. Scott Fitzgerald scholars as one of the inspirations for Jay Gatsby's mansion and appeared in the 1941 film Citizen Kane. More recent productions filmed at Oheka include Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space' music video and the television series Royal Pains and Succession.
Sources
The primary ghost account at Oheka involves the piano. Scott Bellando, who lived in the castle as caretaker for approximately ten years, reported hearing beautiful piano music from the main floor late at night on multiple occasions. Each time he walked downstairs and opened the door, the music stopped; no one was at the piano. The account circulates in multiple Long Island haunted-place compilations and is the most frequently repeated specific claim about the castle.
Guests and staff also describe shadowy figures — human-shaped forms seen on the grounds and between the hedges outside — that disappear when approached. Reports of cameras behaving unexpectedly near Otto Kahn's portrait within the castle are documented in Long Island Haunted Houses and related publications.
The woman in white in the grand ballroom is perhaps the most atmospheric of the accounts. By local tradition, she was a maid employed at the castle who fell in love with one of the owners and was killed in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway. Her figure is reportedly seen in the ballroom, particularly during evening events. There is no verified historical record supporting the specific story of this maid or the accident — the account has the structure of a regional legend attached to the building rather than a documented event — and we note it as such.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Stay in one of 34 luxuriously appointed guestrooms and suites in the castle. Guests have reported unexplained phenomena including phantom piano music heard from the main-floor piano room and shadowy figures on the grounds. Member of Historic Hotels of America.
Guided tour of the 109,000-square-foot castle, exploring its original Gold Coast architecture, restored grand ballroom, formal gardens designed by the Olmsted Brothers, and the history of Otto Kahn's estate. Tours begin at 11am daily, with 12pm and 6pm tour times periodically available, by reservation only; personal photography is limited to handheld smartphone cameras (professional equipment is not permitted).
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