The Most Haunted Places in New Jersey
New Jersey has 162 documented haunted locations in the HauntBound index.
Top 10 identified after source-level analysis of the 28 strongest New Jersey candidates.
By the numbers
- Total documented
- 162
- Museum / Historical Site
- 36
- Outdoor / Natural Site
- 21
- Cemetery / Burial Ground
- 20
- Family-friendly
- 154
- Bookable
- 44
- Oldest documented site
- Old Bergen Church Cemetery (1660)
- Most-reported phenomenon
- apparitions
Ranked
- 1. The Southern Mansion HauntBound identified four distinct published accounts at this working hotel, across five kinds of published source. Five later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices. 4 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1876-2009 · retold in 5 later publications
- 2. Leeds Point (Jersey Devil Birthplace) HauntBound identified four distinct published accounts at this outdoor site, across four kinds of published source. Two later publications retell those accounts. 4 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1735-1909 · retold in 2 later publications
- 3. Clinton Road HauntBound identified four distinct published accounts at this outdoor site, across five kinds of published source. Eight later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include electrical anomalies. 4 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1939-1988 · retold in 8 later publications
- 4. Drew University (Mead Hall) HauntBound identified seven distinct published accounts at this museum site. One later publication retells those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and cold spots. 7 original accounts · documented across 3 decades, 1983-2019 · retold in 1 later publication
- 5. Union County Courthouse HauntBound identified four distinct published accounts at this museum site, across five kinds of published source. Two later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and cold spots. 4 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1970-2009 · retold in 2 later publications
- 6. Burlington County Prison Museum Architect Robert Mills built this fireproof county jail in 1811; when it closed in 1965 it was the oldest operating prison in the country. The third-floor wing held prisoners awaiting execution, including Joel Clough, hanged there in 1833 for murder. The basement and women's wing produce reports of a woman crying, the smell of perfume, and footsteps near the kitchen, while equipment malfunctions have been reported in the old punishment cells. 2 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1833-1990 · retold in 3 later publications
- 7. Old Bernardsville Public Library (Vealtown Tavern) HauntBound identified three distinct published accounts at this museum site, across four kinds of published source. Two later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices. 3 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1974-2001 · retold in 2 later publications
- 8. Lambert Castle (Belle Vista) HauntBound identified two distinct published accounts at this historic home, across four kinds of published source. Reported phenomena include cold spots and disembodied voices. 2 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1980-2019
- 9. Nassau Hall, Princeton University HauntBound identified three distinct published accounts at this museum site. Reported phenomena include a sensed presence and apparitions. 3 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1939-1975
- 10. Inn of the Hawke HauntBound identified three distinct published accounts at this operating restaurant and bar, across three kinds of published source. Two later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include objects moving. 3 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 2011-2021 · retold in 2 later publications
By city
- Cape May: 19 documented sites
- Princeton: 8 documented sites
- New Brunswick: 6 documented sites
- Morristown: 6 documented sites
- Asbury Park: 5 documented sites
- Newark: 5 documented sites
- Hoboken: 3 documented sites
- Somerville: 3 documented sites
- Jersey City: 2 documented sites
- Atlantic City: 2 documented sites
- 98 more across the rest of New Jersey
Press images
- The Southern Mansion https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/720_Washington_CMHD.JPG hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/the-southern-mansion/hero.jpg
- Leeds Point (Jersey Devil Birthplace) Historic American Buildings Survey / Library of Congress hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/leeds-point-jersey-devil-birthplace/hero.jpg
- Clinton Road Tyler Zenmarn (Tyler de Noche), CC BY-SA 4.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clinton_Road,_NJ_20160617_190601.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/clinton-road-west-milford/hero.jpg
- Drew University (Mead Hall) Jim.henderson hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/drew-university-mead-hall/hero.jpg
- Union County Courthouse Dagrecco1982 hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/union-county-courthouse/hero.jpg
- Burlington County Prison Museum Nathaniel R. Ewan for the Historic American Buildings Survey, 1937 hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/burlington-county-prison-museum/hero.jpg
- Old Bernardsville Public Library (Vealtown Tavern) Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Parker_Tavern,_Bernardsville,_NJ.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/old-bernardsville-public-library-vealtown-tavern/hero.jpg
- Lambert Castle (Belle Vista) Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lambert_Castle,_Paterson,_NJ_-_looking_northwest.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/lambert-castle-belle-vista/hero.jpg
- Nassau Hall, Princeton University Smallbones hauntbound.com/images/locations/new-jersey/nassau-hall-princeton-university/hero.jpg
Images listed here may be republished with the credit shown; all other HauntBound images are not offered for press use.
Superlatives
- Oldest documented site: Old Bergen Church Cemetery Documented since 1660.
- Most documented: Drew University (Mead Hall) 7 distinct published accounts.
- Top haunted stay: The Southern Mansion Overnight stays bookable.
- Most family-friendly: Ringwood Manor Family Comfort rating: High.
Methodology
For purposes of the HauntBound Index, "most haunted" means the location with the strongest documented record of reported haunting phenomena. We evaluate the quantity, independence, persistence, and documentary quality of published reports. We do not attempt to determine whether paranormal phenomena are real, and we never count a source that only establishes a building's history as evidence of haunting claims. Repetitive coverage is subject to diminishing returns, so a story retold many times does not outrank a story independently documented. Rankings never consider commercial relationships.
The 2026 Index reflects sources identified and classified as of September 15, 2026.
Updated September 29, 2026: documented totals now exclude the private homes, operating hospitals and venues with nothing left to visit that were withdrawn on September 25 and 26. The ranked ten are unchanged.
Corrected October 15, 2026: the ClinCon Research Farmhouse in Chester was withdrawn because it is a private office, so the count for the rest of New Jersey is now 102. New Jersey's documented total stays at 162 until the November update.
Updated October 19, 2026: listings that could not be sourced, or that are private or have no public access, were withdrawn after an October review, so some of the state's town counts are lower. The documented total stays as published until the November update.
Updated October 23, 2026: more listings were withdrawn after a dignity and sourcing review, so some of the state's town counts are lower. The documented total stays as published until the November update.
This is a documentation ranking, not a visitation guide; sites not open to visitors are marked on their entries.