The Most Haunted Places in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has 53 documented haunted locations in the HauntBound index.
Top 10 identified after source-level analysis of the 20 strongest Rhode Island candidates.
By the numbers
- Total documented
- 53
- Museum / Historical Site
- 17
- Haunted House / Historic Home
- 12
- Haunted Hotel / Inn
- 6
- Family-friendly
- 50
- Bookable
- 18
- Oldest documented site
- White Horse Tavern (1652)
- Most-reported phenomenon
- apparitions
Ranked
- 1. The Astors' Beechwood Mansion HauntBound identified five distinct published accounts at this historic home, across four kinds of published source. Three later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and cold spots. 5 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1911-2005 · retold in 3 later publications
- 2. The Conjuring House (Old Arnold Estate) The Old Arnold Estate is a 1736 farmhouse in Harrisville where Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters lived from 1971 to 1980; the family's experiences there, and the Warrens' investigation, became the basis for the 2013 film The Conjuring. Accounts describe a woman in 19th-century dress in the upstairs bedrooms, doors opening on their own, and beds shaking, attributed to a previous resident named Bathsheba Sherman, though claims about her practices are undocumented. 3 original accounts · documented across 4 decades, 1970-2024 · retold in 6 later publications
- 3. Governor Sprague Mansion William Sprague built this Cranston mansion in 1790; it grew into a 28-room home for four generations, two of whom served as Rhode Island governors. In 1843 Amasa Sprague, a governor's brother, was killed near the mansion, and John Gordon was convicted and hanged in 1845; Rhode Island pardoned Gordon in 2011. Staff report a butler called Charlie descending the staircase, and in an upstairs bedroom of dolls, a sensation that their eyes follow visitors. 2 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1925-1968 · retold in 2 later publications
- 4. Rose Island Lighthouse HauntBound identified three distinct published accounts at this working hotel, across five kinds of published source. Two later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include cold spots and disembodied voices. 3 original accounts · documented in 2010 · retold in 2 later publications
- 5. Graduate Providence (Providence Biltmore Hotel) HauntBound identified three distinct published accounts at this working hotel, across three kinds of published source. Three later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and objects moving. 3 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1929-1940 · retold in 3 later publications
- 6. Palatine Light / Sandy Point HauntBound identified one distinct published account at this outdoor site, across five kinds of published source. Five later publications retell those accounts. 1 original account · documented across 2 decades, 1811-1867 · retold in 5 later publications
- 7. Nathanael Greene Homestead Nathanael Greene built this Coventry home, Spell Hall, in 1770 before rising to Quartermaster General of the Continental Army; as Commander of the Southern Department he used retreat to exhaust Cornwallis's forces, forcing the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781. Visitors report footsteps, slamming doors, and sounds described as cannon fire and screaming, though the property saw no battle. A woman is glimpsed in an upstairs mirror, and the scent of baking bread appears unexplained. 3 original accounts · documented in 2012 · retold in 5 later publications
- 8. Carey Mansion (Seaview Terrace) HauntBound identified one distinct published account at this historic home, across three kinds of published source. Three later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and disembodied voices. 1 original account · documented across 2 decades, 2011-2024 · retold in 3 later publications
- 9. Providence City Hall HauntBound identified two distinct published accounts at this museum site, across three kinds of published source. Four later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include disembodied voices and phantom smells. 2 original accounts · documented in 2012 · retold in 4 later publications
- 10. Belcourt of Newport HauntBound identified two distinct published accounts at this historic home, across three kinds of published source. Four later publications retell those accounts. Reported phenomena include apparitions and cold spots. 2 original accounts · documented in 2023 · retold in 4 later publications
By city
- Providence: 21 documented sites
- Newport: 14 documented sites
- New Shoreham: 2 documented sites
- Bristol: 2 documented sites
- Warwick: 2 documented sites
- Coventry: 2 documented sites
- Exeter: 1 documented site
- Warren: 1 documented site
- Pawtucket: 1 documented site
- Narragansett: 1 documented site
- 3 more across the rest of Rhode Island
Press images
- The Astors' Beechwood Mansion Donald R. Miller, CC BY 2.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Astors_Beechwood_Mansion_(2966829057).jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/the-astors-beechwood-mansion/hero.jpg
- Governor Sprague Mansion Swampyank, CC BY-SA 3.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Governor_William_Sprague_Mansion_House_at_1351_Cranston_Street_Cranston,_Rhode_Island_RI_USA.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/sprague-mansion/hero.jpg
- Rose Island Lighthouse Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rose_Island_Lighthouse_viewed_from_Rose_Island_2006.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/rose-island-lighthouse/hero.jpg
- Graduate Providence (Providence Biltmore Hotel) Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Biltmore_Hotel_Providence_RI_2017.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/graduate-providence-biltmore/hero.jpg
- Palatine Light / Sandy Point Elizabeth D. Boepple, CC BY-SA 3.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Block_Island_North_Lighthousse.JPG hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/palatine-light-sandy-point/hero.jpg
- Nathanael Greene Homestead Amanda Cournoyer (Camanda), CC BY-SA 3.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GeneralNathanaelGreeneHomestead.JPG hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/nathaniel-greene-homestead/hero.jpg
- Carey Mansion (Seaview Terrace) Jim McCullars, CC BY 2.5, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CareyMansion_crop.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/carey-mansion/hero.jpg
- Providence City Hall Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2021_Providence_City_Hall,_25_Dorrance_Street.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/providence-city-hall/hero.jpg
- Belcourt of Newport Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belcourt_Castle,_Newport,_Rhode_Island.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/rhode-island/belcourt-castle/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: White Horse Tavern Documented since 1652.
- Most documented: The Astors' Beechwood Mansion (Exterior viewing only) 5 distinct published accounts.
- Top haunted stay: Rose Island Lighthouse Overnight stays bookable.
- Most family-friendly: The Arcade Providence (Westminster Arcade) 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 14, 2026: Barnaby Castle in Providence was withdrawn because it is no longer open to the public, so Providence's count is now 21. Rhode Island's documented total stays at 53 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.