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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cole's Hill in Plymouth is Massachusetts's oldest documented site

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Cole's Hill in Plymouth is the oldest documented site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Massachusetts's most haunted places. The index ranks 139 Massachusetts sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Cole's Hill is the rise above Plymouth Rock where the Mayflower Pilgrims buried their dead during the winter of 1620 to 1621, when roughly half the colony died of cold, disease and malnutrition; the graves were left unmarked. A storm in 1735 washed human remains down the hill into the harbor, and in 1920 the General Society of Mayflower Descendants placed a granite sarcophagus on the hill to hold the recovered bones. Tour guides and visitors describe a sense of being watched after dark and faint voices near the sarcophagus.

Statewide, Stone's Public House in Ashland ranks #1, and the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Cole's Hill, on Carver Street in Plymouth, is a free, open-air site overlooking Plymouth Harbor, open daily.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/massachusetts/The fact sheet, with Plymouth numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/massachusetts/A short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cole's Hill in Plymouth is Massachusetts's oldest documented site
A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Cole's Hill in Plymouth is the oldest documented site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Massachusetts's most haunted places. The index ranks 139 Massachusetts sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Cole's Hill is the rise above Plymouth Rock where the Mayflower Pilgrims buried their dead during the winter of 1620 to 1621, when roughly half the colony died of cold, disease and malnutrition; the graves were left unmarked. A storm in 1735 washed human remains down the hill into the harbor, and in 1920 the General Society of Mayflower Descendants placed a granite sarcophagus on the hill to hold the recovered bones. Tour guides and visitors describe a sense of being watched after dark and faint voices near the sarcophagus.

Statewide, Stone's Public House in Ashland ranks #1, and the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:
Cole's Hill, on Carver Street in Plymouth, is a free, open-air site overlooking Plymouth Harbor, open daily.

For media:
The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/massachusetts/
The fact sheet, with Plymouth numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/massachusetts/
A short version follows.

About HauntBound: HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

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Short version

SHORT VERSION

Cole's Hill in Plymouth is Massachusetts's oldest documented site

Cole's Hill in Plymouth is the oldest documented site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Massachusetts's most haunted places, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. The Mayflower Pilgrims buried their dead here, unmarked, during the winter of 1620 to 1621, and a storm in 1735 washed human remains down the hill into the harbor. Tour guides and visitors describe a sense of being watched after dark near the granite sarcophagus placed on the hill in 1920. The hill is free and open daily.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/massachusetts/

SHORT VERSION
Cole's Hill in Plymouth is Massachusetts's oldest documented site
Cole's Hill in Plymouth is the oldest documented site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Massachusetts's most haunted places, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. The Mayflower Pilgrims buried their dead here, unmarked, during the winter of 1620 to 1621, and a storm in 1735 washed human remains down the hill into the harbor. Tour guides and visitors describe a sense of being watched after dark near the granite sarcophagus placed on the hill in 1920. The hill is free and open daily.
Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/massachusetts/