Rockingham County holds four of New Hampshire's ten most haunted places

With Halloween approaching, four Rockingham County places rank among New Hampshire's ten most haunted in HauntBound's 2026 index, including the Hotel Portsmouth at #6. The index ranks 40 New Hampshire sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

The Hotel Portsmouth ranks #6. John E. Sise, a Portsmouth insurance agent, built the Queen Anne mansion in 1881, and it reopened as the Sise Inn in 1986. Two separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1950. New Hampshire Magazine reported ice scattered on the floor of Room 204 and a door that locks itself; guests also describe cold spots and a rocking chair that moves on its own.

John Paul Jones House ranks #8. Sea captain Gregory Purcell built the Georgian house in 1758, and naval commander John Paul Jones boarded there in 1777 and 1781-82 while overseeing shipbuilding on the Piscataqua. Two separate published accounts describe activity there. Visitors describe a figure in period dress stepping from the attic and vanishing, along with cold spots and the smell of pipe tobacco.

Also in the top ten: Star Island / Oceanic Hotel (#9) and Portsmouth Harbor Light (#10, closed for repairs).

Statewide, Three Chimneys Inn ranks #1, and Omni Mount Washington Resort, the state's most famous haunted site, ranks #3.

"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:Hotel Portsmouth, 40 Court St., Portsmouth, is a hotel for overnight guests.John Paul Jones House, 43 Middle St., Portsmouth, is a museum open Thursday through Monday.Star Island / Oceanic Hotel, Rye, is reached by ferry, open June through September; not October.Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Castle, is closed for repairs.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/new-hampshire/The fact sheet, with Portsmouth numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/new-hampshire/Venue contact: larkhotels.com (Hotel Portsmouth) and portsmouthhistory.org (John Paul Jones House)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

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