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Manhattan holds four of New York's ten most haunted places

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, four Manhattan landmarks rank among New York's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, including the Merchant's House Museum at #1. The index ranks 343 New York sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

The Merchant's House Museum on East 4th Street ranks #1. Merchant Seabury Tredwell bought the 1832 rowhouse in 1835, and his youngest daughter, Gertrude, was born there in 1840 and lived in it for 93 years. Four separate published accounts describe activity there. Visitors describe a woman in a brown 19th-century dress in the front parlor, identified as Gertrude. The New York Times called it Manhattan's most haunted house in 2008; the museum's candlelight ghost tours are theatrical, not investigations.

The Palace Theatre, opened on Broadway in 1913, ranks #6. Two separate published accounts describe activity there, including a white-clad figure said to repeat an acrobat's 1935 fall. Contemporary reports claimed the acrobat, Louis Bossalina, died; he survived and lived until 1963.

Also in the top ten: the Manhattan Well at 129 Spring Street, subject of an 1800 murder trial in which Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr shared the defense (#4), and the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan's oldest house (#9).

Statewide, the Amityville Horror House (exterior viewing only), now a private home and 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:Merchant's House Museum, 29 East 4th St., is open for visits and tours.The Manhattan Well is beneath 129 Spring St., now a COS store; public access is unconfirmed.Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway, is a working Broadway house.Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, is a museum open to visitors.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/new-york/The fact sheet, with New York numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/new-york/Venue contact: merchantshouse.org and morrisjumel.orgA 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

Short version

SHORT VERSION

Manhattan holds four of New York's ten most haunted places

Four Manhattan landmarks rank among New York's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. The Merchant's House Museum on East 4th Street ranks #1; visitors describe a woman in a brown 19th-century dress in the parlor, identified as Gertrude Tredwell, who lived there for 93 years. The Palace Theatre, the Manhattan Well at 129 Spring Street and the Morris-Jumel Mansion also make the top ten.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/new-york/