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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Four Newport landmarks rank among Rhode Island's ten most haunted places

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, four Newport landmarks rank among Rhode Island's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, including the Astors' Beechwood Mansion (exterior viewing only) at #1. The index ranks 53 Rhode Island sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

The Astors' Beechwood Mansion ranks #1. William Backhouse Astor, Jr. acquired the estate in 1881 for his wife, Caroline Astor, whose ballroom defined Gilded Age Newport society. Five separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1911. Staff described a maid in a period uniform and a woman in a yellow ballroom gown, sometimes identified as Caroline Astor.

Carey Mansion (exterior viewing only) ranks #8. Edson Bradley completed the mansion in 1925; his wife, Julia Williams Bradley, died there in 1929, and her funeral was held in its chapel. One firsthand published account, retold in three later publications, describes activity there, the earliest dated to 2011. Local accounts describe organ music from the empty chapel, attributed to Julia, and shadow figures in the stairwells.

Also in the top ten: Rose Island Lighthouse (#4) and Belcourt of Newport (#10).

Statewide, the Conjuring House (exterior viewing only), the state's most famous haunted site, ranks #2.

"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:The Astors' Beechwood Mansion, 580 Bellevue Ave., Newport, is exterior viewing only. Please do not trespass.Carey Mansion, Ruggles Ave., Newport, is exterior viewing only. Please do not trespass.Rose Island Lighthouse, in Narragansett Bay, is reachable by ferry for day trips.Belcourt of Newport, 657 Bellevue Ave., Newport, offers daytime and candlelight tours.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/rhode-island/The fact sheet, with Newport numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/rhode-island/Photo: the Astors' Beechwood Mansion, on the fact sheet.Venue contact: belcourt.com and roseisland.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

Four Newport landmarks among Rhode Island's ten most haunted places

Four Newport landmarks rank among Rhode Island's ten most haunted places in HauntBound's 2026 index, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. The Astors' Beechwood Mansion, exterior viewing only, ranks #1; the Gilded Age estate is the index's most documented Rhode Island site, with reports of a maid in period uniform and a woman in a yellow gown. Carey Mansion, the 1925 mansion later used as Collinwood in the television series Dark Shadows, ranks #8. Rose Island Lighthouse and Belcourt of Newport also make the top ten.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/rhode-island/