If you're seeking evidence that historical events leave behind actual ghosts, then Connecticut is the place for you. There are haunted places in Connecticut with ghosts of historical figures you've probably heard of, such as the ghosts of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. From the Revolutionary days to the modern era, there are countless haunted places to explore in Connecticut.
Noah Webster House
The Noah Webster House in West Hartford was home to founding father and legislator Noah Webster, who authored the first American dictionary. Several ghosts haunt the Noah Webster House. The Lady in Blue is a period-garbed female ghost who stands in a second-floor window. She holds a burning candle that glows blue. Floating orbs move about the garden. Paranormal investigators have captured various electronic voice phenomena (EVPs). The apparition of a man, possibly Noah Webster, moves about upstairs. Two children talked to a man in the upstairs bedroom, but when their father looked for the man, there was no one upstairs. The staff hear unexplained noises, a baby crying, and a woman screaming. In 1966, the house was turned into a museum and is a National Historic Landmark.
Mark Twain House Museum
The Mark Twain House museum in Hartford is highly active with ghosts. Samuel Clemens's (Mark Twain's actual name...he used a pen name) daughter, Susy, became ill with meningitis and died in the house while both her parents and one of her sisters were in Europe. Susy moves about the house as a fleeting blur of white. Disembodied voices and the smell of Clemens' cigar smoke haunt the Billiard Room. Upstairs, the phantom running footfalls and giggles of children at play are often accompanied by playful spirit orbs floating about the house.
Nathan Hale Homestead
American Revolutionary War Patriot Captain Nathan Hale and his five brothers served in the Continental Army. Unfortunately, the British army captured 21-year-old Nathan and hanged him as a spy in September 1776. His inspiring words still ring out in their patriotic sentiment, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Today, his family homestead in Coventry is part of the Connecticut Landmarks' 11 historic properties. The family moved into the home a month after Nathan's execution. The homestead was once the scene of both British and Continental troop encampments.
Some of the resident ghosts include Lydia Carpenter, a servant girl, who peeps around corners from the hallways and sweeps the kitchen floor. The spirit of Nathan Hale's father, Richard, dressed in colonial style clothing, first appeared during a 1900s restoration project. He keeps an eye on the homestead activities. The spirit of Nathan's brother, Joseph, rattles his chains from the British prison ship where he was held. Phantom footsteps stomp up and down the back staircase while pacing footfalls sound from the upstairs rooms.
New Haven Green
The downtown 16-acre New Haven Green park looks lush and green. Visitors to the township of New Haven would never suspect that underneath the park grass are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 unmarked graves. Two yellow fever epidemics in 1794 and 1795 claimed thousands of lives. The acreage served as the local cemetery for 150 years. In 1821, the headstones were moved to the new town cemetery, Grove Street Cemetery. However, the bodies were left undisturbed in their old graves. Proof of this was uprooted in 2012 when a large oak tree was upturned by Hurricane Sandy and a human skeleton was unearthed, trapped among the roots and clumps of dirt.
The macabre truth that visitors to the park are walking, playing, and lounging on the graves of thousands of people only adds to the eerie contrast of the park's beauty and the paranormal. It's no wonder there are so many stories about ghosts on the green. Shadows or silhouettes of people walk along the green, but if you acknowledge their presence, they vanish or transform into mist and wisps of figures. If you visit the green, you may be like many others and suddenly feel weak and drained of all energy as the spirits feed off your personal energy. You may also hear the most common paranormal activity - disembodied voices.
Gallows Lane
The Gallows Lane is located in the village Quaker Hill in the township of Waterford in New London County. Legend states witches were burned on this road, but there are no existing records to verify this. A few strange paranormal encounters include disembodied voices. Locals don't like to walk along the lane at night or alone. According to The Shadowlands, one man held a séance in the road and a disembodied voice demanded he leave and never return.
Glebe House Museum & Garden
Since early colonial times, the Glebe House Museum & Garden property in Woodbury housed the Episcopal clergy of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church and cemetery that were directly across the street. Rev. John Marshall was a loyalist to the crown and suffered greatly for it. He was beaten several times and eventually succumbed to his injuries. Two prominent ghosts reside in the house. One is a Black woman who is upset at times and other times seems calm and friendly. The other spirit is a man who resides in the attic. He is very aggressive and speculated to be one of the men who attacked Rev. Marshall.
Litchfield Inn
Unlike historic places, the Litchfield Inn was built in 1982. However, the inn has an ancient spirit or two. The ghost of a Indigenous American woman haunts the kitchen and dining room. Another woman frequently surprises newly arriving guests, who enter their room, only to find her sitting on the bed. Believing the hotel has given them a room already occupied, the guests return to the front desk and are shocked when told they have the correct room and no one else is in the room. When the guests return to the room, they discover it is empty. But is that the end of the ghost woman they saw? They must dare to stay overnight to find out.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House
The Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford was the site of many political and education figures over the course of 18 years. Dubbed Walnut Hills, Harriet and Calvin Stowe fought for civil and human rights. She was an abolitionist and supported the Underground Movement. She was also part of the Spiritualism Movement and participated in seances and consulted with psychic mediums. Her spirit and those of her family reside in her home. Phantom footsteps and disembodied voices startled visitors. The parlor window shades open on their own. Flashing lights in the bedrooms announce their presence. A full-bodied apparition likes to hang out in the visitor center.
Gunntown Cemetery
Gunntown Cemetery in Naugatuck was opened in 1790. The cemetery is bordered by a stone wall and has an iron entrance gate. There are restless spirits are contained in the cemetery and often wander outside its boundaries. The spirit of a young boy plays around the back wall. A man leads his horse by the cemetery while carrying a lantern. Disembodied voices and phantom music pierce the night. A black ghost dog roams inside and outside the cemetery. Cold spots and vapory mists move through the cemetery. If you decide to visit, you may catch a glimpse of a spirit orb floating through the graveyard.
New London Ledge Lighthouse
The New London Ledge Lighthouse in Groton was built in1909 and sits on top of a concrete pier in the harbor. The three-story building houses the light keepers who kept the light burning for decades until 1939. The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility and in 1987, the light was automated.
Strange happenings have plagued the lighthouse and those who stayed in it. The unproved legend of lightkeeper John Randolph emerged in the 1920s or 1930s. It seems John's wife was tired of living in the middle of the bay and ran away with the ferry boat captain. Despondent over her abandonment, John climbed to the top of the lighthouse and jumped. The tall, bearded spirit wearing a rain hat and slicker might be John. The spirit moves about the three floors of the lighthouse. When occupied, the paranormal activity included doors opening and closing by themselves. Bed linens mysteriously flew off the beds while cups appeared in different spots. The foghorn blared by itself, and boats moored to the lighthouse mysteriously freed themselves and floated away. Even the Radios and TVs were in on the activity and turned on and off by themselves.
Haunted Places in Connecticut for Ghost Hunters
The numerous haunted places in Connecticut make it an ideal place for ghost hunters. You can choose a cemetery, museum home, or an open area like a park or road to conduct your paranormal investigation.
