10 historic houses that are reportedly haunted

Once the residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, this Queen Anne-style Victorian mansion was always plagued with spirits. As soon as construction commenced in 1884, the property and mansion were claimed to be haunted by the ghosts of her deceased family (including her husband and daughter) and those killed with Winchester rifles.

Legend has it, a spirit medium advised Winchester, a Connecticut native, to move west and continuously build a house to appease the angry spirits — directions she followed. The result: 120 rooms, 40 bedrooms, two ballrooms, 47 fireplaces, more than 10,000 panes of glass, two basements, and three elevators.

The story for the film “The Amityville Horror” was based on this house.  In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed his family in their home. A year later, the Lutz family moved in and claimed to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena. Some incidents include a crucifix revolving on the wall until it turned upside-down, all sorts of door slams and mysterious music from unknown sources. The Lutz family lasted 28 days before moving out.

Today the house is a private residence and is not open to the public.

Legend has it, one night a boarder attempted to strangle Ms. Foley. Unable to scream, she beat the attacker with a candlestick and inadvertently killed him. Years later, Foley confessed on her deathbed, but most people dismissed the claim.

During a renovation in 1989, human remains were discovered in the walls. Ever since, guests have reported seeing a man wearing a top hat in the garden at night, hearing strange noises and feeling sudden rushes of air.

“Lizzie Borden took an axe / And gave her mother forty whacks / And when she saw what she had done / She gave her father forty-one.” You know the story, but did you know you can stay in Lizzie’s former house, and sleep in the room where her parents were murdered?

The B&B can be rented by the room, by the floor, or even the entire house. There have been reports of apparitions, cold spots, cries and the sound of Lizzie laughing.

Established in 1810, this bed and breakfast is steeped in Civil War history. When it housed Confederate soldiers during a three-day battle, one accidentally shot Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade, a 20-year-old civilian, whose spirit is now said to haunt the place.

Take advantage of ghost stories in the cellar, walks in the cemetery and even a ghost hunt with professional equipment. The inn also offers an outdoor beer garden for guests.

Hull House was made famous by Jane Addams, who opened it as a settlement house for European immigrants arriving in the U.S. With many ghosts said to haunt the house, Addams herself spoke of one of the front bedrooms being haunted, saying she and a friend once saw a “woman in white” ghost there, which was later seen by a group of girls using the room as a dressing room for the adjacent theater.

The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is open for tours.

The story of the “Blue Lady” precedes even the Story Inn’s current owner. Accounts of seeing the ghost in the former Garden Room (now the Blue Room) have been written in guest books for years, noting that if the room’s blue light is turned on, a woman will appear with hypnotic blue eyes. If you smell cherry tobacco, she’s already come and gone.

The Story Inn is now a bed and breakfast, so don’t just take our word for it — go see for yourself.

On the evening of June 9, 1912, six members of the Moore family and two houseguests were killed with an axe in the Moore residence. No one was ever convicted. Since there was no closure, the ghosts of the eight victims still reportedly haunt the grounds.

The website for the house states, “for history buffs, the faint-of-heart, schools, or clubs, the Villisca Axe Murder House is open for daytime tours.”

After the former owner of Stranahan House, Frank Stranahan, drowned outside of his home during the Great Depression, people have claimed to see his ghost on the property. Years later, the sister of Frank’s widow also died in the house due to bleeding from a premature birth. In all, six entities are said to be there.

Now open for public tours, the home gives a unique insight into the culture of the early 1900s, as well as a chance to spot one of the ghosts, which are often seen moving about and rearranging furniture.

Built in 1845 by Jared Coffin (one of the most successful ship owners during the island’s whaling days) as a home for his family, this building — now an inn — is said to be haunted by Coffin himself. He is rumored to appear in room 223, and guests of room 609 have also claimed to see a ghost of a little girl.

Other ghosts are also believed to roam the halls, including an old man who sometimes sits near fireplaces.