If you’ve been a resident of the Empire State for a while, you come to quickly realize that our corner of the country is considerably haunted. All over New York you’ll find abandoned and creepy locations that will put your bravery to the test. It’s the perfect place for enthusiasts of all things spooky and scary because not only can you read about the haunted locations, but you can visit many of them! If you’ve ever wondered how exactly our state managed to earn such a haunting reputation, let us explain why it is New York is so spooky with this list of creepy facts about New York.

1. We have the most haunted hotel on the East Coast.
Shanley Hotel, 56 Main St, Napanoch, NY 12458, USA
StickMuzam/TripAdvisor
Talk about booking an unforgettable stay! You may not sleep but you are sure to have an exciting visit. The Shanley Hotel in the small town of Napanoch is home to so many spirits that people have lost track of exactly how many there are. The hotel was built in 1895, with one of its most eerie factors being that many of the spirits that call this place home are said to be the ghosts of children.
2. We're home to a house that's been legally declared haunted, known to many as the "Ghostbusters ruling".
Nyack, NY 10960, USA
Google Maps
Like we said, New York is spooky! In the village of Nyack there's actually a home right on the Hudson River that is so scary, a judge determined it to be legally haunted. Located at the end of a dead end street, the Ackley family called the residence home for numerous years and long reported strange activity. In 1977, Helen Ackley even shared her haunting experiences in an issue of Reader's Digest, where her letter "Our Haunted House On The Hudson" was published. The family claimed that two or three spirits were living in the house with them and even reportedly were known to wake up the children in the home by shaking their beds in the morning.
3. We have houses that are so scary, they've had movies based on them.
Amityville, NY 11701, USA
Wikimedia Commons
Out on Long Island you can find the famous Amityville Horror House. In the fall of 1974 the gruesome murder of the DeFeo family took place, forever changing the history of this otherwise average home. 23-year old Ronald DeFeo Jr. had killed his entire family while they were all sleeping, the next family that lived in the home claimed its walls were severely haunted. With claims of slime dripping from the walls and mysterious voices, a priest was said to have declared the home too haunted to cleanse! Over the years books and movies have been created about the home's terrible history.
4. You can find cities that are haunted and filled with abandoned locations and ghosts.
Buffalo, NY, USA
Hannaford/Flickr
This list is just some of the many scary facts about New York that prove how haunted the city is. But one that we have to cover is in the city of Buffalo. The city is home to an abandoned train station that's said to be haunted, an abandoned asylum, haunted theatre and so much more.
5. And you can even find abandoned locations underneath our city that will send shivers down your spine.
Rochester, NY, USA
Steven Ransel/Flickr
Underneath the city of Rochester lies the ruins of an abandoned subway system. The Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway can be found right in the heart of the city, a place that has now become a favorite area for urban explorers to check out. The train station was initially built in 1927, and has been left to decay for many years now. While some may be enticed by the abandoned location, others find it to be absolutely scary. But no matter how you feel, this space is undeniably fascinating.
6. Down near New York City, there's a mile-long island made up of nothing but graves.
Dead Horse Bay, Brooklyn, NY 11234, USA
Google Maps
A place that is hardly ever spoken of, Hart Island has over one million graves. The island is filled with mass grave sites, a place that is upsetting to many. Run by the New York State Department of Corrections, the island lacks tombstones and many of the bodies belong to inmates that had no families to claim them. This place has such a truly heartbreaking history.
7. The Adirondack ghost town of Tahawus is extremely eerie, to say the least.
Tahawus, NY 12852, USA
Andy Arthur/Flickr
Although the small town of Tahawus is actually no longer in Tawahus, you'll still always hear our residents refer to this place by that name. The actual town was moved to the village of Newcomb years ago and has been abandoned twice throughout its history. Today the town has been left to wither away amongst the Adirondack mountains, where some visitors even claim you can find the ghost of a man named David Henderson riding through the area on his horse. With many standing structures still existing and remnants of the town's mining culture to be found about the town, we highly recommend making a visit to Tahawus.
8. And there's even several towns that have been sunken, left to hide underneath unsuspecting bodies of water.
Between The Lakes
One of the most well-known sunken towns in New York was ironically named Neversink. Now sitting below the surface of the Nerversink Reservoir, the small town was submerged back in 1953. Once home to roughly 2,000 residents who were upset over the decision to sink their land, now you can only view what is left of the sunken town by driving along Route 55 in the Catskills. It is just a reservoir now, but who knows what intriguing remains lurk below the surface?

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9. Speaking of creepy bodies of water, let's take the time to acknowledge that New York has a couple of very haunted lakes.
Big Moose Lake, New York 13331, USA
Lida/Flickr
You may have heard about Long Island's unusual local legends revolving around Lake Ronkonkoma, but the body of water that has a much more chilling history is Big Moose Lake. Located up in the Adirondacks, the lake is where the famous murder of Grace Brown took place back in 1906. A real life story of young love gone sour, Grace Brown was murdered by her lover after finding out that she was pregnant with his child. Those who have camped around the lake have reported unexplainable activity that would indicate the spirit of Grace Brown is still haunting Big Moose Lake to this very day.
10. New York has a beach that's covered in horse bones.
Dead Horse Bay, Brooklyn, NY 11234, USA
edwardhblake/Flickr
A "beach covered in horse bones," if that sentence doesn't make your skin crawl then we have no idea what will. One of New York City's truly bizarre locations, Dead Horse Bay was once home to horse-rendering plants. For years the island served as a landfill for the city, now creating the chilling mixture of trash and bones all along its shores. Today, many visit this beach to see what gems amongst the trash they can discover and use for art, while most simply stay away from Dead Horse Bay for obvious reasons. To learn more about what people have found washed up on this beach and the history behind it all, take a look at our coverage of Dead Horse Bay
11. You'll find plenty of intimidating cemeteries here that are home to many ghosts.
John W. Schulze/Flickr
Most states have at least one scary cemetery that's become a popular place to visit on holidays like Halloween, but New York has enough creepy cemeteries to keep you busy all year long. From down near the Big Apple and out to Rochester, you can read all about these legendary locations if you check out our article about haunted cemeteries in New York
12. And one of our cemeteries is even so scary, some consider it to be one of the seven gates to Hell.
Forest Park Cemetery (Brunswick, New York), 387 Pinewoods Ave, Troy, NY 12180, USA
Lea Monroe/Only In Your State
Located in the city of Troy just outside of our state Capital, residents can drive by what is said to be the gates of Hell. Officially named Forest Park Cemetery, locals know this area as Pinewoods. Decorated with "No Trespassing" signs that are often ignored, local police frequently patrol the popular and haunted grounds. Those who break the rules and enter this cemetery will find decapitated angels and other headless statues, looking like a scene out of a terrifying horror movie. Locals who have dared to go inside have claimed to see the headless statues bleeding from their necks, while others have even said to have had their faces scratched while exploring the area.
13. We have plenty of trails that will lead you to ruins and abandoned places.
Overlook Mountain, Woodstock, NY 12498, USA
Nicole Compton/Flickr
Take a 5-mile out and back hike up to the top of Overlook Mountain and about halfway to the summit, and you'll discover the ruins of an old Catskill hotel! Whether you visit during the summer when the ruins are draped in greenery or explore this trail during the winter when it's surrounded by nothing but leafless trees, you'll be creeped out by the sight of this hotel. The hotel was unfortunately destroyed several times by fires, eventually being left to rot away on Overlook Mountain.
14. And some of our trails are even known to be haunted.
Saratoga National Historical Park, 648 NY-32, Stillwater, NY 12170, USA
moabmeadow/TripAdvisor
Who says wide open spaces and dense forests can't be haunted? Not New York! There are quite a few trails throughout the Empire State that are said to be a bit eerie, but those who have explored Saratoga National Historical Park will tell you that there's something strange going on here. Many who have visited here explain that they feel the spirits of soldiers who once battled here, specifically experiencing activity along the Wilkinson Trail.
15. We have a couple of mysterious hills that strangely defy gravity.
My FingerLakesNY/YouTube
Some may claim that New York's gravity hill is simply an optical illusion, but others say that the unusual happenings that take place here are the result of Native American ghosts! Take a drive out to the town of Middlesex and put your car in neutral on Newell Road, you'll soon find that you're moving uphill backwards. A mystery that simply makes no sense and will completely freak you out, you can learn more about Spook Hill in our article.
16. If things weren't already spooky enough, New York even has an abandoned Girl Scout Camp that looks like your worst nightmare.
rchappo2002/Flickr
Take a drive out towards Rochester and you'll discover Beechwood State Park, home to New York's abandoned Girl Scout Camp. Looking like something out of the Blair Witch Project, it's here that you'll find abandoned cabins, an old Olympic size pool and other pieces of the camp that have been withering away for years. Abandoned back in 1996, you can see what the camp looks like today in our coverage of this abandoned girl scout camp.

Were you aware that New York was this spooky?! Which of these creepy facts about new Yorks scared you the most? Are you ready to get out of the house to explore some of these spots, or will you be staying in your nice and cozy home, avoiding all these terrifying New York ghost stories?

If you managed to make it through this post without fainting from fear, see if you’re up to taking a haunted road trip through New York state. This trip takes you to nine of the most frightening spots across the great state of New York in about five and a half hours. There is so much diversity on this trip too, you will visit a haunted military fort, a spirited theater, and even sip drinks with ghosts in a haunted Irish pub. While you could easily do this trip in a day, we think it would make for a fantastic weekend getaway!

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More to Explore

Haunted New York

Sara Dager | December 28, 2022

Are there any haunted hotels in New York that I can spend the night in?

We love a good accommodation, and they are made all the better if you might see a spirit during your stay. Some of the best haunted hotels in New York to spend the night (or a few) include:

 

What are the most fascinating abandoned places in New York that I can visit? 

It's so fascinating to discover places that have been left to be reclaimed by time and nature, and there are so many abandoned places in New York where just that is happening, such as:

 

As always, we want you to stay safe! So make sure you do your research before visiting these spaces, some you may be able to enter, but others should only be admired from the outside, or even from a distance depending on the status of the ruins.

Which haunted places in New York should I see? 

If you can't get enough of ghost stories and haunted spaces, the Empire State has got your back. Some of the most fascinating and haunted places in New York are:

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