Ghostly Happenings in Massachusetts

Ghostly Theater Residents

In the heart of Boston’s theater district, the Cutler Majestic Theater opened its doors in 1903.

Among the ghosts residing in this theater is a former Boston mayor who died giving a speech on stage, a young girl in Victorian clothing seen giggling in the balcony, and a married couple who appear in period dress and are seen toward the back of the theater.

Both theater staff and performers have experience with props and clothing moving on their own, hearing applause and laughter in an empty theater, seeing lights flickering or changing color, and feeling cold spots.

Ghostly Family

The oldest known wooden structure is situated in Dedham. The Fairbanks House was built in 1637 and has been home to eight generations of the Fairbanks family. Today it is a museum that showcases life in colonial New England.

Visitors have reported seeing the ghostly apparition of a young woman in colonial dress, hearing phantom footsteps and voices, feeling cold spots, and experiencing unexplained equipment malfunctions during tours.

Supposedly, the Fairbanks family has chosen to remain in their home.

Strange Paranormal Activity

In Salem, the site of the infamous witch trials of 1622, the Hawthorne Hotel, which was named after American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, has become one of the city’s most notorious haunted locations. The hotel was built in 1925 and is situated on land that once belonged to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the witch trials.

Paranormal activity here includes faucets and lights turning off and on by themselves, unexplained sounds of children crying, ghostly apparitions seen in period clothing, and strange odors with no apparent source.

Room 612 and the sixth floor, in general, are said to be particularly active, with many guests reporting feelings of unease and the sensation of being watched.

The Ghost of Mary and the Butler

The Houghton Mansion is located in North Adams and was once the home of the city’s first mayor, Albert Charles Houghton. The family experienced a tragedy in 1914 when, due to a car accident, Albert’s daughter, Mary, and the chauffeur perished.

Overcome with grief, the family’s butler committed suicide in the mansion’s basement shortly after. Albert himself passed away just a few weeks later, reportedly of a broken heart.

Today this house is used as a Masonic temple and is known to be haunted by previous residents. The ghostly apparitions of Mary and the butler can be seen, phantom footsteps and voices are heard, and doors open and close on their own.

Dare to Enter the Lizzie Borden House

Situated in Fall River, the Lizzie Borden House is among the most famous-haunted locations in the state. It was on August 4, 1892, when Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered with an ax in their house. Their daughter Lizzie was the prime suspect but was finally acquitted of the crime.

Today the house has been turned into a bed and breakfast where you can enjoy a night’s stay in the rooms where the bloody murders took place. Would you risk waking up to something or someone standing over you with an ax?

Among the reported paranormal activity are objects moving on their own, cold spots felt, disembodied voices and footsteps heard, and apparitions of the Borden family seen.

Some guests have even claimed to wake up feeling as though someone was pressing down on their chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Ghostly Apparitions

Situated in Gardner, the S.K. Pierce Mansion was built in 1875 and is among the most haunted houses in the state. This mansion has been a private residence, a brothel, and a boarding house.

On this property eight deaths have been documented and iut has become a magnet for paranormal activity. Full-bodied apparitions among them a bearded man in Victorian clothing have been seen, sounds of phantom footsteps and voices have been heard, objects move on their own, and cold spots are felt as well as the feeling of being watched. For ghost hunters and the brave at heart the present owners offer tours and overnight stays.

Spooky Paranormal Activity

The Taunton State Hospital remains a haunted place even though it was largely demolished in 2009. This psychiatric hospital first opened its doors in 1854. It is associated with a chilling legend that tells about a group of Satanic doctors who performed dark rituals in the basement.

Shadowy figures can be seen in the abandoned hallways, disembodied screams and cries are heard, unexplained cold spots and feelings of dread are felt, and objects like to move on their own. With all this paranormal activity going on, would you like to check out the basement?

Haunted Ship

The USS Salem is a decommissioned heavy cruiser that served in the U.S. Navy from 1949 to 1959. It is now docked in Quincy and has become one of the most haunted vessels in the US.

Back in 1953, the ship was sent to Greece to provide aid after a devastating earthquake. During this mission, the ship’s morgue was used to store the bodies of earthquake victims. Some believe that the spirits of these victims remain onboard, unable to find peace.

Among the ghostly activity reported here are phantom footsteps heard in empty corridors, doors opening and closing on their own, ghostly apparitions wearing naval uniforms, and unexplained equipment malfunctions.

The ship now offers haunted tours and overnight ghost hunts for those brave enough to explore its eerie decks after dark.

Meet the Ghostly Librarian

Situated on Martha’s Vineyard, the Vineyard Haven Library is home to former librarian Annie Heuser, who worked there for over 40 years and was dedicated to her job and her community. She passed away in 1961 but chose not to leave the library.

Among the ghostly happenings here are books flying off shelves, the sound of typing in empty rooms, lights turning off and on by themselves, and the scent of Annie’s favorite perfume in the stacks.