Where History Meets Haunted

Battlefields, mansions, and the birthplace of modern spiritualism. These stops along the Trail invite you to take a step back in time and explore places that have plenty of history – and haunts.

Mysterious lights and music. A woman that appears in an upstairs window and then vanishes. A child calling for his cat. These are some of the eerie experiences you may have when you take a guided ghost tour at Fort Ontario State Historic Site, where hundreds of soldiers and civilians once perished. The star-shaped Fort Ontario, located in Oswego, NY, is known as the “Guardian of the Northern Frontier.” It was built in 1839 on top of ruins from three earlier fortresses dating back to the French and Indian War. Paranormal groups are welcome to explore the property, by reservation. May we suggest visiting the cemetery? It serves as the final resting place for 77 officers, soldiers, women, and children. Maybe you will see lonely souls trying to reconnect with loved ones in the afterlife, or warriors continuing a battle that has long since ended.

Old Stone Fort Museum in Schoharie, NY is made up of many historic buildings from the 1700-1800s. It includes a home, Dutch barn, law office, one-room schoolhouse, and the Old Stone Fort – which was originally built as a church in 1772. It was fortified during the American Revolution by enclosing the stone church within a wooden stockade, before being attacked by the British in 1780. Self-guided walking tours of the museum are available May through October.

The Old Stone Fort is also surrounded by a cemetery and contains thousands of antiques and artifacts from the war. So, it comes as no surprise that the fort is the site of many hauntings. Schedule a private ghost tour or group tour to explore the grounds with the comfort of a guide. Feeling brave? Grab your equipment and go on a ghost hunt – available by reservation. Visitors have reported seeing apparitions appear in the library doorway, hearing a woman’s scream coming from the tower, even feeling an invisible presence preventing them from going upstairs. Another creepy occurrence was when SyFy’s Ghost Hunters visited, and the organ began playing by itself…  

And that isn’t the only instrument that plays its own tune. When SyFy’s Ghost Hunters visited Hyde Hall in Cooperstown, NY, they heard a piano being played tirelessly by an unseen hand. The neo-classical mansion is home to 200 years of documented, bone chilling, paranormal activity. The main culprit? Original owner, George Clarke. He is the cause of knocking sounds, footsteps, distant music, and sometimes even appears as a full-body apparition.

The National Historic Landmark and New York State Historic Site is filled with original furnishings from 1817-1835. See them for yourself on an evening ghost tour, offered July-August, or during their exclusive candle-lit tours in the month of October.  

Mysterious deaths and unusual sightings surround The Van Horn Mansion in Burt, NY. Home to numerous permanent residents, The Van Horn Mansion is open year-round for private tours and group investigations, up to 15 participants, by reservation. They also host special and spooky candle-lit tours during October.

Hear about – and perhaps even meet – the home’s most famous ghost, Malinda Niles Van Horn. The 20-year-old beauty died over 150 years ago – less than a year after marrying James Van Horn Jr. To this day, the cause of her death remains unknown. You may witness doors slamming shut on their own, or the smell of tobacco wafting out of the men’s second floor smoking room when no one is around. Others have seen shadow figures in the attic and figures peeking out of windows and around corners. The hauntings are so frequent, they are part of the reason why Noury Chemical eventually donated the building.

The Seneca Falls Historical Society building in Seneca Falls, NY is part of a ten-acre estate that once was the home of the Mynderse Family. In 1875, Mrs. Leroy Partridge purchased the house and began remodeling. The extensive update changed the dwelling to the three story, 23-room, Queen Anne Style building that you can tour today.

Original owner, Edward Mynderse, does not welcome change. He is a regular visitor/guest/tenant to the renovated building, where he likes to play tricks on the Historical Society staff. Edward is one of three ghosts who call the historical building home. A former nanny can be heard walking around the third floor, and a young, Irish girl cries on a back stairway. Meet these wandering souls on a guided ghost tour, available by appointment for a minimum of three people. Regular history tours are offered daily.

When the Fox Family moved to a cottage in Newark, NY, the home already carried a reputation for strange noises and phenomenon. Mysterious sounds began right away for Kate and Maggie, but it wasn’t until March 31, 1848 that the paranormal activity escalated. Strange rapping noises kept the family awake until one of the girls yelled, “Do as I do” and clapped three times. In response, three raps. Eventually their mother asked, “Is this a spirit that makes this noise, rap two times.” An affirmative two raps were heard. Communicating by raps, the girls learned of a peddler, Charles B. Rosna, who had been murdered in the house and buried in the cellar. Kate and Maggie began modern spiritualism, and moved on to travel the world as famous mediums. It wasn’t until 1904, long after Kate and Maggie had passed away, that the peddler’s bones were discovered in the home’s crumbling walls.

The Fox Sisters Property/Hydesville Memorial Park shares the history of the Fox family and offers guided tours of the property – where spirited raps can still be heard today. Tours can be booked by calling the caretaker. 

Not all stories and spirits are left in the past. Browse the Haunted History Trail website for the ghost stories, hours and spooky opportunities for each of these historic places. Or call them directly to ask questions or book a tour.