Halloween: A Guide to Boston’s Most Haunted Spots

By Amanda Brucculeri

Graphic by Melissa Lemieux

https://bostonghosts.com/top-10-haunted-locations-in-boston/

Boston is one of America’s oldest cities. Almost 400 years old, it holds a rich history and is home to buildings, parks and streets that have withstood the test of time. That said, many locations in Boston hold the memories (and sometimes even spirits) of the people that once walked here. Bostonians have reported seeing ghosts, feeling a presence and having overall strange experiences at many locations in Boston. There’s no need to go to a fake haunted house when you are in a city full of spots with reported paranormal activity. Ring in this Halloween season by giving yourself a real fright and visiting some of Boston’s most haunted sites.

Omni Parker House 

The Omni Parker House is a hotel located in downtown Boston, just outside of Boston Common. It first opened its doors to guests in 1855, and has undergone renovations since then. While it may just seem like another one of Boston’s many fancy hotels, the Omni Parker House has a rich, but chilling, history.

Many notable figures have spent time in its rooms, such as John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Abraham Lincoln eight days after his stay at the hotel, according to Ghost City Tours. Charles Dickens also once resided on the hotel’s third floor. Guests have reported that the elevator will sometimes stop at the third floor — opening its doors to no one standing there. It has been said that the owner of the hotel, Harvey Parker, can be spotted walking around the hotel’s 10th floor and even inside guest rooms. People have also reported hearing the sound of someone rocking in a rocking chair, despite there being none in the hotel. 

Others have had paranormal experiences with the mirror located on the hotel lobby’s mezzanine. There have also been reports of hearing voices, lights flickering and what are thought to be ghosts dressed in 19th-century clothing. If you’re brave enough, step into the lobby of the Omni Parker House — it’s open to everyone, even if you’re not a guest.

Granary Park Burying Grounds

Boston is home to quite a few notable cemeteries, but the Granary Park Burying Grounds may just be the city’s most haunted. Founded in 1660, Granary Park is Boston’s third oldest cemetery. While there are 2,345 headstones in the cemetery, there are more than 5,000 bodies believed to be buried there.

Famed historical figures were laid to rest at Granary Park, including three signers of the Declaration of Independence — Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine, along with Paul Revere. Granary Park is also where the body of James Otis Jr. lies — a lawyer from the Colonial era who suffered head trauma after a bar fight, leading to mental health issues. Otis had allegedly written a letter to God asking to be killed by a lightning strike — which is how he died not long after. 

Visitors have reported seeing Otis wandering around the grounds in Colonial-era clothing. They have also seen what seems to be Paul Revere, riding through the cemetery on his iconic horse. The most common sightings that visitors have reported are floating lights and orbs throughout the graveyard, representing the spirits of the thousands of bodies lying beneath the ground.

The Green Line

The Green Line can already be pretty scary — the hoards of people, the delays and outages for construction are spooky in itself. But the Green Line, specifically between Boylston and Arlington, has a history that makes it even creepier. 

Tremont Street was dug up in 1895 in order to build the train system — what we know as the Green Line today. During this construction, workers discovered bodies underneath the street. These bodies, belonging to British soldiers, foreigners and American Patriots who lost their lives during the Revolutionary War, were buried at the Central Burying Ground. This was a mass grave that lay on the streets that the Green Line drives through today. The bodies discovered were reburied elsewhere, and construction of the underground train continued. 

So, it makes sense that the spirits of these people have been reportedly seen on the track of the T. Specifically, T operators have seen what appear to be British soldiers wandering on the T’s underground tracks. Next time you’re riding on the Green Line, keep your eyes peeled for any ghostly figures.