Who Ya Gonna Call? NYC Explorers Take on the Haunted Big Apple
With Halloween fast approaching, what better way to get in the spirit than with a walking ghost tour of NYC?
A place as historic as New York is ripe with stories and memories of bygone eras — but is the city that never sleeps haunted by restless spirits of the past as well? We decided it was time to find out about the darker, more supernatural side of our beloved city.
After considering several walking tours that promised ghoulish fun and ghostly sightings, we settled on a free walking tour of (supposedly) one of the most haunted areas of the Big Apple — good ol’ Greenwich Village.
Are You, Are You Coming to the Tree?
We arrived on a crisp fall night at the Hanging Tree in Washington Square Park to meet the rest of our ghostbusting squad for the tour.
Before Mary, our guide, led us through the Village and its haunted past, she gave us the lowdown on different types of hauntings — from the benevolent to the sinister. Mary also revealed that her tours often attract psychic and paranormal investigators, many of whom have witnessed ghostly happenings during the walk. To say the least, the hair on the back of our necks was standing straight up by the start of the tour.
Then, Mary went into detail about Washington Square Park and why it happened to be one of the biggest sites in New York for supernatural occurrences. Turns out that this beautiful, energetic park isn’t just stomping grounds for NYU students. It once served as a Native American burial ground, a Potter’s Field for Yellow Fever victims, and it was a well-known gallows and execution ground. Let’s just say we may not be lounging around on the park’s lawns anymore.
To the House of Death We Go
Moving on from the park, Mary led us to another lively location colloquially known as the House of Death. Located at 14 West 10th Street, this beautiful, unassuming townhouse stands on one of the most picturesque streets in Manhattan. According to Mary, it’s supposedly haunted by 22 ghosts — including that of famous author Mark Twain, who resided here from 1900–1901. The House of Death is so steeped in supernatural activity that it was the focal point of another former resident, Jan Bryant Bartell’s Spindrift: Spray from a Psychic Sea. She claimed that the unseen forces in the house continued to haunt her and her family long after they moved out.
Table for Two
Next on our list of spooky spots was a romantic little restaurant and bar called One if by Land, Two if by Sea (17 Barrow Street). At one point, the location served as Vice President Aaron Burr’s carriage house. Rumor has it, he may be one of the 20 ghosts that haunt the popular establishment. Stories of being pushed when no one is around, flying plates, and flickering lights are commonly reported by staff and patrons alike. Many have even reported that one of the spirits, being quite the prankster, enjoys stealing women’s earrings while they sit at the bar. How’s that for an immersive dining experience?
Shots (and Spirits) All Around
One of the last stops of the night on Mary’s tour was another popular New York watering hole. White Horse Tavern, located at 567 Hudson Street, was once the famed stomping grounds of New York’s literary community. Most notably, Welsh poet and frequent patron Dylan Thomas drank 18 shots of whiskey here and subsequently fell into a lethal coma. Even in the afterlife, the tavern remains Thomas’ favorite haunt. He is often spotted drinking at his usual table or attempting to pick up attractive women at the corner of the bar.
With all of the haunted sightseeing we did that night, you may be wondering if we had any encounters with the other side. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), our supernatural experiences were limited to Mary’s great stories. Though we didn’t witness any unexplained occurrences, we’re certainly a little more spooked walking the city’s streets at night.
