The Art Deco Capitol Theatre was built in 1927 and has been haunted for at least three decades, witnesses say. Reports have come in of a man’s shadowy figure, music coming from a long-defunct organ, doors that open on their own, disembodied whispers, and the phantom sounds of a late-night show.
Capitol Theatre
Calaboose Grille
The building that houses the Calaboose Grille began its life over a century ago as the Owego Town Jail. In fact, “Calaboose” is Cajun slang for jail, and the foundation is reported to have been laid by a chain gang. Some believe the restaurant is haunted by prisoners who once lived and worked here.
Casey's Cottage
Casey’s Cottage was once the 1906 Mexico Point Club House, and was renovated into a medieval manor house by Dr. William C. (Bill) Casey and Severin Bischof. After Dr. Casey passed away in 1978, the cottage was abandoned for years but has since been restored and can be rented for events. Legend has it that a young woman was buried under a tree on the property, and witnesses have seen her apparition and heard her cries for assistance coming from the area of the lake. Also reported here have been fast-moving apparitions, moving furniture, missing objects that turn up in weird places, orbs, cold spots, disembodied voices and more.
Split Rock Quarry
Split Rock Quarry was a hazardous munitions plant that suddenly exploded in 1918, killing more than 50 men. Left today are nothing but rock and The Crusher, an defunct piece of mining machinery. Witnesses say the place is haunted by the past victims, citing unexplained voices and footsteps, and the phantom sound of The Crusher revving up.
Old Foamy Road
Old Foamy Road’s monster, nicknamed Old Foamy after the nearby stream and road, is a 7-foot-tall goat-man or satyr. According to local lore, those who park on Old Foamy Road near the stream, turn off the lights and honk three times will call up the monster. The legend is believed to come from the many murdered bodies that have been found in this area.
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is rumored to be a ghost-hunter’s delight with apparitions that appear in photographs, footsteps, unexplained noises, lights that go on and off, toilets that flush by themselves, and voices that come from nowhere. Ghostly soldiers have been seen by many, notably in or around Building 4, once used as an isolation ward for sick and dying soldiers, and Building 13, where a soldier is said to have hanged himself. Building 117 also is said to sport ghostly activity, as is Pershing House, where a salt shaker once levitated and phantom cooking smells have been detected. The Tumbleweed Tavern’s old stage is also rumored to be haunted.
Ear Inn - James Brown House
The Ear Inn, once known as the Green Door (its nickname during the Prohibition), was a late-18th-century home originally constructed for James Brown, an African-American and George Washington’s aide during the Revolution. Over the years after that, the building housed a bar, dining room, Prohibition speakeasy, boarding house, smuggler’s den and brothel. Witnesses have reported many ghosts here, the most often seen perhaps being Mickey, a sailor’s apparition. The name Ear Inn comes from a neon sign that said BAR but was painted to read EAR instead.
German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum
The mid-1800s German Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum closed in 1956, and the buildings were used as a preparatory seminary until the complex was sold to a private owner in the 1990s. It is said to be haunted by colorful orbs that show up in photos, unexplained noises, and sounds of water running through the building when no water services were in operation.
Lucille Ball Little Theatre
According to rumors, the historic Lucille Ball Little Theatre has been the setting for many reports of ghostly apparitions and other paranormal phenomena.
Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town, a living history village and museum complex, is rumored to have some haunted buildings. Some say the Guyon Lake Tysen House, built in 1740, is haunted by Elizabeth Lake Tysen. Some of her many children are suspected to linger here as well, playing with the house museum’s toys. In this and many of the other historic houses, witnesses have reported footsteps, unexplained sounds, objects that go missing, cold spots and disembodied voices.
