Van Horn Mansion, built by Judge James Van Horn in 1823, has 16 rooms and five bathrooms–and perhaps a few ghosts, to boot. It is preserved by the Newfane Historical Society, which offers Victorian teas and mansion tours. The most well-known ghost may be Malinda, wife of James Van Horn Jr. She was buried in the rose garden, and has spooked drivers passing by–some have skidded to barely miss a girl who ran out of the mansion into the road and simply disappeared.
Van Horn Mansion
Old Seaview Hospital
Seaview Hospital, once a tuberculosis sanatorium, is now a national historic district on Staten Island. Built between 1905 and 1938, the site has over 30 historic buildings along Brielle Avenue. The former hospital building is reported to be haunted by the spirits of its deceased patients.
Bennett College Ruins
Bennett College, founded in 1890, was a women’s college that closed in 1978. Now an abandoned ruin, the spot is said to be haunted by students who committed suicide and are forever roaming the dorms in spirit.
West Hall - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
West Hall at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute currently houses the Arts Department, but was once the historic Old Troy Hospital. As legend has it, ghostly Nurse Betsy of the psych ward sometimes plays the piano, as she used to do to calm her patients. Her footsteps and her patients’ screaming and whining also have been reported, as well as thumping sounds and slamming doors. According to Betsy’s story, a fire broke out in the psych ward, and she died a hero while trying to save the lives of her patients.
Baron Hirsch Cemetery
The Jewish Baron Hirsch Cemetery was in the news for vandalism in 1960 when “Fuhrer” was painted in yellow on 87 headstones. It is said to have been haunted since the early 1800s. Nearby residents have had visits from the cemetery’s spirits, sometimes seen as shadowy figures.
Washington Irving's Sunnyside
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, historic home of the famed writer of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” is said to be haunted by Irving himself as well as his nieces, who used to take care of the home. Irving’s ghost has a reputation for pinching women, and his spectral nieces tidy up after the museum is closed for the night.
Vale Cemetery
The largest cemetery in Schenectady, Vale Cemetery opened in 1857 and is said to be a spooky place, indeed. Witnesses say some of the statuary cries out at night or bleeds from the eyes or the tops of their heads. Black and white ghostly figures are alleged to wander through the gravesites and sit in trees, and strange lights have been seen and singing has been heard within the old church on the grounds.
Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie
The historic Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie, built in 1921, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a former caretaker. Witnesses have heard the jingle of his keys and the tap of his fingers on his old office desk; his whistling has been heard in the gym and in the kitchen.
Saratoga County Homestead Sanitarium
Saratoga County Homestead (aka Homestead Sanitarium) opened in 1914 as a tuberculosis hospital. It is rumored to be haunted by patients who perished here, one of whom may be Mr. Horace Carpentier, buried at the nearby Barkersville Cemetery. The sanatarium is sometimes referred to as Bills Road Infirmary in Providence, NY. Trespassing is absolutely forbidden at this site – don’t even bother visiting unless you’ve acquired the appropriate permissions ahead of time.
University of Rochester - Rush Rhees Library
Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester was named after the university’s third president Benjamin Rush Rhees. It still houses the original elevator from when it was dedicated in 1930. The library’s stacks are allegedly haunted by a workman who fell during construction in 1929.
