Ghost hunting in Upstate NY: 7 haunted places to visit for a serious fright

It’s the season for being scared, and all through Upstate New York you can experience actual ghosts through guided tours. You can stay indoors, watching horror movies, or you can pretend to be in one by witnessing some of these ghostly activities for yourself. Here are some ideas to get you started on your ghost hunting adventures throughout the region.

Dunkirk Lighthouse

The Dunkirk Lighthouse in Dunkirk, N.Y.

Dunkirk Lighthouse

1 Point Dr N, Dunkirk, NY 14048; http://www.dunkirklighthouse.com/

The Dunkirk Lighthouse Investigative Ghost Hunt starts out slow then builds momentum throughout the night. The tour leaders start in the meeting room where there’s coffee and beverages for the ghost hunting attendees, after all, you need to be hydrated. After a short presentation about the property, you’ll head out to take a tour of the various buildings, including the lighthouse, before setting out into smaller groups of about three to four people to try to gather your own experiences in each room. They have a variety of equipment that you can use like motion light sensors, radios, flashlight communication and more. We had some interesting feedback while using flashlight communication, especially in the basement, and pendulum activity. Oftentimes, people will come into contact with old lighthouse managers that used to live on the property.

Iron Island Museum

998 E Lovejoy St, Buffalo, NY 14206; http://www.ironislandmuseum.com

The Iron Island Museum is still one of the most memorable Ghost Hunter episodes I’ve seen. The small building was filled with so much activity, particularly in the attic, and has such a history leading all of its hauntings. The building was once a church in the 1880s. When the church closed it sat vacant for a while before being turned into a funeral home in the 1950s. In the year 2000, it was given to the Preservation Society of Love Joy as a donation where it was turned into a museum. With its eerie history as a funeral home, the building has seen many spirits including a man, Edgar, whose cremated ashes were left in the basement, and two 6-year-old boys who had their wakes in the home.

Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks

Mt Hope Ave, Rochester, NY 14620; https://sites.google.com/site/rochestercandlelightghostwalks

For a variety of different ghost hunting walking tours, check out Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks. The tour group offers different options to customers like Ghost Stories at Union Tavern Seabreeze, Haunted Pub Crawls on Halloween night, Haunted Rochester Bus Tours and discount days on Ghost Walks for medical professionals, military, teachers and school staff.

Rolling Hills Asylum

Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany.

Rolling Hills Asylum

11001 Bethany Center Rd, East Bethany, NY 14054; http://www.rollinghillsasylum.com/

For ghost hunt fanatics, this one is kind of a staple. Due to Covid-19 regulations, the public guided tours, both historical and flashlight tours, are on hold as of right now, but you can book a private ghost tour for you and your bravest group of friends. This creepy asylum has drawn in ghost hunters and TV crews from all over. And after having almost 1,700 documented deaths, and even more that have not been recorded, I can see why. This place is a magnet for aspiring paranormal investigators.

Erie Canal Museum

- The Erie Canal Museum in downtown Syracuse opened in 1962 in the Syracuse Weighlock Building, the last surviving weighlock building in America. (Photo shot Wednesday, July 29, 2020.) (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com) Rick MoriartyRick Moriarty

Erie Canal Museum

318 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY 13202; https://eriecanalmuseum.org/

In Central New York, look for the Erie Canal Museum. According to the Haunted History Trail, the property is home to several ghosts. Some of the main ghost sightings include a woman who died where the canal boat sits, two arguing men and a group of children among other spooky entities. You can attend one of their ghost hunts and investigations by reserving a spot online or by calling the museum.

Old Fort Niagara

102 Morrow Plaza, Youngstown, NY 14174; https://www.oldfortniagara.org/

Old Fort Niagara does a great ghost tour and runs through the history of the fort. As it gets dark, they guide through a 45-minute tour that explains the ominous side of Fort Niagara’s past. You’ll learn about strange things that have happened on the property and unusual paranormal activity while characters are dressed the part throughout the property jump out and scare you.

Haunted Saratoga Tours

348 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; http://hauntedsaratogatours.com/

The Haunted Saratoga 90-minute walking ghost tours take you throughout the city to search for ghosts at various haunted locations. Some of these buildings include the Old Canfield Casino, where a ghost they’ve named “Old Smoke” has appeared among others such as the witch of Saratoga Springs, Angeline or the Green Man.

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