Lizzie Borden House Named Most Haunted Place in Massachusetts
The Lizzie Borden House, which offers tours and also operates as a bed and breakfast, has been named the most haunted place in Massachusetts.
This distinction comes from Thrillist, which noted, “After a night there, I can attest: This home painstakingly furnished to look exactly as it did on the morning of the murders will creep you right out. The late-Victorian-style property hosts up to 20 overnight guests, one of whom will invariably pull out the house ouija board after the evening guide departs and try to contact Lizzie. I did not sleep a wink.”
Lizzie Borden, of course, was famously tried and acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother inside the Fall River, Mass. house. The story of the grizzly murders has been the subject of various productions on stage, screen, and television. Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery played Lizzie Borden in the 1975 ABC television film The Legend of Lizzie Borden. Christina Ricci played Lizzie Borden in another television movie, the 2014 Lifetime film Lizzie Borden Took an Ax. In 2009, the stage production Lizzie: The Musical debuted on stage. In 2018, Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart starred in the film Lizzie.
Salem Bracing for Record Number of Tourists in October
In other spooky Massachusetts news: Salem is anticipating a record number of visitors to the city this October.
According to CBS News Boston, the historical Massachusetts city had between 65,000 and 100,000 tourists every weekend during October 2023. In Salem, there are only about 4,000 public parking spots.
With this in mind, city officials are advising people to utilize public transportation if possible. There are two different ferry options available: A ferry between Salem and Long Wharf in Boston, which can carry up to 600 passengers, and a second ferry from Hingham to Salem. Additionally, there will also be extra Keolis commuter trains running between Salem and North Station.
If public transportation isn’t an option and you must drive to Salem, make sure you are not parking illegally, because local law enforcement is not messing around when it comes to issuing tickets.
Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo told CBS News Boston, “New this year we will be conducting parking enforcement with automated license plate readers. So, if you park illegally, including parking on a resident-only street, you’re almost certainly going to get a ticket and possibly a tow as well.”
Tourists looking to plan ahead can do so via the Destination Salem app, which offers updates on available parking, events and more.