The 12 Most Haunted Places in Massachusetts

I’m Adam 12, so any time I make a list it’s a list of 12. That being said, here are The 12 Most Haunted Places in Massachusetts.

 

And you’d better believe I have credibility when it comes to all things haunted and spooky. First of all, I grew up on the North Shore. So starting in grade school (Greenwood School, represent), I was herded onto a big, yellow school bus with my classmates some years in October for field trips to Salem, MA. One year it would be The House of the Seven Gables, the next year it would be a walking tour of sites surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. When it comes to haunted places in Massachusetts, I’ve been hitting ’em all, and from an early age.

 

Add to that the fact that, when I first started dating the mother of my kids, she lived smack dab in the center of it all. She had an apartment at the old Customs House building in downtown Salem. So I got to experience the spooky Salem vibe year-round. Which was both a blessing and a curse. One year, we had gone to bed on Halloween night and the ruckus outside the window was so intense we actually had to leave the apartment. We got out of bed after midnight, got dressed, packed overnight bags, fought through the crowd, got in the car, and drove to a local hotel. Halloween in Salem is wild.

 

The 12 Most Haunted Places in Massachusetts

We’re not just talking Salem here, though. Sure, the Witch City will be represented. But this is all about the most haunted places in all of Massachusetts. I complied my list from this list by Boston Ghosts, this list from Thrillist, and this list from TimeOut if you want more spooky sites. Now, get scrolling!

• Gallows Hill, Salem

  Hang a bunch of witches and you’re pretty much guaranteed the hill you hang them on will be haunted for all eternity. And it was only in recent years that the actual Gallows Hill site was discovered.

   

• Lizzie Borden House, Fall River

  “Lizze Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks…” You know the rest. But did you know you can stay the night at the Lizzie Borden House?

  Spooky season is right around the corner and we still have a few rooms available in September! Would you spend a night...

  Posted by Lizzie Borden House on Tuesday, August 30, 2022

• Metropolitan State Hospital, Waltham

  The mental health facility was opened in 1927 and closed in 1992. For the last 30 years, it’s drawn ghost hunters galore from all over the globe. And inspired its fair share of scary TV segments and YouTube clips.

• Hoosac Tunnel, North Adams

  Running through the northern stretch of the Berkshire Mountains and connecting North Adams to Florida, MA, work on the tunnel began in 1851 and ended in 1975. Over that quarter-century stretch, close to 200 workers lost their lives. “Bloody Tunnel,” indeed. Bloody haunted!

• House of the Seven Gables, Salem

  You went on the Seven Gables field trips just like I did, so you probably remember: the history, the Hawthornes, the haunting. I don’t remember seeing a creepy little ghost boy playing near the attic, though. Maybe I need to book another tour.

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• Omni Parker House, Boston

  One of Boston’s most opulent hotels, haunted? Well, it did open all the way back in 1855. And its founder, Harvey Parker, isn’t even the most famous ghost to be thought to be roaming the halls.

• Freetown-Fall River State Forest, Assonet

  Part of the notorious Bridgewater Triangle, these woods could be considered cursed. Actual murders have taken place here. Satanic rituals have been rumored. It’s like the Massachusetts version of the Blair Witch Project. But hey, feel free to take a hike!

• Spider Gates Cemetery, Leicester

  I mean, what cemetery isn’t haunted, right? Spider Gates is special, though. Legend has it if you pass through the cemetery’s seven unseen gates, then pass through the Eighth Gate to Hell, you’ll end up in…well, you’ve probably figured it out.

• S.K. Pierece Mansion, Gardner

  It has all the markings of a haunted house: Victorian-style mansion, built by a rich guy, dates back to the late 1800s. So who the hell would want to spend the night there? Well, you might. And plenty of paranormal TV types have, too.

• Hockomock Swamp, West Bridgewater

  “Hockomock,” from the Algonquin, meaning “place where spirits dwell.” Then the Puritans came along, took the land (as was the custom of colonizers), and called it the Devil’s Swamp. Now? It’s another favorite of YouTube ghost-hunting types.

• Joshua Ward House, Salem

  If you ask a Salem local, or someone steeped in local lore, they will tell you that the Joshua Ward House is the most haunted place in all of Salem. And that’s saying something. Of course, you could pay a visit and decide for yourself.

  Formerly the Joshua Ward house, supposedly haunted by the ghost of the late Sheriff George Corwin, the Merchant Salem is...

  Posted by Witch City Walking Tours on Saturday, December 5, 2015

• USS Salem, Quincy

  True story: I hosted a night here years ago when they’d transformed the USS Quincy into a “ghost ship” haunted attraction. They didn’t need to do much. The moment I stepped aboard, it felt like something was off.