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Long Island, NY has enough eerie tales and historic tragedies to send tingles down your spine with dozens of locations believed to be haunted – from centuries-old lighthouses, to bars, mansions and theaters, to ancient Native American burial grounds, lakes, and Revolutionary War battlegrounds.
As Halloween nears, it’s no surprise that these unique sites attract visitors from across the country – especially those that offer paranormal tours. So check out our list of the most haunted places on Long Island, all accessible with help of the Long Island Rail Road, where proprietors actually welcome visitors… and hopefully, the ghosts do too.
A note on the Kings Park Psychiatric Center & Amityville Horror House: While both of these iconic Long Island landmarks are supposedly haunted, they are excluded from our list because visitors are prohibited to trespass on these properties.
1. Camp Hero in Montauk
Credit: @creepyunsolved/Instagram
In the 1650s, the Montaukett Indians were ambushed by a warring tribe near the Montauk Plaza; the same spot where Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were quarantined after the Spanish-American War. Native American spirits supposedly still wander here, while soldiers snatched away by yellow fever still seek respite. And at Camp Hero, Montauk, rumor has it that not only is the former air force base which now serves as Camp Hero State Park (and the inspiration behind Stranger Things) haunted, but the entire town of Montauk is filled with hotspots of spooky happenings. It is said that Camp Hero is haunted by non-human spirits, creatures, and the unsettling history of all that took place here.
2. Fire Island Lighthouse
The original Fire Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1826 and was replaced by the current lighthouse which was built in 1858. It is believed that the caretaker of the Fire Island Lighthouse who lived there before the resurrection was distraught over the illness of his child. After waiting days for a doctor to show up at the isolated lighthouse, the child tragically passed away. Grieving after the loss, the caretaker sadly hung himself at the lighthouse and it is said that his spirit still roams the lonely rooms today.
3. Country House Restaurant in Stony Brook Village
Originally built as a farmhouse in 1710, the Stony Brook Village Country House Restaurant is known for its old-school charm nestled inside a historic colonial house. But did you know the Revolutionary War-era house is haunted? Supposedly, Country House is haunted by the spirit of a woman named Annette Williamson who was murdered after she welcomed British soldiers into her family home during the Revolutionary War. Restaurant visitors say that they hear her cries, see light bulbs flashing, and hear footsteps running and walking.
4. Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay
This mid-18th-century Oyster Bay home was owned by the Townsend family and confiscated by the British during the Revolutionary War. Raynham Hall is said to be haunted by Sally Townsend who received a valentine from the British Lieutenant Colonel Simcoe occupying her family’s home. Sally reported Simcoe and another British soldier, Major Andre, to her brother who was a part of George Washington’s spy ring. Andre was then captured and executed for conspiracy, and the hall is now a museum that you can visit today (with ghost tours!).
5. Katie’s of Smithtown
Staff and customers alike have been reporting paranormal activity at Katie’s bar for many years. Many say the property is primarily haunted by Charlie Klein, a former bootlegger and bartender from the 1920s Prohibition Era who took his own life. Some of the most common claims include seeing Charlie’s apparition, glasses being knocked off of shelves, doors swinging open, unexplained noises and more.
Charlie’s not alone however, as there are said to be several different spirits hanging around Katie’s. In 1909, a hotel that once stood in the same spot burned to the ground killing one person who got trapped in the basement. There are also claims that one of the spirits is a 16th century murderer.
6. Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Urban legend goes that the Old Bethpage Village Restoration is haunted by a small boy that was shut away in the Conklin house and that on occasion, visitors hear loud bangs in the house. Several people have also claimed to see a woman standing at the top of the stairs. Other houses haunted by ghosts in the village include the Schenck Dutch Farmhouse, the reception center, the Hewlett House, the Noon Inn, the Layton Store, and the Williams House.
7. Lake Ronkonkoma’s Lady of the Lake
Credit: Lon Cohen
One of the area’s most serene spots for canoeing and Long Island’s largest freshwater lake is also home to the “Lady of the Lake.” Lake Ronkonkoma’s infamous Native American princess was in love with a member of her tribe who was murdered by a settler on the eve of their wedding. Other legends say she was in love with a settler, but her father forbade the match. According to the local lore, the princess drowned herself in the middle of the lake...although her body was never found. Now, the phantom lady of the lake can sometimes be seen on the shore, mourning her love. It’s rumored that she is responsible for several drownings at the lake over the past few centuries.
8. The Gateway Playhouse in Bellport
Constructed in 1827, the Gateway Playhouse is one of the oldest active theaters on Long Island. Allegedly in the late 1800s, a murder took place at the theater, and employees say that they still hear the sounds of the moaning victim. A man wearing a top hat has appeared in the sound booth, and there have been reports of flickering lights and random tapping or knocking sounds.
9. Southampton History Museum’s Rogers Mansion and Halsey House Ghost Tours
Credit: Southampton History Museum/Website
Made up of a dozen historical buildings, the Southampton History Museum has two of the most haunted places on Long Island: the Rogers Mansion and the Halsey House. The Rogers Mansion was owned by the Rogers family from 1650 to 1889 and after two additional owners, the Village of Southampton purchased it in 1932. The Halsey House was built in the 1680s by Thomas Halsey Jr., the son of pioneer Thomas Halsey Sr.
At both historical houses, guests and employees have documented unexplained footsteps, items being thrown across the basement, and shadowy figures following people through the house. The activity is so widespread and regular that Long Island Paranormal Investigators have set up a permanent residency here offering ghost tours once a month throughout the year.
10. Stony Brook Village Walking Ghost Tour
Presented by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, Stony Brook Village Center has a ghost tour called, “Secrets & Spirits” on October 27 and 28 where participants can search for spirits through time with new stories of local hauntings along Stony Brook’s coastal community. Ghost stories include the Long Island witch trials and the woman in white at the Stony Brook Grist Mill.
11. The Wickham Farmhouse in Cutchogue
The Wickham Farmhouse murders were one of the most horrifying events to take place on the East End. In 1854, James and Frances Wickham, along with their 14-year-old servant boy, were axe-murdered in their bedrooms by a farmhand named Nicholas Behan. In 1988, Anne and John Wickham awoke to a dark figure standing over their bed 124 years after the murder, so they sealed the room and have not entered since. Some say that you can still hear the footsteps of Nicholas Behan coming from the second-floor hall.
12. Sagtikos Manor in Bay Shore
Credit: Sagtikos Manor Historical Society/Website
The historic Sagtikos Manor was occupied by the British during the Revolutionary War and once hosted George Washington himself in 1790. The last owner of the manor died in the early 1900s, and there have been reports of people seeing turning doorknobs, strange figures, and wispy moving mists in the family cemetery located on the grounds. The most notable paranormal activity is the ghost of a Native American princess who was believed to have died on the grounds of the manor. Witnesses say they’ve seen her ghost in the loft of the property on different occasions.
13. Brookwood Hall in East Islip
Credit: Sean P. Mills
The former Brookwood Hall orphanage is a grand Georgian Revival house built in 1903. It is now home to Islip town offices, the Islip Art Museum and the Islip Arts Council. According to reports, the spirits of some of the children from the orphanage still haunt the property, and multiple witnesses have seen a young boy sitting at the edge of the water staring out into the sunset only for him to disappear.
14. Southampton Campus Windmill at Stony Brook University
Credit: Stony Brook Southampton/Website
Not far from Southampton’s Halsey House, atop a hill in the center of the Stony Brook University Southampton campus, sits a windmill. Built in 1713, the windmill is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl. The lore goes that the owner of the property in the 19th century let his daughter play in the windmill, only she fell down the steps, broke her neck, and died. According to Stony Brook University students, the face of a small girl looking out from the windmill’s windows can often be seen as they pass by.
15. Old Burial Hill Cemetery in Huntington
Credit: Huntington Historical Society/Website
Established in the 17th century, the Old Burying Ground Cemetery is the oldest burying ground in Huntington, established soon after the Town’s 1653 founding. The cemetery served as a base camp for the British troops during the Revolutionary War where many British soldiers destroyed gravestones. Some say the ground is now home to the ghosts of those whose final resting place was disturbed. The Huntington Historical Society’s tour of the cemetery will give you all of the details on the cemetery’s historical past.
16. Mount Misery Road in Huntington
Credit: Long Island Press
Mount Misery Road is a short road located within the West Hills County Park in Huntington. It has a reputation of being one of the most haunted roads in the world. The stories surrounding the hauntings date back to the Native American tribes who lived in the area and considered it cursed and off-limits. They spoke of strange lights, livestock disappearing, and mysterious creatures in the woods. Other legends speak of a hospital that burnt down in the 1700s with patients and staff trapped inside.
17. Three Village Historical Society Spirits Tour
The Spirits Tour is back! The Three Village Historical Society’s Spirits Tour guides participants through 10 locations in two of Setauket’s historic cemeteries — Caroline Episcopal Church of Setauket and the Setauket Presbyterian Church Cemetery — to walk-in on conversations between Spies of the American Revolution. Bringing the spirits to life, the tour is happening on October 22.
