Have you ever sat down to dinner and thought, “Gee this food looks good, but I really wish I had the company of a maybe-not-malicious ghost to enjoy it with?”
Some love haunted places as much as they love horror movies. But always searching for thrills and chills can be frustrating when you can’t find what you’re looking for. Luckily for New Yorkers, there are quite a few haunted spots in the Big Apple. Visit one of these (not so) happy haunts for the restaurant or bar experience you really want.
1. The Ear Inn
Photo courtesy of Erin M. on Yelp
Back in the 1800s, The Ear Inn was a bustling bar. The building itself has been around since 1770 and the bar is one of the longest running in New York. With a history like that, it’s no surprise that there are a few ghosts wandering around.
The one most frequently spotted is Mickey, a sailor who was living upstairs and was hit by a car outside the bar. Guests can still stay upstairs at The Ear Inn and some women say that Mickey has crawled into bed with them. Waitresses also report that Mickey often gooses them. He also tends to drink other people’s drinks. Mickey doesn’t understand boundaries.
2. White Horse Tavern
Photo courtesy of O G. on Yelp
Legend says that renowned poet Dylan Thomas spent his final night drinking at the White Horse Tavern. Thomas downed 18 shots of whiskey and then fell into a coma on the sidewalk. He died the following morning.
The White Horse was his hangout and that has not changed since his passing. Many workers claim that the tavern is haunted because they’ve seen a mug of beer and a shot of whiskey just show up on what was Thomas’s table. Other than that, though, Thomas is reportedly fairly quiet.
3. Fraunces Tavern
Photo courtesy of Shauna S. on Yelp
This bar has so much history in it that it’s actually part bar, part museum. It’s been around since 1762 and has played host to a number of historical figures, John Adams among them. This bar was where George Washington said goodbye to his troops in 1783.
In the years since, five people have died there and guests cry haunted when they hear footsteps, hear keys rattling, or doors slamming with no explanation.
4. Lamplighter Pub
Photo courtesy of Anthony L. on Yelp
Located in Utica, NY, the Hotel Utica has had guests like FDR, Judy Garland, and Mickey Mantle. Many believe that the hotel is haunted by some of it’s famous former clientele.
There are often loud and unexplained parties in the hotel’s ballroom, but the most concentrated spot for ghosts seems to be in the Lamplighter Pub. The pub is also home to a famous haunt that goes by the name Tuxedo Man. He often moves drinks and breaks bottles, but mostly he just appears lonely. He wanders around, looking for conversation. Guests claim to hear him and other spirits conversing in empty rooms.
5. Waverly Inn
Photo courtesy of The Jedi Foodi E. on Yelp
Alright try explaining this one: in 1977, a fire broke out in the Waverly Inn that left only one room completely and totally untouched. Room 16 is the smoking room which is supposedly the favorite room of Waverly’s ghost. Servers claim that the room is haunted by a man in a top hat and waistcoat, who seems to get his kicks out of spooking the waitresses.
6. One If By Land, Two If By Sea
Photo courtesy of Jie G. on Yelp
This restaurant is considered to be one of New York’s most romantic. That’s nice and all, but I’d rather meet Aaron Burr. The restaurant was actually Burr’s carriage house, although rumor has it that Burr is not alone. It’s estimated that the establishment is haunted by 20 ghosts.
There’s a woman in a black gown often walking down the staircase, a man that hangs out near the front door, and another that’s always sitting by the fire. For the most part, the spirits aren’t malicious. They move pictures and flicker lights. They do also throw plates and servers report having been pushed. Some servers have even quit over the amount of paranormal activity.
7. Landmark Tavern
Photo courtesy of Stephanie G. on Yelp
The Landmark Tavern has been around since 1848, making it one of the oldest, continually operating bars in New York. Over the years, the Landmark has maintained a very old-time feel about the slightly musty bar.
Two ghosts call this bar home. One is rather sad—a young girl, who is said to have died of typhoid fever in the 19th century, wanders throughout the building, still thinking that she’s at home and unaware of the bar around her. The other ghost is a Confederate soldier who was killed in a bar fight, and he tends to knock over books in the second floor party room. The bathtub that he died in can be seen by guests in that same party room. Supposedly actor George Raft is also a guest at the Landmark, but there’s less evidence of that than the unnamed spooks.
8. Historic Old Bermuda Inn
Photo courtesy of the Historic Old Bermuda Inn on Yelp
The story of the Historic Old Bermuda Inn’s haunting is a tragic one. The inn was once the mansion of a family by the name of Mesereau. In 1860, Mr. Mesereau went off to fight in the Civil War, leaving behind his wife, Martha, who stared out the window day and night for his return. She kept a candle in the window at night so that he could always find his way home. One day, she received the news. Her husband was killed in battle. Martha went to her room, which today is a dining room, and never came out.
It was said that she died of a broken heart and the inn remains haunted by her broken spirit. Every night when the staff tries to turn off the chandelier, one light always stays on, like Martha left it on for her husband. Even if the power is cut, that light works. Any cameras in the dining room don’t work. When renovations began to change the mansion, a family portrait mysteriously caught fire, when there was nothing nearby that could have lit it.