Haunted Sites on Long Island
Long Island has its fair share of haunted places, from centuries-old houses to abandoned buildings. According to the Long Island Paranormal Investigators (LIPI), the scariest ones include an old fort and a psychiatric center.
Whether you believe ghost stories or think they're just urban legends, visit these so called haunted spots on Long Island to see for yourself!
Amityville Horror House
This 5,000-square-foot home gained notoriety in 1974 when 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo killed his parents and four siblings inside. New residents dared to move in about a year later, but they only lasted a month. Their claims of paranormal activity inspired the “Amityille Horror” book and popular film series.
Kings Park Psychiatric Center
When Kings Park Psychiatric Center opened in 1885 to help with overcrowded asylums in New York City, it developed an early reputation for its humane treatment of patients. Therapy included feeding farm animals and growing plants. But the asylum became overcrowded in its own right by the 1950s and since it closed more than 20 years ago fans of the paranormal believe its past residents have returned in the afterlife. The alleged paranormal activity has attracted filmmakers to shoot scenes there for nearly a half-dozen films.
West 4th Street, Kings Park
Lake Ronkonkoma
Long Island’s largest freshwater lake is thought to have an even bigger ghost problem. As the story goes, a Native American Princess named Tuskawanta fell in love with a woodcutter, Hugh Birdsall, in the 1600s. But Tuskawanta’s father didn’t want her mingling with the white English man. She defied her father for seven years, writing Birdsall letters on pieces of bark, but he never responded. She threw herself in the middle of the lake, where she’s spent the last several centuries dragging men she fancies into a watery grave. She’s now known as The Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma, and like Jaws, she keeps swimmers out of the water.
Lake Shore Road, Lake Ronkonkoma
Katie’s of Smithtown
After a few-too-many brews, it’s common to see stars or the room spinning. Ghosts are an entirely different story — but at this Suffolk haunt, beer goggles may not be to blame for a spooky sighting. Once a speakeasy in the age of Gatsby, Charlie Klein served as a bartender and bootlegger there until his death. In the centuries since, guests have seen ghostly figures dressed in 19th-century garb, and it’s said footsteps can be heard when the building is unoccupied. A television crew is said to have captured paranormal activity at the site earlier this decade.
145 West Main Street, Smithtown
Country House Restaurant, Stony Brook
Here the daughter of a former owner welcomed British soldiers into the family home during the Revolutionary War. It is said she was killed for being a traitor to her Patriot neighbors. Visitors say they hear her cries and see light bulbs flicker. The “Ghost Bar” here has pictures of the ghost.
Raynham Hall
Raynham Hall is said to be haunted by British major John Andre, hanged for conspiracy during the Revolutionary War. It is also believed that Sally Townsend, the owners’ daughter who died of a broken heart (after receiving the nation’s first Valentine), also haunts the house.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
At Old Bethpage Village Restoration you might see a ghost boy, who was allegedly locked up in one of the houses on the property, while mysterious carvings in the woodwork have appeared.
Fire Island Lighthouse
It is believed that a caretaker who once lived here was distraught over the illness and death of his child. The child tragically passed while they waited days for a doctor to show up at the isolated lighthouse. It is said the caretaker sadly hung himself and allegedly his spirit still roams the lonely rooms.
Camp Hero, Montauk
Rumor has it that not only is the former airforce 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.
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY
One of the area’s most serene spots for canoeing is also home to the ‘Lady of the Lake,’ a young Indian maiden whose true love was slain by a settler. She drowned herself and it is said to this day haunts the lake.
Gateway Playhouse
In the late 1800s, there was a murder here. Employees say they still hear sounds of moaning and see shadows and smoky forms, including a man with a top hat in the sound booth.
Harbor Mist Restaurant, Cold Spring Harbor
In the 1800s when this inn had a brothel, a local whaler returned home to find his wife with a customer and apparently killed them both. It is said doors open and close, lights flicker and the stereo plays.
Mount Misery Rd.
One of the most famous former residents of West Hills was Walt Whitman, who lived in the area as a young boy with his family. Mt. Misery starts at the intersection of Broad Hollow Road/Route 110 and Sweet Hollow Road and ends near Jericho Turnpike. There have been reports of screams in the night from that location, and there's a story from 1967 about an elderly woman who lived nearby that says she received visits from strange people that resembled Native Americans. They supposedly told the woman that the land her house rested on belonged to them.