George Washington Statue in Boston Common, Massachusetts
Few cities in the United States offer more history per square mile than New England. The city of Boston in particular was ground zero for some of the nation’s most famous and infamous historical moments. It’s no surprise then that Beantown has more than a few “skeletons in its closet”. Here are just a few of our favorite haunts throughout the city:
Charlesgate Hotel
This imposing Romanesque Revival-style hotel was constructed in 1901 and subsequently purchased in 1947 for use as a female dormitory for Boston University college students. It wasn’t until the 1990s that stories began to emerge from students claiming to have communicated with a spirit via a ouija board. One popular tale describes a particularly evil closet that emitted “bad vibes”. These were eventually attributed to a suicide that occurred in that same room back in 1908.
Boston Common
As the oldest section of the city, Boston Common has seen its share of history. It was on this very spot hundreds of years ago that the original Puritans ruthlessly rounded up and hanged those who defied their strict way of life. Reports have long been spun of two women, purportedly hanging victims dressed in 19th century garb, who now wander the Common together, arm in arm. The issue with these alleged sightings is that their clothing doesn’t appear to match the timeframe of the historical hangings.
Omni Parker House Hotel
Not far from Boston Common, the Omni Parker House Hotel has stood since the middle of the 19th century. Throughout its long history, it has seen such figures as John F. Kennedy and Charles Dickens. But it is the ghost of Harvey Parker, the hotel’s founder, who is said to freely roam its halls. Truth be told, it’s been more than two decades since the last sighting however.
Cutler Majestic Theatre
It’s easy to be a little skeptical of this one. According to legend, a mayor once died in the hundred year old Cutler Majestic Theatre. Unfortunately, no one can seem to say for sure which mayor it was or when and there’s no historical data to prove or disprove the claim.
Other sightings have included a wedded couple who quietly watch performances from the balcony, and a little girl who wanders the theater’s halls looking for gifts from strangers.
Ghosts and Gravestones Tour
For a thorough experience of Boston’s most haunted spots, check out a Ghost and Gravestones Tour. Visitors are led by a 17th century gravedigger who has been “cursed with a sentence of eternal damnation”. The tour passes by Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, the final resting place of Cotton Mather, a man famous for his “intimate” involvement with the Salem Witch Trials and tour-goers can experience two of Boston’s oldest burying grounds.
See all that Boston has to offer with these tours!
-Contributed by Mike Richard