A Haunting in Connecticut: Visit these spooky places for National Paranormal Day

Today is National Paranormal Day; a day where Connecticut residents all over consider who or what may be living in their homes or businesses or around in the community.

Connecticut has a long history of haunted locations all over the state. Dare your family to stay a night at the 1754 House in Woodbury, which is known as one of the most haunted inns in the United States. Tour the Mark Twain House in Hartford at night during its annual Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours in the fall and hear the stories of Sam Clemens and his family. Ride one of the attractions at Lake Compounce in Bristol which is known for the drowning of Chief Compounce.

And here is a list we have compiled with some of the spookiest spots in Connecticut.

Old State House

800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103

The Old State House is said to be haunted by ghosts from its past. Visitors to the Old State House have reported strange footsteps and ghostly assembly meetings. The building’s past is quite famous as the first witch in New England was hung here in 1647. Also, the ghost of Joseph Steward, a painter and museum keeper, is said to roam the grounds.

Mark Twain House

351 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105

Sam Clemens – also known as Mark Twain – and his family built and lived in this home in the late 1800s. Since the home’s restoration, there have been reports of spooky, unexplained encounters. Take a guided Graveyard Shift Ghost Tour of the home starting in September to experience some of the supernatural yourself. The tours are not recommended for children under the age of 10.

Abigail’s Grille and Wine Bar

4 Hartford Rd, Weatogue, CT 06089

Abigail’s Grille & Wine Bar (formerly Pettibone Tavern) in Simsbury was once part of the Underground Railroad. A little girl is said to haunt the restaurant after being murdered there more than 200 years ago. Furniture mysteriously moving, lights flickering on or off and strange noises have all been reported.

Lake Compounce

185 Enterprise Drive, Southington, CT 06010

Stories of Lake Compounce being haunted date back centuries. As the oldest running amusement park in the world, reports of hauntings began in the 1800s. This was after Chief Compounce, the former owner of the land, drowned himself in the lake the day before the land was turned over to developers. Every building on the property has been said to experience some type of activity. Most reports have involved the Star Light Ball Room.

Sleeping Giant State Park

200 Mount Carmel Ave., Hamden, CT 06518

Dare to hike Sleeping Giant State Park? At the top of Sleeping Giant, there have been reported of a man dressed in all black wandering the grounds near where the castle is. Reports have said the man looks normal, but has a white ring around his left arm. If you get close to him, he vanishes.

Bruce Museum

1 Museum Dr, Greenwich, CT 06830

Bruce Museum is no stranger to reports of the paranormal. The story says two Irish servants working at the Belle Haven mansions in the late 1800s fell in love. It is said the boy would play his flute for her, near what is now Bruce Museum. The two planned to marry, but the boy disappeared. The heartbroken girl returned to Ireland where she died.

In the early 1900s, reports started coming in about two ghosts outside the museum, a man who would play a small flute to a young girl. One person reported hearing an evil voice beckoning the two into the mansion. The two ghosts would always refuse to enter what is now Bruce Museum, claiming they would never be able to leave. Then, they disappear.

Captain Grant’s Inn

109 CT-2A, Preston, CT 06365

One of the most well known haunted locations in the state, try and stay a night at Captain Grant’s. Poquetanuck people have reported ghosts at the inn, which dates back to 1754. Guests have reported footsteps in the attic, the feeling of someone stroking their face, a shower rode repeatedly flying off the wall and loud noises from outside the front door when no one is there. The stories say the ghosts are believed to be protective and not evil.

Nathan Hale Homestead

2299 South St, Coventry, CT 06238

The Nathan Hale Homestead has had reports of ghosts roaming its grounds and in the house at night. The stories say Nathan Hale’s father, Deacon Hale, has been said to look out the window of the house.

1754 House Inn & Restaurant

506 Main St S, Woodbury, CT 06798

Formerly known as the Curtis House, the 1754 House Inn & Restaurant was featured on an episode of Gordon Ramsey’s “Hotel Hell.” Ramsey claimed to feel uneasy and had trouble leaving his room. The building is supposedly one of the most haunted inns in the United States. Over the last three centuries, there have been reports of strange music and disembodied voices and footsteps. Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.

Devil’s Hopyard State Park

366 Hopyard Rd, East Haddam, CT 06423

Devil’s Hopyard State Park in East Haddam has had its name since the colonial era. Puritans believed it was Satan’s hiding place and that visitors who wandered too deep into the woods would lose their soul to the devil, according to legend. Hikers to this day have claimed to hear demonic voices in the park.

The Warner Theater

68 Main St, Torrington, CT 06790

The Warner Theater in Torrington is said to be haunted by Murph. Stories have said Murph was a homeless man seeking shelter in the theater. But once he was inside, he fell down the stairs. Visitors to the theater have reported cold air on hot days, lights mysteriously flickering off and strange activity in the balcony.