Spooky Travel Guide – Boston Massachusetts

Boston is a city rich with American history, which includes tons of dark and spooky history. Not only is the capital city of Massachusetts perfect for lovers of history, but it is also one of the most haunted cities in the US and brings in fans of the paranormal all year round. 

Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, is one of the most haunted cities in the United States, making it the perfect destination for a seriously spooky trip.

The city’s dark history helped shape the country, from early Puritan settlers and the great influenza outbreak to one of the largest robberies in US history and the city’s major role in the American Revolution.

Spookiest Time to Visit Boston

Autumn is the best time to visit Boston to satisfy all your spooky cravings. At this time of year, the weather is cool, the crowds are thin, and the falling leaves fill the streets with stunning golden hues.

If you visit in October, you’ll see Boston and the neighbouring city of Salem celebrate Halloween in style. Going on Boston ghost tours, discovering the dark history of witchcraft, indescribable haunted happenings and fun Halloween celebrations will surely make your trip extra spooky.

Step back in time and join one of the best ghost tours in Boston to visit all the haunted places in Boston, including Boston haunted bars. Alternatively, sign up for one of the city’s many ghost walks or take a haunted trolley tour through Boston’s spooky streets.

The Best Ghost Tours in Boston MA

Spooky Things to Do in Boston, Massachusetts

WARREN ANATOMICAL MUSEUM

This museum is famously home to the skull of Phineas Gage, a railroad construction foreman who survived a large iron going right through his head and brain. Here you’ll find historical medical tools, several anatomical specimens and some fascinating artifacts, including the skeletons of conjoined fetal twins.

ETHER DOME

This surgical amphitheatre was the first medical hospital to use anesthetic on a patient publicly. Inside the surgical room, there’s a human skeleton, old surgical tools, and an Egyptian mummy to keep you company.

BOSTON ATHENAEUM

One of the oldest libraries in the United States, the Boston Athenaeum (Boston Athenæum), contains a memoir by criminal James Allen. The gruesome secret behind the book is that it’s bound with Allen’s genuine skin.

OLD NORTH CHURCH BASEMENT CRYPT

An ancient crypt containing 37 brick-vaulted tombs is sitting below the Old North Church. These tombs guard the bodies of up to 1100 former parish members crammed there in 1700-1800.

EDGAR ALLAN POE SQUARE

Boston-born author of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, was raised close to the square that now pays homage to his memory. Just up the street at the corner of Boylston Street and Charles Street is an incredibly intricate statue of Edgar Allan Poe.

Be sure to visit to look at the statue of the gothic writer and see if you can notice all the details and references to his work.

GHOSTS AND GRAVESTONES GHOST TOURS

Take a guided tour on the spooky Trolley of Terror to some of Boston’s creepiest and most haunted areas. The tour takes you through underground tunnels and graveyards, detailing every aspect of Boston’s gruesome history.

Book here: Ghosts and Gravestones Ghost Tour

LIZZIE BORDEN HOUSE

Located an hour outside Boston in Fall River, Lizzie Borden’s house is a must-see for lovers of everything grim. You can visit the house and attempt to figure out the unsolved Borden murders yourself or sign up for a night of ghost hunting on one of their paranormal nights’ tours. Unfortunately, space is limited, so be sure to book in advance.

GHOST SHIP HARBOR

Hop aboard the USS Salem with the immersive and frightening Paranormal Ghost Ship experience. Here you can wander the haunted ship, listening to tales of terrifying hauntings and supernatural goings-on. You’ll even get to play with some paranormal equipment to contact the spirits that torment the spooky ship.

Spooky Haunted & Historical Cemeteries in Boston

FOREST HILLS CEMETERY

A Victorian garden cemetery with incredibly beautiful greenery home to graves, tombs and mausoleums, Forest Hills Cemetery is a one-of-a-kind graveyard containing a miniature village with tiny replicas of the houses of those buried there.

GRANARY BURYING GROUND

“He’s here! He’s here! Come visit, Paul Revere!” Granary Burying Ground comprises hundreds of tombs of Puritans who settled in the Boston area in the 1600s.

One of the most famous historical figures buried there is Paul Revere, known for alerting American soldiers that the British were coming. As if that wasn’t reason enough to visit, the Granary is decorated with more macabre imagery associated with gravestone art, including several skull and crossbones designs.

For a greater insight into Paul Revere, you can visit his home: Paul Revere Home Website

KING’S CHAPEL BURYING GROUND

Located along the Freedom Trail, just a 3-minute walk from the Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel Burying Ground is the oldest graveyard in Boston. This cemetery features a wooden chapel above a crypt containing the bodies of those unable to afford a proper burial. They’re all buried in the “Strangers Tomb.”

COPP’S HILL BURYING GROUND

This historical 300-year-old cemetery along Boston’s Freedom Trail has some of the most beautiful and unique tombstones I‘ve ever seen. Visit the tomb of Cotton Mather, an author who wrote several books on the supernatural and witchcraft, including what it was like being a supporter of the Salem witch trials.

CENTRAL BURYING GROUND

Across from Edgar Allan Poe’s statue sits Boston’s historic Central Burying Ground. One of the oldest cemeteries, the graveyard is home to several British soldiers who perished from disease during the American Revolution.

The best thing about this cemetery is the abundance of fat squirrels hanging around the tombstones – waiting for passersby to give them a treat.

Haunted Hotels in Boston

OMNI PARKER HOUSE HOTEL

Boston’s most haunted hotel, the Omni Parker House Hotel, should be on every paranormal lover’s list of places to stay. The hotel is haunted by several ghosts that favour the mezzanine and floors three and ten. However, room 303, where a man committed suicide in 1949, is said to have the highest level of ghostly activity.

Book here: Boston Omni Parker House Hotel

BOSTON HOTEL BUCKMINSTER

Cursed and haunted? The hotel across from Fenway Park is said to be haunted by a dark figure often seen in staff-only areas. Hotel employees have reported seeing a floating black figure lurking around the hotel.

The Buckminster is also cursed — the Red Sox have been in an eternal drought since the sale of Babe Ruth in the 1920s. Although perhaps the curse has now been lifted since the Sox won the world series in 2013.

Book here: Boston Hotel Buckminster

FAIRMONT COPLEY PLAZA

One of Boston’s oldest luxury hotels, Fairmont Copley Plaza’s sixth floor is said to be haunted. Guests on this floor have recounted tales of weird noises heard throughout their stay.

Book here: Fairmont Copley Plaza

LIBERTY HOTEL: LUXURY HOTEL & SUITES IN BOSTON

Formally operating as Charles Street Jail, the Liberty Hotel had several famous inmates, such as the Boston Strangler. Past guests have reported hearing strange voices, feeling watched and seeing shadows in their rooms.

Book here: The Liberty, a Luxury Collection Hotel

THE LENOX HOTEL

This historic Boston hotel is said to be haunted by a former cigar-smoking guest named Red. Several guests who stayed in room 300 claim to have smelled cigar smoke during their stay.

Book here: The Lenox Hotel

Haunted Bars & Restaurants in Boston

THE GALLOWS

This popular Boston eatery, which serves poutine (a Canadian delicacy not found in many places outside Canada), stands on the grounds where witch trials took place in the 17th century.

UNION OYSTER HOUSE

Boston’s oldest restaurant located on the Freedom Trail, the Union Oyster House, is rumoured to be haunted by John F Kennedy Jr. The former President’s spirit has been spotted in the dining room and bathroom. Strange.

THE BRAHMIN

This historical restaurant serves delicious cocktails with a side of ghostly goings-on. Owners and staff have reported icy cold spots, eerie dark shadows, and apparitions of a man in a vintage suit.

PARKER’S RESTAURANT

Located in the most haunted hotel in Boston, the Omni Parker House Hotel, this restaurant is no stranger to haunted happenings.

Related Posts about Boston Massachusetts

Spooky Tips for Spending Time in Boston

TAKE A GHOST TOUR

The ghost tours around Boston offer evenings of fun storytelling with colourful character actors. You’ll learn all about the spooky tales from the past that make Boston such a haunted town. Find out more about the best ghost tours in Boston here.

SPEND SOME TIME IN BEACON HILL

The ancient buildings there are home to several Halloween-loving residents. The neighbourhood goes all out with decorations and spooky fun.

BOOK YOUR TOURS EARLY

Paranormal evenings at Lizzie Borden’s House are limited to 20 guests. Be sure took book ahead to avoid disappointment.

BRING GHOST HUNTING EQUIPMENT

Staying at one of Boston’s iconic haunted hotels? Explore your room after dark and see if you can contact any of the paranormal residents living there.