15 Most Haunted Places in Rhode Island: Tiny State Scares

The most haunted places in Rhode Island may be small in square footage, but they’re supernatural heavyweights when it comes to ghostly encounters. This quirky little coastal state, known for its rocky shores and clam shacks, also dishes out some serious hauntings.

Check out the 15 most haunted places in Rhode Island.

The Conjuring House

Harrisville

The most haunted places in Rhode Island begin with the Conjuring House, a Colonial farmhouse built in 1736 in Harrisville. This infamous property gained worldwide attention after inspiring the 2013 horror film The Conjuring. 

Hauntings reported at the Conjuring House include:

• Apparitions of Native American spirits were seen shortly after the home was built
• A spirit known for poltergeist activity, such as levitating beds, shaking walls, and throwing objects
• Doors slamming shut, glass breaking, and voices echoing through empty rooms
• Mysterious piles of dirt appear on freshly cleaned floors
• A female entity who frequently attacked Carolyn Perron and left her with unexplained injuries
• A ghost that smelled of rotting flesh and another that trapped the father in the cellar
• Communication with spirits during séances, including a child named Manny and a disturbed older woman
• A demonic presence believed to be Bathsheba Sherman

One of the most disturbing tales involves a baby who was murdered on the property. Some claimed that Bathsheba Sherman, a former neighbor suspected of witchcraft, sacrificed the child in a dark ritual. Though historical evidence is thin, the story left a lasting impression on the Perrons and became central to their haunting.

Bathsheba is believed to be the most aggressive spirit. She reportedly injured Carolyn by stabbing her leg with an invisible needle. Doors would slam when she was near, and her energy was often accompanied by an overwhelming stench. According to Andrea Perron, her mother believed this spirit saw herself as the mistress of the home and lashed out at Carolyn as competition.

From phantom children to a vengeful woman from another century, The Conjuring House easily ranks among the most haunted places in Rhode Island.

Belcourt Castle

Newport

Belcourt Castle is one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island, and its ghost stories are as rich as its Gilded Age history. Built in the 1890s as a lavish summer home for Oliver Belmont, the castle eventually became a private museum packed with antiques from around the world. 

After the Tinney family moved in and filled the home with centuries-old artifacts, paranormal activity began and has been going strong ever since.

Hauntings reported at Belcourt Castle include:

• Two Gothic chairs in the ballroom are believed to be cursed or possessed. A woman was allegedly thrown from one of them during a tour.
• A monk spirit is believed to be attached to a German wood sculpture. It was first seen in the Tinney family’s bedroom and later walking the grand staircase and into the chapel
• Paranormal evidence was recorded by ghost-hunting teams and shared during public tours.

Belcourt Castle holds its spot among the most haunted places in Rhode Island with pride and plenty of weird, creepy happenings.

Seaview Terrace (Carey Mansion)

Newport

Seaview Terrace, also known as Carey Mansion, is one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. 

With 29 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, and a Gothic chapel imported from Italy, this massive Newport estate is the definition of grand. Originally built in Washington, D.C., in 1907 and later moved piece by piece to Rhode Island in the 1920s, the mansion has racked up a long history.

Hauntings at Seaview Terrace:

• Disembodied voices echo through the halls, loud banging sounds with no clear source, smoke detectors going off for no reason, bottles flying off desks, and radios turning on and off.
• A strong, lingering presence tied to Julia Bradley, the original owner’s wife. She is often seen or sensed playing her favorite Estey organ in the chapel. Her funeral was held inside the mansion after she died in 1929.
• During its time as a girls’ summer boarding school, students reported bottles flying off desks, radios turning on and off by themselves, and smoke detectors going off without cause.

With its history, architecture, and connection to paranormal pop culture, Seaview Terrace easily earns its place among the most haunted places in Rhode Island.

The White Horse Tavern

Newport

Built in 1673, this colonial tavern has hosted British soldiers, weary travelers, and even court proceedings. Its long and storied past seems to echo through the building’s wooden beams. 

The most recognized ghost at White Horse Tavern is a man in colonial garb who died of smallpox while renting a room in the 1720s. He’s often seen near the second-floor restrooms and by the fireplace in the dining room, where he startles female guests by appearing behind them in mirrors. 

Two female spirits also wander the tavern, one possibly being Rebecca Cornell, who died in a suspicious fire in 1673. 

Guests have also reported hearing a little girl sobbing upstairs, even when no children are around.

Mercy Brown’s Grave at Chestnut Hill Cemetery

Exeter

One of the most haunted places in Rhode Island is actually a quiet grave in a rural cemetery. Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Exeter is where 19-year-old Mercy Brown is buried, but she’s better known as the state’s last “vampire.”

In the winter of 1892, Mercy died of tuberculosis, known then as “consumption.” Her mother and sister had already succumbed, and her brother Edwin was slowly wasting away. Locals, panicked by a string of deaths and a deep-rooted fear of the undead, suspected that one of the deceased family members had returned from the grave to drain the life from the living. Suspicion fell on Mercy. 

Her body had been stored in an above-ground crypt because the ground was frozen, and when her father exhumed her, he found her unusually well preserved; her heart and liver still contained fresh blood, which the villagers took as a supernatural sign. 

They believed it was proof that she was the one feeding on her brother and was a vampire.

Following old folk tradition, they removed her organs, burned them, and mixed the ashes into a tonic for Edwin. He drank it but died anyway.

Mercy’s story didn’t fade with time. 

Today, Mercy Brown haunts the cemetery. 

Visitors claim to see strange blue lights near her grave. Her headstone has been chained to the ground to prevent theft. Her heart no longer beats, but her legend refuses to die.

The Breakers Mansion

Newport

A crown jewel of the Gilded Age, The Breakers is one of America’s most iconic mansions. Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II in the 1890s after the original structure on the property burned down, it became a summer retreat for one of the wealthiest families in the nation. 

The 70-room mansion overlooks the Atlantic, with formal gardens, ocean views, and private beach access. It is now a National Historic Landmark managed by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

Though most of the mansion is open to the public, the third floor is still privately owned and used by the Vanderbilt descendants each summer. Some believe it’s closed off because it’s haunted by Alice Vanderbilt.

Alice Vanderbilt’s Children and Their Fates:

• Alice Jr.: Died at age 5 from a childhood illness.
• William: Died of typhoid fever while attending Yale in 1892.
• Cornelius III: Disinherited for marrying someone the family didn’t approve of.
• Alfred: Died in 1915 on the RMS Lusitania after giving his life jacket to a woman who couldn’t swim.

Cumberland Library

Cumberland

The Cumberland Public Library may seem quiet, but it sits on land with a violent past. Once home to a monastery, the building is now believed to be haunted by a monk who still roams the halls and moves books around on the shelves. 

Just outside the library is the “Nine Men’s Misery” monument, marking the site where Wampanoag warriors captured and killed nine colonists during King Philip’s War in 1676. Some visitors claim to hear screaming or the pounding of phantom horse hooves on the nearby trails.

Adding to the mystery is the ghost of a young girl sometimes seen on the grounds. Her identity is unknown, though some think she may have died in a nearby mill. 

Between the residual violence, restless spirits, and a quiet monk who refuses to leave, the library’s peaceful surface hides something much older and darker. 

Cumberland Library is definitely one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. 

The Graduate Providence

Providence

Before it was renamed in 2019, the Graduate Providence was known as the Biltmore Hotel, an opulent landmark with a sinister past. The original hotel was financed in 1918 by Johan Leisse Weisskopf, a known Satanist who allegedly intended the building as a space to promote Satanic teachings. 

He added rooftop chicken coops, either for sacrifices or fresh dining fare, depending on who you ask, and even had hot springs dug in the basement, reportedly for ritual purification.

During Prohibition, the basement turned into a speakeasy, drawing mobsters and rumors of murders. Guests have long seen apparitions, disembodied laughter, clinking glasses, and doors slamming on their own.

One ghost said to haunt the 14th floor is a financier who, after losing everything in the 1929 stock market crash, leaped from his window. Some guests have seen a body falling past their room, only to find no one below.

Manifestations at The Graduate Providence:

• Creepy noises: Unexplained door slamming is a common occurrence throughout the hotel, especially at night. Many visitors have heard the sounds of raucous parties, including clinking glasses and laughter, even when no events are happening.
• Period Dude: A man in period clothing has been seen falling past windows on the lower floors, believed to be the ghost of the stockbroker who jumped in 1929.
• Cold spots and feelings of being watched are frequently experienced by those staying on the 14th floor.
• Apparitions are sometimes seen near the rooftop and basement, particularly where the chicken coops and hot springs are located.

The hotel was officially named America’s Most Haunted Hotel in 2000 by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Its dark legacy deepened in 2008 when six guests vanished without a trace.

Smith’s Castle

North Kingstown

Built in 1678 on land with even older roots, Smith’s Castle stands on a site steeped in early American conflict, colonial survival, and human tragedy. Originally a trading post dating back to 1637, the home has seen war, betrayal, and years of forced labor. 

Later, when the site operated as a plantation, it relied on slave labor. Some of them used a network of tunnels beneath the house to hide while planning their escape from bondage. 

Sadly, some did not survive the desperate conditions and are now said to haunt the area. The tunnels have since been sealed off due to safety concerns.

This land is also the site of a mass grave of 40 colonial soldiers who perished after the brutal Great Swamp Fight. Just after, Joshua Teft was executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered, the only such punishment ever carried out on American soil for allegedly aiding the Narragansetts.

Two prominent spirits are associated with the house:

• Elizabeth Singleton: a woman from Newport who died after falling down the stairs, reportedly drunk on rum. Her grave is believed to be on the property.
• Revolutionary War soldier: Seen pacing the grounds in uniform near the water, semi-transparent and silent, as though still standing guard.

Reported Manifestations at Smith’s Castle:

• People in colonial-era clothing appear in rooms only to vanish without a trace.
• Random noises and disembodied voices occur even when no one is nearby; Objects are heard falling in empty rooms.
• A mysterious soldier in a Revolutionary uniform has been seen walking along the shoreline.
• Phantom figures, believed to be people who died in the now-sealed tunnels, are occasionally sensed in the basement area.

Crescent Park Looff Carousel

East Providence

The Crescent Park Looff Carousel is a cherished relic from a once busy amusement park and ballroom that tragically burned down in the late 1960s. The spirits of those who died in the fire linger at the carousel, causing mischief like flickering lights and music playing on its own. 

Visitors have seen a woman dressed in Victorian-era clothing, often described as looking sad as she gazes toward the lake, suddenly vanishing.

Built in 1895 by Charles Looff, this carousel features four chariots and 62 hand-carved wooden horses, accompanied by a large mechanized calliope organ. Its eerie music adds to the unsettling atmosphere for many. When the ballroom burned down, it marked the beginning of the park’s decline, which fully closed in 1979. 

Thankfully, a group of devoted citizens saved the carousel, which is now a National Historic Landmark managed by the National Park Service. Visitors can still ride this beautifully restored carousel for just $2.

Despite its preservation, the carousel’s haunting continues. 

Witnesses have reported the lights turning on and the machinery running by itself after hours when the park is locked and the carousel building is closed. 

Many say the most disturbing part is hearing the calliope music echoing through the night. Along with the mysterious activity, several people have seen the apparition of a young woman during these strange occurrences, her expression sorrowful as she watches the lake.

Adding to the site’s dark history, a brutal murder occurred nearby in the mid-1990s. The body of a 30-year-old woman was found buried after a family searching for seashells uncovered it. An autopsy revealed deep lash marks, confirming murder. The victim’s ex-boyfriend confessed and was sentenced to life in prison.

Since then, some visitors to the park have experienced sudden feelings of anger or jealousy, and some claim to have seen the murdered woman walking the beach.

Benefit Street

Providence

Benefit Street may be one of the most picturesque roads in the state, but it has earned its reputation as one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. Lined with colonial homes and a canopy of trees, this historic stretch was once called “Back Street.” 

Before the road was straightened in the 1700s, families buried their dead in backyards that lined the edges of town. Many of those graves were relocated to the Old North Burial Ground, but not all spirits seem to have gone quietly.

Among the reported specters is none other than Edgar Allan Poe, who once visited the street while courting local poet Sarah Helen Whitman. The house at 135 Benefit Street adds a literary twist to its ghostly fame. 

Originally owned by Dr. Mawney and later sold to merchant Stephen Harris, the house eventually became part of the estate of Sophia Babbitt and her caretaker, Lillian Phillips. During her time there, Phillips was frequently visited by her nephew, H.P. Lovecraft. 

Lovecraft found the home so unsettling that he later fictionalized it in his novella The Shunned House, published in Weird Tales in 1937.

Fact: Benefit Street is also home to the oldest standing house in Providence, built in 1763.

Old State House

Providence

Another stop on the haunted map of Providence is the Old State House, located on Benefit Street. This historic building became infamous in 1843 after the murder of Amasa Sprague, a prominent mill owner. Suspicion quickly fell on John Gordon, and what followed was one of the most controversial trials in Rhode Island history.

Gordon and his brothers were indicted (John as the main suspect and Nicholas as an accessory). The evidence against them was largely circumstantial, but prejudice and political pressure led to John Gordon’s conviction. He was executed on February 14, 1845, in the state prison yard where the Providence Place Mall now stands. Over a century later, the state officially pardoned him, acknowledging the injustice.

Today, many believe that Gordon’s spirit still lingers inside the Old State House, seeking peace from a life cut short by a flawed legal system. Visitors and staff have reported unexplained sounds and cold spots throughout the building. 

Fort Adams

Newport

With a legacy rooted in military defense and coastal security, Fort Adams has also earned a reputation as one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. 

Built in the early 1800s to protect Newport Harbor, this huge stone fortress is now a public park and event venue.

Visitors frequently hear footsteps in the dark tunnels and sudden cold spots, even on hot summer days. Ghostly figures in military uniforms appear in the shadows, silently patrolling as if still on watch. Paranormal investigators have captured electronic voice phenomena and distant whispers, including the chilling sound of a child’s voice murmuring, “You’re not supposed to see me.”

Some have claimed to be jabbed and hit with small stones. Others have reported heavy tugs on their clothing and heard shuffling sounds inside the old bakery. Whimpering voices and unidentified knocking sounds are also common, along with the sound of marching footsteps where soldiers once practiced.

Providence City Hall

Providence

Providence City Hall stands as both a monument to civic pride and one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. Constructed in 1875 and designed by architect Samuel Thayer, this elaborate five-story building has long attractedwhispers of haunted activity, including the lingering spirit of former mayor Thomas Doyle.  Following his sudden death in his home by stroke, he was brought to City Hall, where it lay in state as thousands came to pay their respects.

Multiple employees and visitors have felt strange sensations while walking the halls, along with unexplained cigar smoke and footsteps in empty rooms. Some staff refuse to enter the basement, which once housed massive boilers. 

Others have described papers flying off desks without any breeze and hearing voices with no visible source. One memorable encounter involved a voice shouting “NOT TODAY” in an otherwise empty restroom.

The Ladd School

Exeter

Originally opened in 1908 as the Rhode Island School for the Feeble Minded, the Ladd School was intended to be a progressive institution for those with developmental disabilities. Instead, it became one of the most notorious sites of abuse and neglect in the state. 

Although it began with just eight patients, the institution quickly became overcrowded, underfunded, and plagued by scandal.

Disturbing events and conditions reported at the Ladd School:

• Severe overcrowding, with hundreds of patients packed into unsanitary conditions
• Lack of medical and dental care, basic facilities, and psychological assessments
• Physical abuse of patients, including routine beatings for “unruly” behavior
• A 9-year-old boy suffocated after being stuffed in a laundry sack and left in a shower
• Elderly man killed after being pushed down stairs by another patient
• Medication errors that led to overdoses and deaths, often administered by unqualified staff

Cold spots, unexplained footsteps, whispers, locked doors without locks, and animal-like growls have been reported in abandoned buildings, especially the therapeutic pool and the Howe Building.

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