11 Most Haunted Places in Maine: A Coast of Ghosts
You’ve just stumbled upon the most popular haunted places in Maine. Known for its rugged coastlines and colonial towns straight out of a horror movie, this state has a ton of ghosts.
These are the 11 most haunted places in Maine:
Museums of Old York
Old York
Located in one of the earliest English settlements in the United States, the Museums of Old York is a well-preserved structure that once was the town hall for the village of York.
Why is this museum one of the most haunted places in Maine?
During the infamous era of witch hunts, a woman known today as the White Witch was hung right outside the building.
Visitors and museum staff have reported bizarre cold spots, doors opening and slamming shut, and objects mysteriously moving or disappearing altogether. Kids from a nearby preschool have claimed to see the witch during recess, describing her as a friendly lady who joins them to play.
Mount Hope Cemetery
Bangor
Mount Hope Cemetery, established in 1836, is no ordinary burial ground. It was the second garden cemetery (a type of cemetery that includes parks, landscaping, and gardens) ever constructed in the U.S.
Mount Hope is also a resting place for many from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Visitors have seen dark, shadowy figures standing behind gravestones and heard footsteps following them, especially as the gates are about to close.
Interesting to Note
This burial park was even featured in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, a novel so disturbing King did not allow it to be published for many years for fear of upsetting his audience.
Wood Island Lighthouse
Saco Bay
The Wood Island Lighthouse has gained quite a reputation, even catching the attention of the TV show Ghost Hunters, which conducted a paranormal investigation.
A Tale of Two Suicides
The haunting dates back to 1896, when a drifter shot the sheriff after being confronted for not paying rent or causing trouble. Overcome with grief after learning the sheriff had died, the drifter sought shelter with lighthouse keeper Thomas Orcutt. Despite Orcutt’s efforts to console him, the drifter took his own life.
In 1905, keeper Charles Burke succeeded Orcutt but was weirded by his ghost, manifesting in his old uniform and making disturbing sounds. Burke abandoned his post to stay in a boarding house and killed himself the following day.
In the present day, shadows move in the dark, gunshots echo through the air, window shades spin wildly, and locked doors swing open without explanation, making it truly one of the most haunted places in Maine.
Fort Knox State Historic Site
Prospect
Fort Knox State Historic Site, a former military base that, despite having only one recorded death, is one of the most haunted places in Maine.
Visitors consistently see full-on ghosts and hear mysterious noises when wandering the fort alone. Some believe this may be residual energy from years of military activity.
One of the fort’s most famous spirits is the former caretaker, who appears to be happily continuing his duties in the afterlife. Every October, Fort Knox hosts Fright at the Fort, where they convert the site into a haunted house.
Route 2A
Aroostook County
Route 2A has earned a reputation as one of Maine’s most haunted and dangerous roads, immortalized by Maine country singer Dick Curless in his song A Tombstone Every Mile.
The road’s sharp curves have killed many, particularly truck drivers delivering potatoes to Boston. According to local legends, those truckers are still on the road and are often seen standing close to the pavement, bloody and confused.
Drivers have reported seeing a terrified woman yelling that her husband is trapped in a vehicle, only for her to vanish when they try to help.
There are also sightings of a little girl standing by the roadside, said to have been struck by a big truck years ago.
Ship Harbor Trail
Bar Harbor
The Ship Harbor Trail is not only known for its scenic beauty but also as a popular stop along ghost tours in the Bar Harbor area, as this is one of the most haunted places in Maine.
Locals say the area is cursed, especially since multiple shipwrecks have occurred here since.
In 1739, a ship carrying about 200 people wrecked off the coast. Most of the passengers died and were buried in unmarked graves, while the survivors ventured into the wilderness, never to be seen again.
Today, hikers have heard howling, moaning, and groaning, believed to be the ghosts of those who froze to death in the cold.
Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum
Brunswick
The Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, named after its former owner, Maine’s ex-governor and Civil War hero, now stands as his tribute.
His home has been transformed into a museum, displaying some of his personal belongings from his time in office to the bloody battlefields of Gettysburg.
Many believe that Chamberlain and his wife never quite left. Several visitors have seen the couple wandering the halls, hand-in-hand, walking straight into the walls.
Others have experienced a random pain in their hips, the same spot where Chamberlain was wounded during the war.
Bucksport Gravestone
Bucksport
The Bucksport Gravestone in Bucksport Cemetery is notorious for its witch’s curse.
Colonel Jonathan Buck, a judge during the witch trials, ordered the execution of a local woman accused of witchcraft. Before her death, she allegedly cursed Buck, promising to dance on his grave.
True to her word, when Buck was eventually buried, a strange stain resembling a boot appeared on his tombstone. It seems that this witch was determined to leave her mark literally!
The Colonel’s children attempted to replace the gravestone multiple times, but the boot-shaped mark kept reappearing.
Seguin Island Light Station
Seguin Island
Adventurous ghost-hunters should make the journey to Seguin Island Light Station, infamous since the early 1800s.
The story begins with a lighthouse keeper’s wife, who brought a piano to the isolated island to keep herself entertained. She only knew one song and played it repeatedly, driving her husband to insanity. In a fit of rage during an argument over the piano, he murdered her with an axe. Horrified at what he had done and terrified of jail, he killed himself.
To this day, visitors to the island, as well as nearby fishermen and boaters, claim to hear the haunting melody of that one piano tune floating on the wind.
Some report hearing unexplained sounds like creepy coughs, a bouncing ball, objects moving in empty rooms, or sightings of a little girl who disappears as soon as they look closer.
Kennebunk Inn
Kennebunk
The Kennebunk Inn, established in 1799, has a history spanning more than 200 years and has served over 40 U.S. presidents.
However, its most famous resident is the friendly ghost of Silas Perkins, who worked at the Inn until his death in his 80s. Even after passing away, Silas remains a mischievous presence. Once, he reportedly made mugs float in mid-air, startling both bartenders and guests.
Room 17 is the most haunted, with Silas known to turn on the TV and watch his favorite shows in the evening. Though his antics are playful, they make the inn one of the most haunted places in Maine.
If you ever stay at the Kennebunk Inn, keep an eye on the remote before Silas decides to change the channel!
Old Red Church
Standish
The Old Red Church, also known as the First Parish Meetinghouse, was originally painted brown, but its exterior turned a reddish hue after years of sun exposure, earning it the name “Old Red Church.”
No longer used for religious ceremonies today, the church is instead known for its hauntings. Visitors have had their own names whispered by a male voice, heard voices in empty rooms, and the sound of heavy objects being dragged at inhuman speed across the roof.
Paranormal researchers investigated the site in 2010, where a spirit communicated by turning on and off a flashlight.
Haunt Us
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