9 Most Haunted Places in New Hampshire: Granite State Ghosts

The 9 most haunted places in New Hampshire prove that the Granite State isn’t just known for its rugged mountains and charming villages but also super haunted! 

New Hampshire’s spooky side is as chilling as a winter’s breeze on Mount Washington. Grab your hiking boots and maybe some sage, these are the 9 most haunted places in New Hampshire! 👻

Pine Hill Cemetery (Blood Cemetery)

Hollis

Pine Hill Cemetery, better known as Blood Cemetery, is one of New Hampshire’s most mysterious locations. Tucked along Pine Hill Road in the quiet town of Hollis, this historic graveyard dates back to 1769 when Benjamin Parker Jr. donated the land. With nearly 300 graves, it appears like any other cemetery by day…, but by night, it becomes one of the most haunted places in New Hampshire.

Blood Cemetery got its name from the ghost of Abel Blood, its most famous haunting, who died in 1867. While his gravestone depicts a hand pointing upward, symbolizing a soul ascending to the afterlife, visitors swear that the finger changes direction after dark, pointing toward the ground. 

But why?

Many blame the Blood family. One theory suggests that Abel and his entire family were murdered during a home invasion. Others whisper that the Blood family was targeted for disputes over land or property. 

Abel is also rumored to have been involved in occult rituals, spirit communication, and alchemy, activities that would have been scandalous in the 19th century. Others think that Abel was part of an unnamed secret society and met his fate as retribution for betraying its trust. 

Some people believe Abel shared secret information about the group, putting them at risk. Others think he did something against their rules, like using their secrets to make money or telling others about their private rituals. These stories are part of the mystery around his life and death.

Whatever the case, Abel helps keep Blood Cemetery on the most haunted places in New Hampshire list.

Ocean-Born Mary House

Henniker

For those who like a pirate-y twist to their hauntings, the legend of Ocean-Born Mary begins in 1720 and ends, never.

On a ship carrying settlers from Ireland to the New World, James Wilson and Elizabeth Fulton welcomed a daughter. Unfortunately, the ship was attacked by pirates shortly after her birth.

According to legend, the pirate captain, moved by the sight of the infant, promised to spare everyone’s lives if the baby were named Mary after his mother, and The Fultons agreed. The captain also gifted them a scrap of green silk for Mary’s future wedding dress.

In many cultures, green represents renewal, life, and luck…fitting for a baby who was allowed to live during a pirate attack.

Mary Fulton, later known as Ocean-Born Mary, lived a long and eventful life, reaching the age of 94. She married James Wallace and settled in Henniker, New Hampshire. Mary is buried in the cemetery behind the Henniker Town Hall under her married name, Mary Wallace. And yes, her grave reads “Ocean-Born Mary.”

The house most associated with her story, the so-called Ocean-Born Mary House, actually belonged to her son, Robert Wallace. Mary herself never lived there. The home’s connection to her legend began in 1917 when Louis Roy purchased it and rebranded it as the Ocean-Born Mary House. He filled it with period antiques and claimed they were Mary’s belongings.

Despite Mary’s lack of direct connection to the house, people say her ghost is still seen, often as a tall woman with red hair who is believed to be Mary. Some claim she descends the staircase gazes out from upper windows, or throws objects into the well. 

There are even accounts of her arriving in a spectral coach and four horses. While the original home where Mary lived has since been torn down, Robert Wallace’s house still stands on Bear Road, just outside of Henniker. 

A plaque outside identifies it as the “Homestead of Robert Wallace, also known as Ocean Born Mary House, 1784.” 

Chase Home

Portsmouth

The Chase Home in Portsmouth is a historic building from the late 19th century, which served as a home for orphaned children and, later, a court-appointed residence for orphaned children.

The ghost most often associated with the Chase Home is that of a young girl who committed suicide. According to legend, this girl, whose name remains unknown, hanged herself in her bedroom on the third floor. 

Her spirit, full of sorrow and regret, is said to remain. Residents and visitors have reported seeing her ghostly figure late at night in the hallway. She’s often described as fleeting (when approached, she vanishes ASAP).

More awful than her apparition are the screams said to echo from her former room in the middle of the night, leaving those who hear them shaken and raw with emotion.

Weird activity in the house doesn’t stop there, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most haunted places in New Hampshire. Locked doors have been known to mysteriously open on their own; lights and ceiling fans frequently turn on and off without explanation.

Footsteps are another common occurrence, particularly on the third floor, where counselors used to live. Many have heard the sounds of measured steps moving toward the staircase, but no one was found there.

Isles of Shoals

Portsmouth

The Isles of Shoals are a group of 9 islands off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine.  They are famous for their dark legends and ghost stories.

These windswept isles—Smuttynose, Appledore, and Star being the best known—are divided between the 2 states.

The Isles of Shoals themselves are mostly uninhabited today, except for a few fishing families and Cornell University’s Shoals Marine Laboratory.

• The Pirate Blackbeard: One of the most enduring legends involves the infamous pirate Blackbeard. According to lore, he abandoned one of his wives on the Isles of Shoals, where she died. Her ghost haunts the area, her cries wailing through the fog.
• Betty Moody: As recounted by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Betty Moody, seeking to hide from a Native American raid, took refuge in a rocky crevice on the Isles of Shoals with her infant. When her baby began to cry, she smothered the child to keep them from being discovered. Overcome with heartbreak, Betty herself threw herself over the rocks. Her ghost and that of her child are said to haunt the stones, their sorrowful energy lingering.
• The Ghost Ship: The schooner Isidore sank in 1842, killing everyone on board in the icy Atlantic Ocean. Locals and visitors have reported sightings of the phantom ship sailing near the Isles of Shoals. 
• The Ax Murder: Louis Wagner, desperate and struggling financially, rowed 12 miles to Smuttynose Island in 1873, intending to rob the Christensen family, whom he knew well. He brutally murdered Karen and Anethe Christensen with an ax—Karen inside the house and Anethe as she tried to escape. A third woman, Maren Hontvet, got away and later identified Wagner, leading to his conviction and execution. People visiting Smuttynose Island say they’ve had strange and spooky experiences connected to Karen and Anethe Christensen. Some claim to see shadowy figures or hear faint cries in the wind near the site of the murders, accompanied by an unsettling feeling.

From cold-blooded murder to phantom ships, the Isles of Shoals remain one of the most haunted places in New Hampshire.

The Tilton Inn

Tilton

The Tilton Inn, established in 1875, is a charming historic landmark with a history marked by 3 devastating fires.

One of the most infamous fires killed a 12-year-old girl named Laura, who was staying in the Sanborn Room. Many believe her spirit has never left. 

Laura’s ghost is said to have a childlike curiosity, often moving objects or creating soft sounds like footsteps and laughter, underscoring why the Tilton Inn is one of the most haunted places in New Hampshire. Some visitors claim to have felt a light touch on their shoulders or heard giggles. Her presence is most strongly felt in the Sanborn Room, where she died.

Another frequently reported ghost is Mary, a former owner of the inn. 

Guests and staff have seen her reflection in mirrors, feeling her lingering presence in their rooms and walking through the halls. Mary’s spirit seems watchful, as though she’s keeping a protective eye on the inn she loved in life.

Three Chimneys Inn

Durham

The Three Chimneys Inn, located at 17 Newmarket Road, is a historic gem and the oldest house in Durham. This inn, over 300 years old, is one of New England’s oldest buildings. It survived the Oyster River Massacre in 1694, when many settlers were killed.

Hannah is said to have been the daughter of an innkeeper in the inn’s early days. According to local legend, she tragically drowned in the Oyster River, just behind the inn. Unlike some ghosts, Hannah loves being noticed, often making her presence known to visitors. 

Guests have reported strange occurrences such as glimpses of a young woman in the halls, the feeling of being watched, and even hearing Hannah’s playful laughter.

Footsteps are heard in empty corridors, stopping right outside doors before suddenly falling silent. There are also reports of the unsettling sound of heavy furniture being dragged across the upper floors, only for staff to find the furniture untouched when they investigate.

Kimball Castle

Gilford

Overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, Kimball Castle is as mysterious as it is historic. Kimball Castle, built in the late 1800s, was once a grand estate. It has been empty for almost 60 years.

Now crumbling from years of neglect, the structure is off-limits to visitors. Despite its current state of disrepair, the castle continues to intrigue, and you can stay in an Air BNB on the property. 

Many eerie stories have come from Kimball Castle over the years. Antique clocks that haven’t worked in decades mysteriously start ticking, and lights are known to flicker on and off. Visitors often feel an intense sense of fear or unease, as if they’re being warned to leave, or physical sensations like chills or even the feeling of being touched. Cameras and devices also mysteriously stop working, giving credit to the belief that the spirit wants to be left alone.

Caretakers and former owners have also reported unexplainable phenomena. Mary Jodoin described a chilling encounter with a full-body apparition inside the castle. Her husband, David Jodoin, along with caretaker Richard Caruso, recalled hearing the unsettling sound of a horse banging on the stable walls long after the stables were empty. Doors have been seen opening and closing on their own, and shadowy figures have been spotted, especially in the living room.

Although Kimball Castle remains closed to the public, its reputation as one of the most haunted places in New Hampshire endures. Recently purchased for redevelopment, the property is slated to become an event venue. 

Mount Washington Hotel

Bretton Woods

The Mount Washington Hotel, now part of the Omni Mount Washington Resort, is a breathtakingly grand estate in Bretton Woods that was built in 1900 by railroad tycoon Joseph Stickney and opened as a hotel in 1902. 

Tragically, Stickney died shortly after its completion, leaving his wife, Carolyn. Eventually, she remarried a French prince, earning her the title Princess Carolyn.

Affectionately referred to as The Princess by staff and guests, Carolyn is seen wandering the hallways in Victorian attire. 

Guests report oddities like light taps on their doors when no one is there and objects disappearing, only to reappear in the exact same place later.

In Room 314, which was once Carolyn’s private quarters, guests have reported seeing her ghost sitting at the edge of the bed, gazing as if lost in thought. Her presence is said to exude an air of refinement.

Joseph Stickney made sure the hotel had everything Carolyn could want while it was being built. These included an indoor swimming pool, which was a rare amenity at the time, and a private dining area now known as the Princess Room. 

Nathaniel Lord Mansion

House Portsmouth

The Nathaniel Lord Mansion is a federal-style 1812 home living its second life as an elegant seaside inn filled with antiques (and a ghost or two).

Phoebe was the lady of the house, married to Captain Nathaniel Lord, with whom she had 8 children. The captain died not long after moving into the home in 1815, and Phoebe raised their 8 children in the house after he died. 

Although she passed on in 1866, Phoebe is often seen floating around the mansion, sometimes transcending the spiral staircase or passing through the Lincoln Bedroom Suite. Ironically, when Phoebe Lord lived there, her chambers were called “Wisteria,” which means “remembrance of the dead.”

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