Ventfort Hall Is A Haunted Gilded Age Mansion We Dare You To Visit In Massachusetts
By Melissa Mahoney|Published November 17, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
With many historical places, there are oftentimes spirits who stick around in the afterlife and make their presence known. As we all know, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is filled with historical places and so we may grow up hearing ghostly tales that originate from some of these places. Maybe some of us have even had an encounter ourselves. A Gilded Age mansion in Lenox, known as Ventfort Hall, is not immune from hauntings and while you can take a tour in the daytime, Ghost Tours are offered on certain nights throughout the year.
Ventfort Hall is a 28,000-square-foot Gilded Age "cottage" built by George and Sarah Morgan in a Jacobean Revival style. Construction began in 1891 and was finished by 1893. The mansion and its outbuildings originally sat on 26 acres of impeccably manicured gardens that were a testament to the Morgans' wealth.
Built with 28 rooms which included 15 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a great hall, a grand staircase, a massive dining room, a library, a billiard room, and a bowling alley, among other amenities, Ventfort Hall was, and still is, an opulent and imposing estate.
After the Morgans passed on, Ventfort Hall was rented to Margaret Vanderbilt. In 1925, the estate was purchased by W. Roscoe Bonsal, who was involved in the expansion of the railroads, along with his wife. They lived here until 1945 when it was sold again and went through several additional ownership changes over the years.
In 1997, the mansion was purchased by the Ventfort Hall Association which was formed to save the home from potential demolition and to also preserve the property and its history.
Today, visitors can take a tour of Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum which currently sits on 11.7 acres. Self-guided tours are available without reservation.
Over the years, there have been numerous reports of paranormal activity at Ventfort Hall. Visitors have been touched when no one was there, heard disembodied whispers and even screaming, and have seen a phantom face of a woman coming down the staircase.
Doors often open on their own as well, especially on the third floor. It is believed there are several ghosts haunting Ventfort Hall. Could it be the Morgans, Mrs. Vanderbilt, or others who couldn't leave this mansion behind?
Ventfort Hall embraces its ghostly residents and offers Ghost Tours throughout the year. If a Ghost Tour is of interest to you, follow the Facebook page for updates on when the next one is offered.
Have you visited Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Museum before? If so, did you take a ghost tour? Let us know in the comments! For more information and to book a ghost tour, visit the official website and follow the Facebook page.
