Are you ready for a Vermont road trip that is so ghostly, so sinister, and so creepy that it will keep you awake at night? Well, look no further – this is a trip that has paranormal activity that could make a believer out of the biggest skeptic. We’ve even mapped out a course of the most haunted places in Vermont for you!
Even if you’ve lived in Vermont your whole life, there is a good chance you haven’t seen it in its entirety, and this trip will certainly take you off the beaten path. By going on a road trip, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to see all of Vermont – the beautiful, the surreal, and the “wow, I can’t believe this place actually exists!” So grab your fellow Ghostbusters, make a playlist and set out on a wild ride that, in just 6 1/2 hours driving time, will take you to the most haunted places in Vermont that will have your knees knocking. That is, if you dare….
The Green Mountain Inn is a historic hotel and haunted building. In 1840, "Boots" Berry was born in the inn’s servants’ quarters, now room 302. His mother was a housekeeper at the inn, and his father took care of the horses, with Boots following in his father’s footsteps becoming a stable hand. He also became a much-loved member of the community, once stopping an out of control stagecoach and saving all on board.
As the years passed , Boots developed a drinking habit and was fired from his job. He then traveled around the country and learned to dance while in jail (hence the nickname "Boots"). In 1902 he came back to visit the inn and a young child had snuck onto the roof and was stuck there during a snowstorm. Boots saved the child but wasn’t so lucky himself. He slipped after the rescue and fell to his death. Visitors and employees still claim to hear the sound of Boot's dancing feet coming from the roof.
Just down the road from the Green Mountain Inn is the Gold Brook Bridge, also known as "Emily’s Bridge." This bridge is said to be haunted by a ghost named Emily and there are many different stories of how she died. The most popular is that her parents didn't approve of her lover, so they planned to meet on the bridge and run off together to elope. When he didn't show up to meet her, Emily was so distraught that she hung herself from the rafters.
Visitors have reported strange noises, screams, and scratches on cars that have been parked on the bridge. Some have reported seeing Emily’s ghost. Most occurrences are said to happen around 2am.
3. Old Stagecoach Inn - 18 N Main Street, Waterbury
It appears that a former resident of the Old Stagecoach Inn may never have checked out. Reports of rocking chairs and other furniture moving by themselves, beds stripped and linens neatly folded when the housekeeper looks away. Apparitions have also been seen and room 2 is said to be the most haunted.
The monument of John E. Hubbard is one of the first things you see when you enter the Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier, Vermont. This historic sculpture has a legendary ghost story that has survived the years and rings even more mysterious with teens today. It goes simply like this. If you sit in Black Agnes' lap at midnight on the full moon especially the hunter's moon in October you will die exactly on one of the 7 Sevens; 7 years, 7 months, 7 weeks, 7 days, 7 hours, 7 minutes or 7 seconds. But you will die!
5. Vermont Police Academy - 317 Academy Road, Pittsford
The Vermont Police Academy was once a state hospital for tuberculosis patients, and it is said to still be haunted by a nurse named Mary who worked here during that era and had contracted TB herself. All of the old call buttons are still in the recruits' rooms, and it is said that if pushed, the friendly ghost of the nurse, Mary, will pay a visit during the night.
The Eddy House was originally the home of Zepaniah Eddy, whose three children descended from a long line of psychics. From a young age the children, named William, Horatio and Mary, were mediums and played with ghostly children, went into trances, spoke in spirit’s voices, and were eventually expelled from school for levitating desks and making books fly through the air. To this day, these scary stories in Vermont still hold a place in our collective memory.
Zepaniah had enough of the paranormal activity and sold his children to a traveling sideshow where they were cruelly exploited for 14 years. The children moved back to the Eddy House after their father’s death and turned the home into an Inn called the Green Tavern where they held séances for guests and conjured up spirits. Henry Steel Olcott went to validate the authenticity of the stories and, convinced of the authenticity of the Eddys’ abilities, wrote a book called People from Other Worlds, which included a description of his exploration of the Eddys, including drawings of the spirits, the grounds, and the Eddy house. Today the Eddy House is home to the High Life Ski Club Lodge.
7. Castleton State College - Seminary Street, Castleton, VT
Formerly the college’s medical academy, the Old Chapel, built in 1821, is Castleton State College’s oldest building. Legend has it that the ghost of a partially dissected woman roams the chapel without her head. It seems that the medical academy rarely had enough cadavers to practice on, so the students resorted to grave robbing.
8. The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa - 3567 Main Street, Manchester Village, VT
The Equinox is considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in Vermont. There have been a number of guests that have stated that they have experienced unusual and paranormal events such as hearing voices speaking in a whisper, while others have caught glimpses of what appear to be full figures from the corners of their eyes. Then, there are some who claim that they feel a quick chill and the hair on their neck and arm stands up. Many have stated that they have had items moved from where they were left in the room, and others have stated that lights have resulted in their waking up at night from a sound sleep.
The most popular ghostly belief is that the Equinox is haunted by Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. She visited the hotel in 1865 and has been seen as a quickly vanishing apparition, along with one of her children. There have been many reported sightings of Mary by both guests and hotel staff.
There have been several unsolved disappearances on Glastonbury Mountain and folklore has it that the Native Americans believed it to be cursed and used it as a burial ground. All the trails abruptly stop partway up the mountain as if forbidding hikers to go any further, and the mountain is said to be eerily silent, as if birds and animals don’t even venture there. Complete silence in a woodland is highly unusual for Vermont, even without accompanying ghost stories!
10. Brattleboro Retreat Tower – 1 Anna Marsh Ln, Brattleboro
Formerly known as the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, the Brattleboro Retreat is still a treatment center for mental health patients. It was founded in 1834 and today there are 58 buildings on a sprawling 1000 acres with only 20 of the buildings being modern, and the remainder built between 1838 and 1938.
The Retreat Tower, now abandoned and closed-off, was built between 1887 and 1892 by patients after the doctors decided the manual labor would help their mental state. But the patients had other plans for the tower and it was closed shortly after being built because too many patients jumped to their death. One of the most common ghostly sightings today is a ghostly figure jumping from the tower but never hitting the ground.
Are you prepared to go on this haunted road trip in Vermont? Do you think that these are the most haunted places in Vermont? With all the rich history and paranormal tales in Vermont, this North/South trip is just one of the many routes to explore. Let us know if you’d like a Burlington/Northern Vermont/North East Kingdom haunted road trip. Who says ghost hunts are only for Halloween?
Do you know of any paranormal spots? Tell us about them on our Nominations Page or leave a comment and share your Vermont ghost stories and eerie places with us.
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More to Explore
most haunted places in Vermont
Luke|May 07, 2020
What are the best road trips in Vermont?
Vermont, known for the spectacular Green Mountains, pristine lakes and rivers, and twisting and winding roads, has many tremendous road trip options throughout the state. Vermont Route 100 is considered to be one of the most scenic routes in all of Vermont. This route will take you through the picturesque towns of Stockbridge, Warren, Waterbury, and Stowe. Another beautiful mini road trip is the two-hour drive through the Notch of Mt. Mansfield along Vermont Route 108 from Stowe to Jeffersonville.
What is the most scenic town in Vermont?
This question is too difficult to answer to just name one town. Instead, we will recommend three unbelievably scenic towns. 1. Woodstock. This town is full of beautiful and charming townhouses and picturesque views of the Vermont landscape. 2. Grafton. From the historic buildings to the serene and pleasant farmlands, Grafton is one of the most bucolic towns in all of Vermont. 3. Shelburne. With stunning views of Mt. Mansfield and Camel's Hump and access to Lake Champlain, Shelburne has to be on any list of most scenic towns in Vermont.
Can I visit any abandoned places in Vermont?
Indeed you can, but it depends on the area and attraction. Not all abandoned places in Vermont can be visited. For some places, it will not be safe for entering, but you can still get a view of these places from the outside. Other places, however, you will be able to enter and wander about. We encourage you to check out this article here where you will learn about a scary road trip that will lead you to some pretty creepy abandoned places in Vermont. before visiting abandoned places, make sure you are being safe and responsible. Time to start exploring!
