Boston is young by European standards, but it’s one of the oldest cities in America. And all that age comes with a rich history—one that’s full of conflict, tragedy, and pain. A past, some say, that can still be felt today.
LessSince the 1720s, thousands of people had been buried in what would later become known as the Central Burying Ground. But when Boylston Street was extended past there in 1836, the city engineers ran it right over a section of the graves. It’s more than ironic, really: the Burying Ground, or at least part of it, got buried. After the skeletons were discovered in 1897, they were all moved to a mass grave, which is still nearby. A faceless girl is the most common sighting among the gravestones.
Opened in 1897, the Tremont Street Subway is the oldest subway tunnel in North America, and the third oldest in the world. Not too shabby for a dark hole in the ground. Two years before it opened to the public, though, workers were digging furiously beneath that corner when they ran into something unexpected: skeletons. Hundreds and hundreds of human skeletons. Over 900, in fact, and all of them right smack in the middle of their path.
The Granary dates back to 1660 and is home to a number of well-known individuals. Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and the parents of Benjamin Franklin among them. All of the Boston Massacre victims are interred there as well. But the graveyard is home to much more than burials. Some say it’s full of restless spirits as well. One of the more striking spirit residents is James Otis, a Revolution-era lawyer who met quite a shocking end.
The Omni Parker House opened its doors in 1855, which makes it the oldest continuously operating hotel in the country. With all that history comes a lot of baggage. Guests have reported hearing sounds late at night that they identify as a rocking chair, slowly creaking back and forth through the night. The most frequent sight is that of a ghostly older man who walks the halls at night. Other guests report that the elevator has an eerie tendency to stop on the third floor—with no one inside.
In 1825, the government purchased this little island and built Fort Warren, named after a local American Revolutionary War hero. Ever since the 1860s, people on the island have frequently reported odd sightings. Shapes that seemed to slip past the corner of their eye. Police have seen things there, as have tourists, historians, even researchers from MIT. Dark shapes outside the fort, moving against the walls. As if something were trying to find a way inside.
Created in 1630, King's Chapel Burying Ground is the oldest graveyard in Boston. Visitors to the site have reported seeing the headless spirit of a woman wandering the graveyard, as well as the sounds of human screams from deep in the ground.
Constructed in 1742 , this building is known as the "Cradle of Liberty" because of its role in the early days of the American Revolution. But it's also known for unusual sightings, such as the figure of a woman who has been seen peeking around corners, and the occasional disembodied voice from somewhere undetermined.