When fall arrives, it doesn’t just come with cooler air, colorful leaves, and apple picking. The arrival of this season also fills us with anticipation of Halloween, spooky places, and ghostly tales. If you’re in the mood for some spine-tingling fun, you may be interested in what we have to offer… a creepy day trip through some of the spookiest places around Massachusetts. Although it can be done any time of year, this trip is especially exciting in the fall.
To follow along, here is a link to the interactive map. Use it to guide you and add or delete stops to make it your own. Are you ready for a spooky adventure around the Bay State? It’s time to gas up the car and hit the road!
This trip has a total drive time of just over three hours and takes you to sites located mostly in the eastern part of the state, so it can be done in a day. Just be sure to account for the time you want to spend at each place.
Google Maps
- Lizzie Borden House (A Bed and Breakfast & Museum), Fall River
Management/TripAdvisor First on our list of spooky places in Massachusetts is the Lizzie Borden House where one of the most famous double homicides in the country took place. This house of horrors is open for ghost hunts, ghost tours, and you can also spend the night…if you dare!
Read our previous coverage on the Lizzie Borden House for more information. Lizzie Borden House (A Bed and Breakfast & Museum), 230 2nd St, Fall River, MA 02721, USA
- Freetown-Fall River State Forest, Assonet
Mike G/Tripadvisor This 5,000-acre state forest is located within the Bridgewater Triangle, an area of southeastern Massachusetts that seems prone to paranormal experiences. Known as the “Cursed Forest of Massachusetts,” the Freetown-Fall River State Forest has seen its fair share of crimes including murder and fires. To say it’s spooky is an understatement.
Read our previous coverage on the Freetown-Fall River State Forest for more information. 110 Slab Bridge Rd, Assonet, MA 02702, USA
- Union Oyster House, Boston
Robogator0/TripAdvisor Boston’s Union Oyster House was established as a restaurant in 1826. Before that time, it was a dry good store among other businesses. Over the past couple centuries, several notable people would frequent this National Historic Landmark including Daniel Webster and John F. Kennedy. There have been numerous reports of ghostly figures including a well-dressed 19th century woman, a former chef, and even J.F.K. himself. Stop in for a delicious meal and perhaps you’ll encounter a spirit yourself.
Visit the Union Oyster House website for more information. Union Oyster House, 41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
- Boston Athenaeum
Richard McAtanmey/Google
Ryan/Google The Boston Athenaeum was established in 1807 and is one of the oldest independent libraries in the country. With a vast collection of books, it even has one that’s bound in human skin, so you better believe that this library is haunted!
Visit the Boston Athenaeum website for more information. Boston Athenaeum, 10-1/2 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
- King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Boston
Rob Shenk/Flickr As the first (and oldest) cemetery in Boston, established in 1630, there are over 1,000 bodies buried here. Take a walk and look at the beautiful headstones and see if you recognize any of the names. As for paranormal activity, there have been reports of a headless woman, the sounds of disembodied voices, and people being touched or pushed by something they can’t see.
Visit the Freedom Trail website for more information on King’s Chapel Burying Ground. 40 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
- Ropes Mansion and Garden, Salem
JagerFam/Tripadvisor From Boston to Salem, it’s now time to visit the Ropes Mansion, considered to be the most haunted houses in town. This mansion, which you may recognize as a location in the movie “Hocus Pocus,” was built in 1727 in a Georgian style before it was renovated in a Colonial Revival style in 1894. It has been occupied by three generations of the Ropes family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is said to be haunted by former owners, Nathaniel and Abigail Ropes, both of whom met untimely deaths.
Visit the Ropes Mansion webpage for more information. 318 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970, USA
- The House of the Seven Gables, Salem
Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism/Flickr This stately home was originally built for Captain John Turner in 1668 and it’s proper name is the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion. Notable author Nathaniel Hawthorne used it as the setting for his book, “The House of the Seven Gables” which made it one of the most famous houses in the country. Several apparitions have been reported here including a man climbing up and down the house’s secret staircase and a boy playing in the attic. Take a tour and see if you experience anything out of the ordinary.
Visit the House of the Seven Gables website for more information. 115 Derby St, Salem, MA 01970, USA
BONUS: SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion, Gardner
Google Maps Although you may have already had a full day visiting all of the other locations, the SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion is worth driving to as well. It’s a beautiful home with 10 bedrooms and handcarved wood throughout that took over a year and a half to build using the labor of 100 men. While it’s worthwhile to see the workmanship that went into building this house, is has quite the haunted history. Over the years it was occupied, numerous deaths had occurred, so it might be unsurprising that it’s haunted. Visitors have seen orbs of light, unexplained shadows, disembodied voices, furniture moving, mysterious footsteps…the list goes on and on. It’s one of the spookiest places in Massachusetts.
Visit the SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion website for more information. 4 W Broadway, Gardner, MA 01440, USA
Google Maps
Management/TripAdvisor
First on our list of spooky places in Massachusetts is the Lizzie Borden House where one of the most famous double homicides in the country took place. This house of horrors is open for ghost hunts, ghost tours, and you can also spend the night…if you dare!
Read our previous coverage on the Lizzie Borden House for more information.
Lizzie Borden House (A Bed and Breakfast & Museum), 230 2nd St, Fall River, MA 02721, USA
Mike G/Tripadvisor
This 5,000-acre state forest is located within the Bridgewater Triangle, an area of southeastern Massachusetts that seems prone to paranormal experiences. Known as the “Cursed Forest of Massachusetts,” the Freetown-Fall River State Forest has seen its fair share of crimes including murder and fires. To say it’s spooky is an understatement.
Read our previous coverage on the Freetown-Fall River State Forest for more information.
110 Slab Bridge Rd, Assonet, MA 02702, USA
Robogator0/TripAdvisor
Boston’s Union Oyster House was established as a restaurant in 1826. Before that time, it was a dry good store among other businesses. Over the past couple centuries, several notable people would frequent this National Historic Landmark including Daniel Webster and John F. Kennedy. There have been numerous reports of ghostly figures including a well-dressed 19th century woman, a former chef, and even J.F.K. himself. Stop in for a delicious meal and perhaps you’ll encounter a spirit yourself.
Visit the Union Oyster House website for more information.
Union Oyster House, 41 Union St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Richard McAtanmey/Google
Ryan/Google
The Boston Athenaeum was established in 1807 and is one of the oldest independent libraries in the country. With a vast collection of books, it even has one that’s bound in human skin, so you better believe that this library is haunted!
Visit the Boston Athenaeum website for more information.
Boston Athenaeum, 10-1/2 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
Rob Shenk/Flickr
As the first (and oldest) cemetery in Boston, established in 1630, there are over 1,000 bodies buried here. Take a walk and look at the beautiful headstones and see if you recognize any of the names. As for paranormal activity, there have been reports of a headless woman, the sounds of disembodied voices, and people being touched or pushed by something they can’t see.
Visit the Freedom Trail website for more information on King’s Chapel Burying Ground.
40 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
JagerFam/Tripadvisor
From Boston to Salem, it’s now time to visit the Ropes Mansion, considered to be the most haunted houses in town. This mansion, which you may recognize as a location in the movie “Hocus Pocus,” was built in 1727 in a Georgian style before it was renovated in a Colonial Revival style in 1894. It has been occupied by three generations of the Ropes family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is said to be haunted by former owners, Nathaniel and Abigail Ropes, both of whom met untimely deaths.
Visit the Ropes Mansion webpage for more information.
318 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970, USA
Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism/Flickr
This stately home was originally built for Captain John Turner in 1668 and it’s proper name is the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion. Notable author Nathaniel Hawthorne used it as the setting for his book, “The House of the Seven Gables” which made it one of the most famous houses in the country. Several apparitions have been reported here including a man climbing up and down the house’s secret staircase and a boy playing in the attic. Take a tour and see if you experience anything out of the ordinary.
Visit the House of the Seven Gables website for more information.
115 Derby St, Salem, MA 01970, USA
Although you may have already had a full day visiting all of the other locations, the SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion is worth driving to as well. It’s a beautiful home with 10 bedrooms and handcarved wood throughout that took over a year and a half to build using the labor of 100 men. While it’s worthwhile to see the workmanship that went into building this house, is has quite the haunted history. Over the years it was occupied, numerous deaths had occurred, so it might be unsurprising that it’s haunted. Visitors have seen orbs of light, unexplained shadows, disembodied voices, furniture moving, mysterious footsteps…the list goes on and on. It’s one of the spookiest places in Massachusetts.
Visit the SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion website for more information.
4 W Broadway, Gardner, MA 01440, USA
Are you ready for a spooky day trip around Massachusetts? Which places along the way are you most excited to visit? Let us know in the comments.
If you’re looking for more day trip ideas, here are 11 of the best day trips you can take in Massachusetts.
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