Algonquin Hotel

After World War I a group of writers ate lunch at the Algonquin Hotel on a daily basis. The group of writers was called "The Round Table". The group of writers included Dorothy Parker, Franklin Pierce, Harpo Marx, Robert Benchley, Edna Ferber, Robert Sherwood, Heywood Broun, Herold Ross, Alexander Woollcott, Marc Connelly, and George S. Kaufman. Many of the guests who stay at the Algonquin Hotel claim to see the members of the round table in the lobby and dining room.

Belasco Theater

The Belasco Theatre is one of New York City’s oldest theatre. In 1931 the theatre’s builder David Belasco died. He lived in an apartment at the top floor of the theatre and it is said that he still haunts this theatre till this day. There have been claims that the ghost will interact with actors and give handshakes to some of them. Many people have reported hearing footsteps in the theatre late at night after everyone left the building. People have also claimed to hear the elevator running, even though it has been disconnected for years. People have also claimed to see a lady in blue, and they claim that she is possibly David Belasco’s girl friend. There have been numerous reports of seeing her in the theatre.

Billop House (aka Conference House)
Staten Island

Located at the Southern end of Staten Island the now 226 acre park (originally 932 acres) was originally known as The Manor of Bentley. In 1676 British Navy Captain Christopher Billop was given this piece of land. By 1680 Capt. Billop had built the above shown 2-floor stone house called The Conference House. Additions to the house continued through 1720.

During the American Revolution, Colonel Christopher Billop (Capt. Billop's great-gandson) lived in the house. On September 11, 1776 (2 months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence) the Conference House was host to an attempted peace negotiation between the American colonies and the British. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge met with British Lord Admiral Richard Howe to try to negotiate a peace that would give the colonies independence from England but keep strong relations (at the time the British controlled all of New York City, Long Island and Staten Island). Although Howe himself wanted a peace his orders would not allow for any agreement that recognized the independence of the colonies. The Admiral made it very clear the British had no intention of entertaining the idea of independent colonies and that the revolution leaders would be severely punished after the British crushed the revolution. Benjamin Franklin and company made a hasty departure from the house after the first day of talks. The result was the 7 year American Revolutionary War.

Colonel Billop himself was a very forceful and unforgiving man, given to frequent fits of rage. During the war Colonel Billop was frequently kidnapped and held for ransom by the colonists. Colonel Billop became convinced someone in his house was informing the revolution of when he was in the house. Legend has it that one evening Colonel Billop saw a servent girl place a lamp in an upper floor window. Colonel Billop took this to be a signal to the revolution that he was home and proceed to accuse the girl of being a spy. He chased her through the upper floor to the downward stairs. It is not clear whether the Colonel pushed the girl down the stairs trying to kill her or she fell to her death  trying to get away from Billop.

It is said her ghost and the ghost of British Redcoats who died in the house during the war still haunt the building today. Although the building is said to be very active the Conference House Association that manages the site refuses to allow paranormal investigations of the facility.

Bridge Cafe

The building of the Bridge Café dates back to 1794.

In 1847, Bridge Café was opened as a porter house, which became New York Cities oldest bar. The Bridge Café got it’s name because it is built under the Brooklyn Bridge.

It is said that the ghosts of pirates who regularly patronized this bar still haunt the bar to this day.

Chumley's

Henrietta Chumley is the former bar mistress, and owner of Chumley’s.

The people of the West Village claim that Henrietta comes into the bar, sits down and orders a drink called the Manhattan. They also claim that she plays around with the restaurants jukebox to get peoples attention.

Ear Inn

The Ear Inn is said to be haunted by a sailor named Mickey who lived in the Ear Inn, when it was a boarding house. Mickey got killed by a car, which hit him in front of the Ear Inn.

Empire State Building

Brief History: The Empire State building was built in 1931 and was the world's tallest building until 1972 when the World Trade Center was built. Designed in the style of Art Deco the Empire State building stands at 102 Stories. Opening during the great depression many of the office space that it held was left empty and it was not near the port authority, Grand Central or Penn Station leaving it in a less than desirable area. The Building was not considered to be profitable until 1950 and was then sold in 1951 to Roger Stevens for $51 Million. In 1945 a B-25 bomber crashed into the building killing 14 people. In 1986 the structure was established as a national landmark, and in September 11, 2001 when the world trade Center was destroyed, the Empire State building again became the tallest building in New York.

Haunted History: Over the course of the history of this building it is documented that there were 14 suicides that were attempted from the observation deck from as early as the construction of the building. The first suicide was when an employee was laid off while working on the Building and jumped. In 1947 the Observatory Terrace got a fence put in when 5 people committed suicide during a three-week span. One story that is told is of a woman that stands on the observatory deck that is dressed in cloths from the 1940's, A person who claimed to see this said the spirit said she lost her husband during the war (WWII) and jumped off the building. Spirits from the suicides are said to haunt the Observation deck and have been seen jumping from the building.
 

Manhattan Bistro

Elma Sands, a young woman, was murdered in December 1799 in this SoHo building. Her body was dropped in a well, which is now the basement of the restaurant. There was strong evidence that claimed Levi Weeks murdered Elma Sands, but he was never convicted.

People claim to have seen ashtrays knocked off tables, plates being broken on the floor, and even bottles flying off shelves. They say it’s the spirit of Elma Sands.

New Amsterdam Theater

A brief History: Located on 214 West 42nd Street. The New Amsterdam Theatre was built by Klaw and Erlanger in 1903. When the theatre was built, it could seat 1,800 guests, making it the largest theatre of its time.

The first play the New Amsterdam theatre held was A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare in November of 1903. In the 1980s the theatre was shut down do to problems with the main supporting beam. In 1993 the Walt Disney Corporation agreed to restore the theatre costing $34 million dollars for the restoration project. The project took 4 years to complete and reopened in 1997.

Today the theater remains open and still holds some of the world’s greatest plays.

Haunted History: The ghost of a Ziegfeld Follies chorus girl named Olive Thomas killed herself by overdosing on syphilis medication from her alcoholic husband is said to still haunt the theater. Her ghost had been seen in one of the dressing rooms and on stage, wearing her green beaded Follies dress, a sash, and a beaded headpiece. She has also been spotted carrying around a blue glass bottle, which is said to contain the syphilis pills that killed her. Usually her ghost has been spotted after the audiences have left, however when the theatre places objects, and plays music from her time, she usually makes her presence known.

Old St. Patrick's Cathedral

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the oldest Catholic Church in New York City. There are supposedly two ghosts that haunt the cemetery that is connected to the church.

Pierre Toussaint is said to haunt this area. In the 19^th century he was a slave that became a hair dresser. The ghost of Bishop Dubois is also said to haunt the cemetery. He is buried right at the front entrance of the cathedral.

There have been reports of seeing the ghost of Bishop Dubois inside of the church.

The Palace Theater

History: Located in midtown Manhattan at 1564 Broadway, The Palace Theater first opened its doors on March 24th, 1913. Considered to be the world's most famous and premier performance theatre from its opening until the 1930's, to "Play the Palace" was a popular phrase created by entertainers that represented The Palace Theater's immense importance and popularity. Currently used as a performance theatre like its original incarnation, the venue has seen many transformations and been used in different fashions; e.g. movie house, vaudeville shows and musical concert. Many famous people have performed at The Palace Theatre like Sandra Bernhardt, Harry Houdini, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Buddy Hackett, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Better Midler, Shirley MacLaine, Diana Ross and Harry Belafonte.

Haunted History: The Palace Theater has a unique haunted history and more than 100 different ghosts seen by former patrons, performers and ex-employees. Various paranormal activity has been reported in multiple locations: a ghost of a little girl near on the balcony, a cellist ghost with a white-gown in the orchestra pit, an apparition of a little boy near the mezzanine, and even the ghost of Judy Garland near a private door used by the performer. Also, piano keys are heard and seen playing without someone there and the smell of burning cigarettes at the spot where a former manager purportedly committed suicide. Legend also has it that there is an "omen" ghost here. The omen ghost is one of an acrobat that used to perform at the Palace Theater. The legend states that the acrobat broke his neck while performing and died instantly. If you are in the Palace Theater and you see the ghost of the acrobat then you will soon come to your death.

Radio City Music Hall

History: Radio City Music Hall is located 1260 6th Avenue in Manhattan, NY on the corner of 6th Avenue and 50th Street. It was developed by John D. Rockefeller JR, in 1929, after the stock market crashed. John D Rockefeller JR, developed The Radio City Music Hall, along with Rockefeller Center on land leased by Columbia University. Also involved in developing the Radio City Music Hall were Samuel Roxy Rothafel and RCA Chairman, David Sarnoff. The Radio City Music hall was designed by architect, Edward Durell Stone and interior Designer, Donald Deskey. The theater's stage was designed and built by Peter Clark in 1932. John D Rockefeller, JR originally planned to make a new metropolitan opera house but his plans changed after the stock market crashed. He decided to make it a "palace for the people", a theater where the general population could afford to go to.

The Radio City Music Hall obtained its name from their original tenants, The Radio Corporation of America. The Radio City Music Hall had its opening debut on December 27th, 1932 featuring high class variety shows which were not a success due to their programs being very lengthy.

In 1933, The Radio City Music Hall began showing movies, which included a stage show. On January 11th, 1933, Frank Capra's "The Bitter Tea General Yen" was the first movie stage show to open at Radio City Music Hall. This combination of movies and stage shows went on up until 1979. In 1978, The Radio City Music Hall was declared a NYC landmark. In 1979, the Radio City Music Hall ceased showing movies regularly since Radio City Music Hall showed mainly G movies, which became less common. In 1979 Radio City Music Hall was closed for six months for renovations and reopened in 1980. In 1933, The Radio City Music Hall began a holiday tradition with the Rockettes and The Christmas Spectacular, which continues to run today for eight weeks during the holiday season. In 1994, the Christmas Spectacular and the Rockettes began traveling to various US cities to put on the show.

Famous people that have been seen at Radio Music Hall include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Bill Cosby, Jimmy Stewart, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Billy Crystal, Barry Manilow, Liza Minnelli, Sting, 98 degrees.

Haunted History: The ghost of Samuel Roxy Rothafel has been seen on opening nights accompanied by a glamorous female companion.

One If By Land, Two If By Sea Resturant

This restaurant used to be Vice President Aaron Burr’s carriage house. He is famous for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel on July 11, 1804. There are many customers and restaurant employees that have claimed to see flying dishes, and chairs being pulled out from people. They think that the activity is do to the ghost of Aaron Burr.

Aaron Burr had a daughter named Theodosia Burr Alston. She disappeared off of the coast of North Carolina on a trip to New York to see her father. People say that she also haunts the carriage house. The female customers claim that the ghost of Theodosia removes their earrings when they sit at the bar.

St. Paul's Chapel Burial Ground

George Frederick Cook an English actor who died in September 1811, is buried at the Episcopal Church’s Cemetery. After donating his head to science to pay for doctor bills, George Frederick Cook has been buried headless. It is said that in the productions of Hamlet, his skull was used as a prop in the movie. People say that when walking past the cemetery at night they see a headless man walking around.

Staten Island Monastery

Since its closing in the late 1960's and again in the mid-1980's, the St. Augustine Monastery on Staten Island, NY as it was originally named, has become a hot topic of interest for both paranormal investigators and urban exploration.

The monastery was once used as a school house before being converted into a spiritual retreat in its later decades. Activity reported from those who have entered the abandoned building range from hearing moaning echoes and loud noises as well as extreme temperature drops, all closely associated with the paranormal.

The urban legends which have come to surround this decaying landmark remain closely related and share similar aspects in their telling. Agreed upon by most of the monastery enthusiasts is the fact that the structure, though only rising a few stories from the ground, in fact continues for many levels beneath the surface where horrible atrocities were believed to have taken place. Some say that there was a great fire back when the building served as a school house, trapping a number of children underground in the lower levels,. However there is no sign of fire damage nor city record of such an event.

Additionally, it is said that in the time where the monastery was used for spiritual recluse, there was a monk who was driven insane and would drag his fellow spiritualists down into the basement to torture them and eventually murdered them. The exact number of underground levels is not known for certain, though it has been rumored to descend for 20 or so sublevels.

First hand accounts of the structure in its modern standing state that the main basement level is flooded, leaving no possibility for further exploration.

Trinity Church

Trinity Church Burial Ground is one of the oldest in New York City. People have reported hearing laughter near one of the tombstones in the cemetery late at night. No one is sure which tombstone the laughter actually comes from.

Washington Square Park

During the American Revolution, Washington Square Park was used as a hanging ground. There are also 15,000 bodies buried on the grounds of Washington Square Park, because it used to be used as a burial ground. There many claims to see apparitions walking around the park late at night.

The House of Death

This building was constructed in the 19^th century. People claim that there have been 22 deaths in this house and all 22 spirits haunt this house. Mark twain also stayed in this house from 1900-1901 and it is said that he haunts the stairwell of this house. In more recent times, in 1987 Jessica Steinberg died in this house by getting beaten to death by her adopted father Joel Steinberg, who was later convicted for murder. It's infamous history has earned it the name "The House of Death".

White Horse Tavern

A Brief History: The White Horse Tavern is located at 567 Hudson Street at West 11th Street. The Tavern was built in 1880. Since 1950 the White Horse Tavern has been known for New York’s poets to go and hang out there. One of the known poets that hung out at the tavern was Dylan Thomas.

Thomas was known to go to the tavern quite often. In 1953 he decided to try and beat his record of 18 shots of whiskey. When he finished with his shots of whiskey, he stumbled outside and collapsed on the sidewalk. Soon after that he was taken to the Chelsea Hotel, were he slipped into a coma. The next morning he was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he passed away.

Haunted History: It is said that there have been many encounters with the ghost of Dylan Thomas. People claim that they have seen him sitting at his favorite corner table, and then just disappear. There have also been reports of seeing Dylan Thomas outside the White Horse Tavern walking around.

Wollman Rink

A brief History: The Wollman Rink is located in the Southern part of Central park. It was built in 1949 with funds donated by Kate Wollman. The ice skating rink is open to the public from October to April. During the spring and summer there were many venues hosted on the rink platform such as many different types music festivals. In 1980 the rink was no longer used for music festivals. At this present time when not in use for ice skating the rink is used for the Victorian Gardens Amusement Park. Today the rink is operated by the Trump Organization and Rink Management Services. The rink is known today as the Trump Wollman Rink.

Haunted History: It is said that if you are walking passed the rink at night sometimes you will see two young girls skating figure 8's on the rink and just suddenly disappear. There have been many reports of people seeing this activity.

Ye Waverly Inn

A brief History: The Ye Waverly Inn is located at 16 Bank Street and Waverly Place. The Inn was built in 1844, and purchased by two Israeli restaurant owners named Hanna and Sarid Drory. Since 1844 there have been some modern changes to the Inn, such as air conditioning, heating, and numerous new owners of the Inn. Today the Inn is known as the Ye Waverly Inn & Garden. The Inn is still open to the public for good dining and good times.

Haunted History: In the 1920s the New York Times published an article about the ghosts of Ye Waverly Inn setting fires inside the restaurant. Today employees and guests claim to see shadowy figures walking around inside and outside of the Inn.