The Unspoken Spirits of NYC’s 5 Boroughs

For many, America can best be symbolized by its most bustling and populated metropolis, New York City.

The Big Apple is a melting pot for artists, engineers, and workers who come across all sectors to unite together and fight for their innermost desires. It’s a place where creativity and commerce thrive in synchrony. It’s a haven for anyone looking to escape, while at the same time being able to network and develop relationships with people from all over the world.

These are the kinds of things that the Big Apple is known for.

However, throughout all five boroughs, there is a mysterious, dark energy that follows the city lights and strong curves of each building. Some people say they’ve witnessed the most horrific things in this city, others will praise it until the end of time. What we really want to know, however, is what lies beneath, in between, and throughout the lurking streets of the beautiful concrete jungle. The following list includes some of the most haunted landmarks in each borough.

New Amsterdam Theatre: New York, New York

Broadway has it’s way of making life feel magical. You sit down in a luxurious red velvet chair awaiting to see the newest musical that everyone is raving about, feeling excitement and joy fill the room. However, no one ever said that Broadway shows come with supernatural scares.

This 42nd Street playhouse sits nearly 1,700 people a night, with their most recent show being Aladdin. It is known for being the home of one of the most famous ghosts that could roam theater halls. Olive Thomas, a former Ziegfeld Follies chorus girl, committed suicide in 1920. Myth be told, her spirt fled back to the place she’d love to perform the most.

According to Dana Amendola, vice president of operations for Aladdin, there are photographs of Olive at every entrance to the theatre so workers can greet her when they arrive for work every day. This ritual amongst the employees is what many believed to be the reason her spirit was never mischievous. Most of the photos are only visible to the Disney employees on set, who had a routine of blowing a kiss or touching the picture frame as they entered and left. Although, audiences who enter through the main entrance on 42nd Street can see one as well.

Amendola says that ushers and overnight security people have reported feeling a touch on the back, like someone sneaking up on them and playing a practical joke. However, when they turn around, no one is there. Many employees believe it to be the spirit of Olive Thomas. According to Amendola, Thomas may have made another appearance in the middle of the New Amsterdam orchestra section during an Aladdin showing in 2014. Shortly after the opening of the show, an audience member came up to one of the ushers during a performance and asked if she could have a booster seat for her child.

“We don’t like to interrupt a show, so we waited until the intermission and came to her with a booster. But we found she already had one. When we asked where she had gotten it, she said a ‘lady at the back of the theatre’ had gestured to where they were. Now, we don’t have a woman at the back of the house who does that in the middle of a show. We checked and none of the staff had done it. So you can take that how you like, but it was kind of freaky.”
-Dana Amendola

“This has been going on for 20 years that I remember,” he adds. “I think she likes the attention.”

McCarren Park Pool: Greenpoint, Brooklyn

What is most commonly known to be a giant pool and fun spot for locals to enjoy, is also reported to host a haunting spirit that often screams for “Help!” This public pool in Greenpoint, Brooklyn is tied to a legend involving an unnamed little girl that drowned on-site in 1983. According to Paranormal NYC, the spirit of this child has been seen roaming the pool at night, screaming and crying out for help. While there are no public records that show this death is legit, paranormal investigators have found some mysterious activity that led them to believe the story. Things such as random drops in temperature of the pool and photographs taken around the pool having orbs in them have been reported.

A security guard who worked at the pool from 1976-1981 reported that he discovered and retrieved a young man’s body from the 16-foot pool. This was the first solid piece of evidence that death has occurred in the pool.

Park permits had the pool closed off in 1984 and did not allow access to the area. In 2007, McCarren Park Pool was designated a historic landmark, and it wasn’t until 2012 that this eerie spot reopened to the public.

Saint John’s Cemetery: Middle Village, Queens

This spooky cemetery is located in the very quiet residential neighborhood of Middle Village, Queens. Saint John’s Cemetery is one of New York State’s largest burial grounds. Opened in 1879, this cemetery is an everlasting home to a number of famous people. Some people that rest there include former New York governor Mario Cuomo, vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, mobster John Gotti, and controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

Visitors have claimed that certain pockets of the cemetery unusually drop in temperature. Some have also claimed to have heard eerie voices and sounds emanate from the long rows of tombstones, despite no one being present. While the haunting of this cemetery is a popular belief, it still remains a mystery.

Van Cortlandt Park: The Bronx

The city’s third largest green space, Van Cortlandt Park, is home to soccer fields, walking trails, and historic land that was once the site of something very gruesome.

In 1778, British soldiers were ordered by the king to ambush the native people of the Van Cortlandt area. It came to be known as the Stockbridge Indian Massacre. About 40 people were killed, including their own men, and sachem, Daniel Nimham. The British refused to bury the bodies until local settlers pleaded for dignity. The deceased were laid out to rest on what we now know as the Parade Grounds.

Locals that have been to the park have reported seeing apparitions, hearing low whispers among the trees, and feeling the sense of uneasiness while strolling through the park trails.

Deep within the park, amongst the trees and spirits, lies the historic Van Cortlandt House. This house is the Bronx’s oldest known building, and has many reports of freaky things occurring. Some have said they have seen old dolls walking inside, and doors opening and closing. It has also been reported that sometimes, an unseen hand touches the shoulders of those who dare to visit.

Could it be the tribe reclaiming the land that was once theirs?

The Conference House: Staten Island

Although Staten Island is commonly referred to as the “forgotten borough,” there is rich history within its perimeters. On 298 Satterlee Street, there lies a house that once served as the meeting point between both sides of the Revolutionary War. In 1779, the home owner British Colonel Christopher Billop feared that one of his servants was a spy for the Patriots. In a fit of rage and suspicion, he threw her violently down the stairs and she died instantly. Today, it’s believed that her spirit remains in the home. Some that have been inside have said they heard moaning at the base of the staircase, right where the unknown servant was murdered.

The hauntings don’t end there. The area that the Conference House is in, known as Ward’s Point, is home to the largest Lenape burial ground in all of NYC. It is believed that the Lenape tribe thought of the area as a sacred place, and their energy can still be felt.

With spooky season being fully in session, we hope you enjoyed learning about all of these NYC locations that are full to the brim with dark energy.

Would you dare to visit any of these places? Leave a comment below.