Shadowy figures, unexplained noises, and cold spots are plentiful at these haunted cemeteries in New York. Grab your flashlight and get ready to explore.
Some of New York’s spookiest tales play out in its cemeteries. Across the Empire State, haunted cemeteries are said to be home to apparitions like a headless horseman, red-eyed dogs, and women in white, some of which are reported to interact with visitors.
Believer or not, these cemeteries are worth the trip. You’ll find centuries-old churchyards in Manhattan, sprawling Victorian burial grounds upstate, and the graves of some of America’s biggest names. Plus, each one comes with a story or two worth hearing.
Keep reading to learn more about the most haunted cemeteries in New York and the ghosts said to call them home, from well-known legends to local rumors.
1. Albany Rural Cemetery
Albany Rural Cemetery opened in 1844 and covers 467 acres. More than 135,000 people are buried there, including President Chester A. Arthur, and the place has no shortage of ghost stories.
The best-known tale is about the Gray Lady, a woman in a long dress said to be searching for a lost child. Another legend concerns a horse that supposedly ran into a monument in 1906—visitors sometimes claim to hear galloping along the cemetery roads. An 1869 newspaper report also allegedly described a strange figure near Consecration Lake, which has since been drained.
People have also reported chanting and strange lights near the Van Rensselaer vault, and a few swear they’ve seen ghostly black dogs.
Location: 68 Cemetery Ave., Menands
2. Cold Springs Cemetery
Cold Springs Cemetery’s best-known ghost is a young hitchhiker said to have been murdered who now haunts the grounds. There is no record of the murder, though, so this one is more legend than history.
Visitors often report a heavy, uneasy feeling and sudden chills after dark. The 1875 stone receiving vault, built into a mound with heavy locked doors to keep out body snatchers, doesn’t help the mood. The cemetery also holds re-interments, including Quaker burials moved from earlier town sites.
Location: 4849 Cold Springs Rd., Lockport
3. Forest Park Cemetery
Forest Park Cemetery, known locally as Pinewoods Cemetery, earns its haunted reputation through rumor alone, because you can’t actually go in.
The neglected 19th-century burial ground has picked up the nickname “Gateway to Hell” thanks to stories of green lights flickering in open mausoleums, distant screams, and flashlights that die when you step inside.
The cemetery is closed to the public, and trespassing is strictly off-limits, so treat this one as a legend to read about rather than a stop on your itinerary. (Unless you’re able to join the annual tour the Brunswick Historical Society hosts every October.)
Location: 387 Pinewoods Ave., Troy
4. Green-Wood Cemetery
Some of Green-Wood Cemetery’s most famous residents aren’t resting quite as peacefully as you might expect.
The best-known is Samuel Leggett, a merchant who died in 1847 and, legend has it, paces the cemetery’s chapel, wringing his hands. Visitors also talk about a woman in white walking among the headstones, a man in a top hat sitting on a bench, and Revolutionary War soldiers near Battle Hill, where people claim to hear musket fire.
Another legend concerns magician Washington Irving Bishop, who suffered from catalepsy and was rumored to have been buried alive in 1889.
The ghost stories are only part of the draw at this cemetery, though. Green-Wood is also home to some notable figures, including the Fox Sisters, who helped launch American Spiritualism, as well as mobster Albert Anastasia, gang leader Bill “the Butcher” Poole, and Boss Tweed.
Location: 500 25th St., Brooklyn
5. Oakland Cemetery
Local legend centers on three women in white, often described as sisters, who are said to walk the hill dividing Oakland Cemetery and chase off trespassers and vandals. Other stories mention a woman in white who vanishes into thin air, along with red-eyed hounds.
Local ghost-hunting groups have logged strange voices and odd photographs here.
Location: 2 Saw Mill River Rd., Yonkers
6. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
If you’re only going to visit one spooky spot in New York, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is the obvious pick. Washington Irving set “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in this Hudson Valley village, and locals will tell you the Headless Horseman still rides after dark.
The strongest tie to Irving’s story is the Old Dutch Church next door, dating to around 1685 and appearing in the tale itself. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery was built later and is where Irving is buried, so walking through both covers the legend and the author.
You can explore the cemetery on your own during the day, or for a more thrilling experience, join an evening lantern tour.
Location: 540 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
7. St. Paul’s Chapel Churchyard & Trinity Churchyard
These two tiny, centuries-old churchyards are tucked between skyscrapers in New York City. St. Paul’s is said to be haunted by actor George Frederick Cooke, whose ghost supposedly wanders headless in search of his missing skull—a legend tied to claims that Cooke pledged his head to science.
Just a short walk away, Trinity Churchyard is Alexander Hamilton’s final resting place. It also has its own rumor: one headstone that supposedly lets out the occasional laugh.
Location: 209 Broadway, New York (St. Paul’s) and 89 Broadway, New York (Trinity)
8. Vale Cemetery
Vale Cemetery is Albany Rural’s quieter, creepier neighbor. According to local legend, visitors have seen shadowy figures lurking between the stones, heard hymns coming from a chapel that’s no longer in use, and encountered statues said to weep blood.
None of the tales are verified, but they make the cemetery a great pairing with Albany Rural for a ghost crawl.
Location: 907 State St., Schenectady
9. Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery dates back to the mid-1800s and feels like a step back in time, with Victorian monuments, rolling lawns, and old trees arching over winding paths. It’s best known as the resting place of Mark Twain and his family, but it also has a reputation for paranormal activity.
Visitors have reported sudden cold spots, footsteps behind them, shadowy figures among the headstones, and a woman in old-fashioned clothing wandering the grounds. Twain fans say the smell of smoke near his grave nods to his famous love of cigars.
You can explore the cemetery on your own, or join a guided ghost walk, held throughout fall.
Location: 1200 Walnut St., Elmira
