Most Long Islanders know that the area is full of real haunts – places that have a legitimate history of mystery, violence, and of course, ghostly sightings, but there is more to know than the urban legends. It is important to know that not all of these haunts are open to the public, and though some people may still want to explore locations like the Kings Park Psychiatric Center or the Amityville Horror House, both are closed to the public and could cause you to run into trouble with police. There are still many locations that are open for certain hours or all day long for people to visit, and some are giving special historical tours, like Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Old Bethpage is rich in history and scary stories of haunted happenings that actors have reported seeing in the historic homes.
For other locations, there are no official tours, but you can go explore on your own and see if you can catch a glimpse of a ghost or other strange happening! Here are some of the area's real haunts that will be open to the public:
Historic Haunts and Happenings at Katie’s of Smithtown
145 West Main Street, Smithtown, NY 11787
631-360-8556
Saturday, October 17th, 7:00 PM
Call ahead for pricing
Pay respects to the spirits at Katie’s Bar through guided tours, storytelling, psychics, mediums, and more!
Village Haunted Tales and Trails at Old Bethpage Village Restoration
1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, NY 11804
516-572-0200
Saturday, October 17th – Saturday, October 31st, 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM every night, 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM on Saturdays
$20 for tour and general admission, $10 general admission only, children under 5 are free
Celebrate the 10 days of Halloween with ghost tours to each of the historic homes at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, and enjoy other fun activities like a corn maze, tarot card readers, and nocturnal animals from Tackapausha Museum.
Calling All Howells at the Old Southampton Burying Ground
Corner of Little Plains and Post Crossing, 249 South Main Street, 91 Hill Street, Southampton, NY 11969
631-283-2494
Saturday, October 17th, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
$20 per person, $15 per member
Southampton Town Historian Zach Studenroth will give a talk and tour of the cemetery including the recent restoration of tombstones. A reception follows at the 1683 Halsey House with a talk by Robert Hefner, architectural historian, who will give details of Southampton’s oldest home. Dinner is an additional $37.50 per person. Please RSVP.
Ghost Stories and Legends of Fire Island at the Fire Island Lighthouse
1 Lighthouse Driveway, Fire Island, NY 11702
Saturday, October 24th, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
$7 per adult, $4 per child age 12 and under, free from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tower tours are available from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Then, dress warmly and bring blankets and flashlights and get cozy on the Lighthouse Terrace at 7:00 PM for free ghost stories and legends about the barrier beach.
Public Haunts Available to Explore:
- Lake Ronkonkoma, Ronkonkoma
- Country House Restaurant, 1175 Country House, Stony Brook, NY 11790
- Fort Hill Cemetery, The Plaza, Montauk, NY 11954
- Pizza Hut, 2082 Middle Country Road, Centereach, NY 11720
- Sweet Hollow Road, Huntington, NY 11743
- Port Jefferson Ferry, 102 West Broadway, Port Jefferson, NY 11717
- Camp Hero, 1898 Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY 11954
- Hanging Tree, Grove Avenue, Patchogue, NY 11772
- Raynham Hall, 20 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
- Wickham Farmhouse, 28700 Main Road, Cutchogue, NY 11935
- Oheka Castle, 135 Westgate Drive, Huntington, NY 11743