Hidden along the Susquehanna River and overlooking a 17-acre island, just a few hours from NYC, sits one of the most haunted places in the country — and you can even spend the night there.
The Fainting Goat Island Inn in Nichols, New York, has just been crowned the No. 1 Best Haunted Hotel in America by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025 — marking the third time it’s claimed the top spot with the others coming in 2022 and 2023.
Dating back to the late 1800s, this former railroad hotel has seen its fair share of travelers… and not all of them have left.
Guests have long reported eerie encounters inside its five themed rooms — from disembodied voices and vanishing footsteps to apparitions of two women calmly having tea in the aptly named Fainting Room.
But the strange activity doesn’t stop there.
In the Nubian Room, visitors have awoken to find a child-sized chair mysteriously moved beside the bed.
Others have felt invisible hands tug at their sheets in the Angora Room, heard a typewriter clicking in an empty hall, or even spotted eyes staring back from antique mirrors.
One ghost, believed to be that of a little boy, is said to haunt the inn’s attic, hiding under the bed with his toy red car.
Adding to the intrigue, the inn’s owners discovered a doll and a knife hidden together in the ceiling during renovations — a discovery that only deepened its haunted reputation.
Today, guests can join guided ghost hunts and haunted tours on-site, where the inn’s most spine-chilling stories are retold by flashlight.
Despite its paranormal fame, the Fainting Goat Island Inn is also undeniably charming.
Each of its five guest rooms is decorated with vintage antiques, phonographs, and quirky touches that nod to its history as everything from an ice house and post office to a rumored 19th-century brothel.
And yes — there are real fainting goats on the property.
Alongside Porkchop the pot-bellied pig and several friendly Great Pyrenees dogs, these animals roam the riverfront grounds, adding a touch of humor and heart to an otherwise hair-raising stay.
Guests can sip coffee by the water, explore the gardens, or savor homemade cinnamon buns before another night of spectral surprises.
The hotel’s town is fantastic as well, with it being just one mile east of Tioga Downs Casino and right off I-86/17 near the NY–PA border.
With plenty of nearby breweries, wineries, and the charming Tioga Country Club to explore, the inn’s unique location allows you to pet a goat in the morning, have a beer in the afternoon, and meet a ghost by midnight.
In total, the hotel is about a 3-4 hour drive away from NYC, making it an easy stay if you’re looking to scare yourself silly.
📍 1311 W River Rd, Nichols, NY