As October descends upon the Lake George Area, tales of yesteryear and ghost stories are ready for Halloween.
If you are looking for a fall escape that offers more than foliage, this upstate region is filled with spirits with unfinished business.
Dare to be scared, and visit these supposedly haunted locations to decide for yourself if ghosts are real.
Certified historical haunts
Fort William Henry A historical stronghold during the French and Indian War, this fort saw its fair share of violent warfare, illness, and death.
Needless to say, the souls of British and French casualties remain active centuries later. It is an official stop along the Haunted History Trail of New York State.
You can take candlelight ghost tours through late October, or sign up for a hands-on paranormal investigation. Neighboring Battlefield Park is also known for phantom regiments and the sudden sounds of musket fire.
Old Warren County Courthouse The verdict is in—this location is guilty of being spine-tingling. Serving as a courthouse from 1845 to 1963, it now houses the Lake George Historical Association.
Brave visitors can step inside the iron-barred jail cells, where many have reported a heavy supernatural presence and difficulty breathing.
Barkeater Chocolates The centuries-old building that houses Barkeater Chocolates has a gruesome history of scandal, murder, and disappearance. Since opening in 2013, employees and visitors have experienced unexplained noises, loud banging, and heavy footsteps.
They offer Haunted Factory Chocolate Sessions through November, blending ghost hunting with spooky chocolate treats.
Lingering locals and eerie inns
Stony Creek Inn A former hangout for loggers and hunters in the early 1900s, regulars at the Stony Creek Inn seem to stick around in the afterlife.
If you sit at the left end of the bar and feel a cold draft or see a bottle thrown, you are likely sharing a drink with a ghost. The current owner has even awoken to the sound of the piano playing itself in the dead of night.
The Chapman Museum Built by the DeLong family in 1865, this museum tells the history of Queensbury and Glens Falls.
Employees have reported seeing a ghostly female housekeeper and a dark shadow figure of a man in a wide-brimmed hat looking down from a third-floor window.
The Carol Theatre Open sporadically since the 1930s, it is always showtime for the spirits inside.
There is a rumored male and female presence in the projection room, and the spirit of an 8-year-old girl is often encountered in the women’s bathroom.
Visitors frequently report a freezing cold mass near the stage.
Abandoned spirits and roadside legends
The Wells House Located at the junction of Olmstedville Road and Route 9, this permanently closed 1845 stagecoach stop has a heavily otherworldly atmosphere.
Alleged specters include a cheating wife killed in an upstairs bathtub, a blond little girl, and a tall gentleman in a hat waiting by the café door.
Previous guests have reported hearing square dancers shuffling to a rhythm from long ago.
Bloody Pond & Caldwell Cemetery Driving along Route 9, you will pass a historical marker for Bloody Pond, where hundreds of soldiers’ corpses were supposedly dumped during the French and Indian War, staining the water blood-red.
Nearby, the Caldwell Cemetery serves as a burial ground for smallpox victims from Fort William Henry.
Brave souls have reported smelling burnt gunpowder and seeing an orange glow around town founder James Caldwell’s tomb.
Whether you are looking to do some serious ghost hunting or just want a perfectly eerie upstate road trip, the Lake George area is ready to serve up some serious scares this season.
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