From a victorian trolley that takes you on a haunted tour of Brooklyn to all the haunted places around NYC to this Tim Burton-themed bar and restaurant, New York City is certainly no stranger to the things that go bump in the night, and this Halloween you can go on an actual ghost tour at Manhattan’s most haunted attraction–the Merchant’s House Museum!
Allow us to explore old haunts and tell you a ghost story…
190 years ago in 1832, hatter Joseph Brewster built a row house on Fourth Street in what was then a quiet, exclusive NYC suburb. Three years later, in 1835, merchant Seabury Tredwell purchased the house and moved in with his wife, Eliza, their eight children, and four Irish servants where they lived for nearly 100 years…and some say they never left.
The youngest of the Tredwells’ eight children, Gertrude, was born in 1840 in an upstairs bedroom of the home where she lived her entire life until dying (in the house, might we add) at the age of 93 in 1933. Gertrude was the last member of the family to occupy the house–in which at least eight others have died in–and many believe she still remains, watching over her family home.
Since opening to the public as a museum in 1936, staff, volunteers, visitors, neighbors, and even passersby have been reporting strange and inexplicable happenings such as bizarre sounds, sightings, and smells. The museum launched ground-breaking paranormal research in 2020 when it closed due to COVID-19 to get a better understanding of the strange and fascinating phenomena experienced.
And if old buildings with chilly drafts, creaking floorboards, and spirits pique your interest there’s a Halloween tradition at the Tredwells’, now known as the Merchant’s House Museum, for you to check out: candlelight tours that will send a chill down the spine of even the biggest of skeptics.
Visitors will venture into “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” by flickering candlelight to hear chilling tales of otherworldly activity in the house and the results of years of paranormal investigation findings. The 50-minute Candlelight Ghost Tours will run every half hour, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, on the following dates:
- Friday, October 18
- Saturday, October 19
- Friday, October 25
- Saturday, October 26
- Wednesday, October 30
For those looking to get creeped out even more, 90-minute Super Spooky Candlelight Ghost Tours with Paranormal Investigator Dan Sturges will also be held beginning at 9:30 pm. These tours will give an in-depth look at the latest paranormal research and findings.
If you’re looking to enjoy more haunting nights accompanied by the flickering glow of candlelight, we’ve got the best events to share with you!
📍 29 East Fourth Street, Manhattan
🎟 Reserve your place on the Merchant’s House Museum’s website