The Most Haunted House in NJ is in a Popular Summer Tourist Town
You may have already been in the most haunted house in New Jersey and never realized it.
Kinda gives the ghosts a leg-up...
List Ranks the Most Haunted Houses in Every State
Editors at ranker.com recently released a list of the most haunted houses in each state in America.
They say,
Haunted houses are as much a part of a state's history as any other building, with most of the ghost-occupied residences having deep roots in the community thanks to their age. It isn't any wonder, then, that each state in America is proud to share its most haunted house with everyone and encourage visitors.
As you scroll through their list, a lot of these houses have a lot in common. Almost all of them are old and some involve a sinister past or sinister people. Others involve tragic events.
Halfway down the list, you'll run into New Jersey's entry. It is a very old house in a very touristy area in South Jersey. Again, there's a good chance that you've either been past it or inside of it. Festivals and tours are held there all the time.
Before we reveal what it is, let's look at some surrounding states to put things in perspective.
Most Haunted in Pennsylvania: Baker Mansion, Altoona
In 1849, Elias Baker built a house near his business in Altoona. Baker, his wife, daughter, and son are said to haunt the old mansion to this day (it's a museum now).
As the story goes,
Anna, Baker's daughter, fell in love with one of her father's ironworkers, but he forbade the marriage due to the young man's social status. Enraged with her father, Anna promised she would die a spinster and did so in 1914. Her brother David passed away in the winter of 1852 in a steamboat accident. As the ground was too frozen for a proper burial, David's body was kept in the basement until the cemetery thawed out in the spring. Another brother, Sylvester, died in the house's parlor from a sudden heart attack.
Most Haunted in Delaware: The Woodburn Mansion, Dover
Built in 1790, the Woodburn Mansion housed a collection of wealthy and elite members of Dover society over the years before being purchased as the Governor's Mansion in 1965.
Ghostly sightings in this area reportedly date back to the 1820s.
Many Governors' wives have alleged the dining room is haunted by ghosts who enjoy drinking wine and floating about the room. Governor Charles Terry Jr. even claimed he witnessed a ghost taking in the wine firsthand, as have other previous owners, who swear ghosts emptied their decanters in the night.
And as for New Jersey, our travels take us way down south.
Most Haunted in New Jersey: The Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May
Dr. Emlen Physick Jr. came from a long line of doctors; his grandfather, Dr. Philip Syng Physick, is credited as the father of American surgery and the inventor of the stomach pump.
The house itself dates back to 1879. During the first half of the 1900s, the house was abandoned, however, the city of Cape May purchased it and it is now maintained by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities.
Tourists can enter the home and catch purported glimpses of...specters. Dark, shadowy figures speed down hallways, at least according to visitors, and a mystery ghost child is heard in different rooms. Although the Emlen Physick Estate currently enforces a strict no-pet policy, Emlen (a dog lover) had 14 dogs living on the estate. People still report hearing the dogs barking on the land.
Location and Tickets
The Emlen Physick Estate is located at 1048 Washington St. Not only is it considered to be the most haunted house in New Jersey, but also one of the most beautiful. Tours are regularly available and tickets can be purchased on their website.
Of course, the Physick Estate in Cape May is not the only spot that's supposed to be haunted in New Jersey.
Haunted Places in NJ Beyond Cape May
Over in Salem County, a true tragedy exists where as many as 10 people were killed in one house in one day back in 1778.
As legend has it, blood stains can still be seen on the floor to this day. Take a look...
10 People Were Murdered in This One South Jersey House
Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman
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