Halloween is Here — Connecticut Towns Offer Tricks and Treats

The picturesque town of Wethersfield is also the home of the notorious Wethersfield Witch Trials, which preceded the ones in Salem, Massachusetts by 30 years. History comes alive during the Hallowed History Lantern Tour of Cedar Hill Cemetery. Character actors will share tantalizing true stories from some of the cemetery’s notable and not-so-notable residents. And during daylight hours, stroll through historic Wethersfield and admire the festive Annual Scarecrows Along Main Street event, which offers a classic New England fall atmosphere.

Ghosts seem to reside at every turn of a corner in Connecticut’s capital city, and some landmark properties have even been investigated for paranormal activity. If you are looking to meet a few spirits yourself, start at the Mark Twain House, thought to be haunted by a “lady in white.” For even more chills, take a stroll in Hartford’s Ancient Burying Ground, which features ancient hand-carved tombstones that are as beautiful as they are macabre.

The Elm City has quite the haunted past. 

Ghosts of New Haven is running private spooky ghost tours all season long. Grove Street Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark that was established in 1796, and counts among its residents Noah Webster, Gen. David Humphreys, Roger Sherman, and Charles Goodyear. (Also check out the Evergreen Cemetery and Center Church Crypt, thought to be among Connecticut's haunted graveyards.)

At the historic Shubert Theatre, staff members firmly believe the building is haunted, though they describe the presences not as terrifying ghosts, but as the peaceful, lingering spirits of those who loved the venue. 

This classic New England port town is filled with legends of ghostly sea captains and other spooky tales. Find out about a few of them when you take one of several Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours. 

Not far from Mystic, New London's Ledge Light in the Thames River is said to be haunted by the ghost of “Ernie,” a former lighthouse keeper who leapt to his death after learning his wife had run off with a local captain.

Speaking of lighthouses, just off the coast in Norwalk, the Sheffield Island Lighthouse (seasonal) is said to be haunted by a young ghost named Abbey, and the two adult ghosts who care for her.

Norwalk’s eerie-looking Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is also said to be haunted - and makes an appearance in the thrilling Netflix film, Mr. Harrigan's Phone. The Museum notes that visitors are likely to see the Mansion’s ghosts around Halloween, who are haunted by the darker memories that are part of the rarely told history of the Lockwood and Mathews families. These ghosts wander throughout the Mansion, but only during its special and spooky Halloween tours.