Haunted Brooklyn: A Runner's Guide to Brooklyn's Most Spooky Places
The Brooklyn Bridge has many deaths connected to its construction.
By Marnie Kunz,
Brooklyn running coach
In honor of Halloween, I wanted to put together this guide to haunted Brooklyn, with a list of the best spooky spots to run by. Whether you’re an “American Horror Story” fan seeking out scenes filmed in Brooklyn, you want to celebrate Halloween, or check out some local Brooklyn ghost stories, our borough of Kings, New York, has a long, bloody history. These top haunted Brooklyn spots are sure to give you chills. Check out my Haunted Brooklyn video on YouTube for a full rundown of the places to go. Also, run with ghosts this October — and keep the map forever. The Haunted NYC Challenge ends Halloween night, but your map lives on so you can see NYC’s top haunted spots in all 5 boroughs year-round!
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Haunted Brooklyn History
Brooklyn is a borough with a long, violent history. The Battle of Brooklyn in 1776 was a key battle in the Revolutionary War, where thousands of American soldiers were slain and imprisoned by the British. Over 11,500 American prisoners were tortured and killed in the British prison ships in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There is now a monument in Ft. Greene Park to honor the fallen troops, the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument.
Brooklyn also has a bloody history of mafia violence, executions, and gang warfare. Add to this the turbulent living conditions of the thousands of workers who worked on the Brooklyn waterfront in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it’s no surprise that bodies and lost souls of locals can be found all over Brooklyn.
NYC Run Coach’s Guide to Exploring Haunted Brooklyn
As a Brooklyn running coach, I love using NYC’s rich history to spice up training routes. Whether you are training for a 5K, logging weekend mileage, or looking for a memorable urban walking tour, these spooky Brooklyn spots are perfect for running or walking by.
Coach Tips for Your Haunted Route:
Best Time to Go: Run during early morning or daylight hours to easily navigate foot traffic, especially near high-tourist zones like the Brooklyn Bridge.
Safety & Visibility: If you prefer a night run for extra spooky vibes, stick to well-lit sidewalks, stay alert near traffic, do not wear headphones, and wear reflective gear.
Pacing & Terrain: Spots like Prospect Park West feature rolling hills. Keep your stride short and your chest upright to conquer the inclines with good form.
Pro Tip: You can link these stops together for a custom distance workout or use our Haunted NYC Challenge Map to navigate all 20 ghost-filled locations across the five boroughs year-round!
1. Brooklyn Bridge
Spooky Factor: Headless construction workers, phantom screams, opening-day stampede victims, and a famous 1989 UFO alien abduction story.
Brooklyn Bridge
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: Brooklyn Bridge, 1.6 miles from pedestrian entrances in downtown Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan
You may be surprised to learn of Brooklyn Bridge ghosts as part of the history of haunted Brooklyn. Indeed, the classic NYC landmark has a storied history, including ghosts, aliens, and lots of bodies. The Brooklyn Bridge was constructed from 1869 to 1883 and was the first fixed crossing of the East River connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. The construction and opening of the bridge left a slew of bodies.
There is no record of the exact amount of workers killed during the bridge’s 14-year construction, but estimates range from 21 to 40 people killed, including the designer of the bridge. In addition, 12 people were crushed to death in a stampede six days after the Brooklyn Bridge’s grand opening in 1883.
Brooklyn has many spooky spots to visit.
Related: Best Halloween Workout Playlist on Spotify
It’s no wonder that with all those bodies, Brooklyn Bridge ghosts have been seen and heard by many. People have reported seeing a headless ghost of a worker decapitated during the bridge’s construction. The ghostly silhouettes of a headless man and a transparent blonde woman have been seen by several people. The headless man is said to be one of the workers killed during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. People have also reported hearing screams and shouts materializing from nowhere when walking over the bridge.
In addition to haunted Brooklyn Bridge ghosts, people have reported seeing an alien abduction on the bridge. On Nov 30, 1989, Linda Napolitano was reportedly seen rising towards a beam of light from her apartment building, accompanied by three figures into a waiting UFO. Several witnesses – including a famous political leader – corroborate this sighting. The onlookers reported that the UFO flew in the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge, and so began the Brooklyn Bridge alien abduction story.
Also, Brooklyn Heights, the posh neighborhood next to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Bridge, is the setting for the latest season of “American Horror Story: Delicate.” In the show, the main character lives in a sterile, creepy, luxury apartment in Brooklyn Heights.
You can take a run over the Brooklyn Bridge and decide for yourself if it’s haunted, but be careful of tourists during peak travel times as you may find that the only shouts you hear are your own trying to clear a path through the revelers.
Related Post: Tips for Running Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo
2. Brooklyn Theater Fire Site (Cadman Plaza)
Spooky Factor: Over 278 people perished in an 1876 blaze; phantom actors and spectral patrons were seen repeating the tragic play before the building was razed.
Brooklyn Theater Fire
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: Johnson Street and Cadman Plaza West, located between downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights
The Brooklyn Theatre Fire of 1876 is considered one of the worst theater fires in America because of the number of people who perished in the blaze. The Two Orphans play was showing to upper-class clientele when one of the props caught fire, and it spread quickly. The audience rushed to escape the double doors, but they were locked in. So many bodies were burnt beyond recognition, and hundreds more melded with building debris. Estimates range from 278 killed to over 300 who perished that day. The remains of bodies were buried in a mass grave in Brooklyn’s Greenwood Cemetery.
A new theater was built in the exact same spot by the owners despite reservations from the community, which were proven to be rightly suspicious. Employees saw ghostly actors reciting lines from The Two Orphans play long after the audience left the new theater. Even creepier, several patrons of the new Brooklyn theater saw ghostly forms occupying seats while waiting for plays to begin. The community was horrified, and the haunted Brooklyn theater was abandoned and torn down.
Although the theater is gone, you can run by this spot by hitting Cadman Park Plaza and running across the park at Johnson Street.
Related Post: The Sleepy Hollow 10K Is Just a Short Train Ride Away and Worth It!
3. Litchfield Villa (Prospect Park West)
Spooky Factor: A 19th-century séance gone wrong reportedly unleashed demonic activity, followed by the tragic deaths or disappearances of all five attendees within a year.
Litchfield Villa sits on the west side of Prospect Park.
Litchfield Villa
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: Prospect Park West and 5th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn - The villa is visible yet set back from Prospect Park West as you go into the park and is between where 5th Street and 4th Street would fall if they continued into the park.
Picturesque Prospect Park is also home to towering Litchfield Villa, an Italianate mansion that has had ghastly sightings and happenings. The Gothic structure was built on a private estate (before Prospect Park existed) from 1854 to 1857.
Margaret Cahill, a friend of Edwin Clark Litchfield, the owner of Litchfield Villa, enlisted his permission to arrange for séances at his home. One of the séances went awry, however, as demons were said to enter the home. The lights flickered and the home shook, and two of the attendees ran out of the villa screaming in horror. Within a year of the séance, four of the five participants died (including Mrs. Cahill), and the remaining one, William Woodruff, vanished, with no known reports of his whereabouts.
You can run by Litchfield Villa, which is now the headquarters of the Brooklyn Department of Parks and Recreation, by running along Prospect Park West, on the western side of Prospect Park. You will see the looming mansion at 5th Street and Prospect Park West.
4. Green-Wood Cemetery
Spooky Factor: Revolutionary War battlegrounds, thousands of historic graves, mass burials from the Brooklyn Theater Fire, and mysterious apparitions along its winding paths.
Green-Wood Cemetery is a scenic and spooky place to visit.
Green-Wood Cemetery
Founded in 1838, Green-Wood Cemetery spans 478 historic acres in South Brooklyn and holds over 560,000 permanent residents. Built on Battle Hill, a major battleground during the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn, this National Historic Landmark is steep in both Revolutionary War history and paranormal lore. Visitors and night-tour attendees frequently report hearing spectral whispers near the Gothic entrance gates and seeing shadowy apparitions wandering the rolling hills. It also serves as the final resting place for hundreds of unidentified victims of the 1876 Brooklyn Theater Fire. While running inside the gates is restricted, running along the outer perimeter offers a challenging, hilly route steeped in eerie atmosphere.
Having walked through Green-Wood many times, I can attest to it being the perfect spot for a Halloween season walk. From the towering Gothic architecture of its entrance gates and mausoleums to the vibrant red and orange fall foliage, the setting feels straight out of a classic ghost story. I even had my own chilling experience here once: after getting lost along the winding hills, a vintage car slowly passed me several times with no visible driver, followed by a woman in a black dress who seemed to lead me completely away from the exit.
Beyond its eerie charm, Green-Wood provides a peaceful, quiet escape from the bustle of the city, surrounded by thousands of trees and lush greenery.
Coach Tip: While running isn’t permitted inside the cemetery grounds, taking a brisk walk through the interior paths or running the outer perimeter delivers a great workout with plenty of steep, rolling hills.
5. Lovecraft Home (169 Clinton St)
Spooky Factor: The dark inspiration behind The Horror at Red Hook, where the bitter ghost of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft causes unexplained noises and moving objects.
Lovecraft Home
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: 169 Clinton Street in Cobble Hill (formerly the neighborhood was part of Red Hook)
For fans of the HBO show "Lovecraft Country," horror writer H.P. Lovecraft's former home is located at 169 Clinton Street. The horror writer moved to the lower apartment in 1925 and stayed only 1 year, as he was greatly agitated and anxious in the place and practically starved himself. He was inspired to write “The Horror at Red Hook” while living in the apartment. The now upscale neighborhood used to be part of Red Hook.
Lovecraft was a vocal racist who was often irritated by Brooklyn’s immigrant population, especially the many immigrants who worked on the Brooklyn waterfront. His unhappy ghost is said to haunt the apartment, as residents have reported objects moving and disappearing and strange noises. Perhaps Lovecraft’s racist ghost is also appalled at the show Lovecraft Country, which weaves together stories from its starring African American cast as they traverse a treacherous Jim Crow South in 1950s America. The show includes supernatural elements and horror aspects inspired by Lovecraft’s writing and also illustrates the horrific racism that black people faced in America.
6. Haunted Brownstone (455A Sackett St)
Spooky Factor: A dark history of unexplained fires, mob executions, mysterious altars, and the discovery of a child’s body buried inside the basement wall.
Haunted Brownstone
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: 455A Sackett Street in Carroll Gardens
455A Sackett Street in Gowanus is said to have ongoing paranormal activity.
A tour of haunted Brooklyn would not be complete without a visit to a haunted brownstone. The ghosts of 455A Sackett Street in Carroll Gardens offer plenty of paranormal happenings. This apartment is notorious for having a high turnover due to all the ghastly activities, including children’s voices and screams, a child’s body found in the walls of the basement, fires, and other unexplained tragedies happening to its tenants.
One woman who lived at 455A Sackett Street in 1998 as a 14-year-old describes her firsthand experiences living in the haunted Brooklyn house, including family tragedies, unexplained fires, bad energy, and the body of a child discovered in the wall.
In her account, the tenant says, “An elderly woman who'd lived right next door for most of our life informed us that no one had occupied our apartment for more than a year at a time since as long as she could remember... she also related that terrible tragedies befell all of said people, within only a few weeks of moving in, continuing through the day they moved out.”
She said her friend came over and saw a little boy in burnt rags staring at her in the mirror and crying. Later, she found out, through the neighbor, that in the '30s or '40s, a fire had killed a little boy within a month of the family moving in. In the '60s, a couple in the apartment was executed by the mob because of an insidious affair.
In keeping with other former tenants, the family moved out after only a year. The people that moved in after them tried to renovate the basement and found the body of a little boy in the wall. They left suddenly one night not too long after and never returned.
Another tenant said she lived in the house in 2003, and “it was the creepiest place ever.” She said there was a small storage room under the porch in the back. She went in with her roommates after the door popped open one day. They saw an altar-like structure and a pair of girls’ roller skates with caked-on blood and small boys’ clothes.
If you’re not sure what is really going on at 455A Sackett Street, run by and decide for yourself. Just don’t go inside.
7. McCarren Park Pool
Spooky Factor: The apparition of a young girl who drowned in the 1930s haunts the grounds at night alongside sudden, unexplained 30-degree drops in water temperature.
McCarren Park Pool
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: 776 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg
Williamsburg is home to more than overpriced real estate — McCarren Park Pool has had many paranormal sightings reported. A girl is said to have drowned in the pool in the 1930s and continues to haunt the area, with multiple ghost sightings at night and people hearing her screams.
Paranormal investigators have also recorded sudden, significant temperature drops of up to 30 degrees in the pool water. Although I wouldn’t recommend running there at night, you can make this stop on your haunted Brooklyn run and then flee to the sanctuary of surrounding McCarren Park during daylight hours.
8. Gowanus Staples (Revolutionary War Mass Grave)
Spooky Factor: Built directly over the Revolutionary War mass burial site of over 200 fallen Maryland soldiers from the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn.
The Gowanus Canal has plenty buried beneath the polluted waters.
Gowanus Staples
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: 348 4th Ave. in Gowanus
Brooklyn was a major battle site in the Revolutionary War. The 1776 Battle of Brooklyn was where 400 Maryland soldiers fought against 2,000 British soldiers at Old Stone House, resulting in over 200 deaths, mostly from the Maryland side. It is said that the bodies lie in a mass grave under the Staples on 4th Ave and 3rd St. in Gowanus. So, if you see flying office supplies or ghastly sites while shopping at Staples, now you know why.
On your run, you can loop past the Gowanus Staples to check out the eerie site, then continue on to the infamous Gowanus Canal, one of the most polluted waterways in the country and a place with its own share of urban legends. From Revolutionary War spirits to industrial-age hauntings, Gowanus has plenty of stories to keep your imagination running wild as you pass through.
9. Gowanus Canal
Spooky Factor: Decades of industrial waste and rumors of a mob dumping ground conceal buried secrets beneath the dark, toxic sludge.
Gowanus Canal
Haunted Brooklyn Spot: Gowanus Canal
The Gowanus Canal is said to be a favorite mafia dumping ground for bodies and weapons that may never be dredged up from the toxic sludge. The Gowanus Canal is one of the nation’s most polluted bodies of water, unfortunately, due to over a century of industrial waste flowing into the canal. Although it is undergoing a lengthy clean-up process, the murky waters of the canal include toxic sludge that buries shady parts of Brooklyn’s history that we may never fully recover.
Will the new multi-million dollar developments going up in the area include more than a high price tag if the secrets of the Gowanus are dredged up? Time will tell (but you can bet the prices won’t go down.)
If you want to delve deeper into the world of haunted Brooklyn, the local newspaper the Brooklyn Daily Eagle has a storied history of publishing ghost stories, especially in October. You can also learn more about Brooklyn's creepy side from the Brooklyn Library.
Have you been by any of these haunted spots in Brooklyn? Are there any we forgot? Comment below and tag Runstreet on Instagram to share your favorite running spots and get cheered on in your workouts. 👋
Frequently Asked Questions About Haunted Brooklyn
What is the most haunted place in Brooklyn?
The Brooklyn Bridge and Green-Wood Cemetery are widely considered two of the most haunted places in Brooklyn due to their deep connection to historic tragedies, the Revolutionary War, and reported ghost sightings.
Can you run or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge at night?
Yes, the pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge is open 24 hours a day. Nighttime offers a quieter experience to avoid crowds, but runners and walkers should stay alert, stick to well-lit areas, and wear reflective gear.
Are there ghost tours in Brooklyn?
Yes, Brooklyn offers various walking and running ghost tours throughout the year, especially around Halloween. You can also take a self-guided tour using our Haunted NYC Map to explore spooky historic landmarks across neighborhoods like Cobble Hill, Gowanus, and Park Slope at your own pace.
Related Posts: America’s Most Haunted Places to Run, Where to Run in Brooklyn: A Local’s Guide, Best Holiday Runs in NYC, Central Park Running Guide
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, dog lover, Akita mom, and writer and the founder of Runstreet. She is based in Brooklyn, NY.
