- Pinto Carpentry
Pinto Carpentry's Garden State Guide to Ghost Hunting
Over the bridges and through the tunnels, to weird New Jersey we go! The ghosts know the way to scare us and play through the mists and the old homes they know. Welcome back to another fun Pinto Carpentry Guide to Great Places in New Jersey! In honor of the upcoming Halloween season, we’re sharing our picks for great places to explore around the state if you’re looking for chills, thrills, and ghastly good times.
Your Guide to Ghost Hunting in the Great Garden State!
This road has long been traversed at night by many young people, hoping to scare their friends and catch a glimpse of the many spirits that are said to inhabit its deadly twists and turns! Visitors to the area have seen strange things wandering through the woods, glowing eyes between the trees, heard strange chants on the wind, and seen blue and white lights flashing along the roadway. Some have even seen the wandering apparition of a girl who is said to have died on one of its many trails or waterways.
The Devil’s Tree of Basking Ridge
It’s said that anyone who harms the tree will suffer likewise afflictions and ailments, though that does not stop visitors from flocking to the site on dares or challenges, especially teenagers.
The Emlen Physick Estate of Cape May
This is one of the most beautiful estates in the area, the only Victorian Museum in all of Cape May, and a purported hotbed for paranormal peculiarities. Legend has it that after Dr. Physick, his mother, and his sister died, their spirits remained tethered to the property. No family has ever stayed long on the site since, and visitors to the home report being touched, hearing the disembodied voices of a child and mother, and seeing a woman in Victorian era clothing wandering the halls.
The Hotel Macomber and Union Park Dining Room in Cape May
Although paranormal experiences have been reported in many of the rooms of this hotel, it’s rumored that Room 10 is the most active of all. Folks have reported sightings of the ghost of Irene White, with hauntings peaking June through November as her most active time. She’s a rather calm spirit, known to be friendly with visitors by knocking on the door and her soft voice has been heard throughout the building in multiple locations.
Jenny Jump State Park and Ghost Lake in Hope
Many years ago, it is rumored little 9 year old Jenny was playing near the cliffside of the state park, but soon met an untimely demise by jumping off the cliff’s edge after being startled by the appearance of a local Native American resident. Locals say her ghost can be seen wandering the trails in the park, and teetering near the edge of the cliffs.
Across the street from local esteemed Kean University sits the Liberty Hall Museum, a gorgeous historic mansion on stately grounds. On October 27th from 7PM to 8:30, join the fun and perhaps meet a few ghostly residents along the way as you enjoy a spine-tingling Candlelight tour of Liberty Hall museum. The museum staff will take you around the grounds and through the home after hours and share their own paranormal findings and experiences. Not recommended for kids under 10. Light refreshments will be served…and who knows you may dine with a spectre or two!
The Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey
The forests and parklands of the Pine Barrens sprawl across an intimidating one million acres of NJ land across 7 different counties. Once a thriving community in colonial days, the area is now home to dozens of ghost towns and abandoned villages. It has been the subject of local lore and legend, and many an old wives tale, including the legendary New Jersey Devil himself!
Owned and built by the Shippen brothers in 1755, this historic manor is a hotbed of hauntings! Visitors to this ghostly estate have reported seeing apparitions of an olden times soldier, a boy in period clothing, and the lithe spirit of a spectral woman in blue. If you listen closely, you may hear ghostly whispers as well as witnessing doors opening and closing on their own!