If you and your sweetheart are fans of the supernatural, here's a list of four supposedly haunted New England restaurants for your Valentine's Day date. And if you like more content like this, be sure to sign up for our Haunted New England newsletter.
Usually it’s really not cool to bring a third person on your Valentine’s Day date. But what if that extra person is a ghost?
If you and your sweetheart are fans of the supernatural, here’s a list of four supposedly haunted New England restaurants for your Valentine’s Day date.
White Horse Tavern - Newport, RI
As the oldest continuously operating tavern in the United States, it would probably be weirder for the White Horse Tavern in Newport to not be haunted. Lucky for you and your date, though, the tavern has had plenty of opportunities in its 350 years of history to attract a few ghosts.
While the tavern played host to the members of the Colonial Legislature and has served the likes of George Washington, you probably won’t find a Founding Father wandering the floor. However, you’ll want to watch yourself if you pop out to the men’s room, as a man dressed in Colonial garb is reported to hang out there, along with a woman who is sometimes seen walking around the restaurant before disappearing into the fireplace.
Brick & Ash - Newburyport, MA
Quite a few publications have named this spot the most haunted restaurant in New England and for good reason. Legend has it the location served as a brothel in the 1800’s, thanks to its convenient location just off Newburyport’s bustling seaport. Since then, it’s played host to several restaurants - most recently Brick & Ash - all of which have reported haunted happenings.
Should you dare make a reservation, be sure to leave room at the table for Lucinda, a prostitute who is believed to linger around the restaurant after her untimely death, as well as the spectral sea captain members of the staff say likes to frequent the pool room around mid-afternoon.
Three Chimneys Inn - Durham, NH
As we’ve established, the lines between “oldest” and “most haunted” tend to frequently cross and it’s no different for Three Chimneys Inn in picturesque Durham, NH on the Seacoast. Built in 1649, the inn is the oldest house in Durham and now sports 23-guest rooms and a tavern that opens nightly. It also sports quite the history, as it survived an attack by Native Americans in 1694 that destroyed the surrounding town.
According to staff at the inn, the spirits living there now tend to make trouble but are largely harmless, moving furniture, locking doors or, on rare occasions, whispering in the ears of guests. While it’s hard to pin down exactly who might be responsible, many believe at least one of the spirits to be that of Hannah, the daughter of Valentine Hill, who actually built the home way back in 1649. There’s no record of what happened to Hannah, but legend has it she may have drowned in the Oyster River, which runs behind the property.
Abigail’s Grille & Wine Bar - Simsbury, CT
If there was a “haunted restaurant checklist” Abigail’s Grille & Wine Bar would tick just about every box.
Old? Check. Known for much of its life as Pettibone Tavern, this is another restaurant where George Washington dined in his time.
Sea captains and murder? Check and check. Legend says the restaurant’s namesake and owner, Abigail Pettibone was murdered by her sea captain husband in the restaurant, allegedly over an affair. The murder, which was so gruesome you definitely don’t want to think about it over dinner, apparently condemned Abigail to haunt the restaurant for eternity, relighting fireplaces and giving guests the chills for the next two centuries.
- Eryn Dion can be reached at edion@gatehousemedia.com or on Twitter at @GNEErynDion