November 1, 2023 by Olivia Clemmensen (‘26)
Are you looking for a thrilling and spooky way to spend the days following Halloween? Saratoga is filled with ghost history and lore! Many say that Saratoga Springs is one of the spookiest places in America with its haunted buildings, hotels, and even restaurants. From the history and ghost encounters within both the Canfield Casino and Olde Bryan Inn, to the Batcheller Mansion and Saratoga’s Haunted Ghost tours, this article touches on it all!
The Canfield Casino is a popular historical landmark and wedding venue in Saratoga, but it has also been associated with illegal gambling and mysterious occurrences for a long time. It was built in 1870 by John Morrissey as a part of a large resort hotel called Congress Hall; he later called it the “Saratoga Club House”. According to Saratoga.com, “Morrissey had only 3 rules [for his Club House] – no ladies allowed, cash only, and no locals. These rules allowed the club to take on exclusivity that made it one of the world’s most renowned gambling houses.” His rules couldn’t be bent for anyone: even the wealthiest of visitors. With his few but strict rules, Morrissey was able to keep the Saratoga Club House open even when gambling was illegal in Saratoga. Following Morrissey’s death, gambler Richard Canfield bought the “Club House” in 1884 for a whopping $250,000. He then built a park surrounding the building, now known as Congress Park. Wealthy gamblers and entertainers including the Vanderbilts, and, according to Saratoga.com, “famous gamblers like Diamond Jim Brady and John Gates” visited the casino and spent their money gambling. Gambling at the Casino continued until the early 1900s after the city strictly enforced the banning of gambling. Soon after, Canfield sold the building to the City of Saratoga.
Today the Canfield Casino is a popular historic venue and museum. Not only is it a beautiful architectural building, but it is believed to be haunted. “Many think the Canfield Casino is haunted by the glamorous men and women who partied the night away in the grand parlor or spent the evening betting on the various games of chance in the posh casino”, states Saratoga.com. Rumor has it that in both the 1990s and again in 2007 that a mysterious woman wearing Victorian clothing appeared to be walking through the corridors and was even said to have approached a tour group and then suddenly vanished into the reminiscent air of the casino. Saratoga.com says that since 2007, the “reported paranormal incidences [have] increased.”
There have been many stories told by patrons and volunteers in the casino of abnormal activity. A volunteer and employee recalled seeing a garbage can ‘s lid fly into the air and then loudly crash to the ground on its own. Along with this incident, there have been many reports of the smell of cigar smoke at times where no one was smoking, “objects moving in rooms that had been locked for the night, sudden freezing temperatures, hostile energy, and other strange, unexplainable occurrences.” Some claim that the addition of the Casino’s “famous ladies of Saratoga clothing exhibit” caused the increase in the haunting activity. In 2010, SyFy Network’s “Ghost Hunters” searched the corridors and floors of the Canfield Casino- especially the third and highest floor where most paranormal activity was recorded. They shared that they too experienced hair pulling and feelings of another presence while they were conducting their tests on the casino. The team said that the patchy electromagnetic field of the third floor could be the result of ghost presence.
The Batcheller Mansion Inn is a Victorian B&B located on the edge of Congress Park and was the backdrop for the horror movie The Skeptic. Not only has this old mansion been in the cinema, it has also been famous for its ghosts. “Many guests and employees have seen the apparition of original owner George Batcheller wandering the halls” explains TripAdvisor. As explained by their website, the Batcheller Mansion Inn has hosted some of “Saratoga’s grandest parties” for over 100 years, with guests including U.S Presidents, European Royalty, and Hollywood Celebrities–is it possible some of them still party away in the corridors at night?
The Olde Bryan Inn has history dating back to before the Revolutionary War and locals consider it to be not only a good place to get food, but as one of the most haunted spots in the Saratoga area. Countless reports over the years about a mysterious “Lady in Green” have been brought to light as well as a ghost in colonial garb and many other events: none of which officially classified as ghost sightings, but are worth raising an eyebrow for. Below are some thrilling ghost stories told from those who’ve visited the Inn or worked there from the Olde Bryan Inn website:
“The chandelier hanging now is not the one we used to have- it used to be an old, giant one. The power was out one afternoon, but we all came in for the night just in case, because if it came on we would be open for business. We were all sitting in the main dining room chatting and we started joking and making fun of the portraits on the wall and the idea of a ghost when one of the servers suddenly gasped and pointed- the chandelier was swinging in circles! I did a head count and we were all there. The owner stood on a chair and stopped the chandelier. As soon as he let it go it started swinging again!!”
“One night I was coming from the third floor with a box of things from storage. As I took a step down something snagged my pants leg, hard. I took a couple more steps down and turned to look to see if there was a crooked nail or something, and there was absolutely NOTHING there. Another night I was about to leave for the evening, and nobody was in the restaurant but me and the manager, who was in the office on the second floor. When I turned my reports and cash into him and went back down to leave, my keys were in a glass of water. Why??”
“It was 2001 and my first time coming to OBI. I had just moved to the area and didn’t know any of the history. I was having dinner in the main dining area in the front. I looked up and there was a woman in a green old-fashioned dress standing on the catwalk, looking over the railing. I asked the waiter if there was a reenactment event taking place that evening and he said no. It was puzzling but we left it at that. At the end of our meal, I went upstairs to the restroom and heard someone else come in. I could see a green dress under the door of my stall. When I exited there wasn’t anyone in the restroom. I never heard anyone open the door to leave. I had chills all over.”
Want to experience these haunted buildings for yourself? Haunted Saratoga Tours provides a “90-minute-long walking tour [that] will take you in search of the countless ghosts rumored to haunt the city,” according to hauntedsaratogatours.com. The total distance of the tour is less than a mile and leisurely takes you to learn all about these historical and allegedly haunted locations. Haunted Saratoga Ghost Tours are held every Friday and Saturday from May through to mid-November. In October, more tours are added to Sundays for increased availability. You can book tickets for one of these exhilarating tours by visiting hauntedsaratogatours.com.
Saratoga is filled with not only rich history but haunting experiences. Do you dare to visit these ghosts and experience it yourself?