Ghost Stories: Encountering “Spirits” at 7 Historic Sites by Priya Chhaya (National Trust for Historic Preservation, October 2025)

Every October as the leaves change color and the temperature cools, guides at historic sites prepare themselves for visitors eager to leave the earthly plane to dabble and engage with the unexplained. These earnest individuals come armed with a singular question…

“Is this historic site haunted?”

For sites across the country, these questions are not surprising. Even as preservationists connect to and espouse the power of place, there are many who want to believe that human beings may leave a little bit of themselves behind after they pass. However, historic site professionals recognize the need to tread carefully, emphasizing the importance of being respectful for those who lived and walked through their halls.