Lehigh Valley Haunts

Lehigh Valley is home to a few spooky locations, like historic inns, restaurants, and pubs.

Especially in the autumn months, the talk about these haunts turns to the proverbial "things that go bump in the night." Read more below about local lore in Lehigh Valley and pair an experience with an overnight stay in one of the highly sought-after haunted rooms of The Sayre Mansion or Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Bethlehem Haunts Allentown Easton More Lehigh Valley Haunts

Bethlehem Haunts

Bethlehem is no stranger to haunts. The 1758 Moravian Sun Inn, where visitors have claimed to see British or Hessian soldiers in the basement, along with sightings of Hughetta Bender, the founder of the Sun Inn Preservation Association, and two other different ghost sightings: a ghost who sings and another who watches over valuables hidden at the Inn. Haunts have also been spotted at the Tannery in the Colonial Industrial Quarter, God’s Acre, and Historic Hotel Bethlehem, especially Room 932, although a former hostess can occasionally be seen in the lobby.

More room haunts can be found at the Sayre Mansion. From 1858 until 1916, this was the home of the Robert Heysham Sayre family. Those who visit the inn and stay in room 23 may encounter the vision of a ghostly female in the bathroom mirror. As this was once the bedchamber of Mrs. Sayre, it has been suggested that the ghost is hers, but that raises another question – which Mrs. Sayre is it? Robert Sayre was married four times, though he had children with his first and last wife. Room 32 on the third floor, once used by the family staff and the children, also has its share of reports, as visitors noted a dark shape that seems to come out of the wall. The youngest Sayre son, Cecil, only lived for a year, so perhaps it's his spirit that remains in the room.

Allentown

Allentown has its fair share of the paranormal. The Museum of Indian Culture is home to swinging doors, knocking in the library, and a young girl who has been seen carrying flowers. There’s also the Jerusalem Wester Salisbury Church Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in Lehigh County and a resting place for soldiers from the Indian and Revolutionary Wars.

This public cemetery has a bone-chilling bonus: Historians traced a 19th-century legend about death by dismemberment to this very graveyard. "The Legend of Tambour Yokel" is an Eastern Pennsylvania folk ballad about a Revolutionary War drummer who was ripped to pieces, some say by the devil himself. Ever afterward, "Even stalwart men, with swiftest pace/Haste when they pass that dreadful place."

Easton

Easton, home to one of the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence, has plenty of history and a few ghost stories, too! One of the region's most famous spirits is “Fred” at the State Theatre Center for the Arts. J. Fred Osterstock managed the company that owned the theatre from 1936–1965, and his legacy lives on through the theatre’s FREDDY Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in local high school theatre.

Some say Fred’s presence still lingers at the State Theatre. He’s been known to make himself known with the smell of cigar smoke, has reportedly been spotted sitting in a box while the theatre was empty, and, perhaps his signature move, has a habit of leaving mysterious pennies around the theatre. Next time you go for a show, take a quick look down at your feet. You might just find a penny that wasn't there before!

Just a few blocks down from the theatre is the Grand Eastonian, where it is said that the Williams brothers, who once ran the hotel (twins Leslie and Leslor), are still helping out the staff to this day. From everyday items vanishing to guests seeing a man on the elevator sporting an out-of-pocket top hat to a ghostly cat wandering the 2nd floor, book your visit today, and maybe you'll experience the ghostly staff yourself.

Built in 1903, the Easton Public Library sits on land that once served as a burial ground. When remains from an earlier cemetery were relocated, a vault containing unclaimed remains was left beneath the property. Over the years, staff have reported some unexplained activity, from drawers closing on their own to books mysteriously tumbling from shelves

More Lehigh Valley Haunts

The Spring Valley Tavern dates from the early 1800s and achieved perhaps its greatest notoriety during the Prohibition era, when its rural, off-the-beaten-path location made it a popular speakeasy, complete with trap doors concealing bootleg liquor. The ghost who may call the tavern home today is said to be that of a former owner, whose family operated the inn from the 1950s to the 1980s. She is by all accounts a friendly spirit who's been known to rub patrons' backs while they're drinking at the bar. So if you feel a friendly "nudge" the next time you're nursing a drink, don't be alarmed. It's likely that she's just trying to make you feel welcome, as she no doubt did for decades.

A few other Lehigh Valley establishments that are said to be haunted, which you may want to add to your list to explore, include Hanoverville Roadhouse, Braveheart Highland Pub and Restaurant, and Widow's Tavern and Grille in Stockertown.