Our Ghosts

The Merchant's House Museum is haunted

“Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” (The New York Times)

“#1 Most Haunted Place in NYC” (TimeOut New York)

The Tredwell family lived in this house for nearly 100 years. Some say they never left.

Many believe it is Gertrude Tredwell, in particular, who is watching over her family home. Born in an upstairs bedroom in 1840, the youngest of the Tredwells’ eight children, Gertrude never married and lived her entire life here until she died, at the age of 93, in 1933. She was the last member of the family to occupy the house.

Since the 1930s, when the house opened to the public as a museum, strange and inexplicable happenings have been reported – sounds, sightings, smells – by staff, volunteers, visitors, neighbors, even passersby.

Watch our monthly virtual paranormal show, In the Spirit of Science. In 2020, when the Museum was closed due to COVID-19, paranormal investigator Dan Sturges and neuroscientist Dr. Lee began conducting extensive research based on the scientific method, using specialized equipment custom-built for the house. Through unbiased observation and systematic experimentation, their research is building a better understanding of the strange and fascinating phenomena observed at the Merchant’s House.

Each month, Dan and Dr. Lee discuss a different aspect of the paranormal, using the Merchant’s House as the perfect, intriguing backdrop. From EVPs to apparitions and beyond, see what their new research is uncovering. Click here for tickets.

Take a Candlelight Ghost Tour.
Venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them. In-Person ghost tours are offered in October.

Purchase Some Say They Never Left: Spirited Tales and Ghostly Legends of the Merchant’s House Museum. Whether or not you are a believer, you’ll enjoy reading our booklet of ghost stories collected over the years. Visit the Museum’s shop to purchase a copy and decide for yourself.

And if you have an “experience” when you visit, please let one of the staff know, or email nyc1832@merchantshouse.org, so we can add your story to our growing roster of ghost tales.