Merchant's House Museum — Manhattan's most haunted home since 1835

The Merchant's House Museum at 29 East Fourth Street in Manhattan is the only 19th-century family home in New York City preserved intact, both inside and out. Built in 1832, it was home to the Tredwell family for nearly a century. Gertrude Tredwell, the last family member to live there, died in the house in 1933 at the age of 93. Since the building became a museum, staff and visitors have reported seeing the apparition of an elderly woman in 19th-century clothing, believed to be Gertrude, in the parlor and on the staircase. The ghost is most frequently seen in the front parlor, sometimes seated in a rocking chair, wearing a dark dress consistent with the period clothing preserved in the house. Objects in the museum have been found moved overnight, a piano has been heard playing by itself, and a strong floral scent — described as violets or lavender — periodically fills certain rooms. The house was investigated by multiple paranormal groups, including a well-documented 2006 study that recorded unexplained voice phenomena in the servants' quarters. The museum openly acknowledges its haunted reputation and hosts ghost tours.