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Haunted Rhode Island


Bed down with spirits that still call some inns and hotels home

New England has its fair share of inns and hotels where the spirits of deceased residents are said to hang around, even to the present day. Many have stories associated with them – some tales of heroism, some tales of violence and trauma. Most often, the spirits are simply bumping around, watching present-day goings-on, sometimes pulling silly pranks. Below are some New England hostelries said to be inhabited by ghostly presences.


The Black Duck Inn
Newport

This inn, build in 1898 in the heart of Newport’s downtown, is home to a mischievous and utterly friendly spirit, according to the inn’s owner, Mary Rolando. The spirit loves practical jokes, and has a special fondness for playing games with locks, lights, and clocks. The ghost often locks deadbolts throughout the house, turns lights on and off, and tromps about loudly, as if he was wearing heavy boots. Alarm clocks are a special toy. One time, Rolanda said, all the alarm clocks in all the guest rooms began sounding at the same moment, with no rational explanation that Rolando or her staff could fathom.

The Inn at Villa Lon
Newport

This lavish house, built in 1856, has an eventful history that makes it a likely place for ghosts to inhabit. In fact, it has a reputation of bristling with spirit activity, according to psychics who have made video and audio recordings of spirit activity. The house was a stop on the Underground Railroad; the site of a forest path used by Indians; and the location of a murder in the early 1900s and a vicious stabbing in the 1940s or 1950s. A previous owner, who was once sleeping in a room that is now the ballroom, said she awoke one night to the sight of a Narragansett Indian in full war paint. A housekeeper saw two gentlemen in Victorian-era dress escorting a black child through the ballroom. Once a year, neighbors see in the yard in front of the inn an early 20th-century automobile of the kind that was owned by a notorious philandering doctor who lived in the house and who was shot dead in the front yard. During a séance at the inn, a glass of water began spinning by itself. A visiting psychic witnessed a perfume bottle slid across a dresser top and said she believed an argument took place in the room and a perfume bottle was thrown against a wall. On many occasions, people have seen images of a woman, heard children’s voices, see a ghost cat, and felt themselves being touched or prodded.

Harbor Side Inn
Block Island

In a recent conversation, a manager at this inn said the place is “definitely” alive with representatives of the spirit world. She recalled an incident when she was alerted by a loud crash in the restroom. The door to the restroom was locked from the inside; all the stall were locked from the inside; a metal trash can that had been bolted to a wall had been flung across the room; and the room had no windows or other ways to depart. Also, according to legend, a woman in 19th-century garb has been seen entering room 302. Desk clerks have reported a sensation on being grabbed from behind, as if someone were trying to move them out of the way.

Pendragon -- Westerly
March 17, 2010
Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb -- Kingston
March 19, 2010 to March 21, 2010
Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida" - South Kingstown
March 19, 2010 to March 21, 2010
Providence: A Jewel of a City Walking Tour
March 19, 2010
The Edwards Twins: Two Brothers, 100 Stars -- Woonsocket
March 20, 2010
Eagle Cruise on the Connecticut River – Smithfield, RI, to Haddam, CT
March 20, 2010
Shawnn Monteiro presents a Tribute to Carmen McRae -- Cranston
March 20, 2010
Salute to Spring Celebration -- Woonsocket
March 21, 2010
Three Grey Beards at the Court of King Frederick the Great -- Tiverton
March 21, 2010
Blackstone Culinaria Secret Ingredient Food Tour -- Pawtucket
March 24, 2010
Camouflaged Egg Hunt –Bristol, Smithfield, Exeter
March 27, 2010
Seal Watch and Prudence Island Tour – Bristol
March 27, 2010 to March 28, 2010
Rhode Island Philharmonic Presents: Rossini, Schubert, Handel and Ginastera -- Providence
March 27, 2010
Annual East Egg Hunt - Westerly
March 27, 2010
Blackstone Culinaria Secret Ingredient Food Tour -- Pawtucket
March 31, 2010
Trans-Siberian Orchestra with “Beethoven’s last Night” – Providence
March 31, 2010
Visit with the Easter Bunny -- Providence
April 2, 2010 to April 3, 2010
Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch -- Newport
April 3, 2010
Watching Woodcocks Supper and Saunter -- Smithfield
April 3, 2010
Easter Egg Hunt -- Newport
April 3, 2010
Egg Hunt Safari -- Providence
April 3, 2010
Star Chefs at Gracie’s – Providence
April 5, 2010
Blackstone Culinaria Secret Ingredient Food Tour -- Woonsocket
April 7, 2010
Seal Watch and Prudence Island Tour – Bristol
April 10, 2010 to April 12, 2010
Craftopia - Pawtucket
April 11, 2010
Blackstone Culinaria Secret Ingredient Food Tour -- Pawtucket
April 14, 2010
Fabrications Quilt Show -- North Kingstown
April 24, 2010 to April 25, 2010
Star Chefs at Gracie’s – Providence
May 16, 2010
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