#haunted libraries

Soon other staff and patrons began to see the ghostly Grey Lady. Sometimes she wandered halls with books, other times she perched on stairways, and in the most terrifying cases, she appeared in the elevator where the living had no escape and could only wait until they reached the appropriate floor. Her presence was often preceded by a heavy perfume. She occasionally played tricks on library visitors by turning faucets on and off, making lights flicker, and, most egregiously, by misshelving books.

But who could the Grey Lady be? Is she a remnant of Louise Carpenter, still enraged at her lack of inheritance? Is she the soul of a local woman who drowned? Or is she simply someone who loved books enough that she couldn’t leave them, even in death?

We may never know the Grey Lady’s true identity, but the people at Willard Library encourage patrons to keep an eye out for her nonetheless.

Haunted libraries offer a fascinating glimpse into the spectral world, where the echoes of literature’s past resonate through time. These storied halls, steeped in history and mystery, serve as the perfect backdrop for tales of the paranormal. The Allure of Haunted Libraries Libraries are not just repositories of knowledge; they are sanctuaries of history, often housed in buildings that have…

The haunted history of the Richard Nixon Library is both intriguing and eerie. This iconic site in Yorba Linda, California, is not just a repository of presidential artifacts but also a hotspot for paranormal activity. Visitors and staff have reported numerous ghostly encounters, making it a place of historical and supernatural significance. The stories surrounding this location add a chilling…

Ma'am, I fantasize about roaming an aged library, coffee in one hand as the other traces the shelves as I walk freely. The specters of patrons from decades before haunt the spaces between the shelves, between the books. When I finally stop, it is because there is one book demands recognition. I pull it gently from the shelf the same way you pull a flower for a bouquet. Through the empty space, I lock eyes with the most beautiful stranger I have ever seen; thus, they mark the beginning of my end.

We’ve done some searching and have rounded up a list of 8 incredibly haunted libraries in America, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Check them out below and read a more detailed account of the top four!

Willard Library, Evansville, Indiana

Saline County Library, Benton, Arkansas

Bernardsville Library, Bernardsville, New Jersey

Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento, California

Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A.B. Safford Memorial Library, Cairo, Illinois

Millicent Library, Fairhaven, Massachusetts

New Hanover County Public Library, Wilmington, North Carolina

We asked the staff if they had any library-related ghost stories or experiences. Here’s what they said:

Yes:

“I do believe the building is haunted.”

“Yes floors creak on the second floor late at night.”

“Floors creak especially on the second floor.”

“Once, one minute before the library closed I was convinced I saw an adult run into the youth graphic novel section. I turned around and they were gone and I had goosebumps on my arms. Spooky...”

“I think the desk drawer [in the Reader Services department] is haunted. It opens by itself on a regular basis.” Note: I have seen the haunted drawer firsthand and will verify this claim

“Yes, but I'd rather keep them to myself so I don't scare everyone away from the library.”

“Once I was working while the power was out, so I had to use a flashlight in the stacks to find materials!”

No:

“Nope”

“No, unfortunately.”

“Happily, no.”

“No! And I'm glad I don't!”

“Sadly, no.”

“Sadly, no.”

“No”

Not here but at my other library...

“The last library I worked at was supposedly haunted since the land it was built on used to be a farm that was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Maintenance and cleaning staff would say they heard strange noises at night and one even saw an apparition.”

“We had a ghost at New Lenox. A gentleman that always wore a fedora and a coat. He often sat outside my office and sometimes in the Friends book sale.”

“I once returned the movie Hocus Pocus so late that my library thought I lost it. (mostly joking, but I was pretty scared when I realized how much money I owed)”