There’s a difference between visiting a historic building and visiting one after someone tells you it might be haunted.
That staircase is still a staircase. The windows haven’t changed. And that perfectly ordinary hallway? Well, now you’re wondering who might be standing at the other end of it.
This spooky season, I visited some of the Lehigh Valley’s best-known historic sites, including the Sun Inn, Hotel Bethlehem and the George Taylor House, and spent time exploring Jim Thorpe. They have plenty of history to offer. They also have ghost stories that make you look twice at a doorway, linger a little longer in an empty room and reconsider whether you’d be quite so eager to spend the night.
With Halloween around the corner, I rounded up six places where history comes with a side of the unexplained. We’re talking colonial-era apparitions, mysterious noises, shadowy figures and at least one encounter involving a curtain rod that apparently decided it had had enough.
Are any of these places actually haunted? That’s for you to decide. Personally, I’m happy to investigate. Spending the night alone in one of them is another matter.
1. Hotel Bethlehem, Bethlehem
A man appears at the foot of your bed in the middle of the night. You switch on the light. He’s gone.
No, that’s not the opening of a horror movie. It’s a reported experience associated with Room 932 at Hotel Bethlehem, a room that has earned the nickname “Room with a Boo.”
The hotel’s history stretches back to 1741, when Bethlehem’s first building stood on the site. The current hotel opened in 1922, carrying the city’s long history into an era of elegant interiors, overnight guests and, according to some accounts, a few visitors who never quite checked out.
According to the hotel’s account, a couple staying in Room 932 awoke to find a man standing at the foot of their bed. He reportedly asked, “Why are you in my room?” When they turned on the light, he disappeared.
I have questions. First, who is this man, and why does he seem to think you’re the one who doesn’t belong there? Second, how exactly are you supposed to go back to sleep after that?
Other guests have reported flashing lamps, unusual reflections and papers moving across desks. Then there’s Mrs. Brong, a former landlady said to appear in period clothing without shoes or stockings around the kitchen and restaurant.
A ghost wandering around a restaurant is one thing. A ghost who looks like she’s checking up on the staff is another. I’d probably be more concerned about getting in her way than asking for a table.
Hotel Bethlehem employee Emma Deehan has heard about the building’s reputation, too. While talking with a coworker recently, Deehan learned that her coworker believes the wood room in the basement feels “off.”
Deehan hasn’t experienced anything paranormal herself, but her coworker’s description adds another layer to the hotel’s reputation. Not every encounter involves an apparition at the foot of a bed or a figure disappearing into thin air. Sometimes, it’s simply a room that leaves someone feeling uneasy, even if they can’t explain why.
Some employees and guests say they’ve felt the haunt, while others write the stories off as nonsense. The hotel offers ghost tours, giving visitors a chance to explore its history and reported hauntings before deciding for themselves what to believe.
You can read the hotel’s accounts of its reported spirits on its official website. Room 932 is reportedly one of the hotel’s most requested rooms.
I’d be curious enough to book it. But if someone asked me why I was in their room at 2 a.m., I suspect I’d suddenly remember every other hotel in Bethlehem.
Hotel Bethlehem hosts a number of spirits. (Oliver Lois Economidis/The Morning Call)
2. Sun Inn, Bethlehem
Imagine asking a stranger for directions and getting an answer that makes absolutely no sense unless you’ve accidentally traveled back about 250 years.
That is essentially the premise of one of the Sun Inn’s best-known ghost stories.
Construction of the Sun Inn began in 1758, and it opened to travelers in 1760. The inn welcomed travelers in colonial Bethlehem, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Today, its historic rooms offer plenty to explore even if you aren’t particularly interested in the paranormal. But the stories associated with the building give visitors another reason to pay attention.
In an account posted to Haunted Places, a visitor named Chris Rickerhauser described entering the inn one night to use a phone to call a cab. He said a woman wearing 18th-century clothing approached him. When he explained that he needed a payphone, she seemed confused and suggested he find a coach around the corner.
Not a taxi. Not a ride-share. A coach.
At the time, Rickerhauser apparently had no reason to think the encounter was unusual. It was only when he returned weeks later and described the woman to a waitress that the story took a strange turn. According to his account, the waitress told him there was a payphone nearby but no woman matching his description.
Of all the details in this story, the coach is the one I’d have trouble forgetting. The woman reportedly wasn’t floating through a wall or disappearing into thin air. She was simply trying to help a stranger get somewhere, apparently unaware that several centuries had passed her by.
Maybe there was an ordinary explanation. But I’d still have a few follow-up questions for the waitress.
The inn has other stories, too. Another visitor described seeing the shadow of a dog downstairs while alone on the way to the bathroom. During an overnight paranormal investigation described by Bethlehem Patch in 2011, a participant reported hearing what sounded like a little girl whispering and giggling. Investigators later reviewed recordings they believed contained a child’s voice.
None of those reports establishes that anything supernatural happened. Still, the Sun Inn’s stories have a way of making ordinary details seem a little less ordinary. A sound from the next room? A shadow passing across the floor? Suddenly, you’re listening much more carefully.
The inn offers seasonal ghost and spirit tours, so you can explore the property while hearing about its history and paranormal lore. Check the official tour page for current dates.
I’d happily return for the history alone. But if a woman in colonial clothing offered to help me find a coach, I’d probably ask a few questions before following her anywhere.
3. George Taylor House, Catasauqua
At the George Taylor House, the ghost stories come with a Revolutionary-era backdrop.
Built in 1768, the house belonged to George Taylor, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Its history alone makes it worth a visit. But the property has also attracted paranormal investigators, including the team from television’s Ghost Hunters.
One of the house’s most talked-about stories involves a woman in 18th-century clothing reportedly seen in a window of the summer kitchen. Apparently, the curtains now remain closed.
Which is a perfectly reasonable way to handle a supposedly haunted window, I suppose. If people keep reporting a mysterious woman behind the glass, why not close the curtains and let everyone get on with their day?
Of course, that doesn’t mean visitors have stopped wondering what’s on the other side.
Other reported experiences have taken place inside the house. During a paranormal investigation described by Lehigh Valley Press in 2022, volunteer Rob Hess said he was climbing the attic stairs when he felt someone grab his arm. He turned around, he said, but nobody was there. He also described a cold sensation and pins and needles across his face.
Another investigator, Anthony Grothaus, reported seeing a dark shadow move across the basement ceiling, blocking the beams of a laser grid used during the investigation.
There are plenty of possible explanations for unusual sensations and shifting shadows, and those accounts alone can’t establish what happened. Still, the image of someone climbing a flight of old stairs, feeling a hand on their arm and turning to find nobody behind them is difficult to shake.
Earlier this month, I headed to Sleepy Cat Urban Winery to watch the premiere screening of the George Taylor House episode of “Ghost Encounters.“
Yes, based on what I saw in the episode, I’m convinced that house is haunted. But watching the investigation wasn’t what first made me uneasy about the place.
I’d visited the house on the Fourth of July, on a bright, sunny day when the last thing you’d expect to feel is the atmosphere of a horror movie. Even then, something about being inside felt strange. I couldn’t shake the sense of a presence in the walls, despite the sunshine outside.
Was it the house’s age, its history or the stories I’d heard about it? I can’t say. I didn’t see a ghost, and I can’t prove that anything supernatural was happening. But I remember how the place felt, and watching the episode only made me think about that visit differently.
That’s part of what makes places like this so fascinating. You can read about reported encounters, watch investigators search for evidence and still find yourself wondering what you’d experience if you stood alone in the same room.
The house’s history is fascinating regardless of what you believe about ghosts. But if you visit, you might find yourself paying a little more attention to the windows and staircases than you otherwise would.
And if somebody suddenly grabs your arm on the way to the attic? Well, let’s hope it’s a very much alive tour guide.
Thomas Paine, played by Charles Adami of the Bachmann Players, performs onstage next to a town crier played by Tim Bernier, also of the Bachmann Players, during America 250 celebrations at the George Taylor House on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Catasauqua. Taylor was one of four Founding Fathers honored with a Liberty Legacy Garden by America250PA, the others being Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. (Jon Chiu/The Morning Call)
4. Jim Thorpe Ghost Walks, Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe doesn’t exactly need help looking spooky.
The historic town’s winding streets and Victorian architecture are atmospheric enough during the day. As the light fades, windows turn dark, doorways recede into shadow and buildings that looked perfectly ordinary a few hours earlier begin to look like they might have a few stories of their own.
Enter the Jim Thorpe Rotary’s seasonal ghost walks.
The tours cover about a mile through the historic village, led by a costumed storyteller carrying a lantern. Rather than relying on jump scares, guides share local legends and stories about the people connected to the town’s past.
Picture gathering with a group of other curious visitors as the guide begins a story. The lantern illuminates the immediate surroundings, while the buildings behind the storyteller remain in shadow. As the details emerge, you can look toward the very places the stories describe.
It’s a different way to learn local history. Instead of reading about an old building from across a room, you’re standing on the street outside it, looking at its windows and doorways while someone tells you what supposedly happened there.
And unlike investigating a supposedly haunted basement by yourself at midnight, you have a guide, a group and a reasonably good excuse to blame any strange noises on someone else.
Visitor reviews describe the tours as entertaining and informative, with guides who bring the stories to life. The paranormal encounters themselves remain part of local lore rather than established fact.
I’ve spent time in Jim Thorpe, and I’d return for a tour simply to learn more about the town. Hearing the stories in the places they’re attached to seems much more interesting than reading them alone at home.
The Rotary’s official website lists its seasonal schedule and ticket information. The Rotary’s 2026 season runs on select weekends from September through November, but check the website for current dates and availability before making plans.
One request for anyone who goes: if the guide asks whether somebody wants to investigate a suspicious noise or peer into a dark corner, please report back. I’ll be the one standing comfortably with the rest of the group.
The former Carbon County Prison now called The Old Jail Museum on Broadway in Jim Thorpe. It is a two story structure constructed of hand- cut stone and set into the side of a mountain. It was completed in 1871 at a cost of more than 27,000. Some hangings took place in the jail. (ED KOSKEY JR./The Morning Call)
5. Sayre Mansion, Bethlehem
If you’re looking for a historic mansion to spend the night in, the Sayre Mansion has the sort of architecture that might make you want to book a room immediately.
The ghost stories might make you reconsider.
Built in 1858 for railroad engineer Robert Heysham Sayre, the Gothic Revival house is now a boutique hotel. Its history includes tragedy: Historic Hotels of America reports that six of the Sayre family’s children died at the home. Some local ghost stories speculate that the spirits of children remain there, although that connection has not been established.
Guests and employees have described a range of strange experiences, from clothing being tugged to televisions switching off. One maintenance worker reportedly lost a small washer while repairing a toilet, only for it to turn up across the room beneath a bathmat.
It’s a tiny object, but it’s the kind of detail that makes you wonder how you’d react if it happened to you. You lose a washer, search for it, and then find it somewhere that makes no sense. Annoying? Absolutely. Supernatural? Impossible to determine from the account.
Then there’s the overnight encounter described by a staff member interviewed by The Valley Ledger.
She said she was staying in the mansion’s library suite when she woke around 1 a.m. with the sensation that someone was lying beside her. She tried to convince herself it was her imagination and pulled the covers over her head.
At around 4 a.m., she said, the curtain rod and curtain were pulled completely out of the wall.
Three hours of trying to talk yourself out of being frightened, followed by what sounds like a very dramatic window treatment malfunction. I don’t know about you, but I’d be turning on every light in the room.
The account doesn’t establish what caused the incident. But it does make the idea of a peaceful overnight stay a little more complicated.
For anyone curious enough to book a room, the Sayre Mansion’s website has current room and event information.
I’d like to see the library suite. I’d also like to inspect the curtain hardware before settling in for the night. Call it a precaution!
Bethlehem’s Sayre Mansion, built in 1858. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
6. Easton Area Public Library, Easton
Libraries are supposed to be quiet. That’s the whole point.
You go in, find a book, settle into a chair and try not to be distracted by the person typing loudly three tables away. The last thing you expect is for a filing cabinet to start opening and closing on its own.
Yet unexplained activity like that has become part of the Easton Area Public Library’s local ghost lore.
The Church Street building opened in 1903 on the former site of the German Reformed Cemetery. Lehigh Valley Public Media reported that about 500 people had been buried there. According to the outlet, most of the remains were reclaimed by relatives, while about 30 unclaimed remains were moved to a mass burial plot on the library grounds in the 1980s. Other accounts describe the number and burial location differently, so those details should be treated as reported history rather than an uncontested count.
The building’s reported paranormal history includes filing cabinets opening and closing without explanation. An older newspaper account described witnesses seeing an apparition of a woman outside the library before she entered the building and stood near a window. The witnesses reportedly said her head appeared to glow.
In local lore, the figure was later connected to Elizabeth Bell Morgan, one of the people reportedly reburied on the grounds.
It’s a strange story to associate with a place where people go to study, read and catch up on work. Imagine trying to concentrate on an assignment when a noise comes from the shelves behind you. You turn around, find nothing unusual and go back to your book. Then you remember the stories about the building.
Personally, I have enough trouble staying focused in a library without adding the possibility of unexplained activity to the equation.
But the cemetery history is worth exploring for reasons beyond the ghost stories. The ground beneath familiar buildings can hold histories that aren’t immediately obvious, and learning about those histories can change the way you see a place.
Exterior of the Easton Area Public Library is seen Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Easton. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
The stories behind the shadows
For some visitors, the appeal of local ghost stories goes beyond the possibility of a paranormal encounter. They’re also a way to discover the history hiding in familiar places.
Luke Lee, originally from South Korea, moved to the Lehigh Valley three years ago. He said he was surprised to discover the region’s historical significance and enjoys reading about new local lore each Halloween.
“You truly don’t know the history behind the places you go to everyday,” Lee said. “It’s so interesting to think about who lived here before us… and if they’re still here.”
It’s a thought that stays with you after visiting these places. The rooms, staircases and windows are real. The people who lived in these buildings before us were real, too. The supernatural stories may be harder to pin down, but they often begin with a very human curiosity about the past.
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a good haunting. Sometimes, all it takes is a little history, a strange story and a building that looks different once the sun goes down.
As for me, I’m happy to keep investigating. Just don’t ask me to spend the night alone in Room 932.
Avery Folmar is a freelance writer.