Cambridge may seem like it’s just a residential town with students. Coffee shops, merchandise stores, and restaurants decorate every corner. However, Cambridge’s history extends far beyond its current bustling tourism and vibrant street life. If you’re looking for a haunted Halloween this year, look no further than the city bounds. Founded in 1630, Cambridge has a long history chock full of ghost stories and ghoulish encounters. Here are some of the most haunted spots located just a quick stroll away.
The Haunted Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
159 Brattle Street, West Cambridge, is home to the second oldest house in Cambridge—the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House. Only a mere 21-minute walk from the Smith Center, this house’s haunted history spans centuries. It was built for Richard Hooper who died in 1691, leaving behind his wife Elizabeth Hooper. Upon his death, Elizabeth had to take boarders into the house to make extra money. In 1701, boarders ransacked Elizabeth’s house and murdered her. Her body was found wrapped up in a sheet. Some accounts claim Elizabeth still lurks in the house, gliding across the floor.
The house’s haunted lore doesn’t stop with Elizabeth’s ghost.
Reportedly in the 1780s, five Hessian soldiers were encamped at the house while fighting in the Revolutionary War. Some say that the soldiers’ bodies were buried during the war in the Hooper house’s very own yard. Apparently, the soldiers can still be spotted to this day in the house’s Chandler room, playing a ghostly game of cards. No one can say for certain if these sightings are fact or fiction, but one thing is clear: the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house has a dark and varied history.
If this sounds like your dream destination this Halloween, you’re in luck. They do group tours! Individual tours! They even do weddings—what a romantic spot!
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School
At first glance, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School may appear like a normal public high school. This school, located at 59 Broadway Ct., has over 2,000 students across four grades. However, its halls are not only occupied by teenagers: in this school lies a hallway memorializing WWII. Allegedly, the ghost of an old man roams one of the school’s hallways, pushing a cart of books. There’s no consensus on where this ghoul originated from, and thankfully he hasn’t done anything nefarious (yet). Perhaps he is just a nice, old, aspiring librarian (go relive your high school years to find out?)
Cambridgeport Baptist Church
This haunted site involves a witch and a curse. According to New England Folklore, a woman named Ann Hopkins once lived on the Charles River during the 17th century (I wonder if she also posted pictures of the foliage on her Instagram story). As legend goes, Hopkins was being pursued simultaneously by two suitors. Hopkins chose her favorite and bestowed upon him a ribbon. The two men then went on to fight alongside each other in the French and Indian War. The scorned suitor turned on the chosen one and shot him during battle.
The rumors say that Hopkins found out and went crazy. Over the years, the people of Cambridge began to suspect that Hopkins was a witch; she never got sick and a “cow that had strayed onto her property began to give bloody milk.” She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake‚—in the exact location where Cambridgeport Baptist Church would later be constructed. As she died, she allegedly cursed the ground she was burned upon, yelling “the curse of fire shall be upon this spot forever!” Since then, the church has been burned down by two separate fires. Perhaps there’s something much more devious at play.
The Cambridge YMCA
When I think of the YMCA, I think of elementary school swim classes and a weight room. However, the same may not be true for the Cambridge YMCA. Apparently, if you venture into the depths of the Cambridge YMCA’s basement, you’ll make ghoulish friends. Ghost Quest reports that YMCA members have described “witnessing the apparition of a man in the basement who appears to be glowing bright green.” Others have allegedly sensed the presence of this entity while working out (I too sometimes feel a ghostly presence whilst attempting to brave the Hemenway Stairmaster). If you’re the athletic type and are looking to simultaneously build muscle and solve a mystery, perhaps you can be the one to uncover whether this green glower is real or not.
Cafe Luna
It’s good to know that the Cambridge ghosts share the typical student’s desire for an iced latte. Cafe Luna came to Cambridge in 2017 and opens daily at 9 a.m. They offer breakfast wraps, a killer coffee, and allegedly, a haunted presence or two. According to Ghost Quest, Cafe Luna-goers have “reported witnessing shadow figures and other unidentified apparitions, as well as feeling the presence of an unseen entity.” However, haunted reports were rolling in about 2344 Massachusetts Avenue long before Luna set up shop there. Luna was previously Verna’s Coffee and Donut Shop. Supposedly, some employees of Verna’s refused to venture into the basement alone for fear of paranormal encounters. Luna’s ghostly reports are somewhat less concrete compared to other Cambridge locations on this list. However, if you’re in search of an eerie feeling and a fresh-cut fruit bowl, Cafe Luna may just be the perfect spot.
The list goes on and on. The Cambridge area offers a plethora of attractions for those who crave an authentically spooky October 31st. If you’re in the mood to feel unsettled, you can also go on the Harvard Square Ghost Tour (which conveniently meets right outside the COOP). For those of you who would prefer this Halloween to not be your last, there are still many fun Halloween-related things to do in Boston that won’t have you awakening age-old spirits or accidentally betting your life in a game of cards with Hessian soldiers.
Antonia Melina Salame ’28 (amsalame@college.harvard.edu) is now scared to walk back to her dorm alone.