Upstate New York Castle Has Quite the Haunted History

Belhurst Castle, located in the picturesque Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, is not just a historic landmark but also a site believed to have quite a haunted history.

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With a colorful past of love affairs, embezzling funds, and even death, the story of Belhurst Castle captivates both locals and visitors.

The three buildings on the Belhurst Castle estate have undergone various transformations over the years, and with those transformations have come tales of underground passages and hidden treasures. And ghosts.

The most famous ghost associated with Belhurst Castle is Isabella, a beautiful opera singer and the person after whom the castle's spa and salon are named.

According to local stories, Isabella fled to America with her forbidden lover, Spanish Don. They built a house with a secret tunnel, which collapsed on Isabella while they were attempting to escape from the authorities. To this day, the "White Lady" of Belhurst Castle is said to walk the shores of Seneca Lake, mourning her lost lover. Sightings of Isabella, dressed in white, have been reported standing on the front lawn or appearing as a ghostly apparition flying in through windows.

Another spirit believed to haunt Belhurst Castle is Dick O'Brien, an old caretaker who passed away in 1972. Guests have reported seeing him walking up the stairs or sitting in his favorite chair. These encounters add to the castle's atmosphere of ghostly presence and serve to pique the curiosity of those who choose to spend a night within its historic walls.

Staff members have reported showers turning on and off in guest rooms, bottles and glasses flying around the bar, and tablecloths inexplicably tied to chandeliers but they aren't the only ones with stories.

Guests have shared accounts of hearing a soft lullaby being sung in the middle of the night or the sounds of children playing and screaming in neighboring rooms. Pregnant women, in particular, have frequently reported these experiences. Others have heard mysterious noises, like furniture being moved, originating from the room that used to house the castle's roulette wheel and gambling tables when it served as a speakeasy and gambling casino.