Getaway: Haunted New England

Editor's note: For Oct. 24 publication. Note "coming next week" tagline.

Want to have a spooky good time at Halloween? Consider spending a night or two at a haunted New England inn. All the following properties report they have residents who have never checked out and haven't paid their bills either - they don't have to, they're ghosts.

T <span>he Green Mountain Inn</span><span> in S</span><span><span>towe, Vermont., has, of all things, a tap dancer as its resident ghost. Boots Berry was born in Room 302 in 1840 (his parents worked at the inn). As an adult, he learned to tap dance while in prison in New Orleans. Years later, after returning home, he died after supposedly rescuing a girl from the roof during a snowstorm in 1902 - he saved the girl, but fell to his death. Where was he when he fell? Above Room 302, of course. It is said during bad storms, tap dancing can be heard up on the roof, perhaps Boots warning away anyone with roof-top shenanigans in mind. Innkeeper Patti Clark says Boots also has a mischievous side, opening filing cabinets and moving a rocking chair outside Room 302.</span></span>

At the Inn Bliss Bed & Breakfast in Newport, Rhode Island, co-owner Nick Maioe says the first night he slept in the Victorian inn after purchasing it, he had a dream of an old woman who showed him around the house. He didn't tell anyone about it at first, but as guests started to stay there, they would come to the breakfast table with the same tale of this old woman. "I was shocked," said Maioe. Research of the home's occupants revealed that Nellie Gleason was born in the house in 1889 and died there in 1974. It is likely it is her ghost who reportedly pays a visit to many guests spending their first night there.

A younger ghost can be found at the Watson House in South Windsor, Connecticut. In 1818, 2 1/2-year-old Maryanne Hayden died in the house of small pox. She is buried on the property along with a few unidentified graves marked with stones. Owner Brandy Feldmeier says Maryanne usually only makes her presence known if asked, except for playing with the lights. When Feldmeier was pregnant, she asked a visiting medium if Maryanne would mind having a baby around. The medium reported that Maryanne was excited at the prospect, but annoyed that Feldmeier was too busy to listen to her when she tried to communicate. Perhaps the fact that Feldmeier and her husband Mike named their daughter Hayden in her honor will appease Maryanne.

Another child ghost is said to reside at the Admiral Peary House in Fryeburg, Maine. The inn is named for Admiral Robert E. Peary, a previous resident and the first person to venture to the North Pole in 1909. Owners Hilary and Derreck Schlottmann can't find any historical evidence of any child ever living, or dying, in the 19^th century house. But guests repeatedly report seeing a 7- or 8-year-old girl hanging about - when no real-life children are present. And this, despite the fact that the innkeepers don't regularly bring the subject up to guests, not wanting to frighten anyone. A psychic guest told the Schlottmanns that the girl's name is "Annabelle."

<span><span>A ghost named Hannah makes her presence known at</span></span> the Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, New Hampshire, by hiding objects, opening drawers, turning deadbolts and moving furniture. This 1649 mansion, listed on the <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">National Register of Historic Places, is one of the oldest homes in New Hampshire.</span> Once, Hannah supposedly smashed a glass during a dinner party. Another time, a staff member reported that she awoke to Hannah playing with her hair. She told her to go away and Hannah did. If Hannah doesn't appear to you in the inn, try paying a visit to the neighboring graveyard, which dates back to the 1700s.

IF YOU GO

Inn Bliss Bed & Breakfast

10 Bliss Road / 2 Sunnyside Place, Newport, RI