Your Guide to Horror Writing in New York City, New York

The City That Never Sleeps…And Neither Will You

Cartoon of horror themed business Rats in New York City, New York

New York City wears its chaos like a badge of honor. Behind the flashing billboards and polished penthouses, this is a place crawling with secrets. The Morris-Jumel Mansion watches over Harlem with cold, patient eyes, and Central Park holds bones beneath the green and gravel.

But the real horror isn’t always where you expect it. It’s in the silence between subway screeches, the flicker of a light in a hallway that should be empty, the way the city feels like it’s watching you back. Loud, restless, and hungry for stories.

5 Chilling Truths Lurking in New York City

  • Washington Square Park was once a potter’s field, and beneath its well-walked paths lie thousands of bodies. Visitors have reported ghostly apparitions, sudden drops in temperature, and strange shadows moving just out of reach.

  • Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor, has long been rumored to host a spectral young girl. Staff have spoken of cold drafts, doors opening by themselves, and footsteps echoing through empty halls.

  • The New York City catacombs, hidden beneath the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, are home to centuries-old burials. Though not haunted by legend, their quiet stillness and candlelit tours evoke an unease few can shake.

  • Hotel Chelsea may be best known for housing artists and poets, but many believe some never checked out. Guests have reported flickering lights, disembodied voices, and the feeling of being watched by unseen eyes.

  • Roosevelt Island’s Smallpox Hospital ruins remain a decaying monument to past suffering. Isolated and crumbling, the gothic structure once treated the city’s most contagious, and today it stands as one of New York’s eeriest landmarks.

Chelsea hotel, a spooky spot of New York City

Whispers and Footsteps in New York’s Dark Corners

Write your next horror nightmare with help from haunted hotels, historic theaters, and spirits that still roam the NYC streets.

New York City Horror Writing Prompts

  • Your protagonist dines alone at this famously haunted restaurant when their wine glass lifts on its own and pours out in a perfect ring. The waiter grins and notes that this means your progaonist has been chosen.

  • Your character tests the acoustics of the Whispering Gallery with a friend but hears a third voice speaking from the opposite corner. When they turn around, no one is there, yet the voice knows their name and a secret no one else should.

  • While researching late at night in the Rose Reading Room, your character finds a book that doesn’t belong in the system. The pages are blank except for one line that changes every hour, warning them about events that begin to happen around the city.

  • Your character takes the Staten Island Ferry after midnight and notices a woman crying at the back of the boat, whispering in a language they don’t understand. When the boat docks, the woman vanishes.

  • While working as a contractor deep beneath the Times Square subway station, your protagonist hears music echoing from a sealed-off platform. They discover a derelict train car still powered, containing passengers made entirely of ash.

  • While exploring The Cloisters museum, your character gets separated from their group and finds a small door marked with an ancient symbol. Stepping through it transports them to a perfectly preserved medieval chapel—but there are no other people, only mannequins posed in prayer… and one begins to move.

Unearth the Buried Secrets of New York, New York

  • Yes. This 19th-century townhouse is reputedly haunted by Gertrude Tredwell, the last family member to live there. Visitors report cold spots and apparitions.

  • 14 West 10th Street is dubbed the 'House of Death' due to numerous reported hauntings, including sightings of Mark Twain's ghost.

  • Yes. The Belasco Theatre is said to be haunted by its namesake, David Belasco, who appears in a clerical outfit.

  • Absolutely! Tours like Haunted Manhattan and Boroughs of the Dead offer guided walks through NYC's haunted history.

  • An urban legend suggests alligators live in NYC's sewers, stemming from 1930s reports of sightings.

  • One if by Land, Two if by Sea in the West Village is said to be haunted by Aaron Burr's daughter, Theodosia.

  • Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn offers spooky tales and beautiful Gothic architecture, making it a favorite among ghost enthusiasts

  • Once home to Riverside Hospital and 'Typhoid Mary,' the abandoned island is now off-limits but remains a point of eerie fascination.

Neon Lights Can’t Banish the Dark

Step beyond New York’s haunted places and uncover more eerie destinations or enter The Horror Hub for sinister templates, haunted generators, and more.

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