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A Spooky Road Trip On Vermont's Haunted Highways

by Chris Owen (RSS feed) on Oct 8th 2012 at 2:00PM

The state of Vermont thinks it has plenty of ghosts and is looking to share them with the world, at least during the witching month of October. In the southwest part of the state, known as "Bennington Triangle," hikers mysteriously went missing between 1920 and 1950. At Lake Memphremagog in the north, the ghost of General "Mad" Anthony Wayne has been spotted walking across the top of the lake. To share stories, Vermont has launched Haunted Highways, a collection of ghost stories with lodging packages available statewide.

"Ghosts have been part of the Vermont landscape for hundreds of years, marking each phase of Vermont's historical development," said Joseph Citro, Vermont's official Ghost-Master General and author of "The Vermont Ghost Guide" in a statement. "Across all corners of the state, vengeful vagrants, lovelorn ladies, and lonely lads lurk in Vermont's eternal shadows, and it's wonderful how the state is embracing its spooky past."

Travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these elusive figures can follow Vermont's highway system, starting in the southern part of the state in Bennington, then driving North on Route 7 to The Equinox resort off exit three to historic Manchester Village where the spirit of Mary Todd Lincoln is said to haunt the third and fourth floors of the resort's south wing.

Along the way, several spooky Vermont inns and bed-and-breakfasts close to ghost sighting areas – some with haunted rooms and the home to strange events – have special seasonal offers.

The Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont, wants guests to listen for the tap dancing steps of the inn's former horseman Boots Berry. Born in 1840 in the servant's quarters of the Green Mountain Inn, Boots Berry was a local hero before he was fired for excessive drinking. Legend has it, he saved a little girl stuck on the Inn's roof during a snowstorm before slipping and falling to his death. During severe winter storms, Boots can still be heard tap dancing on the third floor of the hotel. From October 21 through November 30, 2012, rates start at $96 per night based on double occupancy.

The Readmore Bed & Breakfast in Bellows Falls, Vermont, is offering a bottle of local Spooky Sparkling Cider and scary tales about the haunted "Cook's Room" to travelers who book a two-night stay with breakfast through November 30, 2012. Total package price starts at $300, based on double occupancy.

The White House Inn in Wilmington, Vermont, haunted by the presence of the baroness who originally occupied the inn, is hosting a special séance/haunted tour with dinner on October 27, 2012. Rates for a two-night stay through November 30, 2012 start at $349, based on double occupancy.

The Golden Stage Inn- Interstate 91 in eastern Vermont, where guests and staff alike have noticed strange events in the "new" wing, and where innkeepers have become familiar with a young friendly spirit they've named George, who appears dressed in a traveling cloak and some say bears a remarkable resemblance to Robert Redford. The Golden Stage Inn is encouraging curious visitors to have their own ghostly experience through November 30, 2012, with rates beginning at $165 per person based on double occupancy.

Forty Putney Road Bed & Breakfast in Brattleboro, Vermont, is showcasing the spooky side of town at locations such as the Retreat Cemetery, just steps away from the inn, where numerous ghost sightings have occurred. Through November 30, 2012, rates start at $159 per night based on double occupancy.

This video has more on the ghosts of Brattleboro, which seem to center on the cemetery of the former Vermont Asylum and a stone tower built by Asylum patients as well as a haunted castle.