# Haunted Places in Rhode Island: Ghost Tours and Spooky History
For the smallest state, Rhode Island has an outsized supply of genuinely strange history — a documented vampire panic, a horror writer who made Providence a character in his fiction, and a lot of very old houses.
Mercy Brown's grave — Exeter
The most famous, and the one with real documented history behind it.
In 1892, tuberculosis was killing the Brown family of Exeter. After 19-year-old Mercy Brown died, her neighbors — following a New England folk belief that consumption was spread by the undead — exhumed her body, found it comparatively well preserved in the winter ground, burned her heart, and fed the ashes to her dying brother. He died anyway.
The case was covered in newspapers at the time and is widely believed to have influenced Bram Stoker. Mercy's grave sits in Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery on Route 102 in Exeter, marked with a small stone that visitors leave offerings on.
Visit respectfully. This is an active cemetery in a small town, not an attraction. Daylight hours only, no trespassing after dark, and do not disturb the marker.
Sprague Mansion — Cranston
An 1790 mansion, home to two Rhode Island governors, and the site of a still-unsolved 1843 murder — Amasa Sprague was beaten to death nearby, and the man executed for it was likely innocent. The mansion is one of the most investigated buildings in the state and has hosted many paranormal groups over the years. Tours are available through the Cranston Historical Society.
Belcourt Castle — Newport
A Gilded Age mansion on Bellevue Avenue with a long reputation for hauntings, including a much-discussed suit of armor. Now privately restored, with access varying — check current tour availability before planning a trip.
Providence and H.P. Lovecraft
Lovecraft was born in Providence, lived most of his life there, and wove the city's architecture and geography into his fiction. Key sites:
Partner — Viator
Book tours, activities & experiences across Rhode Island.
- Swan Point Cemetery — his grave, marked "I AM PROVIDENCE." Beautiful cemetery, worth visiting on its own merits.
- The John Hay Library at Brown holds a significant Lovecraft collection.
- Benefit Street — the "Mile of History," lined with colonial homes, and the setting he drew on directly. The Shunned House at 135 Benefit Street is a real building.
Other sites worth knowing
- Fort Wetherill, Jamestown — abandoned coastal fortifications, now a state park. Genuinely eerie, and popular with urban explorers. Stay out of unstable structures.
- Ramtail Factory, Foster — a 19th-century mill site listed on a state census as haunted. Little remains, but the story of the watchman's death is a local staple.
- Nathanael Greene Homestead, Coventry — the Revolutionary War general's home, with the usual complement of stories.
- The Conjuring house, Burrillville — the 18th-century farmhouse behind the film. Privately owned; do not trespass. It has periodically offered paid tours.
Ghost tours
Seasonal walking tours operate in Providence (typically Benefit Street and College Hill) and Newport (the colonial waterfront and burial grounds). Most run spring through fall with heavy October scheduling.
- Typical cost: $20-$35 per person
- Duration: 60-90 minutes
- October dates sell out — book at least a week ahead
Newport's Common Burying Ground contains the largest collection of colonial-era gravestones in the country, including the God's Little Acre section marking the graves of enslaved and free Africans. It is historically significant regardless of your interest in ghosts.
Visiting responsibly
Cemeteries close at dusk. Nighttime visits are trespassing.
Private property is private. The Conjuring house and several other well-known sites are people's homes.
Do not take or move anything. Especially at Mercy Brown's grave.
Abandoned structures are dangerous. Fort Wetherill's ruins are genuinely unsafe in places.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Mercy Brown story real?
A: The exhumation happened and is documented in 1892 newspaper coverage and town records. The vampire explanation was the folk belief of the time; the actual cause of death was tuberculosis.
Q: Can you visit Mercy Brown's grave?
A: Yes, at Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Exeter, during daylight hours. Be respectful.
Q: When do Rhode Island ghost tours run?
A: Most operate spring through fall, with the heaviest schedules in October.
Q: Can you tour the Conjuring house?
A: It is privately owned and access has changed hands over the years. Check current ownership and policy before going — do not show up unannounced.
Sources
- Rhode Island Historical Society
- Cranston Historical Society — Sprague Mansion
- Swan Point Cemetery, Providence
- Newport Historical Society — Common Burying Ground