Shelburne Farms

The palatial "summer house" overlooking Lake Champlain was built on 1,000 acres in 1880 by Dr. William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. Today it is still a working farm and is maintained as an inn and restaurant. But there are often more staff members and guests than expected. In the back lot, where patrons park their cars, a servant in livery is occasionally seen. Then there's the playroom on the third floor frequented by a ghostly nanny who just can't seem to stop caring. She'll turn the lights on and off or adjust the shades when all the windows are closed. Though most staff members won't talk about their resident "haunts," they are nonetheless experienced by guests at the inn.

Museum Ghost

The Dutton House was built in Cavendish, Vermont, in 1782 and moved to the Shelburne Museum in 1950, following four decades of standing vacant. The odd thing is, its ghost seems to have moved with it. The spectral occupant--perhaps its builder, Salmon Dutton--is not an unfriendly spirit and his activities are generally benign. He seems to favor the upstairs where he flashes lights, makes noises, and, occasionally, on hot summer days, somehow causes a cold wind to blow through the rooms. When he rests he does so in a particular bed, for it is often found disturbed in the morning. Over the years many museum employees and volunteers have preferred not to work in the building alone--though it can be argued that no one is ever alone in the Dutton House.