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Love Halloween? Well you can continue to explore history, haunts and experience things that go bump in the night throughout the year. From haunted pub crawl crawls to ghost walks to haunted inns, the thrill of ghost sightings (or at least great ghost stories) are abundant in the mid-Atlantic.

For example, Ellicott City, Maryland, in Howard County, is perhaps one of the most haunted spots on the eastern seaboard of America. Ghost walks and haunted pub crawls are available year round. However, if you’re looking to test your mettle perhaps you’d like to spend an evening or two at one of the regional haunted B&B’s below. For a national list of haunted inns visit the BedandBreakfast.com website.

Reynolds Tavern, Annapolis, MD: When you stay at Historic Reynolds Tavern, you may be cared for by the innkeepers, or by Mary Reynolds herself. Mary maintained the tavern until her death in 1785, yet some believe she has never left the building. Employees have heard her sing Christmas carols, experienced her “fixing” the grandfather clock in the dining room, and watched as she showed her dislike of new employees by breaking tea pots and glasses. The Maryland Ghost and Spirit Association confirmed her presence with photographs and temperature readings, and exclaimed that Mary is not alone; they identified a total of five spirits in the house.

Main Street Manor, Flemington, NJ: A strange presence has been felt by guests of the inn, including an expert on ghosts. One woman asked if a baby had been born in her room, feeling the presence of mother and daughter. While no actual sightings have been reported, guests feel an ethereal presence here. 

Manchester Inn, Ocean Grove, NJ: Check in to room 316, and ghosts may literally pull your leg. It’s been known to happen there, when a guest felt a tugging at her pants leg several times. Strange noises and disappearing shadows in the hallway are other indicators that friendly spirits inhabit this inn.

White Lilac Inn, Spring Lake, NJ: Many guests have smelled a floral scent on the staircase, always in the same place. The owners of the inn learned that former owner Sally Mann Randock Francis, now deceased, wore a floral perfume. Given the colorful nature of Sally Mann Randock Francis’s life, it is believed that she’s hanging on to insure guests share in the fun and frivolity that endured there during her lifetime.

Captain Schoonmaker’s B&B, High Falls, NY: Starting with the comment, “a funny thing happened last night,” guests often share tales of how a candle was lit, a light was turned on, or they heard footsteps when no one was there. In 1814, the 12-year-old son of the inn’s namesake, a Revolutionary War hero, died and was buried outside the inn. As mischievous as young boys are, the theory is this little boy is hanging around still having a little fun.

Borland House, Montgomery, NY: In the second chapter of her book, Back Into the Light, author and ghost investigator Linda Zimmermann tells of her team’s experiences here. In fact, there was enough ghostly activity to fill eight pages with tales and photos of ghostly sightings. Zimmerman concluded her chapter on Borland House by saying “Be without fear, as there is nothing harmful here, and go there with a sense of wonder and eagerness of getting a chance to experience something unique.”

1871 House, New York City, NY: One guest recounted a vivid story about awakening to find a well-dressed man wearing a bowler hat standing at the end of her bed. Strangely, she was not afraid and requested that he leave her alone. He slowly got up and left out the door, never to return.

Saratoga Farmstead, Saratoga Springs, NY: A young black boy and his enslaved mother hid in the attic during the Civil war and eventually died there. From then on, each time someone tried to climb up the attic stairs, the ghost of the boy stuck his arm out, tripping the intruder to protect his mother. During a session with paranormal experts, these ghosts were released to “the next level,” and folks no longer trip on these stairs.

Inn at Herr Ridge, Gettysburg, PA: Formerly known as Herr Tavern & Public House, the tavern here served as an impromptu field hospital for the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Battle of Gettysburg. It appears that the spirits of the wounded soldiers are still enjoying the spirits at the tavern here. Innkeeper Steven Wolf said that once someone ordered a beer, but no one was there. Odd occurrences regularly happen, including mysterious whispers, calling the names of the employees, plus cold spots, glasses and silverware flying off tables, even knives and forks falling blade or prongs first into the floor. Occasionally, computers type gibberish on their own, extinguished lamps relight, and unexplained crashes occur in the kitchen. One employee was looking for a glass of water she had left sitting somewhere else; giving up, she returned to her desk to find it sitting there, frosted over. Steven Wolf attributes much of the activity to the “house ghost,” Frederick Herr, who purchased the tavern in 1828.

Mary-Penn B&B, Gettysburg, PA: With the history of the famous Civil War battle fought here, it’s no wonder that Gettysburg is one of the better known haunted destinations. A paranormal group recorded horse noises and voices in their basement, and from time to time guests have claimed to experience friendly spirits.

Harry Packer Mansion, Jim Thorpe, PA: While the owners explain it’s not spooky inside, the facade of this pink mansion was used by Disney as a model for their haunted mansion. While ghost stories have been confined exclusively to the murder mysteries held here throughout the year, the owners are on the lookout for Disney personalities going bump in the night.

Inn at Jim Thorpe, Jim Thorpe, PA: Simply visit the inn’s website, and click on the Ghost Stories button to learn about the antics of the friendly spirits here. Guests have caught unexplained shadows and orbs on digital cameras and one guest explained how the chair in his room turned upside down each time he tried to sleep. One guest even claimed that a ghost put his phone in the refrigerator.

Cornerstone B&B, Philadelphia, PA: A sweet, floral scent precedes sightings of a ghostly female shape at the Cornerstone. Innkeepers claim she is an ethereal presence, and her signature perfume always occurs as she gently taps the foreheads of those at the inn. Some claim she’s a resident angel; others feel she’s a ghost.

Ghosts lurk everywhere and if you’re really interested in experiencing a sighting in the metro Washington, DC area and beyond, view the complete article and additional listings on the DC Tourism Examiner column.

Tonya Fitzpatrick is the Executive Producer and co-host of the Travel’n On Radio Show. You can catch her broadcasts every Tuesday at 4pm and 6pm ET.