🎃 Thanks for the question. If you're friend thinks their house is haunted, he's not alone. As the leaves fall and Halloween approaches, the Philadelphia region takes on a special kind of magic. Our neighborhoods — from the cobblestone streets of Old City to the winding lanes of the Main Line and the tucked-away towns of South Jersey — are steeped in history. And with history often comes rumors of hauntings that might require special marketing.

This month, we’re leaning into the season by looking at some of the area’s most famously haunted properties, the lore behind them, and what it really means for the real estate market when a home has a ghostly reputation.

👻 Philadelphia’s Haunted Legends

• Eastern State Penitentiary (Fairmount, Philadelphia) Once one of the most notorious prisons in the nation, Eastern State is said to echo with footsteps, whispers, and even apparitions of former inmates. While it isn’t a residence, the site shows how Philadelphia’s deep history fuels ghost stories that linger to this day.

• Fort Mifflin (Southwest Philadelphia) Known as “the most haunted battlefield in America,” Fort Mifflin dates back to the Revolutionary War. Visitors and staff report hearing the cries of soldiers and the voice of the “Screaming Lady,” a woman believed to be mourning a child lost there.

• General Wayne Inn (Merion, PA) This 18th-century tavern and inn was once a hangout for Washington’s troops and later famous writers like Edgar Allan Poe. It’s also notorious for ghostly sightings — including soldiers and spectral tavern guests who never checked out.

• The Emlen Physick Estate (Cape May, NJ) Just over the bridge in South Jersey, this Victorian mansion offers ghost tours where visitors claim to feel cold spots and encounter long-departed members of the Physick family still lingering in their old home.

🎃 The Takeaway

Philadelphia and its surrounding towns are full of historic homes — some with legends that live on long after the lights go out. Whether those stories make a property more appealing or more challenging to market depends on the buyer. The key is always knowing your audience.

After all, one person’s “haunted house” is another person’s dream historic home.

🕯️ Fun Facts from the Philly Real Estate Crypt

• Oldest Home Still Standing in Philly: The Wyck House in Germantown (built in 1690) has seen centuries of history — and a fair share of ghostly rumors.

• Disclosure Laws: In PA and NJ, sellers don’t have to disclose if a home is “haunted.” But in neighboring New York, sellers must reveal if they’ve publicly advertised a home as haunted!

• Buyer Reactions: National surveys show about 1 in 3 buyers would pay more for a haunted house if it had historical charm. About the same number wouldn’t buy one at all.

• Philly’s Old Bones: With entire neighborhoods dating back to the 1700s, the Philadelphia metro ranks among the top regions in the U.S. for haunted home lore.