The Five Best Haunts in and Around Buffalo, New York

No, your calendar isn't wrong, it's summer, but if you're an avid ghost hunter like me, you're already looking ahead to October and some great places to hunt. Believe it or not, Upstate NY is an exceptional place for ghost hunting and the Buffalo area is loaded with some great known and not so well known haunted places. Break out your calendars now, because many of these haunts fill quickly during the Halloween season and some have only limited availability to the public.

• Iron Island (998 E Lovejoy St Buffalo, NY 14206-1033 - (716) 892-3084). Nestled (well, actually fairly well hidden) in the heart of what once was a bustling train industry is Iron Island Museum. Set among the houses is an unassuming building that has the look of a church that has eclipsed into something else. Not so long ago (2 years), the Ghost Hunters (yes, the ones on TV) came to this building in search of evidence of paranormal activity. Let's just say they weren't disappointed! They were so impressed by the EVP's and personal experiences they encountered, that word is they will be back this year for round two! Since it's television debut, Iron Island has become a haven for ghost hunters from far and wide and weekend hunts are regularly full.

• Fort Niagara (at the end of the Robert Moses Parkway North) Standing on a cliff just above Lake Ontario near Niagara Falls, Old Fort Niagara has stood at the entrance to the mighty Niagara River since 1726. The colorful history of the fort began even earlier, and continues to today. Three hundred years of existence have provided the fort with plenty of paranormal activity and they even offer evening ghost hunts a week or so before Halloween. To add to the ambiance, an old graveyard still stands on the grounds, just outside the fort, under ancient trees, scarcely lit by the moon.

• Fort George (26 Queen St, Niagara-ON-the-Lake, ON L0S, Canada (905) 468-4257) Ah, one of my very favorite haunts, with a touch of old world European feeling. Fort George is local enough to get to within 30 minutes, yet feels as international as it's history. Much of the original structure is gone, except for a small brick building and the best place to creep yourself out-the tunnel! The tunnel is simply a long brick lined dimly lit damp tunnel, perhaps 50 feet long, that ends in a stairway that leads to and artillery post. All by itself, the tunnel seems to contain shadow figures and disembodied voices and yet, the entire grounds have plenty of stories that speak of it's ghostly spirits. I highly recommend their evening tours around Halloween, however they are completely booked by early September, so reserve your place now, I swear you won't regret it.

• Central Terminal (495 Paderewski Drive, Buffalo, NY 14212) This too, has been visited by the Ghost Hunters and with great success (and yes, they will be returning). It's perhaps one of the most imposing monuments of Buffalo's past, towering over the East Side of the city. Inside is still being restored, but is open for events, including ghost hunts and making your way through it's marbled walls and floors and into the grand room with it's eerie ticket booth and clock tower frozen in time, it's hard to imagine not getting orbs and evp's on tour. Ghost hunts are few and far between, so check the online events schedule for the next hunt!

• Pillar and Post Inn (48 John Street,Niagara On The Lake , Ontario L0s 1j0 Canada) Another international ghost hunting favorite, unassumingly placed within the vintage shopping and theater district of Niagara On The Lake, Pillar and Post began its life as a canning factory. It has since bloomed into a full five star inn with fine dining and a 13,000 square foot spa. Aside from the amenities however, Pillar and Post has guests who have been there for years. In fact, these guests have been there since the 1800's! Staff laughingly prefer not to discuss their often unseen (and yet heard) guests, but have no fear, they are there and hundreds of people stay at the inn every year just to get a glimpse of the "disappearing lady", among other long term guests. If you book your next hunt at the inn, may I also suggest you plan on visiting Fort George, since it is literally right down the street!