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Real Haunted House

Moravian Cemetery

Staten Island, New York
By Cecilia

Located on the famously haunted Staten Island in New York, the Moravian Cemetery is “one of America’s most beautiful burial parks.” It covers over one hundred acres, and is the property of the Moravian Church of Staten Island. Valleys, lakes, stunning architecture, and beautiful gardening give the place a serene, peaceful feel…until you stop by the Vanderbilt tomb.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, at the early age of sixteen, had dropped out of school and started his own ferry business. He became a millionaire long before his death, and donated about twelve acres to the Moravian cemetery. (It’s been estimated that he was worth about 167.4 billion dollars at his life’s end.) Later, Cornelius and seven other members of his family were buried in the legendary Vanderbilt tomb. Separate from the rest of the cemetery and built right into a hill, the tomb is at least three stories high and took Richard Morris Hunt over a year to design and build. In fact, it is the largest and possibly most decorative private tomb in the country.

Also standing is a giant wrought-iron gate that has been permanently locked and stood upright, due to the death of a young woman visiting the cemetery many years ago. Upon trying to open the gate, it fell on the woman…killing her instantly. As a result, there have been sightings of glowing light resembling a girl with long, flowing hair.

Not surprisingly, the same sneaky teenagers who reported seeing the woman managed to get scared out of their minds two more times. The first night, they were near a group of small tombstones when they heard a baby’s shrill cry and panicked. The third time, the group had made it as far as the gate and the Vanderbilt tomb. But upon turning around, they realized they had a visitor. A man in a suit was standing right next to him, but vanished almost as soon as they noticed. The friends ran hysterically for their lives, and never came back again.

Perhaps the most famous thing about the Vanderbilt tomb are the photos taken in that area. Many visitors have claimed that, once the film has been developed, the people who posed in the photo aren’t there anymore…..or, even more disturbing, sometimes extra people appear. A lot of pictures have also revealed orbs, bright lights and lines, blurred faces, and even floating, disembodied heads.

Not unlike the lady being crushed by the fence, Vanderbilt tomb is also known for the many freak accidents and deaths that have occurred in its vicinity. However, the Moravian Cemetery has recently increased the security due to the amount of trespassing. This has probably reduced vandalism issues, but the supposed haunting remains just as active. The tomb is opened for Vanderbilt’s descendants every four years or so, and there are always mysterious noises surrounding anyone who visits. It’s also been said that if someone bring flowers for any of the graves, a gray suited man will attack and chase them away.

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kim says:

November 12, 2007, 3:00 am

PS – I now live between two cemetery in Historic Richmondtown on SI.If you want to talk about paranormal activity here is where you will find it. the town was established in the early 1700′s and the revolutionary war was fought on these very grounds. When I first moved here I used to be tapped on the shoulder a lot of times, but no one was ever there, also heard whistling of old tunes. I have many ghost stories , Im scared at times but I wouldn’t want to move, there is too much history here.

steve says:

December 11, 2007, 4:16 pm

The whole picture myth is false….went there recently and nothing funny happened to our pictures:

lynn says:

December 29, 2007, 12:16 am

i grew up in staten island. all of my family is buried in moravian, my parents, grandparents, great grandparents. i go there all the time and just walk around for hours. i haven’t been to vanderbilts tomb since i was a teenager. it was an amazing place. i don’t remember anything paranormal about it, but in the cemetery i always feel alot of energy, like spirits all around me. i love going there.

Aloysius says:

January 17, 2008, 11:24 pm

I live about a mile away. Do not belive in the mumbo-jumbo, but must admit, that BEFORE I found this website, I was there with some friends. While walking around, found a “cold spot”. For some reason, while standing on one spot, approx. 8′ by 4′, where there was no gravestone, we all felt a chill. We could walk away, and come back later, and still felt the chill. I even tested it by blindfolding a friend (it was daytime!) and had her stand in various spots. She always found the cold spot. Weird, but true. Anyway, that’s my story.

—The Easter Bunny

Anni says:

March 7, 2008, 10:53 am

look up smith sisters murdered anonymously on google.com it will scare u 2 death

Charles says:

March 26, 2008, 4:16 pm

Today i tried to get to the tomb with some friends.we got there by taking Altmont to high roch park and we walked down the trail adjacent to the cemmetary but we cud not find a way in the cemmetary. If anyone knows how to get to this tomb throught high rock please comemnt back thank you

steve says:

April 13, 2008, 6:59 pm

just follow the fence on the right that borders the park and the cemetery…you will find a point where a downed tree crushes the fence….hop onto the tree and into the cemetery side

Bill Thomson says:

May 28, 2008, 6:38 pm

Man, this brings back some memories. I sure miss the Island but I know it’s impossible to go back. I left there ( Grant City ) in 1970 when I was going on 14. Back then we would just walk through the cemetery to the back & up the road to the tomb or mausoleum. If I recall there was a big circular road area in front of the tomb. there were also some kind of iron gates that you could look through into the tomb & see the names of all buried there on the walls. The place was huge. We would also climb up the path on the side of the tomb that was fairly steep & would take you to the very top of the building. I seem to recall some kind of domes on top with very thick glass. You could look down into the tomb from there. If I’m wrong it has been a very long time. Anyway, I still have a picture I took from the top when I was there in 1976. it’s the highest point on the East Coast of the good old U.S. of A. I never was there at night & being so young would have been terrified to be there in the dark. Now I’m in Illinois. We have Bachelor’s Grove here. I used to live not 10 minutes from there. Now maybe 30 minutes. It’s one of the most haunted spots in the U.S. I have a photo of what can only be a ghost that a good friend of mine took near dusk. It’s plain to see what it is. Nobody saw anything but the camera always seems to pick up the paranormal while there. The picture is on Pete Crapia’s Bachelor’s Grove website. We still go there & it’s really weird. You can feel the unrest as son as you enter the place. Al Capone had a house near there & reputedly buried many bodies there. A caretaker & house that doesn’t exist has been seen by hundreds of people. Bouncing lights at night have also been seen. It was even on a t.v. ghost show & they saw the lights there.Last time we went there though we all felt peace. That was the first time in all the years I’ve gone there that it felt that way. I hope the spirits are still there. It’s been vandalized there as well. Supposed animal sacrifices were held & tombstones would be tipped. We actually got a small one to stand back up. It took 4 of us & was HEAVY. When I first moved out here a friend & I saw a group of satanists or devil worshippers at Bachelors. we were young & ran almost a mile to get home fast as our legs would carry us. I sure do miss Staten Island. The best memories I have are from there. I’m sure nothing looks the same any more & my friends have all moved away so I probably wouldn’t like going there & ruining my memories. Bill.

sean w says:

June 24, 2008, 3:48 pm

#

I’m sorry guys, but this isn’t true. Here’s a picture I took when there.

http://img471.imageshack.us/img471/5265/image312jb.jpg

As you can see, there is nothing unusual about this picture.

Comment by Eric Long | 03.14.2006 | 4:23 pm

actually that is not his tomb. That is his wife’s his tomb is huge and built into a hill. To anyone who goes at night be careful cause if the grounds crew catches you there going to beat the piss outta you.

Lai says:

July 13, 2008, 4:11 pm

Way back when I was in high school in the early ’70′s there was a group of us that would dare each other on All Hallow’s eve (Oct. 31st) to spend the night near the Vanderbuilt Mausoleum. Well one year 2 friends and I decided to give it a try. We went to visit my grandparents graves there and walked around as late as we could, got up to the mausoleum and looked in the gates at all the names but I got a really creepy feeling as if someone was over my shoulder reading and no one was behind me. It was sunset and all of a sudden my girlfriend screamed when she looked over my shoulder. When I asked her what was wrong she was white and shaking so I just grabbed her hand and we walked our bikes out of there. She never told me what she saw but I DID feel that we weren’t alone.

Mary E says:

August 11, 2008, 5:05 pm

I grew up in New Dorp and cut out of school a few times to hang out at “Vandys Tomb” as we called it in the mid-70′s. I never thought much about it then, but am there on and off as my parents are there now. Recently I saw that the gates were open as they very rarely are these days and started up the road. I got so spooked – the air seemed really heavy and almost tropical (this was a beautiful fall day) and eerily silent – the birds weren’t even chirping. I made it about 10 feet up the road from the gates before I chickened out. The story about the girl getting killed in the 60′s when those heavy gates fell on her is true. Its a very eerie spot. You definitely get the feeling that you are NOT WELCOME by somebody or something. Do any pictures exist of the people who show up in the film? Everyone mentions these pictures but I’ve never seen one and would love to.

Lacey says:

August 14, 2008, 12:30 pm

to Eric Long, you’re in front of the wrong place. The real tomb is gated off. I’ve never taken a picture in front of the real one though the place has a strange air about it.

chari says:

October 3, 2008, 5:14 am

Noooooooooooooooooooooo comments !!!!!!!

Vincent Guardino says:

October 8, 2008, 8:29 pm

this is so very true. i went there once because i didnt believe this story.when i arrived to the grave i heard “get away or you will suffer the consequences”. i pooped my bpants because when this was said i felt him grabbing my legs. then i tripped. i never returned there again.

ex Staten Islander says:

October 14, 2008, 10:11 am

I had relatives that lived on Todt Hill across the street from Moravian. My grandparents are buried there as well. We had been in the cemetery many times & never experienced anything strange except once. Many years ago a group of us (I think I was there w/my sister & cousin) went to visit the grave. My grandfather was only buried there at the time. We were walking down the winding paths back to the exit & got a little lost. The weather started getting cloudy & we didn’t want to get caught in the rain. Just then a small white butterfly landed in the path in fron of us. It flew away as we approached & landed a little further along. Once again, it flew away as we approached only to land on the path a little further away. It continued like this to the exit & then flew away. Who knows? Help from grandpa or a curious insect?

Mary E says:

March 27, 2009, 11:12 am

A link to a picture of the archway where the gates are – it was very spooky even way back then.

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?keyword=staten+island+new+dorp

numb says:

April 18, 2009, 6:44 pm

where is this cemetary located?

Nick says:

February 24, 2010, 10:19 pm

Basically, the easiest way to get to the tomb is the back way. Just make a right off of Richmond Road onto Nevada Avenue. Drive all the way to the end until you get to the High Rock Park parking lot. Start walking the paved trail til you can see a fence to your right. At the beginning of the fence, there is a huge tree that fell on top of a park of it. Climb onto that tree and you are now inside the fenced in area! Keep walking south until you see the top of the tomb. you can either climb down the hill on your left or right and walk around the area outside the tombs doors. BUT BEWARE: I HAVE READ SEVERAL TIMES THAT THEY HAVE INSTALLED SOME TYPE OF MOTION SENSOR OR SOMETHING. SIGNS HAVE ALSO BEEN POSTED ON THE FENCE SURROUNDING THE TOMB THAT THE AREA IS “Under Surveillance”.

paul says:

March 1, 2010, 2:26 am

growing up in richmondtown we used to hang out there often from 91-93…. It is definitly a place you will NEVER FORGET…. had some wierd moments but nothing crazy, the place was amazing on a full moon it glowed white on the hill side… we were very respectfull and we had a golden rule hanging out on top of the tomb….DONT PISS ON IT(lets face it we drank MANY beers up there) one night one of my smart friends breaks the rule and as we where leaveing and going back thru the fence into highrock park he twists and breaks his ankle…. shortly after that we kinda stopped going there and he certainly never went back. cowinkydink or spiritual revenge we will never know but he is convinced it was because he pissed on top of the tomb… and to the post earlier about the twin glass domes on top, they are still there but the glass has been removed and it was cemented close due to grave robbers some time in the 80′s

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