Connecticut, it may seem like the home of peaceful, quiet towns, old history, stone walls, and one of the first states ever named, but behind all this charm lies a darker side to this happy place. For such a small state, it has some seriously disturbing locations. From abandoned hospitals to ghost towns, Connecticut’s history echoes through all types of places.

      Let’s start with one of the closer attractions: Captain Grant’s Inn. This Inn is located in Preston, Connecticut. It is an average bed and breakfast built in the 1700s, portraying a happy home back in the day, right? Wrong. Its most famous ghost was a woman named Adelaide, who appears at night in a room that even has her name carved in the wall inside. Some of the bed and breakfast visitors have stated they awaken to the creaking of the rocking chair in their room moving by itself back and forth, or hear footsteps when they are the only Inn stayers. Now, this place is so haunted that there was a show named “28 Days Haunted” featured on Netflix that took place right in Captain Grant’s Inn. Ghosts can be a controversial topic; “It’s real and it’s not real,” is always said, depending on who you’re talking to, but still imagine waking up to a mysterious rocking chair squeaking as it rocks in the middle of the night when you’re supposed to be the only one in the room. But this is only one mystery that lies beneath the truths in Connecticut. Let’s move about 10 minutes out, Norwich State Hospital. 

      Nowich State Hospital used to be a massive gathering of building complexes that held thousands of patients. This hospital opened in 1904. Over the course of this hospital being open, it gained a dark reputation for overcrowding and rumors of inhumane treatment of patients. This well-known local hospital shut down in the 1990s, but people say the place just never truly went quiet. Paranormal investigators have claimed to hear high-pitched screams and see flashing shadows when passing by old patients’ rooms. Even when driving by, some people say they receive cold chills or eerie feelings; even from the road, it projects a sense of fear, like it’s truly never been a resting hospital, but maybe one that lives on in the afterlife. 

The farther we move away from Ledyard, the deeper the lore gets. Welcome to Dudleytown in Cornwall, Connecticut! Some call it the most cursed place in Connecticut. The legend is that the Dudley family brought a curse all the way from England into the United States, where they settled in Connecticut. When they arrived, all the crops died, people vanished, and tragedies hit every day. Today, this town is abandoned and off-limits, and surrounded by forests. Hikers who sneak just close enough to the border say they often feel watched after leaving the premises, or the woods are silent, like even Mother Nature is holding her breath. 

Finally, we take our final trip to The Sterling Opera House in Derby, CT. This town is your basic Instagram-worthy fall photoshoot area. Sure, it’s pretty, but what is totally underground is The Sterling Opera House. In 1889, this place opened and typical Saturday evening plans were held here; it was full of music, famous performers, and laughter. However, now that laughter and joy are replaced by faint whispers and sudden noises of random broken glasses. People have seen ghosts here, children sitting in old seats, old men in top hats reading the newspaper while standing on the balcony, but could it really be ghosts? Well, yes. Ghost hunters have captured mysterious voices on tape, like the audience and festivities never really left. 

Each place reveals how Connecticut has its secrets, but how dark they can really be, not just in ghost stories, but in history that refuses to rest. Whether you believe in hauntings or not, it’s hard to ignore the hidden history behind these eerie gems that lie right in Connecticut. Perhaps that’s what makes it unforgettable: the spirits are trying to tell their story through those who are willing to listen.

Gabriella Dickson, Staff Writer

Sophomore Gabriella Dickson is a staff writer for the 2025-2026 Colonelnews site. She’s a professional overthinker and a part-time writer, and once googled “How to write a byline.”