Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Canfield Casino is a beautiful example of stately architecture. First built as the Saratoga Club in the late 1800s, the home was owned by John Morrissey, a professional boxer.
Morrissey operated the Saratoga club with three main rules in mind. These rules were simple – no women, no locals, and patrons were to use cash only. The Saratoga Club grew to become known as one of the most famous casinos in the world, operating successfully for years until 1907, when gambling was banned in Saratoga Springs.
The building today is known as the Saratoga Springs History Museum, and also hosts special events and weddings. Despite the modern day use of the building, there are also said to be numerous ghosts of the past which still haunt the premises. Ghosts of those who once gambled away large sums of money, and of the former owner himself, John Morrissey.
Numerous sightings of ghostly spectres have been reported, including one in the 1990s, when the ghost of a woman clothed in a Victorian era gown was seen drifting down the hallways. In 2007, reports of the same woman were also made by a museum volunteer. The volunteer claimed to have seen a woman clad in clothes from the Victorian era, make her way towards a group of visitors. She reportedly asked a question, and then disappeared.
Paranormal activity seemed to have increased between 2007 and 2010. The main theory for this suggests that an exhibit featuring some of the clothing worn by famous women of Saratoga in the museum seemed to fuel it. One of the reports was made in 2009, when a patron claimed she had a glass knocked out of her hand by an unseen force. An employee and a volunteer at the Saratoga Springs museum claimed to have also seen a garbage bin lid fly through the air by itself.
The more common cold spots and sudden drops in room temperature are also reported, as well as the scent of cigar smoke and other items being moved around.
There are supposedly more haunted places in the area. The Olde Bryan Inn restaurant is also reported to be haunted by some unrestful ghosts, including Beatrice, who was a widow in the Civil War. She has been seen multiple times wearing a green Victorian era dress.
The Batcheller Mansion in the local area has also spooked past visitors. The former owner George Batcheller has made himself known a few times, making himself visible as an apparition to guests and employees.
