Lizzie Borden House
Fall River, Massachusetts, United States
Historic house · established
The Story
The Fall River house where Andrew and Abby Borden were killed in 1892 survives as an operating inn and museum. Its afterlife is one of guest-room ghost stories, downstairs footsteps and reported nocturnal voices. Tours and investigations are bookable, but the murder remains unsolved and Lizzie Borden was acquitted.
The Hauntings
A modest house on Second Street became one of the most recognizable addresses in American crime history on a summer morning in 1892. The deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden made headlines far beyond Fall River; the accusations and trial brought the Borden family further into the public eye. Today the rooms are restored for visits and overnight stays. Between the domestic furnishings and the spaces where the family once gathered, guests also hear stories of footsteps, voices and a sense of lingering company. The documented crime and the newer haunting tradition are different chapters of the same house. The modern haunting reputation has grown alongside the building’s museum and accommodation life. The operator describes accounts from overnight guests who have heard voices, felt movement beside their beds or noticed objects displaced between visits. Its published testimonials include the story of a guest who awoke to a woman's voice in the John Morse room and interpreted the presence as Abby Borden. That identification is the guest's impression, not an established statement of who—or what—made the sound. Another recorded episode comes from *New England Legends*. Its hosts recount hearing quick footsteps apparently racing from the basement entrance into the kitchen during an investigation. Expecting an intruder, they checked the space and found nobody there. Their retelling identifies a specific location and sequence of events. A *People* magazine overnight investigation in 2024 described motion-sensor and sound incidents reported by the visiting team. The present operator offers a range of experiences, including conventional historical tours and organized night investigations. Its ghost walk also visits other parts of Fall River; it should not be confused with unlimited access to every room of the Borden house. The stories often place the family members themselves among the reported presences, but the historical record remains separate: no paranormal encounter determines who committed the murders or changes the outcome of the trial.
The History
Andrew Borden purchased the property in 1872 and adapted it for his family. Its unusual interconnected layout, with few conventional hallways, placed rooms close to the daily movements of Andrew, his wife Abby, daughters Emma and Lizzie, and household employee Bridget Sullivan. On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby were killed with a bladed weapon inside the home. Lizzie Borden was prosecuted but acquitted in June 1893; the murders remain unresolved. Later dramatizations frequently assign motives and secret relationships, but they are not evidence of events in this house. The surviving structure became a historic bed-and-breakfast and museum, with interiors interpreted around the family, the murders and the city's nineteenth-century social history. Its present furniture and decor include restored or reproduced elements; the rooms should not all be mistaken for untouched crime-scene originals.
A sense of place.
Visitor Experiences
Have you experienced something here?
This future chapter will bring together stories from the PHASM community. An unexpected encounter, a lingering feeling, or a quiet visit—your experience will be welcome.
Submissions are not open yet.
Sources & further reading.
- National Women’s History Museum — Lizzie Borden Trial (history)
- Lizzie Borden House — The History (history)
- Lizzie Borden House — Real Hauntings Experienced at the House (reports)
- New England Legends — Halloween at the Lizzie Borden House (reports)
- People — Is the Lizzie Borden Murder House Haunted? (reports)
- Lizzie Borden House — Official Tours (visiting)
- Lizzie Borden House — Welcome and access rules (visiting)
- Lizzie Borden House — House Reservations (visiting)
Plan Your Visit
The operating historic house offers booked history tours, overnight rooms, evening ghost walks and separate indoor ghost-hunt tickets. The operator explicitly says visitors may not enter the house without a tour or reservation. Investigations do not grant access to booked rooms, and a whole-house reservation has further restrictions; check current official conditions before arriving.