How to Ghost Hunt on Staten Island

Obtain a visitor's pass and explore the College of Staten Island's campus. Many students and faculty have reported strange sounds, feelings of uneasiness, shadowy figures, and the feeling that they're being watched, while walking around campus. Most people attribute these ghostly sightings and experiences to the history of the college campus, which was formerly the Willowbrook State School; a children's institution that was closed in 1987. Other people attribute the hauntings to a specific event: The death of a 12-year-old girl, who was abducted and murdered in 1987. The convicted murderer, Andre Rand, who is believed to be the only serial killer from Staten Island, buried the child's remains (and possibly the remains of other children who have not been found) on the grounds of the once-deserted institution, which is now the campus (see Resources below for more information).

Tour the Billopp House (also known as the Conference House) in Tottenville, a Staten Island neighborhood located at the southwestern extremity of the borough. The last pre-revolution house in existence in New York City, the Billopp house is home to several ghosts, including a little boy that's believed to be Christopher Billopp's grandson, a British guard that continues to stand on duty, servants that blow out candles and rearrange furniture, and a young woman that stares intently out of a second-story window. While touring the inside of the house, listen carefully for mysterious knocks, coughs, sneezes and footsteps. While exiting the property, take note of the large knoll located within the vicinity of the Billop House. This knoll once held the remains of many Native Americans. Since the remains were exhumed in 1897 by a retired Army General, there has been an increase in paranormal activity on the property (see Resources below for more information).

Bring flowers and a camera to Vanderbilt Tomb, located in Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, Staten Island. The flowers are an essential part of your ghost hunt at Vanderbilt's tomb, because they are a display of respect--something that was very important to the Vanderbilts. Lay the flowers down and remain on your best behavior if you wish to pacify the angry ghosts that can and will appear without warning. Throughout the years, mischievous teens have reportedly been grabbed at, hit and chased away from the tomb by a ghostly figure in a gray suit. While you're visiting Vanderbilt Tomb, remember to take a lot of pictures. Most photographs of the tomb, which are taken after dusk, reveal orbs, lights, bright lines, extra faces, blurred faces or even floating heads without bodies! This may be due to the seventy-two burial plots in the tomb, many of which are occupied. As the largest single-family tomb in the United States, Vanderbilt Tomb is quite unique and very "active." Alarmingly, there have been documented reports of people dying while visiting the tomb. Although these deaths appear to be freak accidents, they're still quite frightening and lead the imagination to run wild (see Resources below for more information).