Kristine De Abreu takes us on a spooky journey through the haunted history of Princeton.

As summer drew to a close, I couldn’t help but notice twilight descending on this pre-Revolution city more quickly than usual. I wasn’t sure whether it was my preference for the latter months of the year or the fact that I was about to embark on my first-ever ghost tour. Perhaps both. I visit Princeton regularly, as it is a relatively short drive (by US standards) from my house. A day trip usually entails Small World Coffee, PJ’s Pancake House, quaint bookshops, designer consignment stores, and a casual walk through the most illustrious university in the United States. 

But now, I was going to see beyond the glamour of expensive retail and Ivy League grandeur and step beyond the veil into a past I barely knew. 

Our ghost tour taking us through the campus. Photo: Kristine De Abreu

What is a ‘ghost tour’?

A ‘ghost tour’ is a guided walk through a town or site, where a tour guide shares local legends, folklore, and myths. While getting your cardio in, you’re welcome to hear lesser-known stories about haunted landmarks, the gruesome details of murders, battles or freak accidents that have left restless spirits to wander. 

Depending on your worldview, the term “ghost tour” can elicit one of three reactions. One: a cringing scepticism and a laugh about the absurdity; two: a thrill at the prospect of seeing ghosts if you’re a believer; or three: a nonchalance bordering on open-mindedness. I would say I was in the third category. I’m not usually one to dismiss things easily, but I’m not gullible either. A ghost tour sounded harmless, a bit gimmicky and an interesting deviation from the Princeton I’m used to. For that reason, I opted for the full experience: an extended walking tour of the city with US Ghost Adventures, plus an EMF reader purported to detect ghosts.

A fluctuating EMF reader. Photo: Kristine De Abreu

Our meeting spot was the Princeton Battlefield Monument on Stockton Street at 8 P.M. A 15-minute walk from the city centre, the sounds of cars and students gearing up for the school year fade into a slightly eerie stillness. A solemn Einstein stares right through us from under a low canopy of trees flanking the path to the monument. When we arrive, the monument, laden from top to bottom with the faces of America’s greatest heroes, looks down on us.

After a 10-minute staring contest with George Washington, I didn’t expect to see a friendly man in a checkered shirt, slacks, a nice hat and glasses introduce himself as our tour guide. A few minutes later, a couple of families arrived to form our little group. After a few pleasantries, rules and a brief overview of our trek, my husband’s EMF reader began to fluctuate like crazy, causing our group to mumble and laugh nervously. Coincidence? 

Click the link here to book a tour: Princeton Ghost Tour

EMF readings abound

Here’s a little thing about EMF readers. EMF stands for “electromagnetic field”. Electromagnetic fields are all around us. Large household appliances, Wi-Fi routers, power lines or electrical wiring can influence them. However, electromagnetic fields can fluctuate easily, and their strength decreases significantly with distance or when something blocks them. My husband was nowhere near a large appliance or a power line, so what gives? 

Trying not to think too much about it, we began the tour with an early history of Princeton. The Lenape (also known as the Delaware Indians) lived on this land, followed by the European settlers and Quakers. Princeton lay between the towns of Kingston and Queenstown and became a popular stop for travellers heading to New York. When the American Revolution approached, George Washington led a small victory for the colonists and drove the British out of the city. In 1783, Princeton became the provisional capital of the fledgling United States, with the university’s Nassau Hall serving as the new government’s Capitol Building. 

Nassau Hall at dusk. Photo: Kristine De Abreu

A haunted campus

Our tour guide told us some odd stories about local houses, such as Palmer House and the Town Topics Building (once the home of a local newspaper), where residents and former employees reported hearing disembodied voices and footsteps and seeing objects move on their own. As for the main campus, that eerie stillness returns. A handful of students chose to study under the dim lamplight, hurry to the library for an all-nighter, or take a late-night walk in the remnants of summer. And my EMF reader starts to go off again next to a student theatre reported to be haunted by its original donor.

Princeton’s Oxford-esque buildings are not without their legends among the students. The Fitzrandolph family, one of Princeton’s first families, had a major stake at the university. The Fitzrandolph Gate, which serves as the official entrance to the campus, is apparently cursed. Those who dare cross its threshold do so at their own risk. Should the Princeton gods (or ghosts) choose, the unlucky student could fail their degree and not graduate. The campus itself is said to host some unwelcome guests late at night. Supposedly, a couple of the Fitzrandolphs angrily appear to students to drive them away from their former territory. Backing up this claim is the famous 1909 excavation of the grounds when the college was preparing to build new dormitories. In the process, 32 graves were unearthed, including that of Nathaniel Fitzrandolph, a generous donor and financier of the university. 

Princeton university campus. Photo: jplenio

Mobile ghosts

“Princeton’s ghosts are pretty mobile!” Our tour guide said enthusiastically. According to tradition, ghosts are usually tied to the place where they died. In Princeton’s case, ghosts can travel to different parts of the town. From Palmer’s Square to the Nassau Inn to Nassau Street, our EMF detector had full bars for a good 10 minutes of walking. Several ghosts, including those of a little girl, a red-coat officer and a woman in 1800s clothing, are seen throughout these areas and flitting from building to building. The Nassau Inn in particular holds a steady reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in the city, with guests encountering ill-mannered or sometimes friendly ghosts in their rooms. 

Click the link here to book a tour: Princeton Ghost Tour

An unexpected finale

I was highly anticipating the end of our tour because we were going to a hotbed of activity: the cemetery. Our group stopped and listened to our guide talk about the various historical figures buried there, including that of Princeton presidents, benefactors and those who died in the Revolution. Unexpectedly, my EMF reader was dead silent; no blips or fluctuations. You would think that a cemetery would have a cohort of spirits trying to make their presence known. But no. There was nothing. Was it because they were truly at rest? Or did ghosts simply not exist? 

I can’t say that I know the answer, but I concluded that ghost tours do not take themselves as seriously as you’d imagine. Local stories and oral tradition are big parts of our culture. Remembering those who have gone before us, the lives they lived, and the current consequences of the choices they made is worth respecting. Ghost tours are just a fun way of exploring that.