The White House Hauntings
Abraham Lincoln's ghost walks the halls. Queen Wilhelmina fainted upon seeing him. Churchill refused to sleep in that room again. America's most famous address is deeply haunted.
The White House is not just the seat of American power—it’s also one of the most haunted buildings in the nation. Presidents, first ladies, staff, and visiting heads of state have reported ghostly encounters for over two centuries.
Abraham Lincoln
The most frequently reported ghost in the White House is Abraham Lincoln, who seems never to have fully departed. According to historical accounts:
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1942): Heard a knock on her bedroom door. When she opened it, Lincoln stood in the hallway, tall and gaunt. She fainted.
Winston Churchill: Emerged from a bath to find Lincoln by the fireplace. He reportedly quipped, “Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage.” Churchill refused to use that room again.
Theodore Roosevelt: Felt Lincoln’s presence during the pressures of his presidency.
Eleanor Roosevelt: Felt Lincoln watching her as she worked in the Lincoln Bedroom.
Grace Coolidge: Saw Lincoln looking out a window in the Oval Office.
Ronald Reagan’s daughter Maureen: Reported seeing Lincoln’s ghost multiple times.
Other White House Ghosts
Lincoln isn’t alone:
Abigail Adams: The ghost of John Adams’s wife has been seen floating through walls, carrying laundry, in the area that was the old laundry room.
Dolley Madison: The wife of James Madison reportedly guards the Rose Garden she designed. Workers who tried to move it reported feeling her angry presence.
Andrew Jackson: Staff have heard his laughter from the Rose Room. His ghost is described as cursing and stomping.
William Henry Harrison: The president who died after only 31 days in office reportedly haunts the attic, rummaging through things.
A British Soldier: Possibly from the 1814 burning of the White House, has been spotted carrying a torch.
The Second Floor
The second floor, which contains the family residence and the Lincoln Bedroom, is particularly active:
- Staff report cold spots and unexplained drafts
- Security guards have heard footsteps in empty hallways
- Doors open and close on their own
- The Lincoln Bedroom shows particular activity during periods of national crisis
Staff Accounts
White House staff over generations have reported:
- Unexplained voices and laughter
- Feelings of being watched
- Cold spots that appear and vanish
- Objects moving on their own
- Apparitions in period clothing
Many staff members refuse to work alone in certain areas after dark.
The Lincoln Bedroom
The Lincoln Bedroom wasn’t actually Lincoln’s bedroom—it was his office and Cabinet Room. It’s where he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The bed in the room was purchased by Mary Todd Lincoln but wasn’t used by Lincoln himself.
Despite this, the room is the epicenter of White House paranormal activity. Perhaps Lincoln returns to the place where he made history’s most consequential decisions.