Why New England is America’s Haunted Attic: Lizzie Borden & UFO Abduction

Imagine a place where the ordinary blurs with the extraordinary, where legends whisper just beneath the surface of our daily lives. A region not fully charted on any atlas, but mapped out in ghostly tales, shadowy traditions, and stories half-remembered and half-believed. Welcome to the New England that author and Emmy-nominated host Jeff Belanger brings vividly to life—an America both timeless and haunted, where history and myth intertwine.

A Land Between Fact and Fable

Located in the northeastern corner of the United States, New England is a land steeped in the kind of history that feels present in every cobblestone, whispering down every narrow lane. Made up of six states — Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut — this region clings to its roots fiercely. Belanger describes it as “the creepy attic of the United States,” where relics, stories, and mysteries of centuries past are carefully preserved and openly discussed, unlike in other parts of the country where talk of ghosts or hauntings might spark heated, even religious, debate.

There’s a matter-of-fact acceptance here of the strange and the spectral. In New England, discussing a haunted house is as casual as deciding between cream or sugar in your coffee. Maybe it’s the long winters that encourage storytelling, or the enduring influence of old-country sensibilities. Whatever the cause, it’s this culture of preservation and openness that makes New England such fertile ground for tales of the uncanny.

The Iconic Case: The Lizzie Borden House

No exploration of New England’s dark side would be complete without a visit to the infamous Lizzie Borden house in Fall River, Massachusetts. The scene of a grisly double murder in 1892 — a case largely pointing to Lizzie herself but never truly solved — the house has become a living museum of the mysterious. Today, it operates as a bed and breakfast, painstakingly restored to resemble its late 19th century state, right down to the crime scene photos hung on the walls.

For many, spending a night here is about becoming part of the story. As Belanger recounts from his own experiences, sometimes guests hear unexplained footsteps, catch glimpses of apparitions, or encounter objects out of place. Others leave convinced the only thing haunting is the house’s twisted legacy. The unresolved nature of the Borden murders means the questions — and the spirits, perhaps — linger on, with new layers of speculation added by each visitor.

The Allure of Haunted Houses (and Those Who Bravely Dwell There)

It’s one thing to visit a haunted site; it’s another to live or run a business in one. Owners and caretakers of such places become both stewards and participants in an ongoing story. As Belanger points out, spending a night at a site like the Lizzie Borden house is a badge for thrill-seekers and skeptics alike, a personal encounter with history’s unresolved mysteries. For visitors, the risk is usually a sleepless night and a good story. For inhabitants, it’s a daily negotiation with the house’s history and whatever presence might still linger.

Belanger’s tales aren’t limited to New England’s borders. He references the famous Amityville Horror house in New York—a site of confirmed tragedy and later alleged haunting—describing how some try to move past a place’s past, only for the stories to pull them back in. There’s always an element of the unknown, a line between what we can explain and what we simply cannot.

Skepticism and Belief: Stories That Shape Our Reality

Skeptics and believers both find a place in Belanger’s world. He himself approaches each story with an open yet analytical mindset, quick to check for drafts behind fluttering curtains or for logical explanations behind odd sounds. “When I can’t explain it away, then it gets good,” he says. Often, what we expect shapes what we experience—being told a room is haunted can heighten the sense of unease—but sometimes even the staunchest skeptic is left without answers.

The common thread, observed the world over, is the human need to ask big questions. Hauntings provoke us to wonder about the afterlife. UFO stories push us to ask whether we’re truly alone in the universe. Cryptid sightings—like the region’s own lake monster legend, Champ—remind us that the world may hold secrets we’ve yet to discover. And while telling these stories gives us a safe distance, they remain powerful precisely because they touch on those universal mysteries.

UFO Mysteries: The Strange Case of the Hills

Not all New England legends are of the ghostly kind. Sometimes, the unknown comes from above. In 1961, the abduction account of Betty and Barney Hill became one of America’s most influential UFO stories. Driving across New Hampshire, the Hills claimed to have seen an unusual light in the sky, had missing time, and experienced physical effects. What makes their story enduring is not just the strangeness of the event, but also the Hills’ willingness to brave public scrutiny and incredulity, taking a stand for their truth despite the pressure to remain silent (especially significant for an interracial couple in that era).

Today, a state-sponsored historic marker stands near the alleged site of the encounter — a rare official nod to the paranormal that draws curiosity-seekers and plenty of selfie-takers. The mural-clad gas station nearby is both a kitschy celebration of local lore and a reminder that even the strangest stories become part of a community’s identity.

Why We Keep Telling These Stories

So why do these legends persist? Why do people keep returning, generation after generation, to haunted houses, to lonely roads where lights once flickered, to lakes where monsters might lurk? In part, it’s a search for meaning and for encounters that break up the mundane. When we participate in these stories — by visiting haunted sites, listening to accounts, or sharing our own — we connect with a shared human longing for the mysterious and the unexplained.

Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or someone who simply enjoys a good story, New England’s tales challenge and invite us to explore the boundaries of our knowledge. They offer us a glimpse into the things that lie between the world we see and the one just out of reach—the things both visible and invisible.

Keep the Curiosity Alive

If you’re captivated by stories that balance on the razor’s edge of fact and folklore, New England should be on your bucket list. And for those itching for more, tune in to Jeff Belanger’s podcast "New England Legends" or dive into his books for a deeper look into haunted history, unexplained phenomena, and the stories that shape our sense of place. Don’t forget to bring a curious mind… and maybe a flashlight, just in case.

Ready to uncover the next mystery? Subscribe, support, and keep exploring — because the real magic happens in those spaces where the everyday slips quietly into legend.