🪓 A Night in the Infamous Lizzie Borden House – Ghost Investigation and Haunting History

by Roxanne Crouse May 25, 2025

If you grew up hearing the chilling rhyme:
“Lizzie Borden took an axe…”,
then you already know this house comes with baggage—and not the kind you can check at the door. I recently had the spooky privilege of staying overnight at the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts, and you better believe I brought all my ghost-hunting gear with me!

But before I get into what happened during my investigation (check out the video below for that 👇), let’s talk about the history behind this famously haunted house and who might be lurking around after dark...

🕰️ A Murderous History: What Happened at the Lizzie Borden House?

Built in 1845, the Lizzie Borden House is best known for the brutal double murder that happened there on August 4, 1892.

That morning, Andrew Borden was found dead on the sitting room couch, his face bludgeoned beyond recognition. Not long after, his wife Abby was discovered upstairs in the guest bedroom, struck 19 times in the head with what was believed to be a hatchet.

Only three people were in the house at the time:

Lizzie Borden, the couple’s 32-year-old daughter.
Bridget Sullivan, their live-in maid.
And, well... two people ended up dead.

Lizzie was the prime suspect and was eventually arrested and tried for the murders. But in a sensational trial that captivated the nation, she was acquitted. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

🧠 Did Lizzie Do It? Popular Theories

Many still believe Lizzie was guilty—here are a few of the most popular theories about why she may have committed the murders:

💰 Motive: Money and Control

Andrew Borden was wealthy but extremely frugal. Lizzie and her sister Emma were frustrated by their father’s stinginess, especially after he gifted property to their stepmother’s family.

🧴 The Burned Dress

Lizzie was seen burning a dress shortly after the murders, claiming it had paint on it. Some believe this was the murder dress, destroyed to hide the evidence.

🤐 Bridget Knows More Than She Said

The maid, Bridget, was supposedly outside washing windows when the murders happened—but some theorize she may have seen or heard more than she admitted.

Despite her acquittal, Lizzie was socially ostracized for the rest of her life. She remained in Fall River, living in a separate house called “Maplecroft,” and never spoke publicly about the case again.

👻 Who Haunts the Lizzie Borden House?

Let’s get to the spooky stuff. The house is now a bed and breakfast and ghost hunting hotspot, and nearly every guest room has a ghost story attached to it.

Here’s who people believe still lingers in the house:

🧔 Andrew Borden

Seen in the parlor where he was murdered. Guests report:

Cold spots.
Stern male apparitions.
Voices picked up on EVP sessions.

👩 Abby Borden

Her spirit is said to haunt the guest room where she died. Visitors describe:

A presence standing by the bed.
Feelings of dread.
Apparitions of a woman in Victorian clothing.

👒 Lizzie Borden

Even though she died elsewhere, some believe her spirit returns to the scene of the crime.

Whispering and laughter.
EVP recordings saying “I didn’t do it.”
A woman seen pacing or peeking from behind doorways.

🧹 Bridget the Maid

Her attic bedroom is active with:

Footsteps.
A woman’s voice weeping.
Cold bursts of air.

🧸 But Wait… What About the Children?

Here’s something not everyone talks about: child ghosts.

Some visitors report hearing:

Giggles.
Little footsteps running down the halls.
Toys moving on their own.

But no children lived in the house in 1892, so... who are they?

🧼 The Tragedy of Eliza Darling Borden

In 1848, decades before the infamous axe murders, Eliza Borden (a distant relative of Andrew) drowned her two children in a cistern before taking her own life at a nearby home on Ferry Street.

Many paranormal investigators believe those child spirits may have gravitated toward the Borden house, drawn by the traumatic energy or possibly even family connections. Their presence is one of the most unsettling and mysterious parts of the house’s paranormal reputation.

📹 Our Investigation: What We Experienced

Now for the good stuff—my ghost hunt!

In our overnight stay, we brought:

Spirit boxes.
EVP recorders.
REM pods.
Motion detectors.
And our healthy dose of skepticism.

Check out the full video above to see what happened. We set up equipment in each of the hotspots, tested for false positives, and tried to document any unexplainable activity.

Let’s just say… we didn’t leave empty-handed.

☠️ Final Thoughts

The Lizzie Borden House is creepy on history alone—but add in cold spots, disembodied voices, and the overwhelming feeling that you’re not alone, and it becomes one of the most intense locations I’ve ever investigated.

Whether or not you believe Lizzie did it, something in that house has never rested easy.

If you’re planning a stay—bring your equipment, an open mind, and maybe… a nightlight.

Want more haunted history and creepy investigations?
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow the blog—there’s always more spooky stuff coming for my fellow spooky cats. 😺👻