• 102 Commercial St - The entity at 102 Commercial Street is not a typical ghost, the restless spirit of a deceased resident. It is something much more malevolent, a being that feeds on a particular vulnerability: artistic ambition and the delicate ego that often accompanies it. It is attracted to the creative energy of the house, a place that has, for centuries, drawn artists, filmmakers, and dreamers to its shores.

• US Coast Guard Station Provincetown - The waterfront near the U.S. Coast Guard Station, established in 1979, includes remnants of old wharves tied to Provincetown’s fishing and whaling history. The area is linked to the 1717 Whydah shipwreck, whose cursed treasure is rumored to haunt the harbor.

• 156 Commercial St - Walk to the eerie remnants of an abandoned wharf where spectral sailors are said to linger. Here, the legend of the “Drowned Mariner” is shared, a ghostly figure seen mending nets under moonlight, tied to the 1717 Whydah shipwreck. His cursed treasure is rumored to summon ghostly lights along the shore, luring curious visitors to their doom.

• Historic District - The Martin House - Among the chilling tales associated with the Martin House, one local legend stands out in its unsettling horror. It speaks of the original Mr. Martin, consumed by a jealous rage over his wife’s suspected affair with a servant. In a fit of madness, he allegedly forced his wife to witness the hanging of the servant from a large tree in their front yard. Following this horrific act, he is said to have hanged his wife and his children from the very same tree, before finally taking his own life.

• 230 Commercial St - The Lancy Mansion - Inspired by Provincetown’s Victorian-era homes, the fictional Lancy Mansion, built in 1885 by whaler Captain Benjamin Lancy, is a three-story residence with a widow’s walk. Its dark history stems from the winter of 1896, when Benjamin’s mother, Abigail, died of pneumonia, and her body was kept in the basement due to frozen ground, unable to be buried until spring.

• Unitarian Universalist Meeting House - Pause at the Universalist Unitarian Church on Commercial Street, which served as a temporary hospital during the 1901–1902 chickenpox outbreak that struck Provincetown’s children. The guide recounts how the church’s pews were replaced with cots to treat dozens of patients, many of whom didn’t survive. Locals report hearing faint cries of the “Fevered Children,” ghostly echoes of young victims, and seeing shadowy figures in the church’s windows at night. The guide uses a lantern to highlight the building’s facade, enhancing the eerie atmosphere.

• Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum - At the base of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where granite stones rise 252 feet to pierce the sky, a dark secret lingers in the shadows of High Pole Hill. The monument, built between 1907 and 1910 to honor the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in 1620, is a beacon of history by day—but at night, locals whisper of a spectral figure known as the “Wraith of the Cornerstone,” a ghostly woman whose tragic death during the monument’s construction has bound her spirit to its base. This is the chilling tale of Margaret Hale, whose blood stained the cornerstone and whose restless soul haunts the tower to this day.

• Historic District - Stop at the Victoria House, a charming bed-and-breakfast with a dark past. Hear the chilling story of Tony “Chop Chop” Costa, a serial killer who stayed here in 1969, luring victims like Patricia Walsh and Mary Ann Wysocki to their deaths. Guests report hearing screams from Room 4, where Costa once resided, believed to be psychic imprints of his victims. The guide shares how Costa’s gruesome crimes—dismembering bodies and burying them in Truro—earned him nicknames like “Cape Cod Vampire.”

• Provincetown Library - The Provincetown Public Library, located at 356 Commercial Street, is a cornerstone of Provincetown, Massachusetts, with a history steeped in eerie tales and ghostly lore that make it a perfect stop for a spooky tour. Built in 1873 as the Center Methodist Episcopal Church, the building served as a place of worship before its conversion into a library in 2002, following a brief stint as the Heritage Museum. Its transformation over the years has only amplified its reputation for paranormal activity, with stories of spectral figures and unexplained phenomena tied to its religious and historical past. Below is a detailed exploration of the scary history of the Provincetown Public Library, crafted to align with the chilling vibe of the Provincetown Phantom Trail Walk and incorporating elements of local folklore, historical context, and ghostly legends.

• Cemetery Road - Enter the Provincetown Cemetery on Court Street, the tour’s creepiest stop. Under the glow of glowsticks (provided to “ward off spirits”), hear the tale of the “Weeping Widow,” a colonial spirit mourning her lost husband, whose sobs are heard on foggy nights. The guide also shares the story of the “Phantom Child,” a ghostly figure from the 1901–1902 chickenpox outbreak, seen playing among the gravestones, her laughter turning to cries as she vanishes. Visitors often capture orbs in photos here. As we face the direction of Race Point Dunes, hear the haunting story of the Lady of the Dunes. In 1974, a young girl discovered the mutilated body of Ruth Marie Terry, unidentified for nearly 50 years, with her hands removed and head nearly severed. The guide details how her 2022 identification via DNA linked her to suspect Guy Muldavin, yet her killer remains unconfirmed, leaving her spirit restless. Visitors to her grave at St. Peter’s Cemetery report feeling watched.

• Light Sticks to keep the Spirits Away
• Phantom Guided Tour

• Tips

The narrow lanes of Provincetown, extending from 102 Commercial Street to the eerie Provincetown cemetery, are alive with eerie stories stemming from the town’s 400-year legacy of shipwrecks, disease, ghostly apparitions, and dreadful crimes. This one-mile journey along Commercial Street, skirting the harbor’s edge, features historic structures and waterfront ruins where spirits are said to dwell. From the ghostly cries of children in the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House to the cursed specter of the Lancy Mansion, this region is a chilling mosaic of Provincetown’s haunted history. This tour reveals the haunted core of Provincetown, where the spirits of sailors, children, and cursed widows linger in the mist. Combining historical context, local legends, and supernatural elements, including mentions of the Whydah wreck, the 1901–1902 chickenpox outbreak, Tony “Chop Chop” Costa, and the Lady of the Dunes, it creates an ideal backdrop for a spine-tingling ghost tour!

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