White House is Haunted

Is the White House Haunted? 8 Presidents Say Yes—Here's Proof.

Ghosts of Abigail Adams & David Burns

Abigail Adams and her husband John, the second president of the United States (1797-1801), moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from the former U.S. capital in Philadelphia. At the time, Washington, D.C. was still just a town, built mostly on swampy land on the banks of the Potomac River. Because the East Room of the new White House was the warmest and driest, Abigail used it to hang the wash. Her ghost, clad in a cap and lace shawl, has reportedly been seen heading towards the East Room, arms outstretched as if carrying laundry.

One night in the 1940s, according to a well-known story, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was kicking back at the White House. He had just emerged from a hot bath to stroll into the adjoining bedroom, naked and smoking a cigar. But it turned out he had a surprise visitor, leaning against the fireplace mantel: Abraham Lincoln, or rather his ghost. Churchill didn't miss a beat. Tapping the ash off his cigar, he said, "Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage."

Lincoln smiled, then disappeared. Churchill—who didn't rattle easily—nonetheless refused to sleep in that bedroom ever again.

The White House? Haunted? If all the ghost sightings from White House staff, first families, and other famous leaders who've been spooked here are to be believed, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is packed with apparitions.