Naugatuck Cemetery Featured On New CT Haunted History Trail Map

NAUGATUCK, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing and Tourism announced last week the launch of the Connecticut Haunted History Trail, a new statewide tourism experience featuring more than 130 locations across the state connected to haunted landmarks, paranormal lore, witch-trial history and centuries of unexplained stories, including a cemetery in Naugatuck.

According to a news release provided by Lamont's office, the trail spans nine categories, including haunted homes, museums and theaters, cemeteries, hiking trails, ghost and paranormal tours, restaurants, lighthouses, witch, occult and metaphysical collections, hotels and sites connected to Connecticut's colonial witch trials.

A Naugatuck cemetery is listed under the "haunted cemeteries" category, according to the release:

• Gunntown Cemetery, Naugatuck: A historic burial ground in Naugatuck established in 1790, it contains the graves of many members of the Gunn family, early settlers who played an important role in the development of the area. In addition to its historical significance, the cemetery is widely known for local ghost stories and paranormal legends, making it one of Connecticut’s most well-known haunted sites. Visitors have described hearing unexplained music and children’s laughter, along with sightings of ghostly figures like a lantern carrying man and a small boy near the back wall. Some also report a vanishing black dog and strange mists or orbs captured in photos. Paranormal investigators — including the Warrens — have labeled the site haunted, adding to its eerie reputation.

See the entries here.

"Connecticut has nearly 400 years of stories to tell, including chapters of our history that deserve to be remembered and understood," Lamont said in a news release. "This trail gives people an opportunity to learn more about that history, while also discovering the extraordinary places, legends, and stories found throughout our state, and supporting the many small businesses and attractions that make Connecticut so unique."

Visitors can explore the Connecticut Haunted History Trail and view the interactive map at CTvisit.com/haunted-history.

The new experience draws upon one of Connecticut's most compelling—and often overlooked—chapters of history. Connecticut's witch trials began in 1647, approximately 45 years before Salem, when Alse (Alice) Young of Windsor became the first person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies. At least 49 people were accused of witchcraft in colonial Connecticut, at least 34 were indicted and at least 11 were executed. In 2023, nearly four centuries later, the Connecticut General Assembly adopted House Joint Resolution 34, formally acknowledging the injustice committed against those accused and convicted of witchcraft in colonial Connecticut and apologizing to their descendants, according to the release.

The Connecticut Haunted History Trail extends far beyond the state's witch-trial history. It includes historic homes and theaters associated with reported paranormal activity, centuries-old cemeteries, reportedly haunted restaurants and hotels, mysterious lighthouse lore, ghost tours, abandoned places, unusual collections and locations connected to Connecticut’s longstanding fascination with the unexplained, according to the release.

The trail launches as haunted-history and paranormal travel continue to attract visitors looking for experiences that combine history, storytelling and a sense of mystery. Connecticut has long earned a reputation as being one of the most haunted states in the country, with centuries of ghost stories, paranormal lore and historic sites associated with unexplained activity, according to the release.

"Travelers continue to seek experiences that give them a story to take home with them, and Connecticut has extraordinary stories hiding in plain sight," Morgan Nyerick, director of the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing and Tourism, said in a news release. "Our tourism strategy is about finding unexpected and highly memorable ways to connect people with the places, businesses and history that make Connecticut different. The Haunted History Trail takes something people are already fascinated by and turns it into a reason to travel across the state, discover communities they may never have visited and experience Connecticut through an entirely different lens."

The Connecticut Haunted History Trail builds on a series of statewide tourism initiatives that have generated significant national attention for Connecticut, including the Connecticut Pizza Trail, Christmas Movie Trail, and Connecticut Oyster Trail.

Includes reporting by Chris Dehnel, Patch Staff