Liverpool is a city packed with history, and with centuries-old buildings, atmospheric streets, historic cemeteries and grand old houses comes no shortage of ghost stories.
From tales of unexplained footsteps on Penny Lane to a mysterious pyramid tomb said to be connected to the Devil, some of Liverpool’s best-known locations have developed a darker side to their history.
There are stories of apparitions in hotels, strange encounters in former hospitals and even people who claim to have stepped back in time while walking through the city centre.
Of course, ghost stories are exactly that — stories. Many have been passed down through generations and form part of Liverpool’s folklore rather than documented historical fact. But whether you’re a believer, a sceptic or simply enjoy a good spooky tale, there are plenty of haunted places in Liverpool with fascinating stories attached to them.
Here are some of the places that have become part of Liverpool’s supernatural folklore.
44 Penny Lane
L18 1DG
Penny Lane is known around the world thanks to The Beatles, but one address on the famous road has also been linked to a much stranger chapter of Liverpool history.
Reports dating back to the early 1970s told of unexplained noises at 44 Penny Lane, which was being used as a printing shop at the time.
According to archived accounts of Liverpool Echo reports, the owners were said to have received complaints from neighbours about heavy footsteps, shuffling and banging coming from an upstairs room despite nobody being inside the property.
The reports claimed similar noises had been associated with the neighbouring properties for several decades, helping the story of the so-called Penny Lane Poltergeist become part of local ghost folklore.
Today, Penny Lane remains one of Liverpool’s biggest visitor attractions for Beatles fans, although anyone looking for the address should remember that properties along the road are private premises and should be respected as such.
Speke Hall
The Walk, Speke, L24 1XD
Few buildings in Liverpool look more suited to a ghost story than Speke Hall.
The striking timber-framed Tudor manor house was developed by the Norris family from the 1530s onwards and has survived more than 400 years of Liverpool history. Its historic features include a priest hole that reflects the dangers faced by the Catholic Norris family during the Tudor period.
Over the years, numerous supernatural tales have become attached to the house, with the mysterious Lady in Black among the best known.
Rather than treating the darker stories surrounding Speke Hall as confirmed history, they’re better viewed as part of the folklore that has grown around a building with centuries of stories behind its walls.
The National Trust itself continues to embrace the Hall’s spooky reputation. For Halloween 2026, Spooky Speke will see the Lady in Black return as visitors take part in torchlight tours of the Hall after dark on selected dates throughout October.
It’s certainly one of Liverpool’s most atmospheric places to explore once the nights begin to draw in.
Newsham Park Hospital
Orphan Drive, L6 7UL
The imposing former Newsham Park Hospital has become one of the city’s most famous locations for ghost hunters.
Before becoming a hospital, the Grade II-listed building began life as the Liverpool Seamen’s Orphan Institution. Designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse, it was built between 1871 and 1874, with the orphanage officially opening in 1874.
The building was later used as Park Hospital and, during its later years, provided psychiatric care before eventually closing in 1997.
Its long corridors, former wards and abandoned appearance have helped Newsham become closely associated with paranormal investigations. Visitors and ghost hunters over the years have reported unexplained noises, shadowy figures and strange sensations inside the building.
There is no evidence to prove those experiences are paranormal, but Newsham’s combination of genuine history and decades of supernatural stories means it remains one of the first places many people think of when discussing haunted Liverpool.
Access to the building can change, so anyone interested in visiting should only do so through an authorised event or tour and should never enter without permission.
St James’ Cemetery
Cathedral Gate, Upper Duke St, Hope St, Upper Parliament St, St James Rd,L1 7AZ
Sitting beneath Liverpool Cathedral, St James’ Cemetery already has one of the most dramatic settings in the city.
Before becoming a cemetery, the site was a stone quarry. It was transformed into one of Britain’s earliest garden cemeteries during the 1820s and is now recognised by Historic England as a Grade I registered landscape.
Among its most notable memorials is the monument to William Huskisson, the former Liverpool MP who died in 1830 after being struck by a locomotive during the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. His Greek Revival monument was erected in the cemetery in 1836.
Liverpool folklore has subsequently added a supernatural element to Huskisson’s story, with tales suggesting the figure of a solitary gentleman has occasionally been seen close to his monument.
With its old gravestones, rock faces, tunnels, monuments and the enormous Cathedral towering above, St James’ Cemetery remains an atmospheric place even without the ghost stories.
Rodney Street and William Mackenzie’s Pyramid
Rodney Street, Liverpool, L1
Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter has no shortage of fascinating history, but Rodney Street is also home to one of the city’s most enduring supernatural legends.
Rodney Street began to take shape during the late 18th century and became one of Liverpool’s most prestigious residential areas. Today, dozens of its Georgian properties are listed buildings.
Hidden within the former churchyard of St Andrew’s is the distinctive pyramid-shaped monument to 19th-century railway contractor William Mackenzie.
Mackenzie died in 1851, while the unusual pyramid memorial was erected by his brother Edward in 1868. That 17-year gap is one of several details that casts doubt on the more colourful legends surrounding the tomb.
According to Liverpool folklore, Mackenzie was a gambler who lost his soul to the Devil during a game of cards. One version of the story claims he was eventually placed inside the pyramid sitting upright at a card table in an attempt to stop the Devil collecting what he was owed.
There is no historical evidence supporting the tale, and research into Mackenzie’s life provides little to back up the claims that he was an obsessive gambler. That hasn’t stopped the story becoming one of Liverpool’s most famous urban legends, with further tales suggesting his ghost still wanders Rodney Street.
Fact or folklore, the pyramid remains one of the city’s most unusual monuments.
Bold Street and Liverpool’s famous time-slip stories
Bold Street, Liverpool, L1
Ghosts aren’t the only unexplained phenomenon said to have been experienced in Liverpool.
Bold Street has become famous for stories of apparent time slips, with people claiming their surroundings suddenly changed and appeared to belong to an earlier period before returning to normal.
Different versions of the story have circulated over the years. Some accounts describe old-fashioned cars, clothing and shopfronts appearing for a short period, while others claim the people involved felt as though they had temporarily stepped back decades in time.
The stories are firmly within the realm of urban legend, and there is no scientific evidence showing that a time slip has ever taken place on Bold Street. Nevertheless, they’ve become an established part of Liverpool folklore and continue to fascinate people interested in the unexplained.
Next time you’re walking down Bold Street, it might be worth taking a closer look around you.
Just in case.
The Adelphi Hotel
Ranelagh St, L3 5UL
Opened in its current form in 1912, Liverpool’s famous Adelphi Hotel is another landmark that has collected numerous ghost stories over the decades.
The Grade II-listed hotel was designed by Frank Atkinson and retains a number of impressive original interior features.
One of its most frequently repeated ghost stories concerns a young pageboy named Raymond Brown. According to accounts of the hotel’s paranormal history, Brown died following an accident involving a baggage lift in 1961 and his apparition has subsequently been reported around the hotel, sometimes apparently helping guests with their luggage.
Other stories associated with the Adelphi include unexplained figures, strange noises and reports from guests who have felt as though they were being watched.
As with Liverpool’s other paranormal tales, these remain reported experiences rather than proven events, but they’ve certainly helped cement the Adelphi’s place in Liverpool ghost folklore.
Croxteth Hall
Muirhead Avenue East, Liverpool, L11 1EH
Another of Liverpool’s grand historic houses, Croxteth Hall dates back to the 16th century and was the ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton.
The estate remained associated with the family until the death of the 7th Earl of Sefton in 1972. Today, the Hall sits within the extensive Croxteth Hall and Country Park and is open to visitors.
Like Speke Hall, generations of history have also resulted in plenty of stories about unexplained visitors.
Reported sightings over the years have included shadowy figures, children and apparitions said to resemble former residents of the Hall. Its reputation became strong enough for ghost hunts and paranormal investigations to be held at the property, while a 2017 arts project at Croxteth Hall also referenced the building’s reputation as one of Liverpool’s haunted houses.
Whether anything supernatural is wandering through its rooms is another matter, but the historic interiors and centuries of stories certainly give Croxteth Hall plenty of atmosphere.
Are there really haunted places in Liverpool?
There is no scientific evidence proving that any of Liverpool’s ghost stories are genuinely paranormal.
What the city does have is hundreds of years of history and a rich tradition of storytelling. Over time, documented historical events have become mixed with local memories, legends, reported sightings and stories that have been retold from one generation to the next.
And that’s part of what makes them so fascinating.
From the Lady in Black at Speke Hall to the Bold Street time slips and William Mackenzie’s supposed deal with the Devil, Liverpool’s supernatural stories have become part of the city’s folklore in their own right.
Whether you’re a true believer or wouldn’t dream of believing in ghosts, exploring the stories behind Liverpool’s supposedly haunted places offers a very different way to discover the city’s history.
And if you’re looking for more spooky things to do this autumn, take a look at our Halloween in Liverpool 2026 guide for events taking place across Liverpool City Region.
READ MORE: BEATLES DAYS OUT IN LIVERPOOL: THE TOP PLACES YOU SHOULD VISIT
