Aviva Trivia

Lincoln’s former bedroom in the White House is reported to be the most prominently haunted spot in the President’s mansion. This former President’s ghost has been spotted by guests, staff and even Sir Winston Churchill, who was sleeping in the room. He absolutely refused to stay there any longer and on later visits, asked for a different room.

Lincoln also paces the second floor hall, knocks on guest’s doors, gently taps visitors on the shoulder or gives a soft cough to give their attention. He’s also been known to be in the company of the ghost of his son Willie, who died in the White House at a young age. President Lincoln’s ghost is often seen standing at the window of the Oval Office when the nation is at war. It is here he stood to look out on the battlefield across the Potomac when he was in power.

There are other ghostly figures that call the White House home. Reports of former President John F. Kennedy looking out the Oval Office window have also been reported. This spot seems to be a favorite for the ghosts of former Presidents.

Dolly Madison, wife of former President James Madison, would never allow anyone to do her laundry. At the time, the White House was still being built and many of the rooms were cold and drafty. Mrs. Madison chose to string a clothesline in the East Room because it got a lot of sunlight. Reports state that the First Lady has been seen hurrying toward the East Room with her laundry. She’s also been seen hanging her laundry on the clothesline in the East Room. Dolly Madison is the oldest reported ghost in the White House.

The specter of a black cat has been seen in the basement of the White House several times, just before a national tragedy. It was seen before the Big Crash in 1929 and again before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

The ghost of a War of 1812 soldier is said to walk the grounds of the White House at night. It seems he is still patrolling the area. A former usher still turns off lights in the building, while a ghostly doorman still stands at this post.

Former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, told Rosie O’ Donnell that there is an atmosphere in the White House at night that gave her the feeling of “summoning up the spirits of all the people who lived there and worked there and walked the halls there.”

There have not been as many reports of ghosts in the White House since the second floor was renovated during the Truman administration. Possibly the ghostly specters have finally been able to cross over to the other side.