Canfield Casino

A Brief History: Located at 1 E Congress St in Saratoga Springs, the Canfield Casino was originally called the Saratoga Club House and was built by professional boxer John Morrissey in the late 1800s. Upon opening the Club House, Morrissey had 3 rules: no ladies allowed, cash only and no locals. The club would soon become one of the world’s most renowned gambling houses of the era. In 1884 Richard Canfield bought the venue and took a partnership in the gambling establishment. Today the Canfield Casino plays host to extravagant parties, elegant weddings and other events. It is also home to the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

Haunted History: Many think the Canfield Casino is haunted by the glamorous men and women who partied the night away in the grand parlor or spent the evening betting on the various games of chance in the casino. In the 1990s, a visitor claims to have seen a woman dressed in a Victorian era gown roaming through the corridors. This happened again in 2007 when a Saratoga Springs History Museum volunteer saw a woman dressed in similar Victorian era clothing approach their group, ask a question and then vanish into thin air. Between 2007 and 2010, the paranormal incidences seemed to increase. A patron had a glass slapped from her hand by a ghostly presence in 2009. Others have claimed they witnessed a lid to a garbage can fly into the air and crash onto the ground on its own. There have also been reports of the smell of cigar smoke when no one is smoking, objects moving in rooms that had been locked for the night, sudden freezing temperatures and feelings of hostile energy.