Ringwood Manor
Old world captains of industry may still reside in this two hundred year old New Jersey manor
Paranormal Activity at
Ringwood Manor
- Doors will be unlocked by unseen forces
- Footsteps are often heard traversing the home’s halls
- Uneasy feelings of not being alone are reported throughout the house
- An apparition carrying a lantern is seen outside the mansion
- Unexplainable cold spots are encountered by visitors
- Disembodied voices are heard from certain rooms
- The figure of a ghostly skeleton is sometimes seen on the grounds
- Blue ghost lights are reported from around the mansion
- Loud knocking sounds are sometimes reported around the house
The Iron Mansion:
History of Ringwood Manor
Less than a mile from New York’s border, in northern New Jersey’s Ringwood State Park, stands the preserved structure of Ringwood Manor. Built of wood, but shaped by iron, Ringwood Manor spent generations as a luxurious home to the ironmasters who operated nearby mines and furnaces.
Now a public museum, the manor serves as a centerpiece of the expansive state park and brings countless tourists through its corridors each year.
And lore spread by visitors suggests Ringwood Manor may be the most haunted place in the park. Tales of ghost lights outside and phantom footsteps within have conjured an aura of mystery around the mansion.
Could Ringwood Manor be New Jersey’s most paranormal plot of parkland?
Timeline of Ringwood Manor's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Ringwood Manor through the years
1764
In the mid-1700s, before the United States became independent, northern New Jersey served as an industrial hub. The region was rich with iron ore, so mining and blast furnace operations soon sprouted up to take advantage. In 1764, local businessman Peter Hasenclever purchased the future site of Ringwood State Park, using the land to expand iron output from the region’s mines. And as ironwork grew in northern New Jersey, an ongoing line of ironmasters needed a place to call home.
1807
In 1807, ironmaster Martin Ryerson took over the Ringwood operation. Three years later, he started work on a centrally-located ironmaster’s manor. Ryerson’s mansion soon became known as Ringwood Manor. After him, the manor became home to a succession of Ringwood ironmasters. In 1853, investor Peter Cooper consolidated the region’s industry, buying Ringwood Manor and the 19,000 acres of iron mines and blast furnaces around it.
1938
Throughout the late 1800s, as the iron industry changed, so too did Ringwood Manor. Additions were added to the mansion through the end of the century, including major projects done in 1864, 1875, and 1900. The last major rework occurred in 1910, as iron operations through northern New Jersey dwindled. By the 1920s, Ringwood Manor no longer served as the ironmaster’s estate, and its future became uncertain. Uncertainty lingered until 1938, when the home was acquired by the state to become part of the new Ringwood State Park.
1966
As part of Ringwood State Park, Ringwood Manor was opened as a museum. In 1966, the home was made part of a National Historic Landmark District, preserving it for generations to come. Today, both the manor and the park continue to prosper. However, among the old mines and forge artifacts, phantoms may linger. Claims of ghostly lights and apparitions are commonplace today, with Ringwood Manor often being the focal point of the park’s spooky stories. Could old ironmasters be haunting the grounds of Ringwood Manor?
Is Ringwood Manor Haunted?
In the eras of iron mining, superstitions spread around the Ringwood region. Tales of ghosts that would help travelers find their way, and others that would be harbingers of disaster.
One of the most well-known spirits at Ringwood is said to be the entity of former ironmaster Robert Erskine.
Erskine operated the ironworks through the Revolutionary War, running the mines and forges until his death in 1780.
After he died, Erskine was buried in a cemetery close to the current Ringwood Manor. And for years after his death, travelers and ironworkers alike reported seeing his apparition wander off from his grave.
See a Ghostly Lantern Light
Stories of Robert Erskine’s specter reach far back into history, but his entity can purportedly still be spotted around Ringwood today.
Most often, Erskine’s apparition is seen in the evening or at night, appearing beside his grave with a blue-lit lantern at his side. Witnesses report seeing the lantern bounce as Erskine’s phantom walks through the park, always sticking close to Ringwood Manor. While many tales describe Erskine’s figure as a shadowy apparition, some older reports say he will appear as a glowing, translucent skeleton.
Mineshaft Mysteries at Ringwood
The ghost of Robert Erskine isn’t the only old world ghost story at Ringwood. Miners’ stories said that loud, mysterious knocks, thumps, and bangs would emanate from certain mine shafts at night. The superstition of the era said that those noises would always come before some kind of mining disaster, as if the ghosts were warning workers to stay away.
While the mines around Ringwood have been abandoned for years, some of that spiritual activity is still reported above ground, at Ringwood Manor. Loud knocks and thumping sounds are reported around the mansion’s halls quite often.
Blue Ghosts in the Manor
Ringwood Manor’s mysterious knocks aren’t the only outdoor ghost stories that may have seeped inside over the years. Some tourists claim to see glowing blue lights and figures in the house, the same strange hue Robert Erskine’s lantern is said to give off.
The blue aura inside the house is thought to be a sign of another resident spirit, though this specter’s identity is disputed. Some say it is the spirit of Robert Erskine’s wife or mistress, while others claim it is the ghost of a later owner, Eleanor Hewitt. It is unlikely that this blue-hued ghost will ever be positively identified, as her appearances are said to be rare and split-second.
Run Into a Chilling Cold Spot
Sudden, unexplainable cold spots are another common claim inside Ringwood Manor. Even when a blue glow inside doesn’t materialize, many visitors say the rapid temperature drops will indicate the location of Ringwood Manor’s wraiths.
At times, these mysterious chills will be accompanied by unsettling and equally unexplainable feelings in people. Witnesses say it feels like some invisible person or force is watching them everywhere they go, only giving them space once they leave the mansion.
Spectral Servants Haunt the Halls
More modern ghost stories say that Ringwood Manor may be haunted by an unfortunate servant’s soul. A popular claim suggests a Ringwood servant was beaten to death in the mansion’s servant quarters, and now haunts the space.
Despite possibly being nothing more than a local legend, the servants’ quarters remain an oft-noted paranormal hotbed. Disembodied voices and distant cries are sometimes heard coming from the servants’ quarters at strange times. But whenever anyone investigates, they find the area empty.
The Manor’s Unexplained Footsteps
Footsteps are a regular report at Ringwood Manor as well. Heavy footsteps purportedly follow some visitors around the house. Some witnesses say multiple ghosts can be heard walking the halls simultaneously.
Whoever these ghostly footsteps belong to, they may be the specters responsible for another common claim at Ringwood.
Doors throughout the museum are said to be notorious for unlocking for no identifiable reason.
Often, workers will lock up the mansion’s rooms for the night, only to come in the next day to find some or all of the doors curiously unlocked. Perhaps the Ringwood spirits simply won’t stand for locked doors disrupting their walks?
Find Wraiths at Ringwood Manor
As part of Ringwood State Park, Ringwood Manor remains a popular tourist attraction in northern New Jersey. Between regular tours and other park activities, there often is not time for ghost tours, flashlight explorations, or other paranormal-themed offerings.
The state park also closes up the grounds at night, so anyone hoping to see ghosts at Ringwood ought to go searching for them during the day.
While ghost tours aren’t offered by Ringwood Manor, paranormal enthusiasts can always book a guided day tour when the mansion is open. Through 2025, the grounds are set to be closed for numerous renovation and preservation projects.
Many ghost hunters will tell you that renovations can stir up even more paranormal activity in haunted buildings. So perhaps, when Ringwood reopens to public tours, new ghostly happenings will materialize. Maybe Robert Erskine’s ghost will finally find his way indoors, where his blue lantern can mix with the cerulean aura within, and both can glow a little brighter.
