Gunston Hall
Hunt for the ghost of a Founding Father on the grounds of his old Virginia plantation house
Paranormal Claims at
Gunston Hall
- George Mason's apparition reportedly appears in mirrors around the house
- Disembodied footsteps are frequently heard
- The sound of jingling keys is sometimes reported from empty areas of the museum
- Figures in 1700s era clothing are often spotted
- Apparitions of enslaved people are seen lingering on the grounds
George Mason’s Mansion:
History of Gunston Hall
Take a trip down Gunston Road outside of Lorton, Virginia, and the road will soon split in two. Follow the fork into the woods and the thin, winding road will deliver you back in time to the era of the Founding Fathers.
The era of George Mason and Gunston Hall.
Now part of a complex of buildings new and old, Gunston Hall is one of America’s most historic homes.
Though it was once home to one of the framers of the US Constitution, Gunston Hall is a public museum today. Visitors can learn all about life on a 1700s farm, the life of Founding Father George Mason, and maybe even a little about his afterlife.
Timeline of Gunston Hall's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Gunston Hall through the years
1755
Construction on Gunston Hall first began in 1755. At that time, George Mason was a wealthy landowner in Virginia with a burgeoning career in regional politics. Mason designed Gunston Hall himself and oversaw its years-long construction process. The home and its outbuildings were completed in 1759, the central hub of Mason’s plantation. Despite having a privileged life at Gunston Hall, Mason often busied himself with political and revolutionary causes away from the plantation.
1787
George Mason went on to become a delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates shortly after the US declared independence. In 1787, he served as a delegate for Virginia to the US Constitutional Convention. Controversially, he was one of the few delegates not to sign onto the constitution as written. In the years that followed, Mason pushed hard for amendments, which ultimately became the Bill of Rights. In 1792, less than a year after the Bill of Rights was ratified, George Mason died at Gunston Hall at age 66.
1867
After George Mason died, his family took over management of the expansive plantation around Gunston Hall. The Mason family kept control of the house and land until 1867, when they had to sell it all off. In 1912, Louis Hertle and his wife took ownership of Gunston Hall and began the process of restoring it. By the 1930s much progress had been made, but the Hertles began wondering how to preserve their work even further.
1932
Hertle deeded Gunston Hall to Virginia in 1932, but continued living on the property until his death in 1949. That same year, with ownership fully shifted to the Commonwealth, Gunston Hall began conversion into a public museum. Opened in 1952 and still managed by the Commonwealth today, Gunston Hall has been a treasured museum for over 70 years. In that time, many visitors have said that George Mason’s ghost might just be Gunston Hall’s most intriguing, and most elusive, exhibit.
Is Gunston Hall Haunted?
There are a few reported phantoms around Gunston Hall, but George Mason is the most active of them all. Mason’s apparition is frequently spotted wandering around his old house, identified by his 1700s era outfits.
More than just endlessly walking the halls of his home, Mason is also said to appear in unexpected places. Visitors often report being startled by Mason’s sudden appearance in mirrors around the house, only for him to vanish before their eyes. Reportedly, Mason’s ghostly activity has been happening around Gunston Hall since the early 1890s.
George’s Ghostly Family
Other members of the Mason family are said to join George in haunting Gunston Hall. Few witnesses are able to identify which family members these are, but many reports are eerily similar. Visitors and museum staff alike often spot apparitions in 1700s era clothing, both men and women.
In other areas, often just outside the house, people report seeing figures of former slaves. Many enslaved people worked Gunston Hall’s land until slavery was outlawed. Today, reports of phantom slave laborers are almost as common as encounters with George’s ghost.
Phantom Footsteps Frolick
Though not always seen around the house, George and the Mason family may be heard stomping through the halls and plantation grounds.
Heavy disembodied footsteps are simply another common paranormal happening at Gunston Hall.
These footsteps will often trace up and down the museum’s halls in the midst of the night. Sometimes, witnesses report the footsteps being joined by the sound of jingling keys. It is said that George Mason frequently carried the plantation’s many keys along with him each day.
Could these sounds be George Mason, forever making his rounds?
Ghosts & Grandeur at Gunston Hall
Between modern museum buildings and original structures, George Mason’s Gunston Hall is a wealth of knowledge about the Founding Fathers and old world Virginia.
While you won’t find many programs about ghosts offered at the museum, the Mason family’s phantoms apparently still stay busy.
Ghostly encounters and unexplained happenings are noted almost every tourist season. Anyone hoping to encounter the phantoms of Gunston Hall can book a day tour through their website to explore the grounds.
And if you’re planning to tour Gunston Hall, keep a close eye on all the house’s mirrors. Maybe you’ll be the next person to get a fright from a Founding Father’s phantom.
