Absecon Lighthouse

At 171 feet, Absecon Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey and third tallest in the United States. Built in 1857 and decommissioned in 1933, it has been featured on Syfy's Ghost Hunters due to its extensive paranormal activity.

The treacherous waters off Absecon Inlet were among the deadliest along the East Coast, earning the grim nickname "The Graveyard Inlet." Between 1847 and 1856, at least sixty-four ocean-going ships were lost in these waters. The tragedy that finally spurred action came in April 1854, when the ship Powhatan departed France with 311 passengers, only to be destroyed during a ferocious three-day nor'easter. All souls aboard perished, their bodies washing ashore along Atlantic City's beaches for days afterward. This devastation prompted Dr. Jonathan Pitney to finally convince Congress to fund a lighthouse, and construction began in 1855 under Lieutenant George Meade, who would later command Union forces at Gettysburg.

The first supernatural report at Absecon Lighthouse dates to 1905, when a lighthouse keeper claimed to see the legendary Jersey Devil perched atop the 171-foot tower. According to the account, the keeper grabbed his shotgun and fired at the creature, which let out an unearthly howl before flying off into the night. This bizarre sighting marked the beginning of over a century of paranormal reports from the oldest standing building in Atlantic City.

The most commonly experienced phenomenon is the phantom smell of pipe and cigar tobacco that drifts through the tower and keeper's quarters with no apparent source. The old oil house, where keepers once gathered to smoke and drink after their shifts, seems to be a hotspot for this activity. One worker entered the oil house and came face-to-face with a bearded man in coveralls who vanished in an instant. The spirits may be those of the six head keepers who dedicated their lives to the light, including Abraham G. Wolf, who served from 1873 to 1896 and documented an 1886 earthquake in the lighthouse logbook.

Visitors and staff consistently report unexplained footsteps echoing up and down the 228-step spiral staircase, particularly when the lighthouse is closed and empty. The sounds follow deliberate climbing patterns, as if someone is ascending or descending on duty. The main entrance door is known to open and close on its own, and disembodied voices—sometimes sounding like instructions being spoken softly—have been heard near the lantern room. Some hear what sounds like children giggling in the tower.

One of the most chilling pieces of evidence is a photograph taken in the stairwell passage that appears to show a pair of legs descending the steps when no one was present. A lighthouse employee reported seeing a ghostly hand, with no body attached, at the same section of staircase where phantom voices have been heard. In August 2023, a visitor climbing the tower recorded sounds of heavy breathing behind them and tapping sounds resembling Morse code on the walls.

TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) from Syfy's Ghost Hunters investigated Absecon Lighthouse on March 24, 2010, in the episode "Phantoms of Jersey." While a violent nor'easter during the investigation made it difficult to distinguish weather noise from paranormal activity, the team captured unexplained evidence. They recorded a female voice responding to their questions with "I like you," witnessed a camera move on its own at the top of the staircase, and caught a shadow figure crossing the wall. Investigators also reported seeing an apparition of legs descending the stairs only to find no one there. TAPS investigator Amy Bruni noted the theory that paranormal activity intensifies around water, and that lighthouse keepers' deep emotional attachment to their posts might explain the lingering presences.

Today, Absecon Lighthouse is fully restored and open to the public, with a history museum in the replicated 1925 Keeper's House. The lighthouse offers haunted tours and paranormal investigations for those brave enough to climb the spiral staircase after dark. Visitors report that the spirits here convey a sense of calm rather than menace—as if the keepers and sailors who linger are simply continuing their eternal watch over the dangerous waters of Absecon Inlet.