Independence Hall

The birthplace of the United States where the Founding Fathers debated and signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of America's most important historical buildings and a hotspot for paranormal activity.

Independence Hall, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed in 1776, and where the U.S. Constitution was created in 1787. The building has witnessed some of the most consequential moments in American history—and some of its most famous figures apparently never left.

Benjamin Franklin's ghost has been seen multiple times over the years, most commonly as a vivid apparition in the Assembly Room where he helped draft the Declaration of Independence. His spirit appears examining a copy of the founding document, often accompanied by a mysterious mist and a distinctive musty smell that has become the signal of his presence. As the founder of the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Philosophical Society, Franklin's love for knowledge seems to have kept him lingering around the institutions he created.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the ghost of Benedict Arnold is also said to haunt Independence Hall. The traitorous general—America's most infamous turncoat—appears condemned to share the building with his former friend and fellow patriot Franklin, though his apparition reportedly stays far away from Ben's. Some believe Arnold continues to seek revenge for his expulsion and disgrace, eternally bound to the place where he once served the cause he would later betray.

National Park rangers have reported seeing other 18th-century spirits throughout the building, including glimpses of figures in period dress and what some claim to be Alexander Hamilton's ghost. Odd, musty odors appear in rooms without any known cause, and ghostly mists have been photographed in areas where no moisture should exist.

Independence National Historic Park does not currently offer ghost tours inside the hall, but the building is a regular stop on Philadelphia ghost walks. Whether the founding fathers' spirits truly remain at the birthplace of American democracy, or whether the building simply holds echoes of the momentous decisions made within its walls, Independence Hall continues to captivate visitors seeking connection with America's revolutionary past.