Ghosts at Gracie Mansion?
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams has humorously warned his successor, Zoran Mamdani, that Gracie Mansion—his new residence—might be haunted.
“Watch out for ghosts,” Adams quipped during a trip to Washington, D.C., as reported by FOX Business.
He added, “As long as it’s operating near the city, it’s a friendly ghost. If we don’t go near the city, he’ll turn into a poltergeist.” Adams has often claimed that the 226-year-old mansion is a real-life haunted house, but this latest remark also seemed tied to his ongoing critique of some of Mamdani’s plans.
This week, representatives for Mamdani confirmed his move to Gracie Mansion after he officially takes office next month, though they didn’t comment on Adams’ ghostly claims.
The humorous exchange came a week after the two met to talk about the transition process.
As Adams wraps up his term as mayor, he leaves behind his experiences with the mansion’s supposed restless spirit.
He has been vocal about his belief in ghosts, stating, “I don’t care what anyone says, there’s ghosts out there.” This reflection came after he moved into his Upper East Side home back in 2022.
Even a year later, Adams stood firm in his spectral beliefs, cautioning against dismissing the history and “energy” of Gracie Mansion, which has seen at least two deaths. Notably, Elizabeth Wolcott Gracey, the daughter-in-law of the mansion’s builder, died there in 1819, and Susan Wagner, wife of former Mayor Robert Wagner, passed away in the house in 1964 after battling lung cancer.
“I hear a squeak…I hear a door close,” Adams mentioned in an interview, reflecting on the unusual sounds he believes permeate the mansion at night.
Former first lady Charlaine McCray has also indicated that she felt a strange atmosphere at Gracie Mansion, discussing her experiences during a Halloween interview in 2017. However, her husband, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, didn’t share the same sentiment about ghostly encounters.
In fact, he stated, “In my eight years at Gracie Mansion, I never heard or saw a ghost,” which contrasts sharply with Adams’ lively narrative.
