A Supernatural History of New York

Unearth a parallel history of New York City rich in haunted folklore as we tease out the myths and facts of the past — tales of riots, wars, disasters, and tumultuous lives and deaths — and how they have created some of our city's most enduring supernatural stories. We'll examine the significance of these ghostly urban legends in the history and consciousness of a city and its inhabitants.

Join Andrea Janes, owner and founder of Boroughs of the Dead walking tours and co-author of A Haunted History of Invisible Women, as we discover the history behind the hauntings, placing these stories within the broader narrative of New York City. How do traumatic events create enduring local legends whose influence lingers long after living memory has faded? How do we reuse land in New York City, overwriting sacred spaces and places where tragedy occurred? Who gets to tell the tales of these places or determine how they are memorialized? And why do some outsize stories and personalities engender enduring legends while others are forgotten? You’ll learn all of this and more, as we untangle the complex relationships between the turbulent past and the spectral present.

This is a live, virtual course hosted by Roundtable, which includes interactive opportunities and post-course recordings available for all course participants.

‍