The Haunted Kimball Castle: Ghosts, Legends & Eerie Encounters



Perched on a hill overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee in Gilford, New Hampshire, Kimball Castle (also known as Castle in the Clouds) is a crumbling relic of grandeur and a magnet for chilling tales of the supernatural. Once a lavish estate built in the late 19th century by railroad tycoon Benjamin Ames Kimball, the imposing granite structure now stands abandoned and foreboding. Over the decades, visitors, trespassers, and caretakers have reported a litany of strange phenomena, earning the site a reputation as one of New Hampshire’s most haunted locations.

A Legacy of Loss and Disrepair

Constructed in 1894, Kimball Castle was designed by Italian stonemasons using local granite, resulting in a 20-acre estate overlooking the lake. After Benjamin Kimball’s death in 1920, the estate changed hands repeatedly. In 1960, the property was transferred to a humane foundation but ultimately fell into disrepair and was heavily vandalized. Today, it stands condemned, its ruinous towers shrouded by warnings and no trespassing signs.

The Eerie Ambience

Even from afar, the castle emits a distinct aura. Visitors describe feeling an unshakable sense of unease just stepping onto the grounds. The structure's gothic spires, broken windows, and looming presence are enough to unsettle even the most skeptical observer.

Paranormal Reports

Cold Spots and Unseen Presences: Numerous visitors report sudden cold drafts around the castle’s rooms and corridors—especially near broken windows and empty halls.  One caretaker allegedly felt an unseen “force” urging them to turn back—an uncanny sensation of being watched.

Antique Clocks and Flickering Lights: Antique clocks—long since broken—have reportedly ticked back to life at random, only to die again.  Lights have flickered on and off without power, accompanied by heavy footsteps echoing across vacant rooms.

Apparitions and Shadow Figures:

Visitors to the stable-turned-workshop claim to have seen a grey figure moving silently, footsteps echoing in empty spaces.  A caretaker reported seeing a well-dressed man ascending the staircase, smiling—and disappearing upon closer approach.

Unlocked Doors and Mysterious Noises: Doors swing open on their own, often to reveal empty rooms beyond.  Unexplained screams and whispers have reverberated from the castle’s workshop and stables.

Local Legends & Shared Experiences

Reddit users who trespassed describe eerie “horror scenes” in bathrooms hidden by debris, heightening the sense the castle harbors something malevolent. Paranormal investigators reported EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) and EMF spikes in rooms with heavy antique furnishings—though some events were later attributed to architectural quirks.

What Might Be Behind the Hauntings?

Psychological & Environmental Factors: The castle’s unstable floors and windows may amplify eerie feelings—drafts, gales, and natural noise becoming interpreted as paranormal. The isolation and ruin may prime visitors to expect the unreal—leading to powerful psychological projections.

Residual Energy or Spirits: Others argue that Great Kimball Castle harbors the residual energy of its troubled past, perhaps linked to Benjamin Kimball’s death in lavish solitude or visitors who died on site.  Some believe a family spirit—possibly a daughter or caretaker—remains, unseen but unwilling to let go.

Is Karma Haunting or Cold Air?

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, Kimball Castle offers both an atmospheric thrill and a psychological case studyin fear. TORCHES may illuminate dusty corridors—yet it's the unseen that keeps people whispering long after they’ve left the rubble behind.