There are three ghosts that have been spotted throughout the years here at Liberty Hall and the gardens: The Gray Lady, The Spanish Opera Singer, and a British soldier from the War of 1812.
The Gray Lady is our oldest and most famous ghost on the property, and the only one to be seen inside. The most famous sighting of the Gray Lady occurred in the 1880s by Mary Mason “Mame” Scott.
The story goes that one night after returning to Liberty Hall from finishing school Mame had gone to bed early, tired from traveling, awoke in the middle of the night to see a tall figure standing at the end of her bed veiled in gray. This happened for three nights.
When Mame told a family friend about her experience, she said “Old Aunt Varick at it again.”
Before she was a ghost, the Gray Lady was a real person named Margaretta Varick. She was Margaretta Brown’s aunt who visited the Browns in the summer of 1817, but only three days into her visit on July 28th she suddenly passed away at age 73. Her cause of death is unknown.
While Mame’s sighting of the Gray Lady is most well-known, many other Browns saw the ghost as well. Margaretta Brown Barrett reportedly saw her descend the Liberty Hall stairs. And Mary Gunn Brown—the wife of one of John Brown’s grandsons—saw the Gray Lady in the back bedroom where Mame first saw the ghost - the same room where Aunt Varick had died.
Since we opened as a museum, many visitors, employees, and volunteers have all had experiences with the Gray Lady. She is still often seen in the back bedroom or descending the stairs but is also frequently seen in Liberty Hall’s iconic Palladian window.
The two other ghosts at Liberty Hall are said to be seen in the gardens. Unlike the Gray Lady Ghost Story, the legends of the Spanish Opera singer and the Civil War Soldier do not come from the Brown Family and their origins are unknown.
According to stories, in 1805 a Spanish opera singer—Madame Rosa—visited Frankfort from New Orleans. While in town, she attended a party at Liberty Hall and after stepping out into the garden she disappeared, never to be seen again. Sometimes visitors claim to see the ghost of a frightened woman in the garden that supposedly matches Madame Rosa’s description. We have no evidence that the Browns held a party where anyone, opera singer or otherwise, disappeared, but despite this the legend of Madame Rosa lives on in the Liberty Hall gardens.
Legend has it that the War of 1812 soldier, or Revolutionary War soldier depending on who’s telling it, fell in love with a visiting Brown cousin and can still sometimes be seen looking longingly at the front parlor window. Much like the story of the Spanish opera singer, we have no historical basis for this figure, but they both have become part of the folklore of Liberty Hall.
In 1965, a photograph taken of the staircase revealed an apparition, which is pictured above.
Read more on the importance of the legend of The Gray Lady!
The story of The Gray Lady of Liberty Hall is told in the specialty Gray Lady Tours, available in October annually. 2024 Tours are available Wednesday nights through the month of October at 6pm & 7:30pm and Gray Lady Tours have been revitalized this season with fresh perspective and more insight.
Please note: Paranormal investigations are not typically allowed. However, we are offering a one night exclusive Ghost Hunt on October 26th 2024. Click below for more details and to purchase your tickets! This event is limited to 20 people so get your spot now!