Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Mosaic in Beachfront Park.
Tsunami Walking Tour
Madam Yoko’s gravesite.
Madam Yoko’s Grave
Garden path.
Garden of the Presidential Mansion
Anabaptist Cages
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the Marin Headlands at sunrise.
Listener Stories of Leaving Home: From San Francisco to Japan
1 day ago
Aerial view of Bell Labs Holmdel
How the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex Inspired ‘Severance’
2 days ago
Omni Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House: Inside the History of Boston’s Most Iconic Hotel
3 days ago
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Rochester The White Lady's Castle

The White Lady's Castle

An old dining hall now serves up ghost stories for lusty locals.

Rochester, New York

Added By
Joseph Hedden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
White Lady’s Castle   impossiblesoul / Atlas Obscura User
White Lady’s Castle   impossiblesoul / Atlas Obscura User
Stairs lead ominously to the main castle wall.   impossiblesoul / Atlas Obscura User
Behind the castle   annaliesethegnome / Atlas Obscura User
6/2022   Gigi Johnson / Atlas Obscura User
In 2016, a white head briefly appeared on the wall.   derweze / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Nestled near a forest in Rochester, New York is a crumbling old foundation which looks not unlike a medieval castle, and although history tells us the structure was part of an early 20th century dining hall locals know this site is the White Lady's Castle.   

The actual building ruins located in Durand-Eastman Park were once part of a hotel dining hall that served swimmers in the nearby Lake Ontario. Now the site is little more than sets of curved steps leading up to a tall stone wall, the top of which serves as a sort of rampart. The overall impression is that of an ancient European castle fallen into ruin, so it is no wonder that a pervasive local legend has grown around the site.

As the story goes, the crumbling remains are all that is left of a stately home belonging to an over-protective mother and her daughter. One night, the daughter went out for a stroll and never returned. The mother, thinking that her daughter had run away with a young suitor went mad and continues to haunt any nubile young things that visit the remains of her home. Locals have reported seeing a white phantasm hovering over the ramparts of the former refectory and more dramatically, some have reported seeing the ghost flanked by a pair of spectral dogs that will chase anyone foolish enough to canoodle near the site.

The tale of the spectral "white lady" exists in a number of iterations the world over, but this ghost's "castle" may be the most effective in scaring lusty teens.

Related Tags

Castles Parks White Ladies Ghosts Will O Wisps And Spooklights Mystery Spots And Gravity Hills Architectural Oddities Architecture

Know Before You Go

Take 590 North Until you see the roundabouts, when it turns into Seabreeze Drive. At the fourth roundabout, make a left onto Durand Boulevard. Go through the stoplight and you are now on Sweet Fern Road. The White Lady's Castle is one mile on the left at the top of a low hill overlooking Lake Ontario.

Community Contributors

Added By

impossiblesoul

Edited By

derweze, annaliesethegnome, Gigi Johnson

  • derweze
  • annaliesethegnome
  • Gigi Johnson

Published

May 10, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://rocwiki.org/Lady_In_White
  • http://www.weirdus.com/states/new_york/local_legends/white_lady_castle/
  • http://www.paranormalghostsociety.org/EastDurandPark.htm
The White Lady's Castle
1433 Lakeshore Boulevard
East Irondequoit
Rochester, New York, 14622
United States
43.236198, -77.557201
Get Directions

Nearby Places

House of Guitars

Rochester, New York

miles away

Sam Patch's Grave

Rochester, New York

miles away

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery

Rochester, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rochester

Rochester

New York

Places 25
Stories 2

Nearby Places

House of Guitars

Rochester, New York

miles away

Sam Patch's Grave

Rochester, New York

miles away

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery

Rochester, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rochester

Rochester

New York

Places 25
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Iulia Hasdeu Castle.

    Câmpina, Romania

    Iulia Hasdeu Castle

    This eccentric folly house was designed by Romanian thinker Bogdan-Petriceicu Hasdeu, with a helping hand from his deceased daughter's spirit.

  • German eagles at the entrance.

    Alt Duwisib, Namibia

    Duwisib Castle

    A German “baron” built this castle for his wife, but their romance was short-lived.

  • Miramont Castle Museum

    Manitou Springs, Colorado

    Miramont Castle Museum

    This enigmatic building features numerous architectural styles.

  • Västerås, Sweden

    Hotell Hackspett (Woodpecker Hotel)

    Unfortunately, you can no longer spend a night in this single-person treetop hotel.

  • Johnstone Castle

    Johnstone, Scotland

    Johnstone Castle

    A 16th-century castle unexpectedly nestled within a post-war housing development.

  • Wooden Squirrels of Mount Royal Chalet.

    Montreal, Québec

    Wooden Squirrel Carvings

    The vaulted ceiling is home to a scurry of “squirrelgoyles.”

  • Castillo Ortega-Douglas seen from the street.

    Aguascalientes, Mexico

    Castillo Ortega-Douglas

    In Mexico, an abandoned Scottish-looking castle stands as a tribute to love.

  • The tower dominates the town’s skyline.

    Oban, Scotland

    McCaig’s Tower

    Looking strangely like Rome's Colosseum, this unfinished tower has dominated the skyline for over 100 years.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.