The Phantom Revelers of Brass Lantern Inn

In the quintessential Vermont village of Stowe, where Mount Mansfield‘s snow-capped peaks pierce the sky and autumn maples blaze like torches, stands a brick farmhouse that has weathered over two centuries of New England seasons. The Brass Lantern Inn, built around 1810, began its life as a modest working farm with rolling fields and a separate carriage house. Today, its exposed mortise and tenon beams, wide-plank pine floors, and distinctive brickwork speak of an era when life moved to the rhythm of harvest and hearth.

But within these historic walls, some guests never seem to check out.

The Mystery of the Midnight Revelers

For years, guests and staff at the Brass Lantern Inn have reported the same peculiar phenomenon. It always begins the same way: in the quiet hours after midnight, when Vermont's countryside settles into its deepest slumber, voices suddenly pierce the silence. Not just any voices, but animated, jovial conversation filled with the unmistakable energy of people who've just returned from an extraordinary evening.

Innkeeper Andy Aldrich once reported that “the guests tell me the same story.” Here are a few of his recollections:

Former innkeeper Andy Aldrich became intimately familiar with these nocturnal visitors through the consistent reports from bewildered guests. “The guests tell me the same story,” Aldrich once observed, noting the remarkable consistency in what people experienced.

The pattern was always identical: A guest would say, “I heard some people who arrived very late last night in the room across the hall from me. I heard them speaking and talking about the good time they just had.” The conversations invariably centered around “having been to a dance or party.”

Curious guests would often approach the front desk the next morning with questions that became all too familiar to the staff: “Who were the people who came in late last night, talking loud enough so I could hear their words? And where did they go to a party?”

The answer was always the same—and always unsettling. There were no late arrivals. No other guests on that floor. No party-goers returning from a night on the town.

The Phantom Room

In all cases, it's about the same room. And in all cases, there were no guests in that room or even a nearby room. They were always the only guest on that stairwell. This consistency has made the phenomenon one of Vermont's most intriguing ghost stories, transforming a simple bed and breakfast into a destination for those seeking more than just mountain views and maple syrup.

The spirits seem to be reliving moments of pure joy, enthusiastic spirits talking about a dance they attended. Their conversations bubble with excitement, filled with laughter and animated recollections of an evening that may have taken place decades or even centuries ago. When staff members investigate these reports, checking for intruders or late arrivals, no one is there.

A Farmhouse's Hidden History

What makes these ghostly gatherings particularly intriguing is the building's rich history. The original brick house and wood framed carriage house is ca. 1810. For nearly two centuries before becoming an inn in 1988, this was a working farmhouse where generations of families lived, loved, and celebrated life's milestones.

In rural Vermont of the 1800s and early 1900s, farmhouses like this one served as community gathering places. Barn dances, harvest celebrations, and social gatherings would have been common occurrences, bringing neighbors together from across the valley. The wide-plank floors guests walk on today may have once resonated with the sounds of fiddle music and dancing feet.

Perhaps the phantom revelers are echoes of these bygone celebrations—guests from a long-ago party who found the evening so memorable that some part of their joy lingered, imprinted on the very walls of this historic farmhouse.

A Haunting Without Fear

What sets the Brass Lantern Inn's haunting, apart from more sinister ghost stories is its benevolent nature. These aren't malevolent spirits seeking to frighten or harm, but joyful souls who seem caught in an eternal celebration. Guests have reportedly heard laughing and talking coming from rooms as if there were people returning from a late-night out.

The inn continues to welcome guests from around the world, most of whom come for the stunning views of Mount Mansfield, the award-winning breakfast, and the charm of staying in an authentic 1810 farmhouse. As the fourth owners since that time, we are privileged to continue this tradition of quality lodging in the village of Stowe.

For those fortunate enough to encounter the phantom party-goers, the experience seems less frightening than fascinating—a gentle reminder that some joys are so profound they transcend the boundaries between past and present.

The Legend Lives On

Today, the Brass Lantern Inn stands as one of at least three haunted locations where visitors have experienced unexplained paranormal activities in Stowe, Vermont. While some guests come hoping for a supernatural encounter, others remain blissfully unaware of their spectral neighbors until they hear those familiar voices in the night—forever discussing a dance that ended long ago but somehow never really stopped.

In a world where so much divides us, perhaps something is comforting about ghosts whose only concern seems to share memories of a good time. At the Brass Lantern Inn, the past and present coexist in perfect harmony, with both living guests and departed spirits finding exactly what they're looking for: a warm welcome, comfortable accommodations, and the timeless Vermont tradition of hospitality that transcends even death itself.

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