Built in 1773 in the heart of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the Red Lion Inn began its life as a colonial tavern, serving travelers for nearly a century. When the Plumb family purchased the property, they didn’t just preserve it they transformed it. Mrs. Plumb personally filled the halls with colonial furniture, china, and artwork, curating an atmosphere that still lingers today inside the Inn. Unfortunately, in 1896, a devastating fire destroyed the original structure. Two world wars, Prohibition, and the Great Depression all threatened the future of the Inn. And yet it endured. Over the centuries, presidents, poets, and celebrities have all checked in, helping build its legendary reputation. Visitors and staff have long reported ghostly apparitions, sudden cold spots, and the unmistakable feeling of an unseen presence drifting through the historic corridors. And here’s where it gets even stranger. This isn’t the only Red Lion Inn with paranormal claims. Across England in places like Avebury, Salisbury, and Gloucester, you’ll find other locations bearing a similar name such as Red Lion Hotel or Red Lion Square, many with their own paranormal experiences attached. So is it coincidence? Or is there something about the name “Red Lion” itself that seems to attract the paranormal?

Sources:

“The Red Lion Inn – Haunted History of Stockbridge’s Legendary Inn” by Beyond Haunted Staff on Beyond Haunted on October 3, 2025 (https://beyondhaunted.com/massachusetts/haunted-red-lion-inn)

“The Red Lion Inn” by US Ghost Adventures on January 5, 2022 (https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-places/the-red-lion-inn/#:~:text=Ghostly%20rumors%20continue%20to%20swirl,man%20in%20a%20top%20hat.%E2%80%9D)

“Hauntings at the Red Lion Inn?” by Joe Durwin (https://mysterious-hills.blogspot.com/2009/09/hauntings-at-red-lion-inn.html)

“7 Haunted Historic Hotels: Sleepless Nights Guaranteed” by Dennis Hockman on National Trust for Historic Preservation on October 29, 2015 (https://savingplaces.org/stories/eight-haunted-historic-hotels-sleepless-nights-guaranteed?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=324585972&gbraid=0AAAAAD3cOxIaCHQ424Y2R3YiHt4OBTrS6&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs97ZysfckgMVF0tHAR0G5zKBEAAYASAAEgKngPD_BwE)

“Ghost stories, sightings a tradition at the Red Lion Inn” by Richard Damas on October 25, 2023 (https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2023/10/25/massachusetts-haunted-hotel-halloween)

“Stockbridge Massachusetts: a Town Preserved in Time” (https://cameronvolastro.com/blog/stockbridge-massachusetts-a-town-preserved-in-time)

“The Red Lion” on Haunted Britain and Ireland (https://www.haunted-britain.com/red-lion-inn-avebury.htm)

“History of Avebury Henge and Stone Circles” (https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/history/)

https://the-redlion.co.uk/haunted-hotel-in-wiltshire/

https://the-redlion.co.uk/history/

https://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/salisbury

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/

https://www.nativeamericantrail.org/stockbridge-walking-tour/

https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/the-red-lion-inn/history-mystery.php

https://www.redlioninn.com/history