There are some historic sites you visit because they’re beautiful, some because they’re essential, and some because they’re… deeply unsettling. I knew from the 2011 episode of Ghost Adventures (when Zak Bagans proudly tells an apparent spirit to “push this axe on [his] face”) that the Lizzie Borden House would fall into that last category. But there’s more to visiting the house today than the hope of running into possible spirits.
Tucked into a quiet residential street in Fall River, Massachusetts, the house looks deceptively normal from the outside. It’s well-kept, unassuming, and almost too ordinary for a place so steeped in infamy. In 1892, however, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered inside this house, and their daughter Lizzie was famously accused and acquitted of the crime.
The case remains one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American history, a mix of sensational violence, Victorian morality, media frenzy, and an enduring mystery. As someone who loves history (especially the messy, uncomfortable kind), I’ve always been fascinated by how places like this are preserved, interpreted, and presented to the public.
Lizzie Borden House Tour Experience
Tours begin in the gift shop located in the shed behind the house. If you are a fan of the storytelling and mystery of the house, or really of Lizzie herself, this gift shop will surely have something for you inside. T-shirts, coffee mugs, postcards, and even axe or hatchet earrings, and a mystery board game a la Clue can all be found in this gift shop.
I’m going to be totally honest here and say that most of the items in the gift shop weren’t quite my taste, but I can also acknowledge that there’s a target audience for this kind of merchandise, and I know it isn’t me. From my experience working in Salem, MA, I know for a fact lots of people will want to do some shopping here, and if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that would be you.
I’d recommend stopping back in the gift shop after the tour to do some shopping if anything caught your eye, but also to spend some time checking out the display case by the register. The case houses artifacts excavated from the property, and it’s well worth heading back to the gift shop to see them.
After meeting our guide, Amber, in the gift shop, we were off to the front door of the house to start the tour. The rooms are furnished to reflect the period. While the house was lived in between the murders and its conversion to a bed and breakfast, we were able to learn which elements were original, replicas, or later additions.
I don’t want to give too much of the tour away, but the experience itself strikes an interesting balance between storytelling and restraint. Amber walked us through the Bordens’ daily lives, the rigid social norms of the late 19th century, and the complicated family dynamics that often get overshadowed by the more sensational details of the murders. It’s easy to forget that this wasn’t just a crime scene; it was a home, occupied by people with habits, grudges, routines, and relationships that mattered.
Other family members, like Lizzie’s sister Emma, a visiting uncle, Bridget Sullivan (the Bordens’ Irish housemaid), several neighbors, and even a local doctor and police all played a role in the days around the murders, and the information Amber provided about all the key players was immensely helpful in understanding the house’s dark history.
Of course, two stops on the tour focus on how the murder victims were found (and the immediate aftermath of the investigation and autopsies). If you’re familiar with the Lizzie Borden House at all, you can probably visualize the two scenes, with Andrew’s body photographed on one side of the couch, and Abby crouched over alongside the bed.
During our tour, there were life-sized figures of Andrew and Abby in their respective locations. At first, this rubbed me the wrong way, but as Amber pointed out details on the positioning of the figures and what they were wearing compared to what we know of the day of the murders and Victorian culture, I can see how they are a useful learning device. We also learned that if you stay in the room where Abby was found overnight, she stays with you.
Alongside the figures, Amber showed us historical photos of the crime scene. While I’ve seen some of the images before, I’ve never viewed them with the context I gained from the tour. Most TV show specials about the Lizzie Borden House focus on how gruesome the crime itself was, but the tour’s explanation went on to fill in details that helped me better understand what I was looking at.
Should you take the tour?
Generally, yes. Dark tourism experiences can be challenging to recommend, as they obviously aren’t for everyone. In the case of the Lizzie Borden House, it’s safe to say that there’s a chance you may not love the aesthetic of the gift shop or the figures of Andrew and Abby. Still, you’ll enjoy the tour if you’re interested in history, true crime, the paranormal, or the Victorian era.
Despite the nursery rhyme and the cultural shorthand that paints Lizzie as a cold-blooded killer, the reality we learned on the tour is far murkier. The evidence was circumstantial. The investigation was flawed. Gender expectations and class privilege shaped the trial. Guests on the tour definitely leave the house not with answers, but with questions, and honestly, that feels appropriate. In my case, it inspired me to want to learn more about the court case, and I now have a book on it checked out from the library and at the top of my TBR list.
Plan Your Visit
US Ghost Adventures offers several ways to experience the Lizzie Borden House, so you could cap your visit to a one-hour tour, or make an overnight or whole weekend out of it.
You can view more information about each option here, but the tour was a great introduction to the house. There was an option to add on a visit to the basement for some ghost stories, which we did, and I would recommend it if you are interested in the more paranormal side of the house and do not have time for an overnight ghost hunt. The rest of the tour really focused on the history as opposed to hauntings, so if you are looking for more of a ghost experience, you’ll want to add on the basement visit for sure.
Overnight ghost hunts happen every night, and are limited to a small group so you can truly take your time exploring the basement, where most of the paranormal activity has been captured. And of course, the house is still a functioning bed and breakfast, so you can always opt for a more traditional overnight stay, albeit in accommodations that are riddled with dark history.
Go to lizziebordenhouse.com to plan your visit, or check out US Ghost Adventures to find a ghost tour in a city near you!
Thank you to US Ghost Adventures for inviting me out!
