Seven gay haunts of the Bay State

Gay ghosts? The spirit realm has been known to transcended sexual orientation. But in honor of National Coming Out Day earlier this month, and in anticipation of Halloween, local paranormal expert Sam Baltrusis, author of the recently released book “Ghosts of Boston: Haunts of the Hub,’’ kicks open the paranormal closets of seven local landmarks to out some of the areas most fabulous denizens from beyond this world.

Omni Parker House

<br>60 School St., Boston<br>Since opening its doors in October 1855, the Omni Parker House has been home to various sightings of the apparition of the hotel’s founder, Harvey Parker, who reportedly has been spotted roaming the 10th-floor annex. Other spooky happenings involve elevators mysteriously being called to the third floor, where the gender-bending Charlotte Cushman, a revered Shakespearean actress who played both female and male roles, died in 1869 after having a tumultuous relationship with sculptor Emma Stebbins. – By Sam Baltrusis

Lizzie Borden House

<br>92 2d St., Fall River<br>Although she was acquitted of the gruesome murder at her 1845 Victorian home, the ax-wielding Lizzie Borden never shook her “forty whacks’’ claim to fame that she killed her father and stepmother on Aug. 4, 1892. In addition to her chop-chop notoriety, Borden apparently had an intimate relationship with actress Nance O’Neill. There’s also a theory that she had a torrid love affair with the housekeeper, Bridget Sullivan. Currently a bed & breakfast and museum, the Borden house is open for curiosity seekers to spend the night where the murders took place. – SB

Jacques Cabaret

<br>79 Broadway, Boston<br>“Night of the Living Drag Diva’’ sounds like a good title for a campy zombie flick. But here’s a real-life equivalent: “I felt a little uneasy when I went down to the basement of the club,’’ Lauletta recalled. “I then saw something out of the corner of my eye, looked and it was gone.’’ Lauletta believes he had a close encounter with the spirit of Sylvia Sidney, born Sidney Sushma, the late, great “Bitch of Boston,’’ and legendary drag queen. – SB

Hammond Castle

<br>80 Hesperus Ave., Gloucester<br>Inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr. who built the medieval-style castle in the late 1920s had an odd desire to be reincarnated as a cat. Many believe the black feline who roamed the grounds and sat in his favorite chair in the library was Hammond himself. Henry Davis Sleeper, the legendary designer who is rumored to have had an unrequited love affair with his Red Roof neighbor, Abram Piatt Andrew Jr., designed the inventor’s favorite spot, known as the “whisper room,’’ where people have heard disembodied voices from beyond. – SB

Carpe Diem

<br>12 Johnson St., Provincetown<br>Owned by partners Rainer Horn and Jürgen Herzog, the literary-themed bed & breakfast known as Carpe Diem had a past life as Provincetown’s funeral home. The inn is notoriously haunted. In fact, the William Shakespeare suite, room 9, is where guests sense an otherworldly presence, as if someone or something is standing behind them. In the Eugene O’Neill suite, workers have seen an imprint of a body on the bed when no one was in the room. Seize the day? Apparently, the Latin phrase is applicable even after they’re six feet under. – SB

Rose & Crown Guesthouse

<br>158 Commercial St., Provincetown<br>Built in the 1780s and one of the oldest homes in Provincetown, this Georgian-style “square rigger’’ is known for its eerie wooden-carved ship figurehead, nicknamed the Jane Elizabeth, who greets guests as they enter the lesbian-run guesthouse. The inn is rumored to be haunted by Preston Babbitt, who owned the house in the 1980s and passed away in the early ’90s due to complications associated with AIDS. Babbitt’s spirit has supposedly been seen in the house wearing a white wedding gown, an outfit he wore during the yearly Carnival parade. – SB

Hawthorne Hotel

<br>18 Washington Square, Salem<br>When the ’60s-era TV show “Bewitched’’ shot several episodes in Salem, the cast and crew used the Hawthorne Hotel as home base. Gay icons Paul Lynde (Uncle Arthur) and Agnes Moorehead (Esmeralda) would approve from their post-mortem celluloid closet. As far as hauntings, the Hawthorne Hotel allegedly boasts phantom hands in room 325 and a female, full-bodied apparition on the sixth floor. – SB