Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Lincoln’s Ghost, The White House Ghost, The Phantom President
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The ghost of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, is one of the best-known spirits in American folklore. According to legend, Lincoln’s ghost has haunted the White House since his assassination in 1865. He is most often associated with the Lincoln Bedroom and the corridors of the presidential residence, where witnesses have claimed to see his figure, hear his footsteps, or sense his presence. He is typically described as resembling Lincoln in life, wearing his characteristic dark frock coat and tall stovepipe hat. Stories of his apparition have become part of the White House’s reputation for supernatural activity.
One of the earliest reported sightings came from First Lady Grace Coolidge, who said she saw Lincoln standing at a window in the Yellow Oval Room in 1927, gazing toward the Potomac River. Other prominent visitors have supposedly encountered his spirit. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands reportedly heard a knock on her bedroom door in 1942 and, upon opening it, saw Lincoln standing before her in his familiar clothing. In another popular story, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill emerged from his bath and encountered Lincoln beside a fireplace. Churchill greeted the apparition with a witty remark about being at a disadvantage, whereupon Lincoln allegedly smiled and vanished. These accounts vary in their details, but repeatedly portray the former president appearing unexpectedly to visitors staying in the White House.
Other reports describe unexplained sounds and less direct manifestations. Residents and staff have claimed to hear footsteps outside the Lincoln Bedroom, knocks at its door, or the sound of someone moving inside. Mary Eben, a secretary to Eleanor Roosevelt, reportedly saw Lincoln sitting on the bed and pulling on his boots, while other witnesses claimed to have seen him lying on the bed or seated in a chair. Eleanor Roosevelt said she had repeatedly felt Lincoln’s presence, although she did not claim to have seen him herself. President Harry S. Truman reportedly heard mysterious knocks while staying in the Lincoln Bedroom, and several members of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration also claimed to have encountered signs of the ghost.
The haunting is not limited to the White House. Lincoln’s spirit has reportedly appeared at former residences and locations associated with his life, including his law office in Springfield, Illinois. Other legends describe a phantom train traveling along the route taken by his funeral train in April, as well as apparitions near his grave. Reports of supernatural activity have also involved Lincoln’s son, Willie, who died of typhoid fever in the White House in 1862. Staff members during the administration of Ulysses S. Grant reportedly saw Willie’s ghost, and later accounts included a claim by Lynda Bird Johnson Robb that she had seen and spoken with the boy’s spirit. Together, these stories have made the White House Ghost a lasting part of American ghost lore, linking the nation’s presidential history with tales of the dead returning to places deeply connected to their lives.
Sources
“Lincoln’s Ghost.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%27s_ghost