Beyond Netflix’s Monster: Step Inside the Real Haunted Homes and The Lizzie Borden House Preserved by US Ghost Adventures
There is something fascinating about watching history come alive on screen. A television series can bring a notorious story back into the spotlight, reminding us why certain mysteries have captured the public’s imagination for generations. That is certainly true of Lizzie Borden, whose name has remained attached to one of America’s most famous unsolved murder cases for more than a century.
Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story brings that infamous 1892 case back into the spotlight, offering a dramatic interpretation of Lizzie, her family, and the events surrounding the murders. But once the credits roll, curious viewers may find themselves wanting to know what really happened.
That is where history becomes something you can walk through. The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts, is owned by US Ghost Adventures and offers visitors the opportunity to explore the actual home connected to the case. And if you happen to live nowhere near Massachusetts, there are other historic properties to discover, from Iowa to Kansas to Gettysburg.
1. Lizzie Borden House:
Step Beyond the Netflix Story
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story gives viewers a dramatic introduction to one of America’s most enduring true-crime mysteries. The Netflix series explores the Borden household and the events surrounding the deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden, but like many historical dramas, it takes creative liberties with the documented record.
That is part of what makes visiting the Lizzie Borden House so interesting.
Instead of experiencing the story through a screen, visitors can step inside the actual Fall River home where the events of August 4, 1892 unfolded. Lizzie was accused of killing her father and stepmother, but she was ultimately acquitted. More than 130 years later, questions surrounding the case continue to fuel interest in what really happened.
US Ghost Adventures has made preserving that history an important part of their mission.
After acquiring the Lizzie Borden House, the company undertook significant restoration work, including strengthening the foundation, repairing deteriorated features, upgrading the building’s systems, and restoring Victorian furnishings and details. The goal was not simply to make the house comfortable for guests, but to protect the historic character of the property.
Today, the house functions as both a museum and an overnight experience. Visitors can learn about the documented history, see the spaces connected to the case, and, for those interested in the unexplained, participate in ghost hunts and other experiences.
It is an opportunity to separate the historical record from the television drama and perhaps encounter a mystery of your own.
2. Villisca Axe Murder House: Remembering a Family and an Unsolved Crime
In Villisca, Iowa, another historic home carries the weight of a tragedy that has never been completely explained.
The Villisca Axe Murder House was the home of Josiah and Sarah Moore and their children. On June 10, 1912, the Moore family and two young overnight guests were murdered inside the house. The crime shocked the small Iowa community, and despite suspects, theories, and investigations over the years, no one was ever convicted.
Today, the house is open to visitors, but its significance goes beyond its reputation as a haunted destination. It is also a place to remember the people who lived there and to learn about the circumstances surrounding the crime. That distinction matters.
The Moore family was more than the tragedy that happened to them, and visiting historic sites like this can provide an opportunity to understand the lives and communities surrounding these events.
The house was restored to reflect its 1912 appearance, helping visitors better understand the setting in which the events occurred. US Ghost Adventures now continues that preservation while offering historical tours and overnight experiences.
For visitors fascinated by unsolved history, Villisca offers a very different experience from the Lizzie Borden House. The details, the era, and the unanswered questions are all different. Yet both homes demonstrate why historic locations can tell a story in a way that television simply cannot.
3. McInteer Villa: Preserving a Midwest Mansion
Travel to Atchison, Kansas, and you will find another US Ghost Adventures property with a story that reaches well beyond its reputation as a haunted house.
The McInteer Villa was commissioned by Irish immigrant John McInteer in 1889 and completed in 1890. The enormous Queen Anne-style mansion reflected McInteer’s remarkable rise from a penniless immigrant to a successful businessman. His life included military service during the Civil War and a successful career in the leather and saddlery trade.
The building went through many chapters after the McInteer family lived there. It eventually became a rooming house before later serving as the home of local violinist Isobel “Goldie” Altis. Decades of changing ownership and use left their mark on the property, but earlier preservation efforts helped protect many of its original architectural features.
Now, US Ghost Adventures is continuing that work. In 2026, the company began a major restoration initiative intended to return the mansion closer to its historic appearance. The project includes restoring the front entrance and porch, removing later alterations, recreating period architectural details, and incorporating historical artifacts into the rooms.
That preservation work is especially meaningful at a property like McInteer Villa. The ghost stories may be what initially catches your attention, but the history gives the house its personality.
The villa is also considered one of the more actively haunted locations in the Midwest with visitors and investigators reporting apparitions, unexplained sounds, moving objects, and other unusual experiences. Whether you visit because you love historic architecture or because you want to investigate the unexplained, McInteer Villa offers both sides of the experience.
4. Brickhouse Inn: Stay in the History of Gettysburg
Few American communities carry as much historical weight as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Brickhouse Inn puts visitors directly into that history with the property connected to the historic Welty House and the events of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The Welty House was built in the 1830s and was home to Solomon Welty. During the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the family and their neighbors sheltered in the basement while Confederate forces used the home as a sharpshooter position. The building still bears visible scars from the fighting.
After the battle, the property was used as a temporary burial ground for 36 Union and Confederate soldiers.
The Victorian Brickhouse Inn was constructed on the property in 1898 and eventually became part of the bed-and-breakfast that operates there today. US Ghost Adventures purchased the Brickhouse Inn in 2022 and restored the Welty House’s identity as an important historic property.
For guests, that means the opportunity to stay overnight surrounded by Gettysburg history. The property is also associated with reported ghostly activity, making it an intriguing destination for visitors interested in both history and the unexplained.
History Doesn’t End When the Credits Roll
A television series can make history feel immediate. It can introduce us to mysteries that have fascinated generations and inspire us to start asking questions of our own. But there is something different about standing inside an actual historic home, looking at original architectural details, and hearing the documented stories of the people who once lived there.
That is part of what makes the properties owned by US Ghost Adventures so compelling. From the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River and the Villisca Axe Murder House to McInteer Villa and the Brickhouse Inn in Gettysburg, each property offers a different doorway into American history and lore.
So, if Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story has you curious about what really happened in Fall River, take the next step beyond the screen. Visit the Lizzie Borden House, explore its history, and perhaps investigate its reported hauntings for yourself. And if Massachusetts is a little too far away, there may be another historic house waiting much closer to home.
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