Mirrors have always been a source for the fantastical and spooky. From creepy childhood games like Bloody Mary, to telling the future and performing magic spells, to being downright haunted by them, people have used mirrors in conjunction with the paranormal for longer than we know.
Though there are many strange mirrors with incredible stories hidden around the country, there’s one hanging at the Tremont Temple in Boston that has been captivating book-lovers for years. The strange full-length mirror is said to be a portal to communing with one of the greatest writers of all times, calling forth the ghost of Charles Dickens.
Originally, the floor-length mirror was hanging in a room at the Omni Parker House Hotel, where Dickens stayed in 1867 and 1868 while touring the country doing public readings of his works, particularly A Christmas Carol. He could often be heard in his room practicing well into the night, and according to many who have stayed in the room, the ghost of Charles Dickens may very well still be there.
The Omni Parker House, which is one of the most haunted places in Boston (and allegedly the inspiration for Stephen King’s 1408), has been at the center of quite a bit of paranormal activity over the years. Rumor has it that there are quite a few famous ghosts who have yet to check out. The most famous story, which involves none other than Dickens himself, involves the hotel elevator. Many guests have experienced the lift stopping mysteriously on the third floor of the hotel, the floor where Dickens spent many nights, despite no one ever hitting the button. Perhaps the ghost of Charles Dickens was simply heading back to his room.
Guests who have booked a night in the Dickens suite would often report seeing the translucent visage of the old man, pacing back and forth in front of the old mirror, a book in hand, reading the words to A Christmas Carol out loud. When spoken to, Dickens would simply disappear.
The haunted mirror spent many years in the suite, until it was eventually transferred a few blocks away to the Tremont Temple Baptist Church.
Today, those visiting the Tremont Temple should be sure to head to the second floor and walk to the very end of the hall. There you’ll find the relatively unassuming mirror hanging on the wall with a plaque that reads, “Mirror from the rooms at the Parker House occupied by Charles Dickens – Look closely and see reflections of Dickens as he practiced A Christmas Carol.”
Visitors to the Tremont Temple still continue to see the ghost of Charles Dickens reflecting back at them from the surface of the mirror, like a quick glimpse into a time long ago, but here’s hoping that one day the mirror will find itself back in its original home at the Parker House, so that it can be reunited with the famously-haunted suite on floor three.
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