Murdered wives? Former jails? 5 of the most haunted restaurants to visit in CT

Now that Halloween is officially less than a month away, it's time to get in the mood for the holiday with haunted attractions. Connecticut has plenty of haunted houses, pumpkin patches and spooky corn mazes to help get you in the spirit, but did you know it also has lots of haunted restaurants?

Many old buildings throughout the state not only have a rich history, but also a complex paranormal presence, with ghosts including everything from a murdered wife to a scarlet fever victim.

If eating with these ghosts sounds fun, here are five of the most haunted restaurants in Connecticut to visit this spooky season.

Abigail’s Grille and Wine Bar

Originally built in 1780 for Jonathon Pettibone, Jr., the restaurant now known as Abigail's Grille and Wine Bar was first home to Pettibone Tavern. A stagecoach stop outside Hartford on the Boston to Albany Turnpike, Pettibone Tavern became a favorite meeting place to exchange news during the later years of the Revolutionary War.

Local legend says that when Jonathon Pettibone, Jr. was out of town on whaling business, his wife Abigail Pettibone would have affairs with many of the men passing through. When Capt. Pettibone returned early one night to find his wife in bed with another man, he killed them both.

Today, it is believed that Abigail's spirit haunts the building, which encouraged new owners to rename the restaurant after her in 2008. Reported paranormal activity includes visions of a woman, moving furniture and a chill by the women's bathroom.

Located at: 4 Hartford Road Simsbury

Captain Daniel Packer Inne

This Mystic tavern dates back to the 18th-century, when it was built by square-rigger Capt. Daniel Packer for his wife and their seven children.

Capt. Packer passed in 1825, handing the inn down to multiple generations of Packers who owned it until the late 20th century. His presence is still felt throughout the building through sightings of a ghostly sea captain figure and the sound of footsteps in heavy boots.

Furthermore, in 1874, seven-year-old Packer relative Ada Byron Clift died from scarlet fever while living at the inn, and guests report hearing laughter and seeing the figure of a little girl.

Located at: 32 Water St. Mystic

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Harrie's Jailhouse

Before this building was serving up signature sandwiches and cocktails, it was home to the historic Pameacha Jail from the 1850s.

In 2012, the hail was featured on an episode of "Ghost Hunters." Rumor says that the building is haunted by Sarah, a young girl from the 1800s who is known to flicker lights and cause drafts.

Located at: 51 Warwick St. Middletown

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J. Timothy's Taverne

A casual restaurant known for "dirt wings," J. Timothy's Taverne now sits in the building that was originally Cooke's Tavern, a 1789 inn, restaurant and stagecoach stop along College Highway owned by John Cooke.

Many believe that Cooke's wife haunts the restaurant, with reports of self-closing windows, shadowy figures, unexplained noises and orbs.

Located at: 143 New Britain Ave. Plainville

Twisted Vine

While this Italian restaurant opened in 2005, the historical building was originally home to the Old Birmingham National Bank, which opened in 1892. In fact, the original bank vault is still intact, but that is not the only part of the past which lingers in the restaurant.

According to US Ghost Adventures , the spirit of the bank's first president Edward Shelton can be felt as he oversees his proudest achievement, along with the spirit of head cashier Samuel H. Lessey, who took his life after a check-cashing incident.

However, these known entities are not the only ghosts at Twisted Vine . In 1955, Connecticut experienced two back-to-back hurricanes which caused a great flood, collapsing buildings, submerging towns and, most importantly for this case, destructing the nearby Union Cemetery.

Over 50 caskets were uprooted from this cemetery during the flood, and while many bodies were never found, the ones that were got stored in the basement of the bank, one of the only surviving buildings in the area. The restaurant cannot escape this history as a disturbed morgue, and the heavy presence of spirits manifests itself through shadows, orbs, flickering lights and moving furniture.

Located at: 285 Main St. Derby

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Murdered wives? Former jails? 5 of the most haunted restaurants to visit in CT