This B&B Was a Real-Life Crime Scene for America’s Most Infamous Axe Murders

The Historic Lizzie Borden House

Welcome to the Lizzie Borden House, where “rest in peace” takes on a whole new meaning.

Here’s what you need to know before booking your stay at the only B&B where “getting hacked” has nothing to do with your WiFi password.

The Double Murder Case That Shocked the US

On August 4, 1892, respected merchant Andrew Borden and his second wife Abby were brutally murdered in their home with a hatchet.

Andrew’s 32-year-old daughter Lizzie was tried and acquitted in one of America’s most famous trials, but the case remains unsolved to this day.

Abby’s Room is Booked the Most

Apparently nothing says “vacation goals” quite like sleeping where Abby Borden was brutally murdered while making the bed, aka the John V. Morse Suite.

This second-floor guest room, where Lizzie’s uncle had unexpectedly stayed the night before, is now the B&B’s hottest reservation. Beside the bed are real crime scene photos of Abby’s body on the day it was found.

Can’t snag the murder room? Try the Andrew and Abby Suite, a two-room setup featuring the ill-fated couple’s bedroom and Abby’s former sewing room. There’s also the Lizzie and Emma (her sister) Suite where the potential ax-wielder laid her head.

The Least Haunted Room in the Lizzie Borden House

That’s the Andrew Jennings Room, named after Lizzie’s lawyer. There’s also one named after prosecutor Hosea Knowlton, another for Bordens’ suspiciously hard-of-hearing maid Bridget Sullivan, who somehow slept through a double homicide.

She was the only one in the house at that time aside from the victims and the murderer.

Axe Murder Memorabilia

The drawing room features an almost exact replica of the couch where Mr. Borden caught his final nap, complete with a plastic hatchet added “just for fun.” Like Abby, there’s also a framed picture of Andrew’s corpse at the crime scene.

The B&B owners added their own touches, like the formal parlor piano displays sheet music entitled “You Can’t Chop Your Poppa Up in Massachusetts.”

Borden-Inspired Breakfast

For an extra $20, you can enjoy a morning meal inspired by the Bordens’ last breakfast.

Feast on pancakes, eggs, bacon, oatmeal, and fruit while contemplating how you just slept through the night in a double homicide location.

Just make sure you’re seated by 8:30am sharp or you’ll miss out, even if you’ve paid. The staff are apparently strict about breakfast punctuality, if not about historical axe placement.

A Full Day of Morbid Entertainment

Aside from relaxing at a former crime scene, the Lizzie Borden House offers activities, too. You can join house tours running from 10am to 3:30pm, GPS-guided audio tours available 24/7, and even a Lizzie Borden Murder Mystery Detective Game for amateur sleuths.

Evening options include a 7:30pm ghost tour through the city and, for the truly brave, a late-night ghost hunt in the basement.

The Lizzie Borden Museum

Located in the barn off the main Lizzie Borden house, the museum displays artifacts found on the property, original newspapers, and over 1,000 pages of Lizzie Borden-related letters and news clippings.

Leave Your Ouija Board At Home

This is possibly the only B&B with a specific “no contacting the murder victims” policy. Outside Ouija boards are strictly prohibited on the property, though several vintage ones are displayed in the parlor with strong warnings against use.

The Fine Print: Your Room Is Also A Tourist Attraction

Staying multiple nights? You’ll need to vacate your room at 10:30am for daily tours and you can return after 4:30pm.

Axe Murder Merch

Located in the same barn as the museum, the gift shop offers everything the discerning murder tourist could want.

Take home an official Lizzie Borden House gravestone magnet, crime scene axe head keychain, themed pillowcases, axe head earrings, and a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

They’ve also got a vaguely threatening shirt proclaiming “Don’t make me axe you twice.”

House Rules That Make Perfect Sense (Sort Of)

No alcohol is permitted because, as management reasonably points out, “we have already had two fatal head injuries in the home.” There are no TVs, though projectors are available for streaming your favorite crime documentaries directly onto walls that potentially witnessed murder.