Hatchet Job: The Lizzie Borden house brings true crime and ghosts to fans of the macabre

The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum is located in Fall River, Massachusetts, and it’s the site of the infamous Borden family murders. 

For those of you who need a reminder of what happened, in 1872 the Borden family purchased the Fall River home. Twenty years later, on a morning with incredibly odd events, Lizzie Borden found her father dead in the parlor, where he had been taking his morning nap. He had been struck 10 to 11 times with a hatchet-like weapon. Lizzie’s stepmother was later found dead, with 16 to 17 hatchet wounds. Lizzie was a primary suspect and was tried and acquitted. No one was ever convicted of the crime. 

Today, the building serves as a museum and a bed and breakfast (you can stay in the room where Lizzie’s stepmother was murdered). You can stay overnight at the B&B, take a tour about the murders or take a ghost tour to investigate whether Lizzie’s family ever actually, ahem, left the property. Even in the constantly changing COVID world, the B&B is currently up and running. 

During the initial phase of the pandemic, the brick and mortar arm of the operation was shut down due to state mandate. However, now that Massachusetts is in phase three of its reopening, Lizzie Borden enthusiasts (fans?) are welcomed back to the home for overnight stays and tours. COVID protocols dictate that all visitors and guests purchase tickets online, have their temperatures checked and wear masks. The house and gift shop is also at half-capacity, as are evening tours. “We are following all the guidelines set in motion by our governor, state officials and department of health,” says Jerry Pacheco, the house’s operations manager. 

I’ve taken the tour at The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast multiple times, and it’s the perfect way to satiate your desire for true crime while maintaining that bit of emotional distance to not send you over the edge. The house features restored rooms, family photos, some Lizzie Borden memorabilia and serves as a testament to the murders and what happened. 

Since we all get our spooky on in October, the B&B is planning on continuing its tours (try your best to get on a “Night Tour,” which goes to the creepy face in the basement), and Pacheco says they’re looking into bringing some of their events online. You can go on the “Day Tour” as well, which looks at the historical aspect of what happened. They, also offer ghost hunting, and this year there’s even an extra-special treat. 

Lizzie, after being acquitted, moved homes entirely in Fall River, to a giant mansion called Maplecroft. She also did one of the first “rebrands” I’ve ever seen, which included her no longer going by Lizzie and instead being asked to be called Lizbeth. Maplecroft is the house that she eventually died in, and it’s currently for sale. Since the likelihood is that it will go to private owners, the B&B is doing a “Boonanza” on Halloween, which will feature ghost hunting in Maplecroft. Tickets are limited for COVID-19 precautions, and this will probably be your last chance to ghost hunt here for a long time. 

Pacheco and the rest of the B&B staff stay optimistic about how the world has changed and their ability to bring Lizzie to all ages. Jerry said, “Welcome this new world that is ever evolving and changing and FREE LIZZIE!”