The Dakota building is described as haunted by multiple ghostly figures, including a little girl in period clothing who bounces a ball, a creepy figure with an adult body and a boy's head, and the spirit of John Lennon himself, seen playing the piano and leaning against the archway where he died. The spirit of a grief-stricken "crying lady" has also been reported, and poltergeist activity like moving heavy furniture is attributed to a spirit in the basement. A young girl in a yellow taffeta dress and high white stockings, with blonde hair. She is seen in the lower floor windows, bouncing a red ball and smiling at residents, and has been heard laughing and saying it's her birthday. A male spirit with an adult body but the head of a young boy. He doesn't speak but watches people, sometimes appearing before disappearing. Construction workers have also reported feeling closely watched. John Lennon's Spirit: His ghost has been seen leaning against the stone archway where he was murdered. The Crying Lady: This is believed to be the ghost of Elise Vesely, the building manager from the 1930s to the 1950s. The ghost is described as weeping inconsolably for her lost child, and her spirit is said to linger to care for the other spirits. A poltergeist is said to move heavy furniture and other items around in the basement. Some claim it is the spirit of Edward Cabot Clark, the original owner who never lived in the building but perhaps haunts it because it was his dream. People have reported hearing mysterious sounds, unexplained events, and experiencing feelings of being watched. The Dakota's creepy exterior was used for exterior shots of the apartment building in the horror film Rosemary's Baby.