Haunted Places and Halloween History
Aug 05
Ohio’s landscape is filled with imposing prisons, forgotten railroad tunnels, historic hotels, grand theaters and mysterious mansions. Many of these landmarks have accumulated stories of apparitions, unexplained footsteps and voices heard in otherwise empty rooms. Some of Ohio’s ghost stories grew from documented tragedies. Others developed gradually through local folklore, staff experiences and tales shared …
Aug 04
Hidden among the forests of northern Czechia, Houska Castle is a remarkably preserved medieval stronghold with an unusually dark reputation. Its Gothic chapel, isolated setting and centuries of architectural change have inspired one of Europe’s most enduring supernatural legends: that the castle was built over a passage leading directly to hell. Stories describe a bottomless …
Jul 27
Indiana may be known for peaceful farmland, covered bridges and welcoming small towns, but the Hoosier State also has a surprisingly eerie side. Historic hotels, Victorian mansions, former medical institutions and even a public library have inspired some of the Midwest’s most enduring ghost stories. Visitors have reported mysterious footsteps, shadowy figures, unexplained voices and …
Jul 22
New Orleans has inspired ghost stories for generations. Its centuries-old buildings, elaborate cemeteries, historic hotels, courtyards, churches and narrow French Quarter streets provide an atmospheric setting for tales of restless spirits and unexplained encounters. But the city’s reputation for the supernatural is inseparable from its very real history. Fires, epidemics, slavery, immigration, religious traditions and …
Jul 21
Hundreds of weather-beaten dolls hang from trees, fences and buildings on a small chinampa hidden among the canals of Xochimilco in southern Mexico City. Some are missing eyes. Others have lost arms, legs or heads. Decades of sun, rain and humidity have left many with cracked faces and faded features. This unsettling place is La …
Jul 17
Black cats silhouetted against the moon. Bats circling an old house. Ravens perched on gravestones. Spiders spinning webs across forgotten corners. Certain animals have become so closely associated with Halloween that it is difficult to imagine the holiday without them. But real black cats are not agents of witchcraft, ravens do not predict death, and …
Jul 16
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, already looks like the setting for a ghost story. Victorian buildings cling to steep Ozark hillsides, narrow streets wind through the historic district, and grand hotels dating back more than a century overlook the town. It is also one of Arkansas’s best-known destinations for paranormal tourism. At the center of that reputation …
Jul 14
Halloween is one of the most recognizable celebrations of the year. Every October 31, glowing jack-o’-lanterns appear on porches, children dress as ghosts and superheroes, families visit pumpkin patches, haunted attractions open their doors, and trick-or-treaters travel from house to house collecting candy. Yet Halloween did not begin as a night of plastic skeletons, chocolate …
Oct 07
The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa rises above Eureka Springs, Arkansas, like something created for a ghost story. Its massive limestone walls, long corridors, Victorian architecture, and mountaintop setting have made it one of the most recognizable historic hotels in the Ozarks. Its history is remarkable even without the supernatural stories. Since opening in 1886, …
Aug 26
New Orleans is a city where history and ghost stories often seem to occupy the same narrow streets. Centuries-old buildings stand beside candlelit courtyards, wrought-iron balconies overlook the French Quarter, and hotels that have welcomed generations of travelers have accumulated plenty of stories along the way. Some involve documented historical events. Others tell of phantom …
