Haunted by eerie stories and mysterious legends, the Gettysburg Battlefield is home to supernatural phenomena like the legendary Ghost of Gettysburg.
Gettysburg Battlefield has been shrouded in mystery and awed by stories of supernatural sightings. One of the most famous legends is the “Ghost of Gettysburg,” a purported spirit that haunts the historic Civil War battleground. Find out what makes this story so compelling, and explore other unusual tales related to this mysterious place.
The History of Gettysburg
Gettysburg is rich with history and tragedy. During the Battle of Gettysburg, there were approximately 50,000 casualties on both sides in the three days between July 1st and July 3rd 1863. For many it stands as the greatest battle that was during the American Civil War and was a turning point that led to the fall of the Confederacy and victory to the Union.
The Battle of Gettysburg: This is a picture after the first day of fighting on Stevens’ Knoll, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle would last for three days and be the bloodiest battle during the American Civil War.
It was fought around the town of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania when General Robert E. Lee felt victory was with the Confederates and marched north. However, the Union was awaiting their arrival and a 3 day battle began across the hills and forest as well as the entire town.
It remains the bloodiest battle fought during the American Civil War, details of which have been immortalized by many authors throughout history.
Pennsylvania Hall
Of what is now Gettysburg College and during the battle, the college was a place were the battle raged on. The place is today said to be haunted, especially the building on campus named Pennsylvania Hall. Students and teachers alike have shared stories about seeing soldiers walking on campus.
The Ghost of Jennie Wade
The most famous ghost story in Gettysburg is the Ghost of Jennie Wade. In July 1863, a woman named Mary V. “Jennie” Wade was baking bread for the Union troops when she became the only civilian killed during the 3-day battle. Legend has it that her ghost still haunts the town; reports from visitors, who claim to have encountered her, are often heard along with sightings of a female figure near Ziegler’s Grove, where Jennifer was killed.
Specters in Seminary Ridge Hospital
Seminary Ridge Hospital, once the largest hospital in Pennsylvania during the war, is rumored to be haunted by many spirits ranging from former Confederate doctors to injured patients. Reports of ghostly nurses walking through hallways with stretchers of phantom soldiers have been made, and several reports tell of figures assumed to be wounded soldiers searching buildings for aid that never comes.
Haunted Spirits in Meade’s Headquarters
George Meade’s Headquarters, which sit on the roundtop of Cemetery Hill, have been reported to be haunted by the ghost of Major General Meade himself. Witnesses describe phantom figures in the windows, soft voices coming from the direction of his old tent, and shadows that move inside Meade’s old office.
Other reports tell stories of a spectral female figure said to be wandering around in search of a lost soldier. These stories seem unbelievable but there’s no denying that something odd lurks in this historic area.
Supernatural Occurrences at Little Round Top
Little Round Top has been the setting for a number of supernatural occurrences. Many believe it’s haunted by the ghosts of fallen soldiers, both Union and Confederate. There have been reports of eerie whispers, phantom sounds, and strange glows in the air. Some visitors claim to feel an invisible presence at the top of Little Round Top or strange chills that travel down their spine when they stand on this hallowed ground.
The Devils Den
One of the most notorious places though is The Devils Den, and it is said that the place was haunted long before the Battle of Gettysburg.
It used to be a Native American hunting ground for centuries. Another battle named The Battle of the Crows was supposedly fought here and in the night you could hear war cries from the Native American according to the early settlers who told ghost stories about the place. Even by the end of the 1800s, the place was called haunted.
During the Battle of Gettysburg there was a lot of fighting around the den on the second day. After the war, there were countless people that claimed to have seen something supernatural around the bould of rocks.
Want to explore haunted legends of the world’s most famous ship? Discover chilling ghost stories about strange and supernatural occurrences said to haunt the decks of The Queen Mary.
Step onboard the legendary RMS Queen Mary and discover the eerie tales of her ghostly visitors that are said to remain, decades after the ship sailed its last voyage on the sea. For decades, passengers and crew have reported sightings of paranormal activity, from strange lights and mysterious noises to full-bodied apparitions roaming the decks of the vessel.
History of The Queen Mary
Built in 1934 and christened by Queen Mary herself, the ship is now a permanent museum vessel in Long Beach, California. The Queen Mary has a rich history of dramatic events. Some based on facts and real events, some based on rumors, tales from the passengers and crew.
As a luxury ship it transported many famous passengers, like Elizabeth Taylor, Jacky Kennedy and other rich and famous on first class. In second and third class, many more were making their way from America to Europe or the other way around.
During World War II the vessel was nicknamed The Grey Ghost and the ship was used as a troopship to transport thousands of troops between Southampton and New York; many of whom are said to have died during the voyage.
A Troop Ship: During the second world was, The Queen Mary was used to transport soldiers. Here from 1943 when it was about to anchor in Sidney with Australian troops.
She was together with the ship Queen Elizabeth the largest and fastest troop ships involved in the war and could carry as many as 15 000 men in a single voyage. Churchill himself remarked that Queen Mary had shortened the war by a year.
After her stint as a warship, she had several reincarnations including being a job site for hundreds of workers since then, which could explain why so many mysterious occurrences have been reported onboard.
The Art Deco ship retired in 1967 as the market for passengers traveling by sea from New York, USA to Southampton, England declined rapidly as airplanes now could do the work in less time.
A Number of Haunting Legends
Many of the legends about ghosts and unexplained happenings on the Queen Mary originate from stories told by crew members, passengers, and even those who worked on her in dry dock – however, their authenticity remains unknown.
Read more about haunted ships around the world: Here
There is an infinite list of ghosts that are supposedly haunting the ship, with over 150 ghosts to this day and counting. Here are some of them:
Stateroom B-340
The hotel promotes the suite room B-340, that originally was a 3rd class cabin as being notoriously haunted, and there are many haunted attraction tours that take advantage of these ghost legends and will bring you on a tour.
The ghost in one of the staterooms smelling of cigar and perfume is allegedly haunted by a person who was murdered there.
It is said to be the ghost of a British 3rd class passenger named Walter J. Adamson who passed away in the room and according to people staying in the room, he has been known to stand by their beds, sometimes pulling the bed covers off.
The Mauretania Room
In this VIP lounge, in 1989 two women were sent to clean it. When they walked in they saw a passenger sitting on a chair on the dancefloor. The passenger didn’t say a word, but kept on staring. When a 3rd woman came in to clean, she asked the passenger to move, but the passenger didn’t budge.
They were about to call for security when the passenger just vanished right before their eyes.
The Crewman
A bearded crewman in blue overalls is often reported off, often accompanied by whistling. It is thought that it is an 18-year old crew member from Yorkshire that died in 1966. He was killed after he was crushed under a door during a fire drill. He is now haunting the doorway known as Shaft Alley where he died.
The Lady in White
Some legends are hundreds of years old with reported sightings of a woman in white or a child running around the ship in little period attire. The lady in white is said to be a first-class passenger who is still dancing in the Salon of the ship in a long gown.
The Engineer
In the old engine room it is said that one of the engineers died and came back to haunt the place.
Boiler Room Number 4
Inside of this room people have reported about seeing a little girl running around. Sometimes she is sucking her thumb or holding a doll.
The Haunted Pool
People have reported about wet footprints on the floor near the first class swimming pool that was once a luxury place with an illuminated fountain and pearl ceiling and mosaic tiles.
One legend is of a little girl who is said to haunt the first and second class pools, but no deaths were recorded in either pool. There are also reports about a girl in a tennis skirt and a woman in an old wedding gown.
The Murder Suicide
Another claim of a ghost haunting the ship is made by psychic Peter James when he visited The Queen Mary. He said that in 1959, a father murdered his wife and daughters and then killed himself in room B474 and the daughters haunt the room and surrounding corridors. But it is not really proven to happen on the ship but in Roanoke, Virginia in 1964.
Chilling Accounts From Longtime Passengers & Crew Members
From passengers to crew members of the Queen Mary, chilling accounts of strange and supernatural occurrences are said to have haunted the decks of the famous ship. One such story was that of a former captain who experienced frequent nightmares about running in circles until suddenly appearing in front of a white figure located at the bridge.
First Class: The Queen Mary was a luxury ship were many rich and famous chose to make their way on back and forth from America to Europe. Today it is mostly remembered as the worlds most haunted ship. //Source: wikimedia
Other occurrences range from changing room temperatures to hearing doors slam shut without warning while visitors board. Despite all these tales—the true origin of this haunted ship is yet to be discovered.
Many passengers have reported seeing lights dancing around certain decks on The Queen Mary as well as hearing voices whispering from empty hallways. Despite years of skeptics and non-believers, these eerie tales still resonate with many visitors on board this haunted vessel.
While many can relate to the eerie tales of supernatural occurrences onboard the Queen Mary, skeptics are quick to call these stories mere myth and legend. Despite this, one thing’s for certain: the stories of these chilling occurrences have captivated and stunned visitors for decades. Whether you choose to believe in them or not, one thing is clear – The haunted legends of The Queen Mary will never be forgotten.
The infamous Lizzie Borden House is said to be one of New England’s most haunted homes after a brutal ax murder happened inside. After the murders, there are tales that ghosts are still haunting it.
Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one.
Step back in time to the home of one of America’s most notorious unsolved crimes – the Lizzie Borden House on Second Street in Fall River. Experience its creepy atmosphere and listen to its spine-tingling tales as you explore this legendary haunted house full of secrets and the occasional supernatural surprise!
Grab a candle, journey upstairs and learn the history of the infamous New England home. Find out how in 1892 Andrew and Abby Borden were discovered brutally murdered in this very house, passing down stories for generations to come.
Who was Lizzie Borden?
Lizzie Andrew Borden was born in 1860 in Fall River Massachusetts and was given the name Andrew as well because her father so wanted a son. She grew up in an affluent family in what would later be known as the Lizzie Borden House. Although a rich family, her father was well known for being frugal and they had a complicated relationship to say the least.
She grew up with her sister, Emma Lenora Borden and was involved in church activities such as Sunday school, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union as well as the Ladies’ Fruit and Flower Mission.
Two years after her mother died, her father remarried. They didn’t get along and Lizzie believed she had married her father for his wealth. Their live in maid, Sullivan claimed that both Emma and Lizzie rarely ate meals together with their father and stepmother.
Before the murders, tension grew in the family inside of the Lizzie Borden House. Her father kept gifting real estate to her stepmother’s family. Days before the murders the whole family was violently ill, and her stepmother feared poison as her husband was not really a popular man.
Her father had also killed pigeons in the barn with hatches that Lizzie was upset about. She had built a roost for them and after a family argument, she was even sent away to New Bedford and didn’t return until a week before the murders.
The Ax Murders in the Borden House
On August 4, 1892, her stepmother and father were found murdered by an ax in their home in broad daylight. When they questioned Lizzie Borden she made answers that were both strange and contradictory.
The police investigation were later criticized for their lack of diligence as they did not even check her for bloodstains, only search her room superficially and let them stay in the house the following night after the murder. They also had a hatchet they thought could be the murder weapon, but never bothered to take fingerprints even though it was a method the police had started with elsewhere.
Abby Borden: Lizzie Borden’s stepmother, Abby was found upstairs and had suffered 17 hits on the back of her head. Andrew Borden: Her father, Andrew were found in the couch in the downstair sitting room murdered after being hit 10 or 11 times with a hatchet like weapon.
Lizzie Borden was arrested and put on trial that received a lot of media coverage nationwide. During the trial there was also another ax murder that looked so similar to the Borden house, and many started to take Lizzie Bordens side and claim her innocence.
In the end Lizzie Borden was acquitted on all charges and let off after many had come to her defense, including her maid, her sister and neighbors all testified that she never could have done it.
Life After the Murder Trial
After she was acquitted from the trial of the murders she moved into a house with her sister and they stayed in Fall River. When coming out from the courthouse she said she was ‘The happiest woman in the world.’
But for the remainder of her days, she was an outcast in the Fall River society. Even if she by trial was found innocent, the fact that they never found the killer and the strange rumors about her continued and fuelled the idea that she might have done it after all. Even her maid, Sullivan confessed on her death bed allegedly that she had lied on the stand to protect Lizzie Borden.
No one was ever arrested for the murders, but Lizzie Bordens guilt and motive has ever since been debated without any answers being found.
The Hauntings in the Lizzie Borden House
After the gruesome murders in the Lizzie Borden House, the house itself has drawn attention to itself of being a haunted house where a lot of paranormal activity is going on. The house is preserved as it was and is hosting tours to continue to speculate what really happened that fateful and hot August day.
It is said that the ghost of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother, Abby and Andrew is haunting the Lizzie Borden House, still trying to get the truth about their murder out.
One long time guide though has another explanation for the strange sounds many attributes to ghosts. After they put air conditioning in the house, the sound travels in a strange manner as Lizzie Borden House is filled with holes and cracks.
The Lizzie Borden House: The busy street were the murder happened on 92 Second St, Fall River, MA, the home of Lizzie Borden at the time of the murders as it appeared in 1892.
Another haunting that is said to be going on is the death next door of a mother that murdered her children. A woman named Eliza Darling Borden had three children. She murdered two of them before taking her own life in 1848. One of the theories is that she killed herself in the house that would eventually become Andrew Borden’s in 1872.
Even Lizzie herself is rumored to haunt the place. It is not only in the Lizzie Borden House she is said to haunt tough as she is also said to haunt the place known as Maplecroft, the home she lived in on French Street after the trial. For what is she haunting the place for though? Is it because of the grief and trauma after the horrible murders that happened. Or is it perhaps guilt as she herself really was the killer?
In the eerie mansion in Salem of The Haunted House of the Seven Gables, also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, discover what lurks in darkness and uncover secrets behind its perpetual terror.
Step inside The Haunted House of the Seven Gables and explore its halls of perpetual terror and darkness. The house is a 1668 colonial mansion in Salem Massachusetts, a place known for being a place of mystery and witchcraft.
From ghostly figures roaming the corridors to mysterious tales of hauntings, prepare to discover what lurks in this fascinating haunted house.
“But as for the old structure of our story, its white-oak frame, and its boards, shingles, and crumbling plaster, and even the huge, clustered chimney in the midst, seemed to constitute only the least and meanest part of its reality. So much of mankind’s varied experience had passed there,—so much had been suffered, and something, too, enjoyed,—that the very timbers were oozy, as with the moisture of a heart. It was itself like a great human heart, with a life of its own, and full of rich and sombre reminiscences.” ― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Novel
The House of the Seven Gables is a real house that was known as The Turner House or the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion before the novel inspired by it came out. The thing that made it famous was the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne when he wrote a gothic novel inspired by the house in the 1850s.
Nathaniel Hawthorne: (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He wrote the novel The House of the Seven Gables inspired by the house in Salem Massachusetts he used to visit.
The novel follows a New England family and their home where he explores guilt, retribution and atonement. The story is filled with hints at the supernatural and witchcraft and influenced horror writers like H.P Lovecraft.
Read Also: Find some novels about witchcraft like The House of the Seven Gables: Here
Hawthorne, most known for the novel The Scarlet Letter, was himself born in Salem and grew up hearing stories about the house. His great-great-great grandfather was one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials which the house also had a connection to.
Explore the Legends of The Haunted House
From legendary tales of cursed spirits trapping guests to mysterious hauntings that have been reported through the ages, explore the legends that make The Haunted House of the Seven Gables one of the most haunted locations in the world. Learn about the curses that lurk in its dark corners, and find out about the secrets this house has been concealing for centuries.
The house was built as a place for peace and quiet, but ended up being in the center of one of the most notorious witchcraft trials in 1692 to 1693 were over 200 people in the puritan New England town were accused of witchcraft.
John Turner Jr. lived in the house at the time with his sisters and wanted to protect them from the hysteria of the locals that accused their neighbors, their friends and family for being witches and in league with the devil. A part of the protection was to build a hidden staircase with the fireplace.
In later years there were also uncovered a hidden dining room and accounting room to hide if any in the family were ever accused of witchcraft.
The Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was a product of mass hysteria that happened in the British Colonies as well as in Europe at the time. It all started when two small girls started having these fits of contorting bodies, making strange noises and speaking gibberish.
TheSalem Witch Trials: A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women and five men). One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea, and at least five people died in jail.
This type of affliction seemed to spread to other girls and they were all diagnosed with witchcraft. And when the girls were interrogated, they started naming names about who cursed them, and a witch hunt began.
A total of 14 women and 6 men were executed in the witch trials by hanging, one by being pressed to death. Another 5 died while in prison.
Although the Turner family remained safe during those trials, the imprint and trauma of the witch hunt remained in all of Salem and ringed back for generations, something Hawthorne also discusses in his book.
The Ingersoll’s and Hawthorns Ancestral Sins
After being in the Turner family for 3 generations it was sold to Captain Samuel Ingersoll as there were no remaining heirs. He had a daughter named Susannah, a cousin of Nathaniel Hawthorne who knew well and would come to hang out with.
When inside the house, Hawthorne was inspired by the house and its quirky features and old history. There they also talked about their families involvement in a dark past. Hawthornes involvement in the Salem Witch Trials and Ingersoll’s involvement in slavery as an example.
Susannah even advised him to put a W in his last name, which originally was Hathorne, to remove himself from his ancestral sin. Hawthorne often wrote about his guilt for his family’s involvement and in his most famed work, The Scarlet Letter, he even opens up with an analogy for it all.
Is the House of The Seven Gables Haunted?
Mystery and terror await you as you attempt to uncover the secrets of The Haunted House of the Seven Gables. If you ask many of the tour guides, they will be quick to reply with a no. However, there are many who tell about another side of the story.
One of the ghostly silhouettes that are reported to be seen is that of Susannah Ingersoll. There are not only one, but many paranormal activities that are said to take place within the old house.
Today the dark wooden house is made into a museum and gets plenty of visitors that are looking for something paranormal, and many claim to have found it. A psychic visiting the house claimed to see a young boy play near the gables as well. Little footsteps can be heard from the attic followed by giggles and laughs.
A man can be seen climbing up and down the infamous staircase and lights are turning on and off and even the water faucets have a habit of turning on and on on their own.
so, would you like to visit and see for yourself whether or not the house is haunted?
One of America’s most iconic homes is The Winchester Mystery House. Inside lies a fascinating history of the eccentric Sarah Winchester who created it as well as a ghost story or two.
The Winchester Mystery House has been an enduring American legend since its construction over a century ago. Located in San Jose, California, the 160-room mansion was created by eccentric heiress Sarah Winchester who believed it would protect her from vengeful spirits.
Or so the rumors say at least, but is it really true? Uncover the secrets behind its haunted corridors and spooky stories as you explore this iconic landmark.
Who Was Sarah Winchester?
Sarah Winchester was born into a prominent and wealthy family in New England. She married into an even wealthier one that made their money from the gun business. It was said that at the time, she was considered to be one of the wealthiest women in the world.
Sarah Winchester: A rich widow that spent most of her inheritance on building her strange house that has puzzled everyone since she started building it.
She spent her fortune to build the sprawling Victorian mansion to house her vast fortune and to ward off spirits she believed were angry at her due to her family’s gun-making business. This belief that her family was cursed and haunted by those who were killed by the Winchester rifle started even in her lifetime.
Throughout construction of The Winchester Mystery House, Winchester gradually added new wings, staircases that lead to nowhere, doors, and other features that made the home increasingly complex and filled with mysteries until her death in 1922.
The Construction of The Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House is today world known for its quirky features and haunted reputation, even before Sarah Winchester passed away herself. In 1895 she started to appear in the newspaper where the writers and the other locals speculated as to why this rich widow kept building the house for no apparent reason.
The Winchester Mystery House was built in an almost continuous 24-hour a day state of construction over 38 years. Sarah Winchester hired carpenters, plumbers and other craftsmen to work on the massive project day and night.
She also employed physicians to keep her healthy during the arduous task of designing and building her fantastic home as her health was rapidly declining over the years as well. Because of this she had to take several breaks from the construction because she tired so easily.
In fact, according to legend, one room was built around Sarah while she slept so that she wouldn’t have time off from the project. Her workers named it the “Martini Room” due to her nonstop working style.
Unique Features in the Winchester House
The Winchester Mystery House contains many unique features, including staircases to nowhere, secret passages and hidden doors. This maze-like way of building her house led people to speculate that she did so to confuse the spirits that haunted her and her family and prevent them from hurting them.
There are also odd windows, strange symbols on the floor and doors that open up into walls that people have speculated about ever since. In addition to these weird features, Sarah Winchester installed beautiful gardens within the property and added stained glass throughout the home. She even used her wealth to construct a lavish conservatory in The Winchester Mystery House with exotic plants from around the world.
If not to confuse the ghosts, why did she build such a peculiar house? A student writing his master’s thesis on it came to the conclusion that her goal was to keep workers employed and to express her artistic vision although it was ever changing.
Read about more haunted houses around the world: Here
After an earthquake in 1906, the house was severely damaged, and it never really got completely fixed. It was also at that time she stopped working on the house all together by 1910 except from maintenance. When she died in 1922 the house had 160 rooms, 2000 doors, 10 000 windows, 47 stairways and 47 fireplaces.
Just months after her death, her house became a tourist attraction and attracted everyone from paranormal investigators to the likes of Harry Houdini. And then over the years the ghost stories continued and grew.
Ghost Sightings and Supernatural Encounters
It’s not just the architecture of The Winchester Mystery House that has caught the attention of visitors; reports on supernatural encounters also abound. For example, Sarah Winchester’s spirit is said to still haunt reportedly haunt the house, along with other spectral apparitions and spirits of former employees.
Still to this day the popular belief is that she thought she was haunted by those who died from the Winchester guns, and the guilt she felt from it and the money she got from it kept her as well as her home haunted.
One of the most popular ghosts in The Winchester Mystery House is a mustached man named Clyde. He can be seen pushing a wheelbarrow down in the basement or trying to fix stuff around the house. Guests have sometimes commented about how they liked the actor in the white overalls and Victorian boater hat. When the staff replies that they haven’t hired an actor they figured that the worker Clyde has been at it again.
Shadowy figures have also been spotted in corridors and doors have opened and closed without a discernible cause. Some visitors describe feeling an eerie presence when they explore this historic landmark that never seems to be completely at rest.
From rooms filled with terror to séances gone wrong and best seller horror books, discover what really goes on inside The Stanley Hotel and why some say its ghosts still haunt the grounds today.
The Stanley Hotel is known for its vibrant history, picturesque mountain views, and haunted past. The 140 room hotel in the Rocky Mountains has become an infamous stage for paranormal activity, from séances gone wrong to guests staying in rooms filled with terror.
Uncover what really goes on inside the hotel rooms and why some believe its ghosts still haunt the grounds today and why the Stanley Hotel is so famous.
Learn the Fascinating History of The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel has been a Colorado landmark since 1909 when it was first built by businessman Freelan Oscar Stanley with the help of his wife Flora. It was built for the upper-class Easterners and worked as a health retreat for sufferers of tuberculosis. It is still operating as a hotel to this day where they have expanded on the original hotel as well as tried to preserve it.
The place of Estes Park is a pretty remote place in Colorado, so why did a luxury hotel suddenly spring up here?
In 1903, Stanley was given less than 6 months to live because of tuberculosis and he was recommended to take some fresh air. He and his wife went to the Rocky Mountains like so many other people with the means to heal in the brisk fresh mountain air.
Thinking it would be the last place he would see, he instead recovered in the couple of months he spent there and he fell in love with the place, and he lived to be 91 years old. He then started constructing Estes Park into a summer resort town and building the Stanley Hotel.
The Stanley Hotel as a Haunted Hotel
Feel an air of mystery and intrigue that seems to linger within its rooms, each full of strange stories and some potentially haunted by those who passed through them over the years.
Read Also: Find out more stories about Haunted Hotels: Here
The Stanley Hotel’s eerie atmosphere—fully illuminated in Estes Park’s pristine night sky—has been featured in films, TV shows and artwork for decades. Its most famous appearance is in Stephen King’s classic horror novel The Shining— a tale involving ghostly apparitions, psychological torment and murder. Despite a rather peaceful history in the early years and not many traumatic happenings connected to the hotel, it has a very strong haunted reputation, especially since King’s visit.
Others say they’ve found themselves locked in an elevator with a ghostly figure inside and staff members whisper tales of unexplained children’s laughter echoing through the hotel’s hallways. Ghost shows, paranormal researchers as well as guided ghost tours are all trying to get to the bottom of the supposed haunted hotel.
The Shining
“The Shining” is a classic horror novel penned by the renowned author Stephen King. Published in 1977, it delves into the story of Jack Torrance, who becomes the winter caretaker of the secluded and eerie Overlook Hotel. As Jack and his family, including his psychic son Danny, endure the isolation and the hotel’s malevolent supernatural forces, they are gradually consumed by their own inner demons and the sinister history of the place. King’s storytelling and exploration of psychological horror have cemented “The Shining” as a seminal work in the horror genre, and has been adapted into a highly acclaimed film directed by Stanley Kubrick. The novel combines elements of the paranormal with the psychological, creating an atmosphere of dread and unease that lingers.
As mentioned the book was inspired by the Stanley Hotel and the legends that surrounds it. King was inspired to set his book to the hotel after he spent a night there in room number 217 just when it was about to shut down for the winter season. This particular room transformed into the infamous room 237 in the book.
The exterior shots seen in the movie The Shining were filmed on studio sets and at the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, not The Stanley Hotel though. The interior scenes were filmed on sound stages in England. There was a mini series from 1997 on TV by the same name that were actually filmed at The Stanley Hotel.
Room 217
From disembodied voices heard in the hallways to unearthly shadows passing through rooms, The Stanley Hotel has plenty of spine-chilling stories. People who have visited over the years claim to have seen strange mists moving from guest room to guest room and feel a chill as they pass by Room 217.
So what is it about this room that has made it a hot spot for the alleged paranormal activity? During a Colorado snowstorm there was a housekeeper named Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson who walked around and lit up the acetylene lanterns in the hotel to prepare the hotel for the snowstorm that could cut off the power to the hotel.
Unbeknownst to her, there was a gas leak on the second floor that filled the entire wing with flammable gas, and when she lit a match inside of room 217 there was an explosion that destroyed the entire floor and she fell down into the MacGregor dining room below.
No one died and Mrs. Wilson only broke both her ankles. But the legend started to take hold in the hotel and many believe it is Mrs. Wilson is haunting the room after she died at age 90, many years after the explosion.
Guests who have been staying in room 217 are reporting of the lights turning on and off as well as claiming that their personal items are being moved around in the room. But perhaps there wouldn’t have been as many claims if it hadn’t been that Stephen King himself stayed there when he was inspired by his book.
Room 217: In the movie The Shining, the use of the haunted room of 217 is still used, although in a different way than in the actual The Stanley Hotel. Inside this room is the ghost of Lorraine Massey who used to to seduce young bell boys into her room. In the end she killed herself in disgust.
The Stairway Vortex
Another place that has gained attention for the strange things happening around it is the stairway connecting the hotel lobby to the second floor. Many think of it as a kind of tunnel of spiritual energy that attracts all the spirits and ghosts around the hotel and makes them stay.
This is what the mediums are saying, but are normal people just as affected as those claiming to be able to sense energy like that? According to guests and staff members, many feel dizzy walking down the stairs and there have been many ghost sightings in this staircase and some even claim to have it documented.
One of the more famous documentaries is a picture of what they think could be the ghost of a young girl as they claimed there was no one walking down the stairs at the time. This made headlines in the news and many look at this as convincing evidence for hauntings at the The Stanley Hotel.
So what do we think? Convincing evidence or obvious fraud?
The Concert Hall
One of the gifts the original builder made to his wife, Flora, was the concert hall. In it there was also a piano she would play as often as she could. After her death there is said to be classical piano music coming from the concert hall when there is no one inside late at night that fills the hotel.
Another ghost that allegedly haunts the place is Paul. He used to be the one enforcing the hotel curfew in the early years of the The Stanley Hotel that started at 11 sharp. Guests as well as staff have said they have heard Paul tell them to get out when it is too late.
The 4th Floor
In the early days of the The Stanley Hotel, the 4th floor was only used as an attic to store stuff during the closed winter months. It would later be rebuilt, first as lodging for females as well as their children. Then even later the 4th floor would be remade into hotel suits.
Today, many guests complain about the noise of children running through the halls, laughing as they play throughout the night. When they open the doors for a closer inspection though, there are no children in sight.
The Child Ghosts: In the movie The Shining, the ghost twins plays a prominent role. The Grady sisters are two ghost girls who were murdered by their father Delbert Grady, when he was possessed by ghosts.
Inside of the rooms, especially in room 428, there are reports about people’s stuff being moved around. Especially the clothes they just casually threw away would be tidied away and folded in the drawers.
In addition to children playing in the late hours, there is also a rumor of it being haunted by a local cowboy.
His name was James Nugent, otherwise known as the Rocky Mountain Jim, a local man that was pretty well known in the town. He was known as quite a ladies man, and people tell that they are surprised when they wake up and see the ghost of him standing by their bed. Female guests are particularly bothered and straight up harassed by him, and he is said to try to give them kisses in the middle of the night when they try to sleep.
The Underground Caves
Under the The Stanley Hotel there is a very intricate underground cave system underneath it where the employees used to discreetly get around the hotel to not be seen by the guests.
Those still working in the The Stanley Hotel say that there are some activities still going on in those caves. The smell of freshly baked goods has been thought to be from one of the pastry chefs that worked at the hotel when it first opened.
The Icehouse
Before refrigerators and freezers became an indoor thing with the help of electricity, people used to store food outside in cold ice houses. There they also stored large blocks of ice to use in the bar for fancy drinks.
Today the ice house is reworked into a museum to hold old cars at the hotel, and there are said to be two ghosts inside. One of them is a kid named Billy that tends to show up rather blurry in photographs. Who he was in regards to the The Stanley Hotel is unknown though.
Stay at the Haunted Hotel
So those are some of the most famous ghost stories and places around the The Stanley Hotel where there are reported a lot of paranormal activity.
These stories, combined with King’s famous novel and other supernatural legends attached to the grounds, have made The Stanley Hotel an alluring attraction for those interested in eerie secrets. And the hotel itself has decided to really lean into the haunted rumors with their own ghost tours.
So, would you like to have checked in and stayed a night for yourself?
Enter into centuries-old folklore of the legendary Jersey Devil from the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Uncover its sinister past, how it has been remembered, and why so many theories persist today.
The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is a place in New Jersey in the USA. The place is shrouded in mystery and steeped in more than one legend, the most famous one being that of the Jersey Devil who has been a source of fascination for centuries.
Dating back to the 18th century New Jersey folktale, the Jersey Devil has inspired a multitude of theories — some plausible, and some outlandish. Learn more about this legendary creature and its continued cultural significance today.
The Origins of the Jersey Devil
According to local legend, the Jersey Devil, sometimes known as the Leeds Devil, often described as a flying biped with hooves. The Jersey Devil was born in 1735 in Estellville, New Jersey. The story goes that a woman named Deborah Leeds, known as Mother Leeds gave birth to a child cursed with the form of a dragon or other fantastical beast.
She already had twelve children, and when she found out she was pregnant with the 13th one, she cursed the child in her womb, calling the child the devil himself. Mother Leeds gave birth on a stormy night, and the child was born as a monster.
In some variations of the legend, Mother Leeds was a witch herself and the father of the Jersey Devil was the Devil himself.
The Jersey Devil: Here are several depictions of the creature known as the Jersey Devil or the Devil of Leeds throughout the years.
The creature soon escaped and began terrorizing the locals, swooping down from the sky and stealing farm animals, destroying crops, and even reportedly attacking some people. To this day, it remains an enduring element of local folklore — as well as a source of mystery and enchantment for many.
Sightings and Reports Throughout History
Since its first sighting in 1735, the Jersey Devil has been reported to have been seen in various forms and places in and around New Jersey. Before the 1900s, it was mostly referred to as the Leeds Devil or the Devil of Leeds, either because of the family name of Leeds or because of the New Jersey town called Leeds Point.
Sightings of the legendary creature have been reported throughout the centuries, most often as a winged demonic creature that walks on two legs and is able to fly. According to these sightings, it was blamed for killing many livestocks, and even Napoleon Bonaparte was said to have seen the Jersey Devil when he was out hunting in 1820.
Reports of its presence grew after a wave of sightings occurred near Camden between 1909 and 1910, leading to widespread newspaper coverage when the Jersey Devil allegedly attacked a trolley cart as well as livestock and the police themselves supposedly opened fire at the creature.
People reported footprints in the snow looking like the Jersey Devil as far as Delaware and Maryland. According to the writer Gordon Stein in his book Encyclopedia of Hoaxes, a man came forward as the culprit behind the mysterious footprints.
Nevertheless, there were organized manhunts and in the woods and people were advised to stay in their homes. Although these reports tapered off over time, tales of its exploits continue to be told among local residents today.
The Blue Hole
But where does the Jersey Devil really live? The Pine Barrens is a large area, but there is one particular place that is talked about more than others. In the middle of a dense forest there is a lake with a very unusual color that is often connected to the Jersey Devil called the Blue Hole.
As well as being a popular party spot, it also contains countless legends. For instance it is supposedly bottomless with powerful currents. In real life the Blue Hole really has some cold spots, but the legend tells that the water is freezing cold all year-round. It is around these parts that the Jersey Devil is most active.
Modern Theories and Beliefs About the Jersey Devil.
There are various theories and beliefs about the Jersey Devil that have been held throughout history. These range from mythological explanations such as the creature being the Thirteenth Child of Mother Leeds to more scientific concepts like a rare species of mammal surviving in an area where it is not known to exist.
More down to earth explanations have also been put forward saying the Jersey Devil is nothing more than the figment of imagination that came from the fear of the isolated place the Pine Barrens was at the time. It was considered dangerous and inhospitable with highwayman, fugitives, and outcasts like poor farmers, Native Americans and runaway slaves.
Some people believe that the Jersey Devil is actually an alien or interdimensional being, while others speculate that it may be a form of cryptid capable of shape-shifting. Regardless, speculation and legends surrounding the Jersey Devil continue to this day.
Captain Kidd
One of the other legends from the Pine Barrens is that of Captain Kidd. His real name was William Kidd and was a Scottish sea captain who turned into a pirate. He was executed in London in 1701 for both murder as well as piracy.
According to legend he buried a treasure that has yet to be found. It is not only in the Pine Barrens, but also in Nova Scotia, Connecticut and Long Island that have legends and myths about there being buried treasure around those parts.
According to legend from Pine Barrens though it is around Barnegat Bay that CAptain Kidd is haunting as a ghost, often reported about being a headless ghost.
Captain Kidd is often seen in company with the Jersey Devil himself, walking along the beach.
The Black Doctor of the Pines
The ghost of the Black Doctor is said to be the spirit of a man known as James Still. Still was said to be forbidden from practicing medicine due to his race, and he went to the Pine Barrens to practice medicine in the isolated communities of the Barrens.
There he studied medicine from textbooks and according to some legends, learned herbal medicine from the Native Amercans as well.
How he died is still debated. Some say the locals in the Pine Barrens tells the story of how he was lynched when they found out he practised medicine.
Others tell the story about how he was a hero in the isolated community and died of a heart attack, which is the true story of how James Still died.
He is said to be a helping ghost and is said to still come to the aid of lost or injured travelers in the Pine Barrens woods.
The Girl With the Golden Hair
Another ghost that haunts these parts is said to be a woman dressed in white found by the seaside, staring out into the sea as she is still mourning her lover she lost out there.
Her ghost stories are often mixed with the Jersey Devil as well, as he is said to sit next to her.
The White Stag
Something less menacing than the Jersey Devil is the spirit of a white deer that is said to show up when lost travelers need aid in the Pine Barrens. It is also said that the spirit is a warning of danger ahead.
This comes after a story where a stagecoach nearly fell into the Batsto River. The coaches reached Quaker Bridge and the horses refused to move and go over it. When the driver investigated further, he saw the white stag on the road before it disappeared before his eyes.
A closer inspection showed that the bridge was destroyed and since then it is said to mean good luck if you ever spot it.
The Black Dog
Another animal spirit around these parts is that of the Black Dog. Most often, seeing a Black Dog is a bad omen in European mythology, but in this instance, it is a good luck charm. It roams on the beaches and forests from Absecon Island to Barnegat Bay and is considered a harmless spirit.
It is said to be the ghost of a dog that was on board a ship that was attacked by pirates on Absecon Island. They killed the crew on the ship and among the killed were the cabin boy as well as hin trusted black dog.
In the cold night right before the New Years, the light of a ghost ship can be seen outside the shores of Rhode Island known as The Palatine Light. The terrible fate of the wrecked ship still haunts the sea.
Which, half in sport, in malice half, She shows at times, with shudder or laugh, Phantom and shadow in photograph?
For still, on many a moonless night, From Kingston Head and from Montauk light The spectre kindles and burns in sight.
Now low and dim, now clear and higher, Leaps up the terrible Ghost of Fire, Then, slowly sinking, the flames expire. – The Palatine, John Greenleaf Whittier
The Palatine Light is something that is reported on outside of Block Island on Rhode Island in the US. It is said that on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year’s Eve you can see the lights from the ship, burning as it sails past you as a ghostly apparition.
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The tradition of the folklore tells of a British ship with German immigrants that were on their way to Philadelphia in the 1700s. Germany at this time was ravaged by famine, war and religious persecution and many made their way towards a better future in America. Those who made it to America were known as ‘poor Palatines’. There are many variants to exactly which year this was supposed to happen, as there are many variations and different historical explanations.
The Palatine’s Haunted Legend
The ship, known as ‘The Palatine’ came to meet its fate outside of Block Island where it wrecked. The ship had for a long time been way off course and the passengers of the ship had already, before the sinking of the ship, experienced enough hardship on the voyage to drive them mad. The crew had deserted their duties and a horrible mutiny happened onboard that left the passengers to descend into chaos. The passengers that were left were driven mad by desperation, fear and hunger.
The people of Block Island say that the locals tried to rescue the crew and its passengers, although on mainland New England, they tell a different tale. Namely that the islanders were luring the ship towards them to steal the cargo and kill the people on board. Which is also the narrative that is told in the poem ‘The Palatine’ by John Greenleaf Whittier, which helped solidify the story to a popular legend of The Palatine Light:
Down swooped the wreckers, like birds of prey Tearing the heart of the ship away, And the dead had never a word to say. And then, with ghastly shimmer and shine Over the rocks and the seething brine, They burned the wreck of the Palatine. – The Palatine, John Greenleaf Whittier
Wrecking is a practice of taking the cargo from a wrecked ship, and coastal people that live in the areas where many ships go down are known as wreckers, looters of ships. In some accounts and especially in fiction, the wreckers went as far as lighting false beacons to lure the ships ashore and killing the survivors, so no tales could be told. Many people feared Block Island as they were afraid of the locals living there doing this, although there has never been any hard evidence of it.
Wreckers: Legends of islander and coastal people on purpose lured ship ashore to pillage the cargo and kill the passangers were often told and depicted in fiction. Like in Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn, here, screenshot from the BBC adaptation of the wreckers. // photo: BBC
Both variations of the legends tell that after they had gotten the people off the ship, they set fire to the ship and it was driven out to sea. But the ship was not empty. A female passenger refused to leave the ship as it sank, and those who report seeing the Palatine Lights, claim to hear her screams from the ghost ship.
The Wreckage of Princess Augusta
There are many ships that went down in these parts that could be the source of the legend of The Palatine Light. Many ships got off course and ended its day on the bottom of the sea this far north. One of those ships was The Princess Augusta and perhaps tells the closest story to the legend.
Like in the legend, the ship had problems onboard long before they hit the shores of Rhode Island. The water supply was contaminated and killed 200 of its passengers and half the crew, including the captain, named Captain Long.
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It was the first mate, Andrew Brook, that took control over the ship, but a horrible storm pushed the ship of course and they ended up outside of Rhode Island. After three months of the extreme weather and no food, the state of the people on the ship was becoming desperate. Already poor, the passengers were forced to pay for the remaining rations by Brook.
When it reached the shores of Block island it was severely damaged and leaked and finally wrecked in a snowstorm at Sandy Point in 1738. The waters around these parts are treacherous and in those times, there were at least a dozen wrecked ships every year around these parts.
Apparently Brook left all the passengers onboard and rowed to shore with the remaining crew. Although they were condemned in the public eye, they suffered no punishment for their mistreatment.
According to the Block Islanders, they were not trying to steal the cargo at all, but help the passengers and bury the dead they could not help. It is said that they helped out all but one of the passengers in some accounts just like in the legends and a couple of the passengers actually settled down on the island, as more names of the passenger list have come to light with names. Mary Van Der Line was forgotten in all the chaos. Driven mad by her suffering and horrible voyage over the ocean, she didn’t get off the ship because she refused to leave her possessions and went down with it.
Lights in the Sea: The islanders of Block Island have told throughout the years about ghostly lights and apparitions in the sea that are supposedly coming from the ghost ship known in the legend as The Palatine.
The fate of the ship itself is up to debate. There are some evidence suggesting that the Augusta was repaired and sent to Philadelphia. But other accounts tell the story that sounds much closer to the legend of the ghost ship.
The ship was seen as unsalvageable after the wreckage and pushed back into the sea to vanish. Before pushing it out, in some accounts they do actually set in on fire. There are to this day no wreck or remains of the wreck to have been found.
The Sightings of The Palatine Light
Whether the islanders lured the ship ashore, or helped the passengers, they have countless reports about seeing the lights. One islander named Dr. Aaron C. Willey described the light in 1811 after claiming to have seen it several times himself:
“The light looks like a blaze of fire six or seven miles from the northern part of Block Island. Sometimes it’s small, like the light from a distant window. Sometimes it’s as big as a ship and wavers like a torch.”
So perhaps, when passing through these parts in the winter time, look out to the sea. Perhaps if you look close enough, you too can see the lights of the ghost ship.
Once a heartbroken girl that didn’t know how to go on to a vengeful ghost. Emily who haunts Emily’s Bridge in Vermont still got claws.
The Gold Brook Covered Bridge as it is named officially usually goes under the name Stowe Hollow Bridge or simply Emily’s Bridge.
It is a small and single lane bridge made out of wood in the small town of Stowe in Vermont. It is a covered bridge that you can see around New England especially.
Emily’s Bridge as it was nicknamed after a local legend was built in 1844 and the old and weathered wood of the bridge holds a heart wrenching ghost story.
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The Legend of Emily
The Haunted Bridge: Gold Brook, Stowe Hollow or Emily’s Bridge, Stowe, Vermont// Source
According to legend there is a girl named Emily who haunts the bridge since her death in the 1850s.
She was only a teenager when she died and had a hard life as she was from a poor family. She fell in love with a boy from a richer family who promised to marry her. However, his parents refused and they decided to elope.
The boy told her to wait for him on that bridge at midnight and she did as she had instructed her.
But when the time went into the late night and early mornings she realized he would never come for her. She had been abandoned and had nowhere to go. In her distress she jumped from the bridge into the small brook that ran under it and died.
The Voices in the Tunnel
According to locals, they still claim to see her ghost around midnight as she makes an appearance on Emily’s Bridge. There is no real papertrail or tangible evidence of who Emily could be or that she existed at all.
But even so, the legend preserverce and have perhaps only grown. She is no longer the tragic girl that jumped to her death, but more of a vengeful ghost according to some of the stories. Strange voices are heard in the short tunnel that covers Emily’s Bridge and some have even said the cars have come out scratched by something that looks like claws.
Can a house itself be a ghost? Strange tales have been sung of the sunken house at the bottom of Gardner Lake since it went through the ice so many years ago. And on quiet nights if you really listen, you can sometimes hear the piano of the house play music from underwater.
The house of Gardner Lake was supposed to be moved over the lake when it was covered in ice in the cold winters of Connecticut. Thomas LeCount was a grocer from Connecticut that wanted to move his beloved and fully furnished two-story summer house over the lake to the east side for the perfect spot back in 1895.
He thought moving the house over the ice would be more efficient than by land, but miscalculated how much the ice could take and on its travel it slipped and the ice cracked. They tried to get the house back on track, but gave up in the night to try again at first light. But they never managed to get the house over the lake and it remained stuck.
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The Piano Playing from Underwater
But it took years to reach the bottom of the lake though and children would fish and swim around it in the summer and skate through it in the winter until it eventually disappeared forever under the dark water.
The moving of the house didn’t demand any human lifes, neither were there any rumours of the owners circulating of hauntings and ghosts. So where do the haunting rumours come from then?
By now, most of the sunken house has rotted away, but the local fishermen still tell the legend that the sound of music, og the piano of the house can still be heard on quiet nights.
The Sunken House: The house remained for years dipping in the Gardner Lake before it became fully submerged and sank to the bottom.
Horror Movie Inspired by the House
In 2021 a movie based on the story of the house at the bottom of the lake was released. Called Deep Dive the movie takes the legend further and makes it a haunting horror movie set in France.
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
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