FuckYeahHauntedPlaces

The Hotel La More in Bisbee, Arizona (which is also called the Bisbee Inn) is a century-old building with some of the more unusual and interesting ghosts of this former Wild West mining town, tucked in the Mule Mountains only 12 miles north of the Mexican border. It’s a popular place for ghost hunts–no wonder, as there are numerous spirits who haunt this place.

The most famous ghost here is the ghost cat of Room 23, who is the spirit of a cat that was accidentally locked in a pantry after being shooed away by the inn’s owner. Now unable or unwilling to leave, it’s often seen outside the hotel as well, climbing ledges and sleeping in sunbeams. Room 23 is its favorite; sometimes, guests awaken in bed to the sensation of a cat curled up at their feet, or report hearing its ghostly purring or pitiful scratching at the door and window. 

Room 7 is home to an ethereal Lady in White, who brings the scents of lavender and lilacs with her as she makes her presence known in the room. 

In Room 11, a cowboy dressed in his getup is said to lurk in the bathroom, turning the faucets on in the middle of the night and even flushing the toilet. 

Room 15 is the favorite place of a lonely ghost who often spends the night curled up next to the living guest.

Creatures of Legend:  Black Shuck

Black Shuck (AKA Old Shuck, Old Shock, or Shucks) is a ghostly black dog that is said to be spotted around the coast and countryside of East Anglia. According to legend, Black Shuck is rather large, with reports stating that he is anywhere from being as big as a large dog to the size of a horse. He has shaggy black fur, and evil red or green eyes. Some versions state that Black Shuck only has a single eye instead of two, or that he can appear lacking a head altogether.

Generally it is believed that the appearance of this ghostly dog is a bad omen. Although some stories claim that those who see Black Shuck will immediately die, other stories say that the dog will appear before a witness when a close relative is about to pass away or become seriously ill. In contrast, other tales say that the Black Shuck has been known to protect women on their way home, or to help lost travelers find their way.

While reports of ghostly black dogs date back to around 1127, one of the first accounts specifically of the Black Shuck happened on August 4th, 1577. On this day, Black Shuck burst through the doors of the Holy Trinity Church while the congregation was in session. His entrance was marked by a clap of thunder. Black Shuck then ran up the nave, killing a man and a boy and causing the church steeple to collapse through the roof. When the dog left, scorch marks could be seen on the north door. These scorch marks can still be seen at the church today (last picture above). Only a few hours later, Black Shuck appeared at St. Mary’s Church in Bungay. Like the first encounter, Black Shuck ran down the isle’s. This time he stopped to kill several men who were kneeling in prayer. When Black Shuck left, he once again left scorch marks on the door.

Firefighters and investigators inspect the debris-strewn dance floor following a deadly fire which turned the packed Ozone Disco into an inferno, killing about 150 teenagers in 1996.

In 1996, around 150 people died due to a fire inside Ozone Disco, a trendy club located in the corner of Timog and Tomas Morato Avenues in Quezon City. Due to excessive panicking and lack of proper fire exits, no one was able to come out alive.

When the fire was extinguished and firemen were able to enter the building, most of the bodies they found were piled near the locked exits, trying until their very last breath to get out and escape the fire.

Joliet the Doll with a Haunting Curse

Joliet has belonged to more than four generations of one family, for over a century. The doll comes with a terrible curse, yet the family does not dare part with it. It is said the doll holds four souls, but that the number will inevitably grow, as the doll is passed from mother to daughter.

Can you think of any reasons why you would keep a object in your possession, that causes you pain to look at, that is haunted and that is a constant reminder of painful events in your past? Anna G. (she has chosen to remain largely anonymous) has just such an object in her possession. It is a century old doll that has been given the name ‘Joliet’. At night, the doll is said to give out the piercing cries of different babies, all male, sometimes singly, sometimes all at the same time. Anna knows the names of all four of the souls that are said to inhabit the doll, and it is this knowledge, known to four generations of mothers and daughters, that keeps the haunted doll in their possession. The doll is not only haunted, but is cursed.

Four generations ago Anna’s great grandmother received Joliet as a present from a family friend. At the time she was pregnant with her second child, and received it as a pregnancy gift.

The Paris Catacombs - France

Beneath the streets of Paris lay the skeletons of seven million disinterred Parisians, stacked neatly along the passageways. The Paris catacombs were originally stone quarries, and over the years, as the cemeteries filled up, older bones were moved underground. The catacombs are said to emanate an eerie, blue mist, that seems to create swirling forms that change direction, creating strange apparitions and shapes; some witnesses even say that these apparitions smell of sandalwood!

The 2014 horror film ‘as above, so below’ is based on the haunting of the Paris catacombs. Follow the link for the trailer.

2016 Most Spooky Fort: Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Situated along the Delaware River below Philadelphia, PA is one of the most haunted places in America: Fort Mifflin. With reports of paranormal activity dating back hundreds of years, and a high frequency of reported sightings, Fort Mifflin is more than qualified to be the winner of this year’s Most Spooky Fort.

The Fort, which was originally called Fort Island Battery, was commissioned in 1771. During the American Revolutionary War, the British army captured the fort in 1777 during a siege known as the Battle of Mud Island. After this only the original stone walls of the fort, pockmarked by bullets and debris, survived. Later on, the fort was reconstructed and used to house prisoners during the American Civil War. Finally, after being used for as a military post in order to defend the nearby Fort Mifflin Naval Ammunition Storage Depot during WWII, the fort was restored and declared a historical landmark in 1969.

Although Fort Mifflin was restored in 1969, reports of paranormal activity date back to the 1700s. The first documented report of paranormal activity occurred in 1778 when those who inhabited the fort heard the awful wailing of a women crying out about their loss of their men at the Siege of Fort Mifflin. No women were present at the time.

There are also several well-known spirits who haunt the fort. One of these spirits is known as the Screaming Lady. Although she is rarely seen, her presence is made known by her loud desperate screams around the Officer’s Quarters. In fact, she has been heard on so many occasions that the Philadelphia police have been called out several times to investigate. However, upon arrival there is never any evidence of a distressed woman. The Screaming Lady is thought to be Elizabeth Pratt, who lived close to the Fort and took up with an officer. Elizabeth then disowned her own daughter, who died shortly after from dysentery. Elizabeth was so consumed with guilt that she eventually took her own life.

Another common sighting at the fort is that of a faceless man. The Faceless Man is a relatively solid entity, with the exception of his face. His face is always hidden in shadow. He frequents several areas of the fort, although most sightings of him are known to have happened in Casement 5. Supposedly The Faceless Man is the spirit of a war criminal known as William Howe, who was held in the cells during the Civil War.  Eventually William Howe was executed at the Fort by hanging. It was common practice at the Fort that before a hanging the victims would have their heads covered by a black bag.

Many other spirits also roam Fort Mifflin’s premises. One of these spirits is known as The Lamplighter. This spirit can be seen walking around carrying an oil-burning lamp, although all of the lights at the fort are electric. Another entity has been named “The Tour Guide.” This entity is known for dressing in period clothing and providing tours to guests when no actual guides are scheduled to be present. An apparition called “The Sad Looking Man” can be spotted walking alone down a road towards the fort’s entrance. He will then disappear into thin air. The Blacksmith is another spirit who is known to close doors in the Smithy. People have also reported hearing the phantom sounds of someone working within the Smithy when no one was present. The voices of children and the barking of dogs have also been heard by many visitors and staff when no children or dogs were near the fort. Finally, there have also been reports of a ship “seemingly plucked out of time” docked by the fort.

Other than these specific specters, other paranormal happenings have been reported in and around the fort. Some of these encounters include smelling fresh bread baking or the scent of a wood fire. People have also heard the disembodied voices of soldiers, sailors and civilians, or have been touched, pulled and sometimes restrained by invisible hands.

2016 Most Spooky Cemetery: Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Winner of this year’s Most Spooky Cemetery goes to Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland. Not only is this cemetery the site of a bloody past, but it is also home to a poltergeist that is so violent that the City Counsel had to lock up the cemetery gates and forbid the public from entering.

The cemetery is located in the back of a church (the name “kirk” means church, so Kirkyard means churchyard cemetery). Originally, the site of the church was the home of the Franciscan Friary. The Franciscans, who arrived in the 1200’s, later became known as Greyfriars. However, in the 16th century a group of people denounced the Pope and the Catholic Church, choosing instead to maintain Presbyterian doctrines.  This group became known as Covenanters, and were a huge problem for King Charles I. After several revolts and wars, the Covenanters were eventually defeated in 1652. Despite this, another rebellion was formed in 1679. This rebellion was quickly put down, and over 1200 Covenanters were taken prisoner and put into the Covenanters Prison at Greyfriars Kirkyard, There, prisoners were subjected to horrific conditions and many were killed. When their imprisonment was over, only 400 Covenanters were still alive. The remaining 400 were sold into slavery.

The man who had been the one to imprison the Covenanters to begin with was named Sir George Mackenzie. Sir Mackenzie executed so many of the Covenanters that he eventually earned the title of “Bloody Mackenzie.” After his death in 1691, he was ironically buried in the Greyfriar’s Kirkyard in a large mausoleum among those whom he had killed.

For years the site of Mackenzie’s grave was silent, until in 1998 a homeless man decided to break into the mausoleum to take shelter during a rainstorm. Once inside the mausoleum, the man began rummaging through the coffins. However, before he could get too far, the floor beneath his feet collapsed and he found himself in a pit full of human remains. This pit had apparently been where plague victims were buried. The man ran away screaming. Ever since that day, reports of a violent poltergeist have been reported in and around the area of the mausoleum. It is believed that the poltergeist is the spirit of Mackenzie out to exact revenge for the desecration of his grave against all those who visit. People who visit the area have reported being bruised, scratched, and even knocked unconscious by an unseen force. Over 400 incidents of people being attacked by the poltergeist have been reported over the years. It is this sheer amount of reported attacks that has caused the City Counsel to refuse entry to most of the public.

Other than the poltergeist of Bloody Mackenzie, the spirit of a dog named Bobby can also be heard within the cemetery. In life, Bobby was a small Sky terrier who was fiercly loyal to his owner. After his owners death, Bobby refused to leave his owners side. Up until his own death, Bobby would sleep on his maters grave each and every day. Now people have reported hearing the mysterious sounds of a dog barking among the graves.

This place was already pretty creepy and that music box sound gave me the chills. But no big deal (I’m a man, fuck it, I think to myself.) So I go find the music box and close it to stop the music. I then grab the painting stuff I needed and begin to head back down into the basement. Well, a few steps down the stairs and I hear at least 3 maybe 4 more music boxes turn on, coming from multiple rooms. 

Scenes from every horror movie start flashing through my mind, i’m like frozen on the stairs, afraid to even turn around. That seemed to last for ever, but was probably only a couple seconds. I finally did turn around and booked out the front door, straight to my car, leaving all the painting stuff right where it was, I didn’t give a shit, I’ll buy new brushes. In the car, it felt like something was in the back seat. Same feeling followed me all the way home, into the house, into bed etc.

I didn’t stop doing work at that school, but would only go there during the daytime. Nothing like that ever happened again.”

Cliff Park Inn

The Cliff Park Inn in Milford, PA is a historic Inn and golf course, built around 1900. The golf course was the first to be designed by a woman. Annie Buchanan designed the 9-hole course in 1912 in response to the rule of women not being allowed on golf courses at the time. 

The area was named after the property’s 900 foot cliffs. During the silent film and early sound film eras, multiple western films were shot by the cliffs. This is also the source of the inn’s most famous ghost legend. The “Lady in Brown” is a brown, female apparition that has been seen by many gliding down the inn’s staircase and out the doors, only to drop off the cliff. It’s movements mimic those of a film crew member who supposedly committed suicide in the 1920s during a movie shoot. 

Other spirits that have been seen and heard are those of Fanny, Big George, and Walt, all identified as former Cliff Park Inn employees. A former chef, nicknamed Uncle Stew, is seen in the kitchen, and employees say that cans and other kitchen items fly around wildly whenever something goes wrong. 

Another reported ghost is that of Harry Buchanan, the last member of the Buchanan family to own the inn before he turned it over to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in 2003. His spirit is spotted on the golf course. The image above is from a wildlife camera that supposedly captured a man similar to his reported apparition. 

Royal Spirits and Their Haunts

Many people would jump at the chance to see royalty.  Unfortunately, the majority of us will never have the opportunity… to see a living member of a royal family that is. Luckily, if the stories can be believed, some of history’s most famous deceased royal persons can still be seen roaming the castles and courtyards they once called home.

2. Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury:

After Cardinal Pole, the countesses son, offended King Henry VIII, Henry decided to eliminate the entire family.  In 1541, Lady Margaret was taken to the Tower of London to be executed. However, unlike Henry’s other victims, Margaret did not go to her death willingly. Instead she was dragged kicking and screaming to the scaffolding.  She refused to make the usual declaration of loyalty to the Kind and refused to do anything to consent to her death (as was custom at that time). When she was told to lay her head on the block she said “No, my head never committed treason. If you want it, you must take it as you can.” After the executioner tried to grab her, Margaret ran around the block while moving her head from side to side.  While she did this the executioner struck at her with his axe.  Finally, she was mortally wounded and was forcibly held down.  After crying our “Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness’s sake,” she finally met her demise as the executioner cut off her head. Witnesses have reported seeing this grisly scene repeated several times on the anniversary of her death.