Posts Tagged ‘haunted locations’

10 Haunted Places I Want to Visit Before I Become A Ghost, Part X

Posted: September 1, 2025 in Scary Stuff
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This image will never not be spooky.

Wow, this is my tenth in this series of posts. You think I should do like the Friday the 13th franchise and go to space for this one? Yeah, you’re right. Not a lot of haunted locations outside of Earth’s atmosphere. However, there are plenty on Earth, and I have ten I want to visit. So, let’s start listing them. Perhaps you’ll visit them this Halloween season.

Or stay far away from them. That’s also a possibility.

Old Absinthe House, New Orleans, LA
This is the first of many locations on this list that are located in New Orleans, so I’ll have to plan a trip back one of these days. Anyway, the Old Absinthe House, also known as Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House, was first built as a grocery store in 1806 before becoming a bar. And through the years, through wars and Prohibition and more. it has remained a bar specializing in absinthe.

It also is home to several ghosts. Some include then-General Andrew Jackson and pirate captain Jean Lafitte, who supposedly met there to plan a collaboration in the final days of the War of 1812. Other ghosts include Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau; a woman in a white dress; and a little girl who plays on the building’s third floor.

You know, I didn’t care for absinthe the first time I tried it, but I’d be willing to try it again. Especially if it came with a side of ghosts!

The Hollywood Sign, Hollywood, CA
Do I need to go into the history of the Hollywood sign? No, because it’s not relevant here, and it’s already so iconic. So let’s talk about the supposed haunting. in 1932, actress Peg Entwistle climbed to the top of the H in the sign and jumped from it to her death. It’s believed that she killed herself because most of her role in the one film she was in, Thirteen Women, was largely cut due to her playing a lesbian. As you can bet, this was rather controversial at the time.

Today, people visiting or working at the sign at night sometimes smell the scent of gardenias, which was Entwistle’s favorite perfume. And they sometimes also see a woman in clothing from the 1930s, who disappears upon being approached.

I’ve never been that far west before, but this makes me want to go there. And maybe make a night visit to the sign.

The Faulkner House Bookstore, New Orleans, LA
In an alleyway in New Orleans is a bookstore where the former home of writer William Faulkner used to be. It was in this home that Faulkner wrote his first novel, as well as first started his writing career. Today, his writing desk is still in the bookstore, which deals in fine literature and rare books, especially of Faulkner’s works.

Faulkner himself is also supposed to be in the bookstore, even though he died in 1962. If you go there sometimes, you can smell his tobacco pipe, and maybe even see him writing at his writing desk. Maybe if I head down during business hours, we could have a nice discussion about literature. You never know.

The Bullock Hotel, Deadwood, SD
This beautiful and historic building, made of stone and built in a Victorian Italianate style, was built by Seth Bullock, an early sheriff of Deadwood, in the 1890s. It was later turned into a hardware store, but was converted back into a hotel in the 1990s, with the new owners decorating the hotel to look as much like it might have in the Victorian era as possible while still having modern amenities.

Seth Bullock’s ghost is also regularly seen around the hotel, making sure guests are enjoying themselves, and that the staff is hard at work. Other apparitions and orbs are seen aplenty, and there are regular ghost tours and ghost hunts in the hotel. So if you need a reason to visit South Dakota besides Mount Rushmore (like me), here’s your excuse!

The Pharmacy Museum, New Orleans, LA
Dedicated to the history of pharmacology and apothecary in the United States, this historic building was first owned and operated by Dr. Louis Dulfilho, America’s first certified pharmacist. It later went to Dr. James Dupas, and then became a paper warehouse before becoming a museum. In the time since then, rumors of hauntings have accumulated at the museum. Most are linked to Dr. Dupas, who is alleged to have done inhuman experiments on enslaved people (though there is no historical evidence that this occurred).

Regardless, people have reported seeing the doctor around the museum, as well as ghostly women in the courtyard. Some have also reported being shoved and touched, only to see no one there. The museum’s website does claim that, like every building in the French quarter, it is likely haunted, though they don’t permit paranormal investigations. They prefer to educate. That being said, the next time I’m in New Orleans, I’m going to learn both about the history of pharmacology, and maybe spy some ghosts while I’m at it!

The Loveland castle in Loveland, OH

Loveland Castle, Loveland, OH
Back in the 1920s, local medievalist, WWI veteran and Boy Scout troop leader Harry D. Andrews bought some land in Loveland, OH and started doing what I’ve always dreamed of: building a castle on his land. The castle was completed after his death, and is now stewarded by the Knights of the Golden Trail, a collective of armored knights born from Andrews’ old Boy Scout troop.

According to my friend and fellow Ohio author John Kachuba, the castle is beautiful to visit. And it’s haunted. Supposedly, the knights will tell you all about the spooky hauntings in the castle, mostly from Andrews’ spirit.

I really have to make a trip there one of these days.

Marie Laveau’s House, New Orleans, LA
If you haven’t heard of Marie Laveau, she was the greatest voodoo priestess in New Orleans history. Her home no longer stands, but there are buildings in the spot where that building used to be. Laveau used to open her home to people to help them through healing and ritual. It’s said the buildings where her home used to be sometimes experience supernatural activity, and it might not be impossible to do ghost hunts there.

I’ve been outside the home on a haunted ghost tour of the French Quarter, but to actually go inside! That could be amazing to experience.

The Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan, NY
Located in Upper Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest extant house in New York City, and is a three-story colonial that now operates as a museum dedicated to its history. The house is named after two of the families who originally owned it, including the family of Eliza Jumel, who was Aaron Burr’s second wife. Yes, that Aaron Burr. And speaking of which, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote parts of Hamilton in the house, which was also at one point used by George Washington as headquarters for the Continental Army.

The Morris-Jumel Mansion.

Today, the museum offers tours and all sorts of programs, including ghost tours and paranormal investigations. Even ghost hunting shows have been in the mansion, which is said to be haunted by Eliza Jumel, Aaron Burr, and at least three other ghosts.

You think I should go there dressed as a colonial soldier, rap some Hamilton, and try to find some ghosts?

The Golden Lamb Inn, Lebanon, OH
Located in scenic Lebanon, this hotel has gone by many names over the years. However, no matter the name, it has never once been closed, and instead has been in continual operation since opening in 1803. The hotel sports a nice, all day restaurant, a bar, a beautiful Colonial building, and more. It’s no wonder this hotel is a historic landmark, and has seen some high-profile guests over the years, including famous political figures.

According to some, a few of these famous guests never left. A former Ohio politician who accidentally shot himself has been seen walking around the hotel, as had a former Supreme Court justice who got ill and died at the hotel. There’s also rumors of a little girl haunting the premises, possibly the daughter of a 19th-century Kentucky senator who got unexpectedly sick and died when the family stayed the night at the hotel.

No idea if it’ll displace the Lafayette as my favorite Ohio haunted hotel, but I’d like to find out.

Ohio Museum of Horror, Galion, OH
This is the newest entry on the list. Opening earlier this year, the Ohio Museum of Horror is owned by Nate Thompson, who also runs the Michigan Museum of Horror (entry for a few list?), and contains everything from horror movie memorabilia to haunted and cursed objects to items formerly owned by serial killers. There’s also a restaurant in the building called The Last Meal, where you can eat meals based on what death row inmates ate as their last meals. It’s generated all sorts of interest and controversy, as you can imagine.

And the good news is, I might be visiting this one sooner than we think. It’s only an hour from where I live, tickets can be used anytime after they’re bought, and I have an opportunity to go up coming soon. I’m quite looking forward to it. Maybe I’ll see something spooky while I’m there. And if not, maybe I can meet with someone there and convince them to put on an event with me and my fellow horror writers.

Have you visited any of these, my Followers of Fear? What was your experience like? And are there any you would like to add? Let’s discuss.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to enjoy my Labor Day weekend and maybe get some scary stories out. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 60 days till Halloween. Let the Party of Frights begin!

10 Haunted Locations I Want to Visit Before I Become a Ghost, Part IX

Posted: January 16, 2025 in Scary Stuff
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One of the locations in today’s posts. It’s got quite the history. As do all the locations.

It’s no secret that I love visiting haunted locations, and have visited quite a few of the ones on the previous lists. I’ve even experienced some freaky and frightening stuff in those locations! And as time goes on, I’ve learned of many more locations, which means I not only want to visit them, but I want to list them here. Either to inspire my fellow horror fans and writers, just to spread the knowledge of my fellow ghost hunters, or to scare those who are freaked out by the very idea of a place with real ghosts in it (you know who you are).

So, without further ado, here are ten haunted locations I want to visit before I become a ghost.

Chateau d’Amboise, Loire Valley, France
Ah France! So beautiful. So cultured. So historical. And so full of blood and death, it’s no surprise there are ghosts all over the place. The Chateau d’Amboise, a massive estate in the Loire Valley, is no exception. It’s a beautiful and immense castle that was a favorite of the royal family for years. However, it also has its fair share of darkness. In addition to a failed rebellion that occurred there, a man named Jacques de Breze murdered his wife, Charlotte, and her lover, Breze’s stepbrother (awkward!). Charlotte’s said to wander and wail through the halls in a green dress, giving her the nickname “the green lady.”

Other ghosts include King Charles VIII, who died while hitting his head on a lintel in 1498, and Leonardo da Vinci, who is supposed to be buried there. Hmm…maybe I should start brushing up on my French.

Manhattan Well, Soho, New York City
In 1799, the body of Guilelma “Elma” Sands was found dead in the Manhattan Well in what is today Soho in Manhattan. An architect who had been courting her, Levi Weeks, was accused of the murder, but thanks in part to representation by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, he was acquitted (this even gets a mention in the song “Non-Stop” from Hamilton). Meanwhile, the well was built itself over and resided under homes and shops.

Today, the well can be found in the basement of a Soho clothing store, where it has since become something of a minor tourist attraction. However, after dark, it’s said that the spirit of Elma Sands still haunts the well, crying over her murder by Weeks and attempting to get out of the well. And I now have another reason to visit New York City.

Thurber House, Columbus, OH
I was at this local Columbus writing center and arts organization back around Halloween, and before doing a reading and selling some books, I did a tour of the old house, which was the home of local writer and humorist James Thurber. Apparently, this house is said to still be inhabited by the spirits of Thurber and his family.

And it’s available for rent for the night! So, hopefully, someday soon, I can join some friends to ghost hunt in the place one of these days. I mean, a writer who ghost hunts hunting in the house of a local writer who’s now a ghost? What’s not to love?

Also, the house is where I took this spooky photo.

Even for Halloween decor, this was inspired. Hats off to the folks running Thurber House!

Boleskine House, Loch Ness, Scotland
Have you ever heard of Aleister Crowley? If you haven’t, he was a early 20th-century magician who dabbled in a lot of occult practices. He owned Boleskine House for fourteen years. While he was there, he supposedly engaged in a ritual he never finished, and which, according to some, caused demons to remain on the property.

In the years since, there’s been a number of tragedies in the house, including a suicide and two fires. Plus, former residents, including a man who worked for rocker Jimmy Page while the latter owned the house, have experienced numerous strange and terrifying phenomena. It’s set to open up again this year after lots of restoration due to the second fire. I wonder if they’ll let people rent the place for ghost hunts? If they do, I want to sign up.

Abbey of Thelema, Cefalu, Sicily
Boleskine House wasn’t Aleister Crowley’s only notorious home. In 1920, he bought a small cottage in Italy, where he planned to start a magic school and preach his Thelema religion. He stayed there for three years, leaving once Mussolini’s government forced them out. The house has since fallen into ruins, but it’s said that if you step inside, spirits from the strange rituals Crowley and his followers performed there might say hi.

You know, I hear Italy is beautiful this time of year. Anyone want to come with me?

Hampton Court Palace, London, England
Ah, England! Such history! Such culture! Such haunted locations! Hampton Court Palace used to be one of the favorite residences of the Royal Family. Today’s it’s a museum that’s open to the public, but that doesn’t mean the royals moved out. In fact, some are said to hang around. Two of Henry VIII’s wives are said to haunt the palace: Jane Seymour, who died of complications of childbirth, and Catherine Seymour, who was executed for having multiple affairs.

In addition to the queens, a woman named Sybil Penn may be haunting the palace. Known as the Grey Lady, she nursed Elizabeth I through smallpox, caught it after the future queen recovered, and died. I wonder if I could run into all three ghosts and play songs from the musical SIX to the queens. That would be fun.

Plenty of ghosts hiding here. I want to visit and find them!

The White House, Washington DC
I don’t need to go into the history of this place. You know it, who lives there and what they do there. But did you know it’s haunted? Abraham Lincoln, as well as one of his sons, Thomas Jefferson, Dolly Madison and Abigail Adams, and several other famous former presidents are said to haunt the White House.

Obviously, it would be extremely difficult to even get into the White House just for a tour. It would be even harder to get permission to ghost hunt there, if not impossible. And I would not want to do it with the incoming administration. But it would still be cool if I could. If I could see what’s haunting the White House.

St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, Ireland
Not a traditionally haunted location, but it is spooky nonetheless. This Church of Ireland church dates back to the 17th century (though a church has been on the site since the 11th century), and has something unique about it: in its basement, there are numerous mummified remains which have survived centuries, desecration and even a fire.

I wonder if there’s anything freaky associated with those mummies?

The Dauphine Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Dauphine Orleans Hotel has a storied history. At one point, it was one of the most notorious brothels in New Orleans, especially its onsite bar, May Baily’s Place. It was also a place where numerous Civil War soldiers would hang out, which explains why numerous spirits of Confederate soldiers and prostitutes continue to haunt the property.

Maybe I should stay there the next time I’m down there.

The Haunted Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
Or I can stay here. Located on Ursulines’ Ave, this hotel is considered one of the oldest hotels in the French Quarter, and prides itself on being the most haunted. In fact, the website says the hotel has been haunted since 1918, when the serial killer the Axeman went on a murder spree through the city.

I’m interested to see if the hotel is all hype. Or if it’s really is the most haunted hotel in New Orleans.

Have you been to any of these locations? Have you experienced anything? Do you have any suggestions for where I should investigate someday? Let me know in the comments below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to dream of spooky things and write them into stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Ten More Haunted Locations I Want to Visit Part VIII

Posted: June 8, 2024 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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Photo by Pedro Figueras on Pexels.com

So, I realized something while going over previous articles about haunted locations I want to visit before I become a ghost myself: I have, in the past, repeated entries. Accidentally, of course. And can you blame me? There are so many cool haunted locations out there, so it’s natural that I might get one or two mixed up or end up repeating them!

That being said, I think all the ones in this article are making their first appearances on this blog. So hopefully I don’t accidentally repeat any in future articles. And if I do, maybe it just means I really want to go there.

So, without further ado, let’s list ten more haunted locations I want to visit before I become a ghost myself.

Chateau de Brissac, France

A historic chateau built in the 11th century, this beautiful palace has seven stories and was once the tallest chateau in all of France. Today, it is still the tallest chateau in the Loire Valley, has been used as a film set for television shows, is also the site of a festival, and is available for day tours and overnight stays.

It’s also haunted by the Green Lady, who is supposedly the illegitimate daughter of King Charles VII. According to legend, her husband came home from hunting one evening and went to bed, but was then informed by his servant that his wife was having a meeting with a lover. Enraged, he murdered the couple, but soon after left the chateau because he kept hearing his wife and her lover moaning throughout the place (not sure what kind of moaning). Today, her lover’s spirit isn’t so much heard, but she is, and when she’s seen, she’s supposed to have holes for eyes and a nose, possibly a memento from when her husband murdered her.

Whatever the case, I’d like to see if I can meet this ghost while staying in a luxurious castle. Wouldn’t you?

Museum of Shadows, Omaha, Nebraska

Supposedly the most haunted museum in the world, the Museum of Shadows claims to have over three thousand haunted objects within its walls. Occupying two floors of a four-floor building, there are skulls, dolls and puppets, crosses, bones, and God only knows what else. It is available for tours and ghost hunts, and they have empty rooms available for Sit Challenges, where you sit in complete darkness for ten whole minutes and see if anything happens to you.

Guess who wants to do all three? ME!!!

Lumber Baron Inn, Denver, Colorado

Featured last year on the Netflix miniseries 28 Days Haunted, the Lumber Baron Inn is a beautiful Victorian era building that was built by Scottish lumber baron John Mouat (hence the name). Today, it’s a bed and breakfast that also offers tours and acts as an event space, but between Mouat and his family and today, the place had quite a few owners. At one point, it was a tenement building, and two young women were violently murdered while living there. It’s believed this incident caused the entire building to become haunted.

Anyone want to head out to Denver with me? Anyone? Bueller?

Kiyotaki Tunnel, Kyoto, Japan

Considered one of the most haunted locations in Japan (and considering the country has separate categories for violent ghosts depending on their reason for haunting, each with their own dangers to beware of, that’s saying something), the tunnel is around 500 yards long and used to be part of a railway line. Nowadays, it’s a one-way tunnel that’s rumored to be very haunted.

Some of the hauntings are rumored to be the spirits of laborers who died building the tunnel. Others may be those of people who have had accidents in the tunnel or who have taken advantage of the tunnel’s woodland location to commit suicide. These ghosts are rumored to wander the tunnel at night, scream loudly, and change traffic signals to cause accidents. One spirit of a woman in white is said to run out of the tunnel and jump onto car hoods like a crazy person (she sounds delightful).

If I ever get to Japan, I’ll add it to the list!

Ramada Plaza Laredo, Laredo, Texas

This one was told to me by my boss. Years before I met her, she was out at Laredo for work and was staying at this hotel. According to her, during the two nights she was staying there, the writing desk in her suite kept shaking every time she went to bed and turned out the lights. As if someone was either writing on it, or as if someone wanted to scare her out of the room. And it worked, because she got out of there and never went back.

Nowadays, the hotel is permanently closed and may not even be standing. However, my boss’s story was enough that if I’m ever out that way, I want to check it out and see if anything’s haunting the building. And I know someone who could go with me.

La Posada Hotel, Laredo, Texas

Speaking of Laredo, Texas, the La Posada Hotel is a beautiful old hotel that used to be a convent. Nowadays, it’s a hotel, but it’s said the nuns are still hanging about. They often manifest as hotel staff and try to trick the guests, but they oddly cannot speak. Cold spots, objects being thrown, and running footsteps in the ballroom are also reported.

Again, I know a certain someone in the area whom I could take with me. Whether she wanted to go or not!

House of Wills, Cleveland, Ohio

I heard about this one from my friend Jeff Ignatowski, whom you saw in my various videos from the ghost hunt at the Ohio State Reformatory (see that blog post here). Built in 1900 in what was then a heavily German and Jewish area, it was the home for a singing and dancing group, the Cleveland Hebrew Institute, and, most famously, a funeral home and a meeting place for the African American community. In fact, John Walter Wills, the man whom the house is named, was a founder of the Cleveland NAACP and remodeled some of the rooms in the house to be elaborate viewing rooms with Egyptian, dream, and cloud themes.

Today, the house is undergoing restoration after being closed down in 2005, and is open for architectural and ghost tours and ghost hunts. A rumor I heard said at some point, someone might have done magical or even dark rituals, which may have super-charged the hauntings there. Without anything to verify that, I’m treating that as just rumor, but I’d still be interested in checking out the house. And maybe dragging friends and family living in Cleveland with me.

Roads Hotel, Atlanta, Indiana

This location actually had a table at ParaPsyCon last month. Founded in the early 1900s, the hotel was owned by the Roads family for a number of years until being sold and becoming a speakeasy and brothel. After that, it was empty for a time, then went through several owners until being taken over by a charity in 2017. Throughout its history, death has been part of the house. The Roads’ youngest child Everett died there, as did a preacher who killed himself, and possibly one of the women of the night working at the brothel.

Today, the hotel is open for public and private investigations, and is said to have lots of whispers, shadows, and other spooky occurrences. It’s even been named Indiana’s most haunted house. Sounds like I need to check in one of these days.

South Carolina State Hospital, Columbia, South Carolina

You know that when you get a hospital for people with mental illness, hauntings are bound to pop up after a while. Founded in 1821, it was one of the first publicly funded mental institutions in the United States and at one point held over a thousand patients. However, staffing, funding and legal troubles, as well as a move away from public institutions and more communal therapy, eventually led to the hospital’s closure in the 1990s.

Nowadays, some of the buildings are still in use, and others have been sold off to private owners, but the buildings that remain are said to be quite haunted. In fact, some people consider the SCSH to be one of the state’s most haunted locations. Sounds like I should check in the next time I’m down that way.

The Whaley House, San Diego, California

This location has been a private home, a general store, a county courthouse, and even a theater. Now, it’s a museum and is also a heavily haunted location, known for footsteps and strange apparitions. It has been featured on numerous ghost hunting shows and even been the subject of one or two (really bad) horror movies.

During StokerCon this year, many people went to visit and tour the house due to its spooky reputation. As someone who couldn’t go to StokerCon this year (I am going next year, though), I was really jealous. Hopefully one day I can go, though. Maybe I’ll even stay overnight. That would be fun.

Tell me, my Followers of Fear: have you been to any of these locations? What did you experience? And do you have any you think I should add to the list? Let’s discuss.

Until next time (which should be very soon), good night and pleasant nightmares!

A Very Active Evening at the Ohio State Reformatory

Posted: May 22, 2024 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Tales across the US
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All videos should be listened to with headphones on and the volume turned up.

As I said in my last post, I was recently at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH, one of my favorite places on Earth, for ParaPsyCon. And as you probably know, it’s one of the most haunted places in the nation. Of all the times I’ve been there, only once have I not experienced something strange or spooky. And that one time was not this past weekend!

And speaking of which, on Friday night, the Reformatory had a mini ghost hunt for the vendors (the mini part meaning it was only three hours instead of the entire night). And you know that I had to participate in that! So, I did. And my friend Jeff Ignatowski, owner of Scorpion Lair Games and Killers the Card Game, whom I’ve mentioned here before, was there too with a new ghost hunting device called a ChatterGeist. So, we teamed up for the ghost hunt and to see if we could get anything.

And oh boy, did we get something! In fact, nearly the whole night, the prison was jumping with activity! And I got a ton of it on camera!

Our first stop was James Lockhart’s cell. If you didn’t know, James Lockhart was a prisoner who, in 1960, immolated himself and died soon after. He was 22. His spirt is said to still haunt the cell he died in. I’ve always had good luck speaking with him using the dowsing rods (he’s got a reputation for not being very talkative), so we headed there first.

And I should just mention, the moment we were about to start, the birds started freaking out! You can’t avoid the birds, they make nests in holes in the building and in the windows and you can always hear them. But when I sat down in Lockhart’s cell, they just freaked out! It was weird. And as it turned out, it was very relevant.

After this session, Jeff and I set up the ChatterGeist device. And the results we got were quite relevant to where we were.

Weird about that “melting” comment, right?

After wrapping up in James Lockhart’s cell, we headed to solitary confinement, where I’ve interacted with the spirit of a dead guard before. However, that night, I learned about a very different story that occurred in the solitary confinement cells. When they used to double people in solitary (which kinda defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?).

Damn, that’s spooky! Who knew Jeff had a dark connection to the prison like that?

After solitary, we were going to head to the attic, but then we found out that the subbasement, which is usually left off the tour and which is supposedly filled with very active spirits, was open for the ghost hunt. So, guess who went down to a place I’ve only seen on TV? We did. And boy, did we get results!

Man, of all the things that I experienced that night, the subbasement sticks with me the most! I mean, you heard those sounds, right? And up until we were trying to leave, we were the only ones in the basement. What made those noises? We may never know.

But as you saw the end of the video, we had some guests and one of them, Daryl, is a volunteer at OSR studying to be a tour guide. So he told us some very dark stories that actually put some things from the last video into context.

Damn! That prison was not run very well back then. 0/10, would not recommend.

After the stories, Jeff and I went up to the attic. Sadly, we didn’t get any good proof on camera, so I did not upload any footage from there. So, we headed to the library. And it was actually kind of peaceful. Here’s what happened.

With that, we went downstairs to the infirmary, where we hung out with some other ghost hunters who were talking to a very smarmy ghost (I wish I got that on video, but oh well). After that, they left and we got out my dowsing rods out for one last time. And it’s probably the second-most memorable experience for me for that night.

I want to think that maybe that ghost just wanted someone to know how he died, and maybe telling someone allowed him to pass on. I hope we at least brought him some peace.

Anyway, after that, it was close to eleven, so we packed up and left so we could get some sleep before the convention in the morning. But man, was it a great night! The prison was more active than I had ever seen it, and we got some amazing stuff on video. I hope plenty of people find the videos informing and entertaining, and maybe makes them want to explore the beyond as well.

Or maybe it’ll scare them silly. I would be happy with that.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you enjoyed my breakdown of my ghost hunt at ParaPsyCon. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel by clicking here and maybe giving me a subscription. And be sure to check out Jeff’s Channel, Route 666, as well.

Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Ten Haunted Locations I Want to Visit Before I Become a Ghost

Posted: January 22, 2024 in Scary Stuff
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Photo by Pedro Figueras on Pexels.com

I love investigating haunted locations. I love visiting them and trying to communicate with the spirits. Sometimes, I get incredible results. And so, I list the places I want to eventually visit before I become a ghost myself. Yes, I’m planning on possibly becoming a ghost after death. It’s one of several options I’m planning. And yes, the result might be out of my hands, but since when have I ever followed the paths everyone else has gone down?

Anyway, here’s the latest addition to my list of haunted locations I want to visit. Hope you find them plenty spooky.

The Ross House, Bellaire, Ohio

Turns out the Bellaire House isn’t the only haunted house in Bellaire, Ohio. In fact, they’re down the street from one another! According to the Ross House’s website, it’s located on a ley line, a vein of supernatural energy underneath the earth that power strange phenomena. Regardless of what you think of that idea, the house reportedly has a lot of spirits and I’ve seen a couple of videos showing weird happenings there. Perhaps I should head there and get some evidence myself.

The Victoria Theater, Dayton, Ohio

Ah, the theater! The art! The stories! The hauntings! According to rumor, this 19th-century theater is home to a few spirits. One is known as Victoria or “Miss Vicky,” and is supposedly the ghost of an actress who disappeared while on her way to her dressing room. Many say that they see her in that dressing room while looking in the mirror. Another spirit is of a man who committed suicide in the theater and is sometimes seen around the curtains.

Who wants to buy a ticket with me for an after-hours show?

Thomas House Hotel, Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee

Built in the late 19th century to take advantage of the boom in resorts centered around hot springs, this beautiful hotel has been featured on several paranormal shows. Room 37 is said to be the most haunted, supposedly by the daughter of one of the hotel founders. There’s also supposed to be a ghost of a man who fell off a horse into a river and drowned. Sounds like a fun road trip, and probably easier to get into than the Stanley Hotel.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles, California

You’ve probably seen it in a movie or on TV. It has a huge sign on the roof that’s kind of iconic. It’s Los Angeles’s longest continually-operating hotel and has seen its fair share of celebrities. And it’s haunted. The Roosevelt Hotel is rumored to be haunted by some of its famous former ghosts, such as Errol Flynn and Marilyn Monroe, as well as a little girl in a blue dress named Caroline.

If I ever go out to LA, I’ll consider staying there along with the Cecil.

Yankee Pedlar Inn, Torrington, Connecticut

This historic hotel was the set and the setting of the film The Innkeepers, which I highly recommend. And speaking of which, that film is supposed to be based on the actual hauntings in the hotel. The most haunted room is supposedly Room 353, where the original owner, Alice Conley, died.

Sadly, the current owners of the building have let it sit in neglect, so it won’t be taking reservations anytime soon. However, renovations are supposed to start up next month. Maybe in a year or two, I could make a visit and see what the movie got right.

The Ohio Theater, Columbus, Ohio

I have been to the Ohio countless times for ballets, traveling Broadway shows, and local productions. However, I recently heard that the theater may have some spirits. One of the staff members at the ticket booth said they’ve heard mop buckets move on their own, and shadow figures moving around in the basement. And once or twice, I thought I’ve seen shadow figures moving around and disappearing at the very edge of the theater.

Maybe someday I can do an investigation there. Or set a story there. Or both!

The Red Brick Tavern, London, Ohio

Like the name says, this Colonial style building is made of red brick and looks like it would be right at home in a historical village. Built in 1836, it has been an inn, a tavern, a schoolhouse, and a private residence. It is now a restaurant, but some people say that on the upper floors, there’s the spirit of a woman who used to live there. According to legend, after her lover forsook her, she embroidered a handkerchief with the words “Remember Me” and then killed herself. From what I hear, that piece of embroidery is still on the building’s second floor and so is she, making creaking noises and creeping out guests.

Sounds like a place I should go one of these days.

Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, California

Considered one of the top ten resort hotels in the world, the Hotel Del Coronado is a massive sprawling complex centered around the original building, one of the few surviving examples of the Victorian wooden beachfront hotel. Since opening in 1886, it has been featured in books and films and hosted all sorts of famous people. One of those famous people is Kate Morgan, a maid who arrived at the hotel in 1902 presumably to meet a lover. After five days, she took her own life, and is now a permanent resident of the hotel. Her room, which is one of the most requested rooms in the hotel, has been a hotspot for paranormal activity, and she’s been seen throughout the hotel as well.

I want to go there, I want to experience some paranormal activity, and I want to write a book there. Who wants to join me?

Miami Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Florida

Designed to look like the medieval tower of a Spanish cathedral, the Biltmore Hotel was at one point the tallest building in Florida. It has a massive pool, and one of the best spas in the world as well. It also has a golf course and a beautiful ballroom. It’s a beautiful place, but it’s got some secrets. In its nearly 100-year history, the hotel was also a hospital, a medical school, and was abandoned for a number of years. To this day, it’s supposed to be haunted by the spirit of a dead gangster, a dancing couple in the ballroom, and a woman in white, among others. Plus the 13th floor is just freaky!

I might want to check into one of the rooms. And then include the hotel in a story after experiencing a ghost. It sounds like a good excuse to go to Florida.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada

Located in Banff National Park at nearly five-thousand feet above sea level, the historic Banff Springs Hotel was original a small, wooden railway hotel. However, it has since grown into a massive complex with multiple buildings, twelve restaurants, multiple event spaces, a ballroom, outdoor activities, and a bowling alley, among other things. Among its amenities: ghosts. Supposedly, the ghost of a longtime bellhop named Sam still hangs around and helps guests, while a bride who fell down the stairs on her wedding day is still seen gliding down the stairs and dancing in the ballroom.

You know, I would like to visit Canada someday. Maybe this is another good reason to go.

Well, there we go, Followers of Fear. Ten locations full of ghosts that I would like to explore before I become a ghost myself. But tell me, have you been to any of these places? Did you experience anything? And are there any places I should put on a future list? Let’s discuss.

And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

A Much Needed Trip to Marietta

Posted: November 12, 2023 in Reflections, Tales across the US
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The Ohio river at the tip of Marietta’s downtown at sunset.

Y’all, life has been stressful lately.

You guys know I have a day job, right? Well, without getting into details, mine has gotten super busy lately, to the point where I’ve been working late nights. Consequently, I’ve been unable to do as much writing as I would like, which only stresses me out more. Plus, everything is more expensive these days, especially gas and food. All this and then some were really stressing me out, so I was in desperate need of a vacation.

Luckily, Friday was Veterans Day (thank you to all vets for your service) and my workplace gave me Friday off. And, since I was already planning on going down to Marietta for that event with Hidden Marietta, I decided to make it a weekend-long mini-vacation and have some fun.

And you know what? It was just what the doctor ordered! I just got back from Marietta a few hours ago and these past couple of days were among the most relaxing of my life.

So, if you don’t know, Marietta is the oldest town in Ohio and is located in southeast Ohio along the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. It has a beautiful historic downtown section, the crown of which (in my opinion, anyway) is the Historic Lafayette Hotel. It’s a beautiful and historic hotel, as well as a very haunted hotel, so I like to stay there when possible.

The facade of the Lafayette.

Sadly, I didn’t experience anything paranormal (unless I dreamed it), but I stayed in a lovely little room and was able to walk around downtown and check out the shops and restaurants, something I’ve always wanted to do.

My room in the Lafayette.

I also got to visit the Mound Cemetery, which is such a cool place. It’s located in the center of Marietta’s residential district and contains graves of people who fought in the American Revolution and helped found the earliest settlements in Ohio. Being among all those people who helped shape this country from its earliest days was kind of humbling.

Entrance to Mound Cemetery
Tomb of unknown soldiers who fought in the revolution. Quite amazing to visit.

I also got to stop by the cemetery’s namesake, a giant Indian burial mound in the center of the cemetery. It rises like a small mountain, and you can actually walk up some stone steps along the side of the mound to the top, where there are a couple of benches and a raised stone denoting where a time capsule was buried. I climbed those steps and the view was breathtaking. These photos don’t do it justice, but I hope you got some of the magnificence of the mound and the surrounding cemetery.

The mound. It looks a lot more awesome and imposing in person, believe me.
The view from atop the mound. In the center, you can see the stone where the time capsule is.
Another view from atop the mound.

Pretty cool, right?

Also, there was this.

I know what you’re thinking. What was in there, how did it get out, and should we be worried? It actually reminded me of Ghoul by Brian Keene, where a ghoul is released from a tomb in an old cemetery like this one. I actually reached out to him on BlueSky about this, and he said it was either a ghoul or an incredibly powerful groundhog (new Ohio cryptid?).

Whatever caused this, both the broken-open tomb and the mound melded in my mind to create an interesting idea for a story. I would like to write it someday, though of course, there are a million things to get through before I can even consider writing it.

After that, I visited the Anchorage Mansion for the event (you can read about the last time I was there here). Sadly, unlike last time I did not experience anything paranormal beyond a few doors that opened and closed when I wasn’t looking (probably just a coincidence). A friend who was there did see a ghost, but I wasn’t in the room. I also only sold one book, which was a letdown. But I did get to see some friends, and one of them did join me for dinner afterwards, which was nice.

And then today, I had breakfast and then went to a frozen custard parlor for a snack. I then visited the Campus Martius museum, which chronicles the settlement and history of the area, and has some of the oldest buildings still in existence in Ohio on its grounds. No photos of those, but I did enjoy stopping there and I even found a gift for a friend of mine for the holidays. It was a good way to wrap up the trip before hitting the road for Columbus.

And you know what? I really needed this. As I said before, life has been really crazy lately, and this trip was super relaxing. Yeah, there were a few hiccups and those weren’t fun, but I still had a wonderful time walking around Marietta and seeing more of this beautiful town.

And I think we all need these breaks from life’s stresses every now and again. It isn’t easy to get away and may cost some money, but with the world the way it is, it’s important to take care of your physical and mental health and find time to unwind. I honestly feel like I can take on whatever this week throws at me with more ease than I would if I hadn’t taken this trip (helps that I can’t work late this week for various reasons). Perhaps I’ll even be able to stay chilled out until my next vacation, whenever that is.

I hope you get to take the time to care of yourself and enjoy a different locale as well very soon.

Have you gone anywhere for a mini-vacation lately? Where did you go and what did you do? And did it help with your stress?

One last thing, Followers of Fear: since Friday morning, thirty-two people have downloaded copies of my short story Car Chasers. This does not include how many people read it off the website itself, so the number could be even higher. Thank you all for checking it out. This is exactly the response I was hoping for, and I hope this response continues and gets more people interested in my work.

If you haven’t checked out Car Chasers but would like to, you can find it on my Book Links and Excerpts page, along with all my other work. It’s completely free to read and download, so I hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to try to get to bed early tonight so I’m well-rested for work tomorrow. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

An Evening in the Haunted Anchorage Mansion

Posted: May 14, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Tales across the US
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The Anchorage Mansion. Majestic but spooky, isn’t it?

As you know, I was in Marietta the other day for the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo. And while I was there, I signed up for a flashlight tour and short ghost hunt of the Anchorage Mansion, the headquarters of the Hidden Marietta Tour Group, who are also responsible for the expo. And, being me, not only did I bring my dowsing rods, but I filmed some creepy stuff and put it on YouTube!

So, if you don’t know, the Anchorage Mansion is a large, Victorian mansion set on a hill looking over the lovely city of Marietta. It was built in the 1800s and was home to about four different families before becoming a church run rest home. After the rest home was closed, it laid abandoned until the local historical society, and then Hidden Marietta, took over it and started fixing it up. Today, the house’s first floor has been refurbished and the second floor, the servants’ quarters (which is kind of like a floor 1.5), and the attic and its tower will hopefully be fixed up in the coming years.

And Hidden Marietta offers tours and ghost hunts, both public and private, to the residence, because the place has a number of ghosts. Some ghosts include the original owners, a pair of little girls named Henrietta and Clarabelle (nobody’s entirely sure who they are, though there are theories), and former residents of the rest home, the most famous of whom is a prankster by the name of Walter.

I was there for the flashlight tour with a half-hour ghost hunt added afterwards, and my friend/fellow vendor Jeff Ignatowski was there as well (he’s the inventor of Killers; The Card Game, which I recommend you check out). With a group of about a dozen people, we toured the house and learned its history and about its hauntings, of which there were numerous stories. And while I enjoyed supplying my knowledge of Victorian house-planning and customs when appropriate (I knew researching The Pure World Comes would come in handy someday), I was overwhelmed by how active the house was.

Kid you not, early on in the tour, we started experiencing activity. While we were in a side room off the dining room, I saw a blue light flashing back and forth in the dining room. I asked about it, thinking it was one of the tour guides with her phone, but she said it wasn’t her or her phone. Followers of Fear, it was a blue orb! I’d never seen one so clear and close with my own eyes before.

And throughout the night, I would see more and more orbs and light anomalies. In fact, I was able to get some on film in the attic tower.

Crazy, right? Some of those anomalies just flew up into the roof and disappeared. My dad even saw the video and said he saw five. And he’s a bit of a skeptic to this sort of thing (or maybe he’s just a skeptic when it comes to ghost hunting shows).

Anyway, after that the tour ended and we received some equipment to go throughout the house and investigate. I went with my friend Jeff to the attic, where we heard those two little girls Henrietta and Clarabelle are known to hang out. And the results were beyond anything I expected.

Divebombing bat aside, it was quite the moment for me. Clarabelle made the stairs creak, which was something I’d only seen in movies and ghost-hunting shows. To experience it myself was like a dream come true.

After that, Jeff and I went downstairs. We wanted to go into the servants’ quarters, where a very violent ghost hangs out (no joke, they do not allow women to go in there alone). But another group was in there, so we decided to head down to the dining room and try to get in contact with Walter. First, I tried using the GhostTube app on my phone.

Then I used my regular camera, which ended up producing a kind of odd angle to parts of the video.

As you can tell from the end of the above video, the ghost hunt came to an end at that point. And while I had fun and felt satisfied, I wish I could have stayed longer. After all, the Anchorage Mansion is the real deal. I bet skeptics will have a few thoughts if they visit this mansion at night, that’s how crazy active it is.

So, if the opportunity arises, I definitely will visit the mansion again, and maybe do a full ghost hunt. I would love to get plenty of footage and experience more paranormal activity. And, of course, if possible, I would love to go with some friends.

In the meantime, I’ll be at ParaPsyCon this coming weekend at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. As you well know, the Reformatory is one of the most haunted places in the United States, as well as one of my favorite in the world. I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings there the entire weekend, so if you’re in the area, please stop by! And if something supernatural happens to me there (and it probably will, given my track record), I will try to get it on video.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and make sure to check out my YouTube channel for more spooky videos and updates on my work. Mostly spooky videos, but also updates on my work.

Speaking of Victorian mansions with freaky things going on inside, my Gothic horror novel, The Pure World Comes, will be on sale through Wednesday in honor of its one-year release anniversary. Set in 1894, the story follows Shirley Dobbins, a maid who goes to work for the eccentric baronet Sir Joseph Hunting. While at his estate, the Hunting Lodge, strange occurrences happen at the mansion, and Shirley soon learns that not only do these occurrences may have something to do with the baronet, but they may threaten her and those she holds dear.

The ebook is currently on sale from all retailers, and the audio book is on sale from Chirp, Spotify, Nook Audiobooks, and Apple. If this piques your interest, I’ll leave links below. And if you like what you read, leave a review online somewhere so I know what you think. Happy reading and pleasant nightmares!

Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads, Audible, Chirp, BingeBooks, LIbro.Fm, Storytel, Palace Marketplace, Hoopla, Vivlio, Smashwords, Thalia, Scribd, Spotify

Ten More Haunted Places I Want to Visit, Chapter Eight

Posted: November 19, 2022 in Scary Stuff
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The RMS Queen Mary, one of the locations I would like to visit someday.

So I may be super busy these days writing a hundred different projects while also working a day job, but there’s one thing I can always make time for: looking up haunted places I want to investigate. And as expected, I have ten more I want to visit and even investigate. And some of them are even close! I hope that means I can get into them eventually.

Anyway, let’s talk about some haunted locations I will want to visit, investigate, and eventually force one of you to join me for a night of terrifying occurrences. Yes, I might kidnap one of you, Followers of Fear. You know I’m capable of it.

Marsh’s Library, Dublin, Ireland
Marsh’s Library was the first public library in Ireland, and dates back 300 years. From what I hear, folks like Bram Stoker and James Joyce may have spent time researching there and going through its over 25,000 volumes and manuscripts, some dating back centuries! Perhaps some of those books have spirits attached to them. What is known is that there are rumors that the library is haunted by its founder, Archbishop Narcissus Marsh, who is buried near the library. According to one legend, his beloved niece eloped and left a note for him in one of the books, so he’s searching for it.
Seems a dumb reason to haunt a library, but that’s just the one legend I was able to find. Perhaps there are other stories behind it. Other ghosts. Which leads me to ask: when can I check in?

Central Ohio Fire Museum, Columbus, Ohio
This one’s really close to me. Like, just a few miles away! Originally a working fire station until 1982, the building was turned into a museum by some firefighters wanting to preserve the history of firefighting. Today, it’s an educational center that teaches about fire safety and preserves the history of the profession in Ohio. However, there are some spooky happenings in that building as well: ghostly thoroughbred horses from the days before fire engines had engines are said to haunt the building, as does a dead fire captain who likes to take inventory. There are also reports of singing coming from nowhere.
I don’t think this place is open to ghost hunts. Still, if I could, I would go.

Pine Street Saloon, Paso Robles, California
The Pine Street Saloon is one of the oldest buildings in the area, having been around since the 1800s and used for various kinds of businesses. Today, it’s a working bar that’s open to the public and that has its fair share of spooky ghosts hanging around. I wouldn’t mind getting out the dowsing rods and doing a spirit session while also drinking a pint or two

Satan’s Hollow, Cincinnati, Ohio
Supposedly there’s a storm drain in the Blue Ash neighborhood of Cincinnati that’s supposedly a portal to Hell. If you manage to find it and go inside, you’ll hear strange noises, ghostly voices, and even demonic growls. Videos online taken in the storm drain often have creepy voices that will deliver shivers to any viewer! Sadly, this place is on private property and going there means you’re trespassing. Apparently the police have to go there multiple times a year because of trespassing calls, especially around Halloween. Makes you feel sorry for the landowners, who are probably lovely people.
Still, it would be cool to investigate. Just make sure to bring some sage with you before you go.

The Yellow House, Six Flags Over Arlington, Texas
In Texas long ago, a little girl named Annie was found dead in a creek. Years later, the Six Flags company built Six Flags Over Arlington, and the land where that creek used to be became part of the park. Annie is sometimes seen around the park, but is well-known to stay at the Yellow House, a yellow building/concession stand near the entrance of the roller coaster the Texas Giant. From what I hear, a paranormal group investigated the building and did get some recordings from Annie, who is generally a kind and mischievous spirit.
I’m not much for theme parks these days (too much standing around in line in the hot summer sun), but if I could investigate the park one night, I’d make the trip.

Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, Sylvan Beach, New York
Another amusement park, but this one is supposedly haunted all over the place, and the park even acknowledges its history of hauntings with ghost tours. Supposedly, people who love the park so much in life stay behind after death just to enjoy the rides and games for all eternity. I’d be willing to come by after hours to check this place out.

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
The Grand Hotel is one of Michigan’s most beautiful resorts! Built in the 19th century, it’s a lovely building with great architecture and some lovely golf courses, stables, dining facilities and other attractions. However, there’s a dark history to the area. The island used to be home to both Native Americans and an Army fort, so there were a lot of deaths over the years. Supposedly, so many skeletons were found during construction, the construction crew gave up trying to excavate them all and just built over them. Stories of spirits haunting the place include a woman in Victorian clothing traipsing through the halls and climbing into beds at night, a man with a top hat smoking a cigar in the piano lounge, and a malevolent shadow figure with red eyes that was once spotted in the theater.
I don’t know if they lean into their haunted history at all, but if they do, invite me over. I want to find some spooks!

Cachtice Castle, Slovakia
Ever heard of Elizabeth Bathory? For those of you who haven’t, she was a Hungarian noblewoman who was accused of killing many young girls and women for the sadistic pleasure of it. Some legends even claim she bathed in the blood of her victims as part of a macabre beauty regimen (likely false, as it was first recorded a century after Bathory’s death and ascribes a very stereotypical reason for the murders. I guess for some people, women being sadistic for sadism’s sake is just too ludicrous).
Nowadays, there’s a lot of doubt that Bathory did commit those murders, or as many as is popularly rumored. Instead, she may have been the victim of a witch hunt, accused of heinous crimes because she was a powerful landowning woman whom even the King of Hungary owed a favor to. God forbid they just let a woman be independent and capable and even a national leader!
But even if the stories are lies, the castle where she supposedly committed those crimes is still around. Whether or not it’s the sight of terrible horrors, it’s probably picked up a ghost or two. Maybe even Elizabeth Bathory’s ghost. Who wants to visit with me?

Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
A former British ocean liner, the Queen Mary was used as a commercial passenger ship and, during WWII, a naval troopship. In 1967, it was retired and moored in Long Beach, California, where the city purchased it and converted it into a hotel, museum and tourist attraction. Given its history, it’s not surprising that it’s gained a reputation for being haunted. One stateroom is home to the spirit of a man who was allegedly murdered, and a former third-class cabin is said to be, by the Queen Mary’s own admission, “notoriously haunted.” I want to go there, I want to investigate, and I want to write a story based in the hotel. Who’s with me?

Catalina Casino, Catalina, California
A lot of California locations this time around, isn’t there? Anyway, this isn’t a gambling establishment, but instead comes from the original Spanish word for casino, “gathering place.” Indeed, the casino has a theater and a ballroom, and is where the residents of Catalina Island are supposed to head to when disaster strikes. However, the place is filled with a lot of spirits. A very aggressive woman supposedly haunts one of the lounges, spirits are sometimes heard knocking around the theater, and the casino once held a museum inside featuring skeletons of the local natives, which probably contributed to the hauntings.
Anyone want to make a trip out to California?

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I haven’t had anything really worth blogging about lately, so I’m glad I was able to at least get together a list of haunted locations to visit at the right time and post about it. But tell me, have you been to any of these places? Are there any I should add to my list for next time? Do you plan to become a ghost after you die, or do you have other plans? Let’s discuss.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Touring the West Virginia Penitentiary

Posted: August 16, 2022 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Tales across the US
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Tour entrance of the West Virginia Penitentiary

As you know, I went to another haunted location recently. This one was the West Virginia Penitentiary, which was to be the host of the West Virginia Penitentiary Paracon. Now, you know me, I never pass up the opportunity to visit a haunted location, so the day before the Paracon I visited the prison for a tour.

Now, if you’ve never been to the Penitentiary (and I bet many of you haven’t), it’s a big, Gothic building that reminds me of my beloved Ohio State Reformatory back in Mansfield. Granted, it’s older by about twenty years and was in operation for far longer, and its history is certainly bloodier. In fact, the prison used to be known nationwide as “Blood Alley,” and it was cited by the Justice Department in an investigation of America’s prisons as its worst examples. In the late 1980s, there was a riot there that killed four people, and at one point, an Aryan Brotherhood leader was murdered by his deputy during yard time!

And these are just drops in the bucket: apparently the prison saw about 998 deaths during its operation. And that’s just the ones that we know of that weren’t scheduled executions.

Obviously, the building is supposed to be haunted up to the gills, and I was hoping I might experience some creepy occurrences while there. Sadly, I didn’t, and I couldn’t attend the vendor ghost hunt after the paracon. However, I did feel something in one area:

The “skating rink,” where I got a really bad feeling

There’s this long corridor near where you enter the building for tours called the skating rink. It got that name because during the winter, event today, this corridor ices over and you can skate on it. When the prison was in operation, prisoners were supposed to line up along the walls before going back to their cells, and anyone who would step over a line on the floor would be shot dead. It was a great way to get rid of someone you disliked, and plenty of people did.

I did not know this, but I felt some negative energy in that area. When the tour guide told us about that, it made sense.

I then told our tour guide about my feeling, and he later said to another tour guide as they passed by that he was scared of me (I hadn’t even told him I was a writer yet). I was proud that he figured out to be afraid of me. Very few realize they should until it’s too late.

Some other places that caught my attention were:

This one wall. Can you see a signature? That’s from Zak Bagans, leader of the Ghost Adventures team from TV. Apparently he left his signature there while filming an episode there. However, someone destroyed part of the signature (I think the dude was drunk), and it’s now a funny part of the tours.

This hallway is infamous for a funny reason: apparently the pattern on the floor was imported from Spain, but when Netflix used part of the prison for filming an episode of Mindhunter, they placed their own tile on the floor, ruining the pattern. Netflix is now banned from ever using the prison. I find that hysterical.

This is the Wheel. It separated the main prison from either a residential or administrative section of the prison. Only one other like it exist in the world, in Manchester, England, and it’s the only one in existence still being used.

On the tour, we learned that the prison was used as the filming location for the TV show Castle Rock, and that this particular cell was where Bill Skarsgard stood for his scenes. Standing in that same cell was just plain awesome!

Finally, there was this moment: this section, in addition to having some creepy spirits, is probably the only area in the prison where the cell doors still work. The cells are about five feet by seven, and would usually house three inmates, and they would let us experience what it’s like to be in that cell as a prisoner for a minute.

Naturally, I got it on camera.

Yeah, that was a cool moment. Even if I didn’t get any sort of presence in there.

So, would I go back? Probably, if I could properly investigate the place. There are some shadow figures that supposedly hang around, and I would like to see about contacting some of the other spirits, including ones in areas that weren’t on the tour (some places were just off-limits for certain reasons).

And maybe I’ll get something really creepy on video. Creepier than me, anyway.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on Crawler. After this chapter, I may take a break to work on a short story or two. And I might have a post or two to write in the near future. So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and is that a chupacabra outside your window?

The Figure I Saw at the Ohio State Reformatory

Posted: May 23, 2022 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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I had a strange experience here on Friday. Don’t know if it was a ghost, but it was certainly weird.

ParaPsyCon was awesome again this year. Way more booths, including some I’m friends or became friends with; meeting new readers (one of whom, I swear, could have been a Chris Hemsworth impersonator) and seeing their enthusiasm when they purchased copies of my books; and, of course, being in one of my favorite places on Earth.

But this isn’t about ParaPsyCon. Because, as you already know, the Ohio State Reformatory is one of the most haunted locations in the country (as well as the filming location for several famous movies and shows, including Shawshank Redemption). And, as per usual when I visit, I experienced something weird.

Now, by “weird,” I can’t say for certain if it was something supernatural or paranormal. For all I know, it could be explained away by logical means. But I can’t explain it, and without any explanation, I just have to classify it as weird. Here’s what happened:

On Friday, after I finished setting up my booth, I decided to walk around, say hi to old friends and see what booths were set up this year. And as I’m walking the north end of the west cell block, I pass by several booths that had been finished as well and covered up with black tablecloths so nobody messes with the products underneath. Ahead of me, there’s a section of the floor that’s exposed to the foundations underneath, with metal bars around it to prevent people from falling in (I forget why that’s there).

And as I pass by the tables towards that open space in the floor, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. And to my mind, it looks like a woman wearing a black shirt exiting one of the cells.

I stop, and turn around to confirm what I’ve seen. No one is there.

Like I said, “weird.” And I’m sure there are a few explanations as to what I saw, which might include the black tablecloths.

On the other hands, for a few years, Ohio State Reformatory did have a few cells for female inmates until the Ohio Reformatory for Women was opened in Marysville in 1916. So perhaps what I saw had something to do with that?

In the end, I can’t say. I can only say that it was weird. And that it likely won’t be the last weird experience I have at the Reformatory.

Speaking of this weekend, The Pure World Comes had a very successful weekend! Not only did my Victorian Gothic horror novel about a maid going to work for a mad scientist (“Think Frankenstein and Crimson Peak had a baby together,” as I told folks at the convention) get a bunch of new readers, but it also got a lot of great reviews online. Currently, it’s sitting at a 4.1 out of 5 based on 16 ratings and reviews on Goodreads, and 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon based on 4 reviews and ratings. And a family member of mine told me they thought it was my best work yet! And believe me, they would tell me if it sucked.

I’m so happy with the response TPWC has received in the past two weeks since it was released. And since I intend to keep it up, I’ll post links below. If you think this book might be something you’d want to read, I’ll leave links below (as well as for my other books). And if you enjoy what you read, please find a way to let me know what you think. Not only do your reviews help me out, but they let readers know whether the book is worth their time. A valuable service, believe me.

So, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve another busy week ahead of me, but I’m hopeful it’ll also be a good week. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

The Pure World Comes: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads

The Quiet Game: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo.

Snake: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible, B&N

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