In celebration of the upcoming season, I’ve decided to dedicate this site to the best places to experience the magic of Halloween and there’s no better place to start than Salem, Massachusetts.

Let’s get the major drawback out of the way first. Salem is one of – if not the – prime locations to celebrate Halloween, so expect anything within the city limits to be booked solid well in advance of October. That being said, this guide would be all but useless if I didn’t include a few interesting places to stay.

First on my list would have to be The Inn on Washington Square. The room rates range frome $100 (The Common Room) to $225 (The Honeymoon Suite) and there’s a two night minimum on all weekend and Haunted Happernings stays, which makes it one of the more expensive Bed and Breakfasts I’ve looked into. However, not only has it recieved great reviews, its genuinely haunted and is an ideal spot for the vacationing ghost hunter. For more details, see The Inn on Washington Square.

For those interested in a little less kitsch, The Salem Inn  – comprised of three historic homes and “centrally located in the heart of historic Salem” – may very well be the place for you. Prices range from $190 (Captain West House) to $350 (Peabody House).

Again, since its a little late in the season, your best option would be staying in nearby Danvers, MA at Extended Stay America Boston – Danvers (5.21 miles from Washington Square). Their average daily rate is $91. Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials. The house of one of the convicted “witches,” Rebecca Nurse, is still standing in Danvers and can be visited as a historical landmark. Throughout October you can take part in “America’s most exciting Halloween Festival”, Salem Haunted Happenings. In its 28th year, Haunted Happenings kicks off October 1st with the Salem Chamber of Commerce Grand Parade and ends October 31st with  The Reality Bites Costume Ball at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Also throughout October is the Festival of the Dead, “an annual event series that explores death’s macabre customs, heretical histories, and strange rituals”. Highlights include:The Retro Zombie Ball  Spectral Evidence: Ghost Hunting 101 The Annual Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo Death and Rebirth: Ritual Transformation The Vampires’ Masquerade Ball The Mourning Tea andMessages from the Spirit World: Salem’s Only Authentic Séance.The Festival ends on October 30th at the Hawthorn Hotel with “the world’s most exclusive Halloween event”, The Official Salem Witches‘ Halloween Ball. For more details, visit the Festival of the Dead.

Now would be a good time to mention (to the aspiring paranormal investigator) that the Hawthorne Hotel is also supposedly haunted. In fact – as you probably suspect – there are tons of haunted locations in Salem, including Gallows Hill, The Ward House and Saint Mary’s Cemetary. For more locations, check out Shadowlands Haunted Places Index.

As you can see, Salem is filled with places for spook-tacular adventures (sorry…I couldn’t help myself) but please remember, infamous footnote in history aside, there’s more to “The Witch City” than ghosts and witches, including (but not limited to) the oldest National Historic Site in America, Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

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Britain’s most haunted village

Halloween has been ‘cancelled’ in Britain’s most haunted village.

Pluckley residents are fed up of being invaded by hundreds of ghost-hunting revellers, causing vandalism and traffic chaos.

The village is said to have at least 12 spectres, including a highwayman, a phantom monk, the hanging body of a schoolmaster and a poltergeist in the local pub.

In previous years residents of the sedate Kent hamlet have tried to turn the night of expected disturbance into family fun, set up by the parish council’s own Halloween committee.

But although the festivities raised thousands of pounds for good causes the uproar caused by hundreds of revellers flocking to the village has alarmed locals.

Now Halloween has been banned and the parish council has called in police to keep visitors under control.

“There will be no entertainment provided for visitors,” said a notice on the Parish Council website.

“There will be no barbecue, no hog roast, no beer tent, no fun fair and there will be no ghost tours. In fact, unless you are coming for a quiet drink, may we suggest you visit one of the many other attractions in Kent for Halloween.”

Parish council clerk Jackie Grebby said previous organised events had caused problems.

“When we’ve tried to lay on something before it has backfired. The whole village has been gridlocked,” she said.

“There is in fact very little to do in Pluckley apart from have a quiet drink. People are very welcome if they just want to come for a quiet drink.”

Residents have been advised to keep their gates locked and any outside lights turned on until at least 2am in the morning to deter troublemakers.

 

The way to be the Queen of Halloween

The top Halloween Costumes

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As the nights start to draw in and the weather gets colder, many of us start to look towards cosy nights in front of warm fires and the summer fades to a distant memory. Before we start stocking up on festive wrapping paper and dusting of the mince pies there’s plenty of fun to be had first.

With Halloween conveniently placed at the end of half term why not get the kids interested in some of Britain’s rich heritage (not to mention spending some quality time with the family) with a short break in your motorhome? Thanks to recent media sensations, the paranormal is more popular than ever with the younger generation so why not take this opportunity to really spark their interest in history and with a motorhome at your disposal, no corner of the UK is out of your reach. Here are just a few places that have a fascinating enough history to excite the children, intrigue the teenagers and even entertain you.

Let’s start with perhaps the most well known of haunted place in Britain, the Tower of London. Most famously known as a royal fortress to imprison those of high standing within society, the Tower is a great place to start educating the younger generation about the history of Britain and the monarchy without boring them, even the ghosts are educational. The most famous allegedly being that of Anne Boleyn who was beheaded on the orders of King Henry VIII. British history may have connotations of being boring and stuffy, Anne Boleyn was anything but, held on charges of adultery, incest and treason her life is bound to capture the interest of your children, maybe you can spot her ghost wandering around the grounds carrying her severed head under her arm.

If you want to take your motorhome to explore some of Britain’s tranquil scenery and escape the hustle of the big cities, the stunning Thirlmere Lake in the Lake District boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK, originally two smaller lakes the water hides a sinister secret, Armboth House. Legend has it, the occupying family were arranging the wedding for their daughter due to take place the next day, when they were informed their daughter had been pushed and drowned in the surrounding lake. Although the murderer was never caught, strange happenings were still reported at the house long after the family abandoned it, lights would be turned on, sounds of the wedding feast being prepared could be heard, always on the same day every year, the day of her death, Halloween. The house has lain submerged beneath the waters of the lake for over a hundred years now but many who visit the area still report to feel a chill and strangely unsettled especially on Halloween. While the kids enjoy the eerie mystery, the picturesque surroundings are bound to keep you enthralled too.

If you would like a little more education with your paranormal, it might be worth taking your motorhome down to Sussex. The battle of Hastings took place in 1066 in a small town that is known today as Battle and is often included in most schools history curriculum. Whilst this may not necessarily capture your children’s interest, the site itself is of course rumoured to be haunted. Battle Abbey was built to commemorate the battle and help defend England during in the 100 year war, and although part of it now lies in ruins, it is open to the public and is supposedly haunted by a whole host of ghosts including an apparition wandering around with a spear in his eye (King Harold?), a knight on horseback and the plaque on the alter to mark the death of King Harold running with blood all of which seem more likely to make an appearance on the October anniversary of the battle. With all the paranormal activity in this small town, it’s impossible not to get your interest in British history sparked.

With a motorhome at your disposal there is no corner of the UK that you can’t explore, and with so much on offer you’re bound to find something to capture the imagination and interest of the whole family without having to spend a fortune on expensive holiday packages, so whether it’s just an overnight trip or a week away – enjoy!

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Interested in Haunted Hawaii?

On Haunted Honolulu’s Oahu Ghost Tours, guests are taken to some of the most haunted places on O’ahu, if not in all of the islands. The tour takes you close-up and allows you to witness firsthand these very unique places…from the much feared Night Marchers, to the places where sacrifices were made to ancient gods and goddesses of Hawai’i, and to the more modern haunts, like those of old hospitals that housed sick children during World War II. From orbs, to extreme and instant temperature changes, to anomalies that seem to have no source…. Many of these places are history by day, and haunts by night!

I have been on this tour a number of times, and I can tell you first hand that the guides are very experienced – absolute experts at telling the stories of these spooky places. All stories are true, and all sites are real. Historical and ancestral information is used, as well as eye witness accounts. Hawaiian ghost tours are not like the typical ghost tours you may be familiar with on the mainland or in other locations around the world. As Hawaiians have their own way of dealing with the supernatural, you may see and witness several ceremonial events at the places visited. All of these events are important to the Hawaiian and their personal beliefs. Please be respectful of these. Also, some of the sites visited may not have a particular story behind the actual haunt. The location may be just a reputed hotspot where paranormal activity is extremely high and ghosts have made it their home for a reason that cannot be explained.

Oahu Ghost Tours have three different tours available.

The first is a walking tour called Honolulu City Haunts. On this tour, you’ll be visiting several locations in Downtown Honolulu where supernatural events are still happening today. From visiting the former residence of Hawaii’s monarchy, to the location of a terrible modern day murder, close encounters are always possible! This is approximately a one mile walk, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes.

The second tour called Orbs of Oahu is a driving tour. If ‘chicken skin’ is what you’re looking for, this is the tour for you! On this very intense and spooky tour, you’ll be taken around the southern part of the island as you make dead stops at some of the island’s most haunted locations of all. Many of these sites are modern day haunts, and many were made that way from terrible events of the past. This tour includes a visit to the infamous and very haunted site called Morgan’s Corner, made famous in countless books and tales.

Finally, for those who want to experience ancient Hawaii, from the dwelling places of the Fire goddess, Pele, to sacred places built overnight by Hawaii’s legendary little people, the Mehehune, to ancient petroglyphs, Oahu Ghost Tours® has a day tour called Sacred Spirits. On this 4 to 5 hour tour, you’ll visit some of the most sacred Native Hawaiian spots on Oahu.

Bring a camera (fast speed film recommended), and be prepared for what may lie ahead. I know this will be one of the most exciting tours you’ve ever experienced!

Aloha ~

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In the realm of mortals, life may seem to be closing in on black and white. We lead our lives with the orientation that only the quantifiable, observable and overt are deemed to be true. However, in the realm of the endless, human beings are mere mortal creatures and truth is not a matter of great importance. It is a world where scary creatures lurk, ghosts and mummies cause mayhem, and humans are at the mercy of unfathomable paranormal events.

Many ghost stories and urban legends about scary creatures have been circulating throughout the years. Despite these, people are still skeptical as to the veracity of the ghostly figures in these stories. Stories can’t seem to stand against the strong mantra “to see is to believe”.

These scary creatures are described as undead entities that reanimate restless spirits wanting to take revenge for their untimely deaths. Ghosts are just some of these undead creatures lurking in the shadows of urban legends. Ghosts are restless spirits of dead people that usually haunt the place where they once lived. As depicted in films and books, these scary creatures haunt the living to search for justice and closure for their tragic deaths. However, not all ghosts are depicted as such. In some cases, ghosts just “hang around” us without any intention of causing some loud screams. They are stuck in between heaven and hell because their spirits can’t rest in peace until they finish their purpose here in the realm of mortals.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky is said to be haunted by scary creatures we call ghosts. Once a two-story hospital accommodating tuberculosis patients, this place was allegedly the dying place of more than 8000 TB patients from 1911 to 1945. The worst cases of these deaths occurred during the outbreak of the disease in World War II. Documentaries and paranormal investigations said that there are small, child-like features caught on camera. Scary wails and screams are heard in empty rooftops and patios of the sanatorium. Moving shadows that have substance and are able to walk across doors are allegedly seen in places where dying patients are situated.

The current plan for the sanatorium is to transform it into a hotel to target the haunted hotel crowd and regular hotel patrons.

Villisca in Iowa, considered as one of the scariest places on earth, is also said to be haunted by the ghosts of the brutally murdered members of the Moore family. The murder itself was arguably one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history. On June 10, 1912 was the last day when 6 members of the Moore family and their two young guests were ever seen alive. They were dismembered by an assailant who viciously killed them with an axe. The heinous crime is still a mystery to be solved by the authorities as the killer is still unknown to this day.

To this day, the Moore house is said to be haunted by the spirits of its former inhabitants. Curious visitors of the “Villisca House” claimed to have heard voices of children who didn’t exist. Efforts have been done to renovate the house, but it seems that the scary creatures in the “Murder House” hinder the plan since the weather-beaten house is the only witness to the nightmare that took place in the Moore household.

Whether ghosts or other scary creatures are just figments of playful imaginations or a validation that the paranormal exists is still under scrutiny and discussion. As for now, all we know is that as long as there are unexplained phenomena occurring and haunting our dreams and wild imaginings, more stories about these forsaken and scary creatures will be told.

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By day, Ogden appears as a typical small town in Utah, but by night, this quiet little community awakens more than its share of spooky happenings. Ogden was not always such a friendly community. In the late 19th century it was full of opium dens and brothels along 25th Street. Many were connected by underground tunnels that were the scenes of violent acts. In fact, for a short time, Ogden was known as the “murder capital” of the West! Today, walk along 25th Street at night and you may hear the sound of popping noises on the pavement. This was where the prostitutes would drop dried beans from second story windows to attract customers. Some believe many are still there still looking for business. The Bellshire Hospital, once an old mental facility, has a violent past and has been the scene of many paranormal sightings. Legend has it, the doctor managing the hospital had a reputation for implementing experimental treatment methods on patients. Today people have heard blood curdling screams that seem to come out of thin air, or see figures staring out of the windows. An encounter with a young girl occurred during a recent ghost hunt. Today, the hospital has been converted to an interactive fright theater during the Halloween season. The Ben Lomond Hotel is a popular destination by ghost seekers. Apparently in the 1940’s a woman staying at the hotel got word that her son died in World War II. She returned home, but she must have enjoyed her stay because many say her spirit has returned and haunts the hallways. There are accounts of the elevator stopping at floors where no button has been pushed. The front desk has received calls from room 1106 when no one is occupying the room. If you visit, be sure to request one of the haunted rooms. The Union Railroad Station was once a temporary morgue where spirit sightings and unexplained events are common. The most popular tale (with many versions), is of a lady in a blue dress who was arguing with her lover. She quickly turns to run away, steps in front of an oncoming train and is killed instantly. The figure of a woman dressed in blue and crying while running across the rail yard has been spotted over and over. Dead Haven was a popular Halloween haunted house that has its own eerie past. Although it’s entertained many uses over the years, the building in the 1920’s was a farm implement store located in the wrong part of town. Two apartments across the street burned down, killing 2 occupants, and the area was the site of many accidental deaths and murders. Paranormal experts theorize that there are still wandering souls in the area. Ghostly figures have been spotted and the sound of children’s laughter has been heard at night when the building was empty. Members of Utah Paranormal Exploration and Research spent an evening staking out the corridors of this creepy place in search of hard evidence of a haunting. In one of their recordings, a voice could plainly be heard saying, “Who’s there?” Other than some flashlights that suddenly refused to work, and shots of a bobbing light appearing through the camcorder of another investigator, the night was fairly uneventful.

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Since Halloween is one of the most celebrated festivals of the season, it is no wonder that people really go the extra mile to make the most out of it through parties, creepy decorations, and of course, scary costumes. With barely a week to go before Halloween, party-deprived individuals and party animals alike must be raving about the many costume events leading up to October 31. Which costume to wear —sexy, Hollywood inspired, etc—is another factor that compounds people’s Halloween jitters.

Don’t let the costume situation get to you. There are many costume ideas to choose from if you really want to be the talk of the town during this season of fright. You can let the true you come out by dressing up as a fictional character, sexy vixen, or a Hollywood pop princess. But then again, if you really want to stay true to the spirit of Halloween, you can never go wrong with scary creatures.

Scary creatures never get out of style during Halloween. No matter how many new concepts and Halloween costume ideas come out, they often turn out to be just a phase that would soon be overshadowed by scary creatures for Halloween. These Halloween strange creatures are just like your favorite pair of jeans—they never run out of style.

Scary creatures for Halloween enthusiasts are always in. If you want to really look the part, scary creatures for Halloween range from the paranormal to the creepiest and most nightmarish. Here are just some of the top scary creatures that you could use as inspiration for your costume.

Doppelgangers

Doppelgangers are ghostly and evil creatures that can shapeshift into an image of a living person. The word “doppelgänger” is of German origin which literally means “double goer”. It is a word that often describes the phenomenon whereby someone catches a glimpse of his own image out of the corner of his eyes. In some traditions, it is considered as an omen or an apparition of an unfortunate event that’s bound to happen.

Gargoyles

Often depicted as scary creatures with wings and demonic features, gargoyles are entities that are believed to protect buildings from evil spirits.

Manticores

Manticores are feared man-eating creatures that have a body of a lion, a tail of poisonous spines, and according to some sightings, a face that resembles a human’s. With its tail of spines, and triple rows of teeth, a manticore is a stealth killer that can swallow its victims whole without leaving any trace.

Nagas and Naginis

These are serpent-like creatures that resemble human from the waist up, and snakes from the waist down. The males are known as Nagas while females are known as Naginis. They are limbless and often depicted as cobra-like in movement.

Wendigo

Wendigo, “the spirit of lonely places” is a cannibalistic spirit that can possess humans. Wendigos are thought to possess evil men. It is said that one can turn into a Wendigo through indulging in cannibalism. It is depicted as a tall thin creature that resembles a human being. It is also portrayed as someone twisted, fanged and bloodstained.

Scary creatures for Halloween are a great costume idea. Dressing up as one of these nightmarish creatures would not only pronounce the spirit of Halloween, but would also earn you some screams of fright, awe and gratification this thriller season.

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