If you ever want to understand human optimism at its worst, visit a “haunted” lighthouse on a foggy afternoon. Specifically, visit The Broken Lantern Lighthouse — proudly advertised as “The Most Active Paranormal Site on the Coast” by a town whose tourism slogan might as well be “We’re Still Here!” The Broken Lantern dates back … Read more
Legends say that somewhere along the rugged coast of Baja California, an entire fishing village disappeared overnight. The boats returned empty. The houses stood vacant. The townspeople were just — gone. Today, Bahía Perdida proudly sells itself as “Mexico’s Most Haunted Bay,” complete with ghost ship tours, commemorative shot glasses, and enough dubious nautical merchandise … Read more
Somewhere near Sparrow’s Hollow, Massachusetts, wedged between an abandoned corn maze and a souvenir stand that only sells dreamcatchers and beef jerky, you’ll find the Smooching Stone. According to legend — and a very enthusiastic handwritten sign — anyone who kisses the stone will be “blessed with eternal love, lifelong luck, and possibly spiritual enlightenment, … Read more
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones — but people who find themselves facing a cosmic dilemma might want to try it. Are you torn between two lovers? Trying to decide which job offer to take? Do you wish the ancient gods would whisper words of wisdom in your ear? The answer is … Read more
Somewhere between the greeting cards and the off-brand aspirin, the Stillwater Bluff Pharmacy hides its claim to fame: the “Haunted Soda Fountain Stool.” According to the laminated sign taped to the counter with yellowing Scotch tape, this particular red vinyl seat has been “the site of unexplained movements” since 1957. Unexplained movements, mind you, that … Read more
You can measure the collective desperation of a town by the quality of its wishing well. In the case of Whispering Falls, that quality falls somewhere between “don’t drink the water” and “please update your tetanus booster.” The Legendary Wishing Well of Whispering Falls is tucked between a vape shop and a taxidermy studio. A … Read more
There are few places on Earth more depressing than an abandoned asylum. But leave it to the entrepreneurs of the paranormal tourist industry to take that raw, industrial-strength sadness, slap on some discount Halloween decorations, jack up the price tag, and call it a “VIP overnight experience.” That’s how I found myself at Ashwood Institute … Read more
There are many ways to suffer for one’s craft. Some men trek through the Amazon. Some freeze in Antarctic tundra. I, however, took on an assignment far more harrowing: spending the night aboard the HMS Perseverance, a rotting, listing corpse of a ship whose greatest supernatural feat to date is continuing to pass safety inspections … Read more