Mystic Grove promises an “immersive paranormal experience” to anyone with a credit card and a high tolerance for candle wax and nonsense. So naturally, I booked the town’s most theatrical offering: a private evening ghost tour with Mariah St. James, self-proclaimed medium, ghost hunter, spiritual intuitive, and costume jewelry enthusiast. Mariah met me just after … Read more
Nestled at the edge of Mystic Grove — and I use “nestled” as loosely as possible — the Shady Oak Bed and Breakfast promises “historic charm with a touch of mystery.” What it delivers is the architectural equivalent of a shrug. The place looks like it was decorated entirely from estate sale leftovers. It offers … Read more
Some people spend their Saturday nights watching sports, drinking beer, maybe indulging in a little reckless online shopping. I spent mine sitting around a wobbly dining room table in a dusty antique shop, participating in what was billed as a “Traditional Victorian Séance Experience.” Traditional in the sense that it involved costumes, bad accents, and … Read more
If you ever find yourself driving through the wooded hills of eastern nowhere and spot a hand-painted sign for the Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel— keep driving. Especially if the sign welcomes you to “Stay If You Dare.” Not dissuaded? Fine, but temper your expectations. The only thing you’re likely to encounter is peeling wallpaper, passive-aggressive … Read more
There’s nothing quite like a grown adult claiming their stuffed toy is possessed by the malevolent spirit of a Victorian chimney sweep. It’s the kind of story that makes you question not just individual judgment, but the collective failure of entire educational systems. “Haunted” dolls have become an industry now — proudly displayed in grimy … Read more
There are museums you visit because they house the treasures of human civilization. Then there are museums you visit because you made a series of bad life choices and now you’re standing under a flickering “OPEN” sign, questioning everything. The Museum of Mystical Oddities is housed in a former discount mattress store. You can still … Read more
You haven’t truly plumbed the depths of human gullibility until you’ve stood ankle-deep in dust, surrounded by plywood storefronts, being lectured by a seventeen-year-old wearing a fake sheriff’s badge about the “tragic spectral echoes” of men who allegedly died mining fool’s gold with fool’s tools for fool’s wages. Welcome to Silver Flats, Colorado — once … Read more
The Grand Majestic Lodge markets itself as “the most haunted hotel in the Cragstone Mountains,” which is impressive, considering the competition consists mostly of abandoned ski chalets and outhouses with broken locks. Perched on a cliff like a rotting wedding cake, the Majestic lures in ghost hunters, paranormal thrill-seekers, and the occasional unfortunate skeptic (guess … Read more
There are historic hotels, and then there are “historic” hotels — places where the only thing authentic is the mold creeping up the bathroom grout. The Silverveil Hotel proudly belongs to the second category. Billed as “the most haunted establishment east of the river” — which, judging by the river in question, isn’t a particularly … Read more
Nestled high in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, surrounded by crumbling stone fences and optimistic goats, lies Valle Encantado — a village so proud of its alleged paranormal portal that they built a souvenir shack and two taco stands next to it before anyone could even prove it existed. According to local legend, a “doorway … Read more