Haunted Places

H.H. Holmes Murder Castle

Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, was born in 1861 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. Mudgett was born to a wealthy family and was considered to have above-average intelligence. He assumed the alias H.H. Holmes when he started his career as a con artist, committing numerous frauds and scams before becoming known as one of America’s first and most prolific serial killers.

Making of a Serial Killer

Holmes became a surgeon upon college graduation and it is believed that throughout his university career, he made a habit of stealing corpses and collecting on fabricated life insurance policies. He had practiced surgery on animals as a child, and it is believed that he also used the stolen bodies to perform deranged experiments. Holmes told so many lies, that many of his own accounts contradict themselves making it tough to discern truth from his world of deception and murder.

H.H. Holmes Murder Castle – A Revolting Renovation

In 1886, Holmes took over a drug store and had it renovated into a block-long, three-story boarding house, which would become his own personal playground of terror. He turned the building into “an elaborate maze of death traps,” according to Biography.com. While the ground floor maintained the appearance of a drug store, the upper floors were converted into his own personal apartment, with an elaborate set of rooms designed specifically for torturing and killing. “It included stairs and hallways that led to nowhere, oddly angled hallways and rooms with no windows,” according to choosechicago.com. His disturbing dwelling included a gas chamber of sorts, used to, you guessed it, gas his victims. In the basement, an incinerator was used to dispose of the bodies, making it nearly impossible to determine just how many people he killed.

Image courtesy of Holly Carden.

Over the years Holmes lured hundreds of unsuspecting women to his drug store with promises of love or money, then tortured and killed them. In 1893, Holmes generously invited visitors to the Chicago World’s Fair to lodge at his hotel during their stay. Unfortunately, many of those visitors never left.

H.H. Holmes Murder Castle Interior Diagram.

America’s First Serial Killer

While he was committing these atrocities, Holmes was simultaneously continuing his insurance schemes. It was one of these schemes that led to his capture and eventual execution. A former business partner, Benjamin Pitezel, whom Holmes had promised a large sum of money, but never delivered, turned him into the authorities. During his trial for the insurance fraud case, he managed to commit at least five more murders; surreptitiously killing the backstabbing business partner and three of his children.

H.H. Holmes mugshot. America’s first serial killer.

Holmes was tried for the murder of his business partner Pitezel and was easily convicted. He appealed his murder conviction, but lost the case and was hanged in Philadelphia on May 7, 1896, just shy of his 36th birthday.

Just before he was hanged, Holmes claimed: “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.”

“I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.” – H.H. Holmes

Investigators were able to confirm that 9 deaths occurred in the Murder Castle. Holmes himself confessed to the murders of 27, but there is ample evidence that he killed upwards of 200 people during his reign of terror.

Where is the H.H. Holmes Murder Castle Today?

After Holmes was executed, an assumed partner and caretaker of the murder castle, Pat Quinlan took up residence in the building. It is believed that Quinlan committed suicide after being tormented by hallucinations and visions. His ominous suicide note read, “I couldn’t sleep.”

Weeks after the hanging, Holmes’ murder castle was set aflame by an arsonist. The building was nearly ruined but the first floor remained standing and was converted to a sign shop and a bookstore. It wasn’t until 1938 that the site was truly given new life; a U.S. Post Office was constructed upon the abandoned locale.

The H.H. Holmes Murder Castle was torn down in 1938.

Murder Castle’s Haunted Grounds

One postal employee shared her haunting experience; she entered a hallway while investigating a strange noise, only to find a hallway lined with folding chairs. She retreated to the lobby, and then upon returning to the hallway, found the line of chairs had mysteriously stacked itself.

There have been several reports from post office employees of seeing a ghostly figure of a woman in the building, or outside in the courtyard where the murder castle once stood. Visitors report hearing the haunting sound of a woman humming or singing in unoccupied areas of the building.

H.H. Holmes in Print and Hollywood

In 2003, the story of H.H. Holmes was written into a best-selling novel by Erik Larson titled The Devil in the White City. The story intertwines true events of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the fair’s architect Daniel H. Burnham, and Dr. H. H. Holmes and his murder castle. Leonardo DiCaprio owns the book’s film rights and a big screen adaptation of The Devil in the White City is currently in the works. Leo is set to play the role of H.H. Holmes.

Evan Peters’ American Horror Story: Hotel character, James Patrick March, was also based on H.H. Holmes as was the hotel that the season was based off. AHS: Hotel had other interesting true life inspirations such as the Cecil Hotel Amanda Lam missing persons incident. It’s getting all too real.

Did Holmes Escape His Own Death?

Recent rumors have surfaced that Holmes may have escaped his execution. Locals believe that Holmes may have been able to bribe prison guards to help him escape. Holmes had requested his coffin to be encased in cement and buried 10 feet below the surface. Ironically, his reasoning was to avoid grave robbers who might use his corpse for experiments and dissection.

One theory was that Holmes escaped to South America. A report in 1898 from the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean claimed that Holmes was able to bribe his priest, lawyer and jailors to bury another inmates’ body in Holmes coffin. The report suggests that after the hanging, the undertaker’s carriage left the prison yard with Holmes still living body and that he then escaped to San Parinarimbo, Paraguay. However, that town doesn’t truly exist on the map.

Holmes Exhumed in 2017

Did the H.H. Holmes escape his own death? We may never truly know. In 2017, Mudgett descendants petitioned to exhume the body of Holmes in an effort to identify if his body was indeed buried in his cement tomb. Anthropologists at the University of Pennsylvania are still conducting tests.

The result of the exhumation confirmed that H.H. Holmes’ body was indeed in the tomb.

Was H.H. Holmes “Jack the Ripper?”

More rumors abound that H.H. Holmes could have been “Jack the Ripper.” Jeff Mudgett, a Holmes descendant, found 2 diaries in which Holmes examines his participation in the murder of several prostitutes in London. The timing was right as Holmes may have been in London at the time and there were similarities in the brutality between “The Ripper” and Holmes murders. While the theory is interesting, the claims are loosely put together and there has yet to be any conclusive evidence and there may never be.

The H.H. Holmes Murder Castle Story

@frightfind Quick history on H.H. Holmes and his “Murder Castle”. #fyp #frightfind #scary #spooky #chicago ♬ original sound – FrightFind

The Haunted Whaley House

Bad omens had been following the Whaley family for years. Long before the tragic deaths of Thomas Jr. and young Violet, who took her own life in the parlor of the home. It seemed a curse had fallen on the Whaley House and even after moving 500 miles away, Thomas Whaley and his family could not escape its torment.

The Haunting of Whaley House

Early days at the Whaley House

In 1857, Whaley began construction on a home in which he and his wife Anna would raise their children. Like many structures built in the 1800’s, the home became the site of several other businesses, including a granary, a courthouse, a school, a general store, as well as San Diego’s very first commercial theater. Five years before the home was built, Thomas Whaley witnessed a public execution; the hanging of a boat thief named James “Yankee Jim” Robinson. The gallows were constructed on a parcel of land that had at one time been a graveyard; the very same parcel of land that Thomas Whaley purchased and upon which he built his cursed family home.

Not long after the family moved into the home, Thomas Whaley began noticing that something was amiss. He complained of the sound of loud footsteps that couldn’t have been made by his dainty wife or young children. He concluded that the spirit of Yankee Jim was haunting the residence. While living in the home, Thomas and his wife Anna had 3 children; Francis, Thomas Jr., and Anna Amelia. Tragically, Thomas Jr. died of scarlet fever at only 18 months of age. That same year Thomas Sr.’s general store was destroyed by arson.

In 1859, in an attempt at starting over, the Whaleys moved to San Francisco where they added 3 more children to their family: George, Violet, and Corinne Lillian. Several years later, in 1868, the family moved back to San Diego and returned to settle back into the old homestead.

Til death do us part…

Violet Whaley

Years later, Violet Whaley was married to a man named George Bertolacci. However, two weeks into the marriage, her new husband left in the middle of the night never to be heard from again. She would later learn that Bertolacci had been a con artist who only married her in hopes of acquiring a dowry. So humiliated by the betrayal and the backlash it caused to her reputation, Violet sunk into a deep depression. In 1885, Thomas Whaley found his daughter Violet lying in a pool of blood. She had shot herself with his handgun.

22-year-old Violet died in the parlor of the home, leaving behind a sorrowful note:

“Mad from life’s history,
Swift to death’s mystery;
Glad to be hurled,
Anywhere, anywhere, out of this world.”

She borrowed the poem from Thomas Hood’s book of prose, Bridge of Sighs. Violet was the first of four family members who would die inside the Whaley House. Anna Whaley, as well as Francis and Corinne Lillian all died in the Whaley residence, though of natural causes.

The family that haunts together…

Parlor Room

While Yankee Jim was the first spectral inhabitant to be reported at the Whaley House, there have been reports of hearing an infant wailing as well as witnesses who claim to have seen an apparition of a sad young woman sitting alone in the courtroom. An overwhelming feeling of melancholy, and a distinct feeling of being watched have passed over many visitors to the home, especially while in the parlor.

While on tours of the home, visitors have had their flashlights suddenly snuff out, and have reported hearing an empty chair begin to creak. Otherwise healthy visitors have reported a feeling of unease followed by dizzy spells that mysteriously disappeared once they left the residence.

A retired police officer reportedly approached a woman from behind who appeared to be crying. When he asked if she was okay, the woman turned around and smiled. When he shined his flashlight directly on her, she vanished in front of his eyes.

A tour guide vehemently believes Thomas and Anna still inhabit the home. On one occasion, the guide heard a woman’s voice ask: “Why are you here?”

Phantom Philbin?

In 1960, the Whaley House was repurposed into a historical museum. According to Wikipedia, the US Commerce Department deemed the residence an official “haunted house.”

Regis Philbin once visited the museum, and reported having a spooky interaction with Anna Whaley.

“There was something filmy white, it looked like an apparition of some kind, I got so excited I couldn’t restrain myself! I flipped on the [flash]light and nothing was there but a portrait of Anna Whaley, the long-dead mistress of the house.”
-Regis Philbin

Travel Channel and LIFE magazine both assert that the Whaley House in San Diego, California, is “The most haunted house in America.”

We’ll take their word for it.

The Real Amityville Horror House

The story behind the real Amityville Horror house is a gruesome tale. The horrific murders that took place in the Amityville home in November of 1974 forever haunt this tainted residence. And what followed has been told and retold.

The Amityville Horror Story

Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr., otherwise known as “Butch,” was convicted in 1974 for murdering his entire family in a cold-blooded shooting spree. His mother, father and four siblings were all shot dead in the Amityville home while they slept.

DeFeo, who was 23 at the time of the murders, was the eldest of the family’s five children. While originally fabricating a story about a mob hitman who was responsible for the bloodbath, DeFeo eventually confessed to the murders, asserting that “voices” within the house had convinced him to do it. He was arrested by Suffolk County Police and charged with six counts of second-degree murder.

Robert “Butch” DeFeo remains incarcerated at Sullivan Correctional Facility in New York. He has been denied all appeals and continues to serve out his six consecutive life sentences.

Accounts of Paranormal Activity

Two years after the murders took place, George and Kathy Lutz, along with her three children from a previous marriage, moved into what they imagined would become their dream home. In fewer than 30 days, the terrifying truth drove them from the home and nearly their sanity.

After fewer than four weeks of living at the Ocean Avenue home, George and Kathy Lutz left behind nearly all of their worldly possessions and fled to live with a relative outside the city. They never set foot in the residence again. But what drove them to swoop up their children and flee?

The real Lutz Family from Amityville Horror

Reports of paranormal activity began almost immediately. Danny, one of the Lutz boys, reported that he was swarmed by flies while unpacking clothes in his new bedroom. Minutes later, the insects disappeared without a trace. On more than one occasion, Danny recalls levitating above his bed. Random objects were said to have flown across a room without warning. The eyes of a hellish hog appeared to glow red in the night, and the walls oozed a green goo of unknown origin. A voice reportedly warned the local priest to “GET OUT” while he prayed incantations in a vain attempt to rid the house of its pesky poltergeists.

None of these accounts could ever be verified by anyone outside of the Lutz family, but over the years, George and Kathy’s stories never changed, and neither did their children’s. They passed lie detector tests and surprisingly reaped very little financial reward for the notoriety the house brought them.

When the Lutz family moved out of the Amityville House in 1977, they had hoped to leave the paranormal activity behind. Unfortunately for them, it seemed the haunting was not attached to the house itself, but to their own family. They claimed that they continued to be haunted for years after departing the infamous house. And the new owners, who purchased the house for far below what the Lutz’s had paid for it, never reported any unusual activity in the home.

George and Kathy Lutz divorced in the 1980s; George had become prone to bouts of rage and was at times feared by his stepchildren. In 2004, Kathy died of emphysema, and two years later George succumbed to a long illness. Their three children currently live in and around New York City.

Where is the Real Amityville Horror House?

The home was built in 1927 at 112 Ocean Avenue in Long Island, just south of New York City. However, the address has changed and now sits upon 108 Ocean Avenue. The original address was expunged from all maps at the behest of one of the subsequent owners because of the notoriety of the films. The home has been remodeled several times and the paint has changed. Don’t confuse the movie home for the true home as they don’t look exactly alike. The easiest way to recognize the real Amityville Horror house is by its half-moon windows that have haunted all of us since the first movie.

Popular Culture

The murders and the subsequent paranormal activity associated with the house inspired numerous books and films.

Jay Anson wrote a book titled The Amityville Horror which was released in September 1977. The text recounts the tribulations of the Lutz family during their brief occupancy of the home.

The 1979 hit movie, The Amityville Horror, was later adapted from the book and documented the chronicles of the Lutz family. George Lutz, who was known to be a bit “out there,” and possessed numerous books on Satanism and sorcery, was portrayed by actor James Brolin.

In 2005, Ryan Reynolds starred in a remake alongside actress Melissa George. While the film grossed over $100,000,000 worldwide, it was critically a bust.

The story continues to inspire filmmakers nearly 50 years later with the forthcoming Amityville – The Awakening, expected to hit theaters in January 2017.

Amityville Horror House For Sale By Owner

If you’ve been dreaming of owning your very own house of horrors, this elegant estate was recently listed for the purchase price of $850,000.
Update: The Amityville Horror house was reported as purchased for $605,000 on Feb 9th, 2017.

Its 3,600 square feet contains five massive bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a fully finished basement, and a history marred by murder.

Old Haunted Western State Hospital

Old Western State Mental Hospital is one of the eeriest places in all of Washington State. It was originally Fort Steilacoom Asylum in 1871, but the building dates back to 1849 when it was part of the Fort Steilacoom Army post.

The history of the hospital tells stories of frontal lobotomies, mental wards that were secretly open for prostitution by the orderlies and brutal attacks on patients. The grounds are creepy indeed and many paranormal groups will ghost hunt at night after the park closes. Be careful and watch your step.

The hospital catered to the insane and stories from the high security wards of beatings and crazed outbreaks are plentiful.

How to get to the Old Western State Hospital

The ruins of the old mental hospital are inside Fort Steilacoom County Park in Lakewood. The address is located on the map tab above. There is a path at the end of the parking lot that takes you through the woods. You’ll walk a little bit and find the old hospital in ruins and graffiti. The grounds have deteriorated with time.

Image credit

The ruins of the hospital are slowly disappearing. The cemetery is ominous and paranormal researchers have captured orbs and strong signals suggesting ghostly inhabitants. A walk around the grounds during the day can be spooky, but at night things get even more interesting.

Nirvana and Western State Hospital’s most famous patient

Frances Farmer was an up and coming Hollywood actress in the 1930s, starring in films with Bing Crosby and Cary Grant. Unfortunately she struggled with alcoholism and was arrested for drunk driving with her car’s headlights on during a war time blackout. You read that right. While awaiting trial she was very violent and had to be regularly subdued.  At her sentencing, her family urged the judge to move her to a psychiatric hospital, believing that she needed treatment. She spent a short time in a California hospital but eventually made her way to Western State Hospital where she spent almost 5 years.

This time of her life was documented in the 1978 book Shadowland by William Arnold. As popular as this book was, it wasn’t very factual. Arnold admitted in 1983 to making up the story that Frances was given a lobotomy during her stay at the hospital. But 1983 was a bit too late and Hollywood made their film Frances, starring Jessica Lang, where she indeed get’s a lobotomy. Oops!

This isn’t to say that her stay at Western State wasn’t a horrible experience. In her biography, Will There Really Be A Morning? she states that she was “raped by orderlies, gnawed on by rats and poisoned by tainted food…chained in padded cells, strapped into strait jackets and half drowned in ice baths.”

Frances was released from the hospital for good in 1950. She made a small comeback in Hollywood but never regained her much desired stardom. She died in 1970 of esophageal cancer at the young age of 57.

Being from Seattle and all, super group Nirvana took a shine to the story of Frances. In 1993, Nirvana released the song Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle off of their album In Utero. Nirvana’s singer Kurt Cobain said of the song, “I guess that’s my way of letting the world know that bureaucracy is everywhere and it can happen to anybody and it’s a really evil thing,.” He went on to say “The story of Frances Farmer is so sad and it can happen to anybody and it almost felt at a time that it was happening to us.”

Nirvana’s Frances Farmer Will Have Revenge On Seattle

In the sweltering summer heat of 1973, a group of local Austin, Texas filmmakers scraped together a mere $80,000 to produce one of the most terrifying films in American cinema history, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Enduring the brutal late July heat that would regularly have the temperatures at 110 degrees during filming, the crew made up entirely of university film students and local actors ended up creating a film that has terrified generations of moviegoers.

Texas-born film critic and horror historian Joe Bob Briggs claims it is the greatest film (not just horror) ever made, which is precisely why checking out the “Gas Station” is a must on any Texas Chainsaw or horror fan’s list.

For those who have viewed this cult classic film, know that the Gas Station is one of the earliest stops in the film. A group of young people came from visiting a local cemetery to check on loved ones remains after news reports of vicious grave robberies surface. After picking up and tossing out a psychopathic hitchhiker, the van-load of teens stumbles upon a dusty and nearly abandoned gas station. Unbeknownst to the teens, it’s actually a front that’s operated by Leatherface’s family of deranged, cannibalistic savages. To be fair, the gas station plays more than one pivotal part in the film. But for the cinematically curious, we here at FrightFind have some good news for you…..you can spend the night there!

Can you stay at the Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre Gas Station?

Owners Roy and Lisa Row totally restored and brought back from the dead this iconic film location in the form of, part barbecue restaurant and part overnight cabin stay. They have 4 unique cabin locations to choose from which of course come with all the latest furnishings and amenities, even free wi-fi. Reservations for this overnight spot fill up fast so reservations are always a must if you are wanting to stay here.

Then, of course, there is the meatier side of the surprisingly large gas station area that operates as a highly rated barbecue restaurant. Chomp down on some finely smoked brisket or homemade sausage as you dine on some true Texas Chainsaw-era picnic tables, where even takeout barbecue is big business here. The owners even included a Texas Chainsaw themed gift shop on this historic filming site where you can not only purchase official autographs from the actors in the various Texas Chainsaw franchise films over the years but where you can also buy actual wooded boards from the station itself.

Authentic Texas barbecue at the Gas Station of the famous Texas Chainsaw Massacre, coupled with a night’s stay and a Leatherface autograph to boot, what more could a horror fan want in life?

The official gas station from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is alive! Roy Rose of Texas, has turned the Bastrop, Texas horror gem into what she calls a “horror barbecue resort.” The gas station from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been rebuilt and is a must see for fans of recently deceased Gunnar Hansen and the masterful film that has horrified us all for years.

The Haunted May-Stringer House in Brooksville, Florida

The May-Stringer House was built in 1855. It’s said to be haunted by the ghost a 3-year-old girl named Jessie Mae who died in the house. The house has seen many deaths over the years and several bodies have been buried on the property. Jessie Mae is not the only specter who haunts this historic landmark. There are many other ghosts said to walk the halls making the May-Stringer House one of the most haunted places in the country.

Death and Sadness at the May-Stringer House

John L. May was the original owner who built the four-room home for his wife Marena and 2 daughters in the 1850s. He succumbed to tuberculosis 3 years after moving in. His wife and family remained in the home through the Civil War. Marena married a Confederate soldier named Frank Saxon after the war. Marena died while giving birth to the new couple’s daughter Jessie Mae.

Sadly, 3 years later, Jessie Mae passed away from unknown causes. There are several graves on the property. John May, Marena and Jessie Mae, as well as the infant son of Frank and Marena, are all buried on the property.

Frank Saxon sold the home to Doctor Sheldon Stringer who expanded the home dramatically into what’s regarded as a mansion today. The good doctor served patients and it’s been said used the home as something of a sanatorium to patients suffering yellow fever and smallpox.

Ghosts of the May-Stringer Home

With so many deaths and an abundance of sorrow, the home has the perfect making for a horror story. It’s said that ghostly happenings began very early after the deaths of the children. During the expansion of the home, children’s giggles and laughter were heard when no child was around. Reports of mists, ghostly shapes and cold spots have been reported and the crying of a baby is heard from time to time.

Florida’s most haunted place?

This is said to be one of Florida’s most haunted homes. Investigators have set up camp often. An angry spirit called “Mr. Nasty” was apparently a shooting victim of Doctor Stringer’s and he can be quite active now and then. He supposedly hung himself in the attic after his wife cheated on him years ago and now he does not tolerate women in the house.

With many spirits, a great sadness, and a sordid history, the May-Stringer House is definitely a top haunt spot, to say the least.

The Haunted Lizzie Borden House

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

The History of the Haunted Lizzie Borden House

While many establishments boast of housing spirits of a bygone era, few can claim to host the ghostly victims one of the most famous murders in our history. The ghosts of Abby and Andrew Borden, father and stepmother of Lizzie Borden, are said to haunt the home in which they were brutally murdered over 100 years ago.

In 1892, Lizzie Borden maliciously murdered her father and stepmother with an ax… Allegedly. Lizzie Borden was 32 years old when she was accused of gruesomely murdering her father and stepmother with an ax. Lizzie Borden’s actions after the murder were highly suspect and her stories were wildly inconsistent. All signs pointed to Lizzie as the culprit, yet Lizzie was acquitted of the murders in 1893. The crime has never officially been solved and many believe she got away with murder.

You can sit in this very couch at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast

Lizzie Borden’s Mother’s Body

Ghosts of the Lizzie Borden House

At the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum, guests can take a ghostly tour of the historic haunt where the murders took place. Though Ms. Borden was acquitted of the murders and released from prison, she spent the remainder of her years being ostracized by members of her community who believed her guilty.

While questions remain about who was responsible for the murders, many guests maintain that the spirits of Mr. and Mrs. Borden have visited them during their stay at the Bed & Breakfast.

Born in Fall River, MA on July 19, 1860. Died in Fall River, MA on June 1, 1927. Lizzie lived free in Fall River for 35 years after the murders took place.

“I acquired a strange scratch on my arm from an unknown source – I found out later the same thing had happened to another guest. I’m convinced it came from a spirit in the house,” one guest claimed.

While most visitors enjoy recounting the haunting and gory details of the Borden murders, there is debate about the “paranormality” of the legendary landmark.
“The case is fascinating because of the family dynamics, Victorian-era history, and judicial aspects.” a guest said. “There is NOTHING supernatural going on; “natural” family hatred is scary enough.”

Where is the Lizzie Borden House

The Lizzie Borden House still stands at 230 2nd St, Fall River, Massachusetts and it is now a “haunted” bed and breakfast. The house is located about 50 miles south of Boston, near Providence Rhode Island. They offer daily tours, as well as overnight stays, but beware, your rooms are not private; not only will your guestroom share a bathroom with adjoining guest suites, but during tour hours, visitors will view your room as part of their ghostly edification.

Stay in the Haunted Lizzie Borden Ax Murder House if You Dare

Lizzie enthusiasts can choose to spend a night in her Lizzie Borden’s very own bedroom, and the whole house can be rented for larger parties such as weddings.

While skeptics abound, curiosity wins out for many Lizzie Borden fans who would pay for the chance of an encounter with a spectral soul. One hotel patron asked:
“Curious to know which rooms the murders actually took place in. Me and my fiancé would like to stay in the exact room one of the murders happened in for his birthday.”
Bring your imagination and your Ouija board, and you might just find yourself face to face with Mr. or Mrs. Borden… or perhaps, even Lizzie herself.

This is the ax that Lizzie allegedly used to murder her victims.

The Real Bailey Mansion

This is the supposed “Bailey Mansion” that the photojournalist known by the pseudonym Seph Lawless shared in his book, ‘An American Horror Story.’ The photo of this building is said to be in Hartford, Connecticut, but there is zero information pointing to a home of this resemblance in Hartford or any evidence of a true story behind “The Bailey Mansion.” The mansion is said to be the inspiration for American Horror Story’s inaugural season “Murder House.”

Is there a Bailey House in Hartford, CT?

We searched high and low for the truth behind this Bailey Mansion photo, but all we could find was a single comment that pointed us to an address on Google Maps with a strikingly similar home in near exact decay. The big difference is that it’s in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

You will find a lot of searches on other haunted websites that refer to “The Bailey House” which is located in Lowell, MI. This is not to be confused with the supposed Bailey Mansion in these photos nor the inspiration of Murder House.

Where is the Real Bailey Mansion?

The Bailey Mansion is actually at 545 Shaw Ave in McKeesport PA. The Maps details in the above photo is slightly inaccurate showing it as 536.

The real Bailey Mansion is located at 545 Shaw Ave McKeesport, Pennsylvania 15132 as far as we could find. Now we say that with a grain of salt, because the term “Bailey Mansion” may not even be the name of this home. But McKeesport would be the location of what everyone is calling the Bailey Mansion that supposedly inspired American Horror Story’s: Murder House. There is no mention of any haunted history at the McKeesport, PA location. However, if you want to see the place “people say” was the inspiration for the first American Horror Story season, your best bet would be 545 Shaw Ave McKeesport, Pennsylvania 15132 if the building is still standing. Here’s the Google Maps link just in case you are curious.

After all of this investigation around the actual location and story, we have to wonder if this was a clever PR stunt by American Horror Story that we missed or if it’s a legit mistake. Especially after all the hubbub with American Horror Story: Roanoke.

And to point out one more very important thing, there is absolutely no parking in front of that telephone pole!

Photo Credits: Seph Lawless & Google Maps

Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany, NY is an historical property that is authentically haunted! Originally opened in 1827 as The Genesee County Poor House, it became a safe haven for the mentally and physically disabled, war veterans, widows, orphans, drunkards, and more. In 1938 the county added a hospital to the facility – the Genesee County Infirmary, and in 1964 it converted the property to the Genesee County Nursing Home, or as the locals lovingly referred to it as  “the old county home” until closing in 1974.  Steeped in nearly 200 years of history, mystery and mayhem, today, Rolling Hills Asylum’s nearly 60,000 sq. ft.  is reputed to be the most haunted asylum in the USA and has been featured in numerous films and television shows such as Syfy’s Ghost Hunters, Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, and Destination America’s Ghost Asylum.  Come on out and enjoy an Historical or Flashlight tour,  a public or private ghost hunt, horror movie night,  celebrity event, or one of the dozens of other special events!  We are open year round, even in the winter!  Rolling Hills Asylum is located just 45 minutes between Rochester and Buffalo off exit 48 in Batavia. For more details go to www.RollingHillsAsylum.com

The History of the Haunted Maribel Caves Hotel

Now reminiscent of Western European Medieval castle ruins, the Maribel Caves Hotel originally began as a therapeutic hotel/spa where the “tired and worn” could be “invigorated.” Thanks to its unique location, both in close proximity to a natural spring and the railroad that passed through Maribel, the hotel became a popular rest stop for many traveling Americans throughout the early 1900’s. In fact, notorious gangsters and bootleggers such as John Dillinger and Al Capone are said to have been included among the guest list. As the Maribel Caves Hotel also functioned as a spring water bottling plant with carbonizing equipment, one can imagine why they might have fixated on the particular location.

Still, contrary to its reputation, the hotel and bottling plant began to “go under” around 1915 and was eventually purchased by Adolph Cherney, owner and operator of a local construction company, in 1931. He and his family resided here until his death, which was preceded by the death of his young daughter, Norma, who expired under mysterious circumstances.

Hotel Hell Opens For Business

Under a new owner, Jeff Miller, the building reopened as a hotel again in 1981. Miller saw little success, however, as the hotel had adopted a reputation of being haunted by angry spirits by that time. Then, in 1985—with no known cause—the building was engulfed in a fire large enough to reduce the building to its limestone bones.

In the years that followed, the dilapidated fortress earned a third name, “Hotel Hell.” Since it was gutted and abandoned, bone-chilling rumors have constantly surrounded the place. Many claim to have seen the figure of a man that continually looms in various windows around the building, always facing out. Additionally, visitors have experienced feeling cold hands pressed on their back when they walk around the ruins alone. Some have heard voices and shrieks coming from the basement and caves below. Others have sworn that stones and other objects move on their own accord.

Hotel Hell Pt. II?

Maribel Caves Hotel as it stands today. People say it’s more haunted than ever.

Today, the property is declared structurally unsafe due to being nearly leveled by a tornado. Still, the rumors of paranormal activity persist.

Most recently, the newest owner—who has long tried to put rumors of its haunting to bed—has voiced plans to rebuild the hotel to its former glory. If there is validity to the many ghost stories, only time will tell.

The Real House From The Conjuring Movie

In December of 1970, the Perron Family of northwestern Rhode Island was in dire need of a home for their growing family. Roger and Carolyn Perron, together with their five young daughters, found a perfect and quite overly spacious ten-bedroom farm-style house situated in the village of Harrisville that is found within the town of Burrillville. Carolyn refused to move at Christmas and wanted to wait until the first week of January 1971 to move the family so that their new year could start with a new home. Everything seemed so picturesque to the Perrons at that moment that it would be hard to imagine years later when eldest daughter Andrea would be asked just how soon after moving in did the paranormal activity start? Her answer would be chilling in its simplicity, “about five minutes.”

The Perron Family in 1971

Ghostly Beginnings at the Real Conjuring House

Moving day for the Perrons came during a terrible snowstorm in which there was a flurry of snowflakes and tightly packed boxes in constant motion. Amongst the commotion, former owner, Mr. Kenyon, was moving the last of his belongings out of the house as another stiff-looking gentleman observed him. Daughter Andrea was tasked with taking a box to her mother in the kitchen, only to ask who the man was behind Mr. Kenyon. Carolyn sweetly informed her daughter that nobody was there in the immediate area with Mr. Kenyon and she was imagining things. Her other siblings, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April followed suit into the kitchen with boxes and pale expressions on their faces. When asked why they all looked troubled, they meekly offered up that, “the man in the living room with Mr. Kenyon just disappeared!”

As if a daytime paranormal activity wasn’t enough, the children began experiencing phenomena at night. Chief among the most terrifying occurred with one of the littlest girls, Cindy. Within the first week, she was awoken to the sound of whispers all over her bedroom. Alone in the dark, she bolted down the hall to her sister Andrea’s room and asked if she could stay in there. When asked what was happening, Cindy explained that there were people whispering all over her room and that she got scared. Feeling safe with Andrea she confided that all whispering voices said the exact same thing, “that there are seven dead soldiers buried in the walls!”

Roger and Carolyn were also becoming slowly exposed to the increasing paranormal activity within the home. Carolyn herself had become subject to a more playful form of activity involving a broom. While tidying up any room adjacent to the kitchen, she would often hear the strong sweeping sound of broom bristles against the tile kitchen floor. She would check the kitchen and find nobody there, just the broom leaning against the wall. Carolyn would disappear only moments later to hear the sound again and check, only the broom would be on the other side of the kitchen! Roger noticed the uptick in chatter among his daughters about the spirits they saw in the house warranting a deeper look into the past of the house.

The house was initially constructed all the way back in 1736, predating the Revolutionary War by forty years, making it a true Colonial-era home. Owned by eight generations of an extended family over many decades, the light history of the home revealed no sinister occult practices or deaths. The Perrons naturally reached a breaking point and in 1973, husband and wife paranormal investigator duo Ed and Lorraine Warren were brought in to help. Lorraine was a self-professed clairvoyant who is reported to have picked up on the name “Bathsheba” in connection with the supernatural activity.

Bathsheba Sherman, the Ghost of the Conjuring House?

Bathsheba Sherman was a local area woman, who despite never living on the property, had developed an ominous reputation during the mid-1800s. Her baby is said to have been found dead with a sewing needle jammed into the base of its skull. The ritualistic overtone and morbidity of the infanticide had her thoroughly questioned by law enforcement but was never charged with the crime. Needless to say, the stories around her lost child seemed to have unfairly tainted her name. The true reason behind the infant’s death was never discovered. However, this name kept appearing to Lorraine in her clairvoyance. Added to this scenario was the twisted demonic appearance of an entity in the form of a woman in blackened clothing, with a foul smell, sharp jagged teeth, and her head cruelly twisted off to the side of her neck that had appeared with frequency to the Perron children.

Ed & Lorraine Warren – The Conjuring House Paranormal Investigators

Some paranormal theorists long believed that Bathsheba Sherman was responsible for the activity on the Perron Family property and was the ghastly figure that the children kept seeing. However, there was never a formal connection at any time tying Bathsheba to the historical Arnold Farm, as it was long called. Ed and Lorraine Warren were able to secure a Catholic priest to come and formally bless the house and Carolyn in particular. She had taken to wearing vintage turn-of-the-century dresses and using archaic language. The Warrens believed her not to be possessed but rather oppressed which is a smaller demonic foothold that can lead to possession. It involves emotionally wrecking a person coupled with slight physical disturbances in an effort to funnel them into possession.

The Story of the Blessing

The story goes that the blessing was for naught as it had quickly turned into a seance in which religious provocation was used to bring out whatever demonic entity lurked in the home so it could then be vanquished from the physical world and sent back to an abyss in Hell.

This seance was performed in the dining room with Carolyn present, before long a spiritual doorway was opened up and whatever entity came through had evil intentions. It had set its sights on Carolyn in particular, and soon she was possessed briefly for a few minutes speaking in an unidentified language as her eyes maliciously rolled around. Without warning her body began to levitate inches off the ground before bending in half and being thrown an estimated twenty feet away into the adjacent parlor. When she was tended, whatever possessed her briefly left, setting its sights on the spirits in the home. The Perron daughters often mentioned the spirits they’d seen and heard speak, but the powerful entity that came through in the seance actually subdued the spirits in the Perron home.

Evil Spirits of The Conjuring House

After the seance, nearly a year passed without any activity inside the home. Then late one evening eldest daughter Andrea found her mother rambling in the parlor area, confessing an unbelievable sight. Carolyn had walked into the dining room to see a large family in late 18th-century clothing seated around the dining room table eating. Their spirits bristled and ate without any odd behavior until a man seated at the table turned his gaze to Carolyn, and nudged the people at the table pointing to her. Their faces expressed total shock and before long they faded away. One of the most unknown aspects of this now modern haunting had been revealed to Carolyn; that their home stood trapped on top of some sort of supernatural portal. She believes she appeared as a spirit to the family she saw, and their presence was vice versa. With that unexpected knowledge, Carolyn began slowly to piece her and her family’s life back together.

People have always wondered, but financial limits are what kept the Perron Family inside the home for nearly ten years before they found the funds to move away to a new farmhouse in Georgia. Close to a year after moving, Lorraine Warren contacted Carolyn Perron about the possibility of telling her full story in a book so as to warn others about the dangers of paranormal activity in a home. Carolyn demurred and insisted that she and her family had moved past this and were starting over, but promised to discuss the issue with her husband and told Lorraine to call her back the next day.

Carolyn then went to do the family’s laundry, when suddenly the laundry room door became unhinged and fell and hit her from behind. She was diagnosed with having not only a concussion but a dislocated shoulder as well. When Lorraine made good on her promise and called Carolyn the next day, she was informed that the Perrons would not be telling their story. To Carolyn, she was fearful that reminiscing about the experience on the farm would somehow bring about the vicious paranormal activity that they had worked so hard to escape. In 2007, it was the eldest daughter Andrea who felt that the world itself had matured and become savvy enough to handle stories about paranormal experiences. Along with occasional input from her mother, she wrote a trilogy of books based on experiences inside the home.

The Perron Family at The Real Conjuring House

Roger and Carolyn eventually separated with each living in different states while the daughters all grew up to lead successful and independent lives. As for the home? It has exchanged ownership over the years and recently was purchased by an area couple who hosted Ghost Adventures lead investigator Zak Bagans to a long summer stay. Bagans was compelled to leave the home after feeling, “like something was drawing the life out of me….my body wasn’t functioning right and it took three weeks to recover.” Demonic entity? Ghosts lingering inside a spiritual ethereal plane? Time portal property with ties to a supernatural force? One thing is for certain, The Conjuring House has officially been added to American haunted house lore joining the ranks of The Amityville Horror House, The Haunting in Connecticut, and The Entity House as classic examples of domestic hauntings.

Where is the Real Conjuring House?

The house that The Conjuring movie was based on is located at 1677 Round Top Road, Burrillville, Rhode Island 02830. The house sits on The Old Brook Farm, circa 1736, which was originally part of a 200-acre farm.

Respect Current Owners’ Privacy

With the fame and success of The Conjuring film, we should remind everyone to respect the owners’ privacy. Several trespassers have been reported and the occupants, both of this world and in-between, should be afforded their well-deserved peace. We stress to individuals to mind the Heinzen’s privacy out of respect for the law and their livelihood.

Is Salem’s Hawthorne Hotel haunted?

The Hawthorne Hotel is ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America. Guests have frequently reported moving furniture, sightings of a ghostly woman, unexplained noises and crying and more. The show Bewitched even filmed an episode in one of the elevators during the 70s and in 1990 the hotel held a seance in the Grand Ballroom to try and contact Harry Houdini.

The Hawthorne Hotel was established in 1925 in the heart of Salem, Massachusetts. Frank Poor was the founder who created what he would call a “modern hotel for the business traveler” in the roaring 20s. Presidents and dignitaries have visited the hotel over the years and it holds a spot on the Historic Hotels of America national trust.

What rooms of the Hawthorne Hotel are haunted?

Room 325 is easily the most haunted room in the hotel and one of the most requested too. Many believe the room is home to the ghost of a baby or a toddler because they wake to hear the sounds of a child crying in the wee hours of the morning. Though some might scoff or find a reasonable explanation for the crying, most cannot explain why so many children who stayed in the room told their parents about hearing a baby’s cries waking them in the middle of the night. Guests also found that the faucet in the bathroom turned itself on and off, and other guests woke to the feeling of something abruptly pulling their sheets and blankets off the bed.

Guests and workers feel leery about room 612 at the hotel as well. A young woman staying at the hotel saw another woman in a long white dress wandering down the sixth-floor hallway with a disturbed look on her face before stopping at the door to room 612. After pausing to unlock her own door, she turned to offer the woman help and found the woman gone. Other guests have reported the same woman standing outside the door to 612. Multiple workers refused to clean the inside of the room because of the uncomfortable feeling they get while working in the spooky room.

Guests staying in room 612 often get the feeling of someone touching them. They feel an icy cold hand touch their shoulders or arms, and some guests even felt the spirit lightly tug on their hair or clothing.

Ghosts abound on the lower floors too. Workers sometimes find that someone or something moves the furniture around the lobby and other parts of the first floor. One worker, who was responsible for rearranging furniture in a first-floor room to make space for a group meeting, came back minutes later to find all the furniture back in the original places in the room.

Visitors often refer to Salem, Massachusetts as one of the most haunted places in the world, which might explain some of the ghosts walking the Hawthorne Hotel.

Haunted Rooms of the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA

• Room 325 is the most haunted room in the hotel
• Room 612 and the 6th floor have reports of a ghostly woman walking the halls
• The lobby and the 1st floor have things moved without explanation

The Historic Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, Wy

If the lore of the Old West appeals to you, then you’ll want to stop by this one-time combination hotel, saloon, and bordello dating to the 1880s. Guests and employees have reported seeing the ghostly presence of the daughter of a prostitute who met her maker on the hotel’s upper floor.

The ghostly dark-haired woman, described as wearing a white dress, is known for her interactions with guests, sometimes offering shoulder taps. Ghosts of outlaws and gold miners who once frequented the hotel may be partly responsible for strange lights seen from the unoccupied upper floor rooms. Many visitors have reported faint echoes of ghostly laughter from the unoccupied floor.

Hotel workers recount paranormal stories. Objects moving with no”body” there. Some employees were even frightened enough to find new jobs. The piano has been reported to occasionally make a little noise on its own. The Historic Occidental Hotel is a beautiful location with a rich history, ornate decor, and a great atmosphere. The paranormal activity and ghostly history make the stay even more interesting.

The Ghost of Emily

Other stories suggest the ghost of a child named Emily who haunts the hotel. She reportedly died of cholera in the 1900s. In the room Emily died, stuffed animals are left for the young spirit as an homage to the child and to lift her “spirits.” Guests have reported light shoulder taps and pinches from time to time. Children even write the ghost of Emily letters and notes sometimes the notes suggest that they kids had played together. Children reportedly have heard balls bouncing and even playing hide and seek with the ghost.

Haunted Rooms and Reported Activity in the Historic Occidental Hotel

• The Herbert Hoover Room – The faint smell of perfume has been reported in the Herbert Hoover room, yet nobody in the room was wearing any scents.
• The Haunted Saloon and Bar – Many odd reports in the saloon can make an evening of libation more interesting indeed. Read below.
• The Prairie Cowboy Room –The Prairie Cowboy Room is said to have the most paranormal reports. This room has reported visible entities whooshing by in the late night hours.
• Room 56 – There have been reports of a heavy iron moving across the floor.
• Haunted Piano – The piano keys have reportedly played a few chords from time to time. Perhaps you might request an old tune?

Haunted Saloon in the Historic Occidental

The bartenders have reported whiskey bottles flying off the shelves or wine bottle corks popping off randomly. Glasses occasionally break while someone is trying to pour into them. On Fridays there is a bluegrass musician session that is said to rile up the activity in the hotel at times.

Haunted Owyhee Plaza Hotel

The Owyhee Plaza Hotel has been a Boise landmark since it’s construction in 1910. Originally, the roof was used as a garden space with a restaurant, dance floor, and bar. This was the place to be in Boise, that is until 1940 when the Ore-Ida company bought the top three floors to use as their corporate headquarters. It was sold in 1992 to it’s current owner and is now one of the premier hotels in Idaho. Did we mention it’s super haunted?

Staff and guests agree that the Owyhee is home to more than just small shampoo bottles and bed linens. Spirits have been known to hang out in meeting rooms, the lobby, and lofts. But if you really want to stay the night with the dead, then book room 136. One guest reported seeing an apparition of a woman in her room watching her. Others have reported hearing strange noises throughout the hotel and the horrible feeling of being watched.