OT: Fright Fest Travels Part Five

[lazypadawan]

Key West, FL

Any way you slice the key lime pie, Key West is a weird town on every level. When I lived in Miami, I used to go there from time to time. It had a large gay population, plus the kind of "characters" who are living out a Jimmy Buffett song. It's home to an infamous annual Halloween parade/festival that's more about drag queens than spooks or vampires. But it has a long, macabre history that translates to rumors about the supernatural. Several homes, a local fort, and other locations are said to be haunted. There's even a haunted doll in one of the museums that supposedly comes to life.

St. Augustine, FL

America's oldest city seems to attract the odd. Even when you take away the ghost stories about the local cemetery, the "old town" area (which I've visited several times), the lighthouse, etc., it's home to a Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum, Fountain of Youth, and a fake castle. It was also the former home of my personal favorite, The Tragedy In U.S. History Museum. The latter had on display a replica Bonnie and Clyde's shot-up car among other curiosities. Sadly(?) it closed in 1998 two years after the owner died.

USS North Carolina, Wilmington, NC

When I toured this WWII battleship in 2001, I had no idea it had a reputation for being haunted. But it was a creepy boat and this wasn't the first or last battleship I'd ever toured. Supposedly the mess hall has had a lot of paranormal activity, including on an episode of "Ghost Hunters," but I didn't notice anything unusual there. No, the only spine tingling moment was when I was walking alone through the medical bay. All of a sudden, I had the strong feeling of being watched, even though there was no one else in there. I don't get that feeling all of the time; the last time it happened was when I was in some restaurant's bathroom in Key Largo when I was 14 years old. It freaked me out and I quickly bugged out of there.

Williamsburg, VA

Colonial Williamsburg is awesome, one of those places you have to visit at least once. Nothing unusual happened to me, but there was one visit when I went with my parents and my brother back when I was 12 or 13 where something unusual happened to my mom. We toured the jail, which was full of kids happily posing for pictures in the cells and sticking their heads in the stocks. After a couple of minutes, my mom said she felt really bad and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. She went outside of the jail and waited for us to finish. She said that once she got outside and away from the jail, she felt fine again. *Shrug.*

Baltimore, MD

The USS Constellation, which is docked in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, is supposedly haunted though I never saw anything unusual. Fells Point is supposed to be haunted as is Ft. McKinley. Edgar Allen Poe's old home and his grave are said to be haunted too. The area is also full of huge cemeteries dating to the late 19th century, when everybody with the means built big elaborate memorials and tombs. Personally, I think the living residents in some Baltimore neighborhoods are a lot scarier than the dead ones.

Gettysburg, PA

Mecca for Civil War geeks and ghost enthusiasts alike, the town of Gettysburg cheerfully embraces both. I didn't encounter any ghosts when I visited in 2004 (at least I don't think I did...there were a lot of re-enactors out that day) but there's an unusual vibe to the town that is strongly attached to its past. And I had odd dreams about the place for several days afterward.

Salem, MA

A lot about Salem is a bit overstated. All of the action from the Salem witch trials happened at Salem Village, part of which is in the existing town of Danvers. Of all of the people accused of and/or executed for witchcraft in 1692, absolutely none of them were actually witches. Still, there's no other town I've been to where along one route, you're immediately greeted by a large cemetery when you enter town limits. The black imposing wooden mansion that was the inspiration for "The House of Seven Gables" is pretty scary-looking too.

New Orleans, LA

The most believably haunted place besides Gettysburg, the Big Easy also has voodoo, pirates, and vampires going for its reputation. While you're more likely to run into people staggering about with their hand grenades and hurricanes on Bourbon Street than anything supernatural, N.O.'s dark history is proudly put on display. On my May 2008 visit, I didn't have time to tour the famous St. Louis #1 Cemetery, but I did get to see a lot of places on foot with legends of hauntings. I've been asked more than once if the 1851 bed and breakfast where I stayed was haunted and the answer to that is, "Nope." But one night, we walked past another b&b where my SIL and her sister had stayed on a previous visit. They said it was spooky and they didn't like it very much. I bought a guide to local hauntings and sure enough, that b&b was listed. Good thing we didn't stay there! Eeek!



Tower Of London

I've been there twice and despite its reputation for being insanely haunted due to its grisly history, I encountered nothing out of the ordinary. But it's fun to tour.

Edinburgh Castle

I went there once, in 1989. Very cool place if you love that sort of thing and of course, it's said to be haunted. I guess they're a little shy around tourists during the day. It wasn't until years later that I heard about other famous haunted sites like St. Mary's Close. Darn it!

Versailles

If this former palace of France's royalty is haunted, the ghosts likely stay the heck away as thousands of tourists descend upon it during the day.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is on my list of the ten coolest places I've ever visited, and not surprisingly, the ancient city hosts a lot of ghosts and other oddities. Again, I didn't personally encounter anything unusual, but the famous Charles Bridge is said to be haunted as is Prague Castle and other locations. The old Jewish Quarter is home to where the Golem of legend once roamed and you can see the old synagogue where the Golem is said to still be kept in a box.