Appalachian Spooky Hour

In this episode we discuss two of the first known murders to take place on the Appalachian trail: Janice Balza and Joel Polson. Often forgotten over the years, these two deaths proved that the safety of the AT was not guaranteed. Worse still, one of their killers ultimately got paroled, and would end up killing again.

Join us for the final episode of Halloweek! It has been a fun week of episodes, covering everything from the origins of Halloween to tonight, where we share some scary stories with you around the fire! In this episode we share with you a series of scary tales! The first, from a listener. The second, a favorite creepy pasta. The last, a story from Sam, your host. We hope you have enjoyed Halloweek,...

Join us for a week of special episodes leading up to Halloween! It all culminates in a special Halloween campfire tales episode, and a live on Halloween night! In May of 1984, a tragedy took place at the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson Township, New Jersey. What happened at the Haunted Castle dark ride attraction, would change the safety regulations in haunted house attractions...

Join us for a week of special episodes leading up to Halloween! It all culminates in a special Halloween campfire tales episode, and a live on Halloween night! Why do some people have an inane fear of black cats? Where did the belief that they are bad luck, and harbingers of evil, actually come from? Tonight we're discussing the history behind this fear, and just why you should cut black cats...

Join us for a week of special episodes leading up to Halloween! It all culminates in a special Halloween campfire tales episode, and a live on Halloween night! Have you ever played with a Ouija board, or any spirit board? We discuss the history of these talking boards, how they work, and what can happen when you open up communication to the other side.

Join us for a week of special episodes leading up to Halloween! It all culminates in a special Halloween campfire tales episode, and a live on Halloween night! In this episode, we discuss Halloween traditions from around the world! We also want to know what YOUR traditions are!

Join us for a week of special episodes leading up to Halloween! It all culminates in a special Halloween campfire tales episode, and a live on Halloween night! In this first episode, we discuss the origins of the holiday! Where do our traditions come from? Let's find out!

In this episode, we explore true tragedies that took place on or around Halloween. From an infamous serial killer lurking in New York City, to the truth behind why we always check our candy after trick-or-treating, these tales are haunting because they're very, very real.

Join us as we read spooky Halloween tales submitted by users across the internet! From Reddit to Buzzfeed, we share with you some real life scary stories, that all center around the spookiest time of year. We collected some of these stories from the following posts on Reddit: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5

On October 31st, 1981, a 76 year old nun was raped and murdered inside her convent in Amarillo, Texas. The crime was pinned on 17 year old Johnny Frank Garrett, who lived across the street from the St. Francis Convent. Did the teenager really commit this horrific crime? Or was he simply an easy target when police fumbled the case? Join us as we go Appalachia adjacent in our first episode of the 20...

In 1951, in the small town of Fountain City, Tennessee, 27 year old Mary Hankins was murdered inside her own home. Was it a robbery gone wrong? Or simply a needless murder committed by a stranger? Join us as we dive into this unsolved case, and discuss the possible scenarios that led to this heinous crime. Join our Patreon for access to exclusive bonus content!

Join Sam, Shell, and Mandi in a special Q&A episode, where we answer questions that listeners submitted! Trust us, it's a spooky good time!

Trenny Gibson went missing from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on October 8th, 1976. She has never been found. Did she take off of her own accord to start a new life somewhere (at just sixteen years old)? Did she become the victim of foul play? Or did she simply get lost in the woods? Join us as we discuss the most likely scenarios, and what happened the day that Trenny disappeared.

On New Years Day, 1889, Fannie Heldmann drowned herself in the Reedy River. Was it because of an arranged marriage she did not want to be part of? Or did she suffer from an undocumented mental illness? And does her spirit still haunt the local cemetery in Greenville, South Carolina? Let's dive in and explore her life, and possible afterlife.

In the 1950s, Georgia restaurant owner Anjette Lyles became notorious. Not for her food, but for becoming a cold blooded killer. Join us as we dive into the crimes she committed, and how she managed to avoid becoming the first white woman in Georgia history to be put to death. Was she influenced by the occult? Did she suffer a mental illness? Or was she just evil? Let's talk about it!

Join us in this special episode, where we sit down to chat with horror director Daniel Byers and actress June Schreiner about their upcoming horror film, Dark Hollow! We discuss everything from the film, which takes place in Appalachia, to whether or not they believe in ghosts. Don't forget to check out https://darkhollowmovie.com/ to watch the trailer, and to find out where you can find the f...

Just what ARE those strange lights that sometimes appear in bogs, swamps, and along old railroad tracks? Often seen by travelers or those who are lost, are they a helpful being trying to help you find your way? Or are they something much more malevolent? Join Sam and Shell as they explore the possibilities! For more cool facts, information, and stories, check out the Appalachian Cryptid Field Guid...

This week we venture back to a familiar location in Kentucky: Mammoth Cave. We're there to explore the famous TB hut, and to determine whether or not the spirits of long deceased patients still linger. Did some folks go beneath the ground for a cure, only to remain there over a hundred years after their deaths? Let's find out! Pity-Pat episode (featuring Charles' story) The Ghost of Ma...

In this episode, Sam and Shell debate whether or not there are Skinwalkers in Appalachia. Just how DID this legendary creature from southwestern Native American lore end up all the way in the Appalachian mountains? Or is it even here at all? Let's discuss it, as well as share a few Skinwalker tales from around the internet! To read the stories we mentioned tonight, and check out even more Skin...

Tonight we veer Appalachian adjacent, to talk about Octagon Hall in Kentucky. While this historic house sits outside of the Appalachian region? It is still very, very haunted. Just who, or what, is lingering in the halls of this antebellum home? Let's find out together!

Sam and Shell dive into the lore of the Jersey Devil, and it's possible historical origins. Was this an actual child born to some poor woman who lived in the Pine Barrens? Or a rumor started by one of America's most enduring historical figures? Let's figure it out together, Spookies!

In the midst of Old Louisville (Appalachia adjacent), sits the Conrad-Caldwell House (also know as Caldwell's Castle). Built in 1893, the beautiful home is now a museum, and is said to host a number of haunts. Do the previous owners still linger in their once beloved home? What about residents of an elderly care facility that was once inside the building? Join us as we explore the haunts and h...

In 1970, a hatchet wielding man in a bunny suit terrorized three people in Fairfax County, Virginia. What became an enduring urban legend, was rooted in very real fact. Who was the bunny man? Was he an escaped asylum patient? Or just a landowner at odds with the local community? Join us as we search for the truth! Be sure to check out Faith & Feathers Taxidermy , the sponsor of this episode!

Join us tonight in Cincinnati, Ohio, to explore the Sedamsville Rectory! Does a ghostly priest who committed suicide still walk the halls? Is something demonic lingering in the basement? Let's find out together! Come see us at the 2026 Carter County Bigfoot Festival ! Head over to our Instagram to find out how to submit questions for an upcoming Q&A episode!

Join us as we head into the mountains of Tennessee, where a strange little cryptid lurks. Just what is the Pitty-Pat? And is just one of many entities that could be haunting the are of Shipley Hollow? Let's talk about it! If you would like to submit YOUR spooky story to the podcast, head on over to one of the following: Go to thespookyhour.com and the contact tab OR send us a DM on Instagram o...