History Goes Bump: Ghost Tours For The Mind

Every life is worth remembering. And that is what cemeteries are all about. Remembering those who have lived. Some of those people in graveyards were famous, some were powerful, but most are just like us. A mom or dad, sister or brother or perhaps a friend. Some of those who are buried have chosen to stay with their bodies. Their spirits glide through the tombstones. Other haunting activity in cem...

A British author founded the village of Rugby in the beautiful Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. This was meant to be a utopia and for a time, it really was. Large Victorian buildings were constructed, social clubs were founded, lawn tennis was played and the library was stocked full of books and became the pride of the colony. Then it all ended amid financial issues, epidemics and fires. The villa...

Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska has a campus filled with historic buildings because this was once Fort Omaha. This fort's main purpose was to serve troops logistically during the Indian War era and is connected to the landmark Standing Bear v. Crook Case in 1879 in which Native Americans were legally determined as persons under the law. This location also was a place that conduct...

The Hannah House in Indianapolis, Indiana was the family home of Alexander Hannah. This home was meant to be a place of refuge for runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad. Tragedy struck when a lantern that a group of the formerly enslaved people were using tipped over. A fire erupted and they were trapped in their hiding place and none survived. Their bodies were more than likely buried on...

The 1880s were a time of great interest in the healing powers of mineral springs and one of those springs we haven't covered yet was Red Boiling Springs in Tennessee. Hotels often were built near these springs and one of them that was constructed here is today known as the Thomas House Hotel. This seems to be an incredibly haunted location that has been featured on several paranormal television sh...

Nova Scotia means "New Scotland" and is known for its coastal views, lobster, fish, blueberries and apples. Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia, Canada and the largest municipality in the province. Being one of the largest harbors in the world, this city has been witness to two tragic maritime accidents. There have been battles waged here and whole groups of people were driven out when Britain s...

Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio was one of the last great American train stations built and has the largest half-dome in the western hemisphere. The terminal has helped tourists get around, welcomed World War II soldiers home and now features several museums. The unique Art Deco building also served as inspiration for the Justice League's Hall of Justice. The Cincinnati Art Museum has stood for...

Traveling through the swamp lands of Louisiana is an adventure, not only through nature, but through history. The dank humid air and large oaks filled with Spanish Moss add an air of the creepy. So much is haunted here. These swamp lands were once dotted with large plantations and some of them still exist today. Laura Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation are found near Vacherie, Lousiana. Today, th...

Ellicott City is a suburb outside of Baltimore with a historic and shopping district that attracts visitors year round. And it makes sense that this would be a town to bring in tourists, as this is home to the first terminus of the B&O Railroad. Founded back in the late 1700s, there is a lot of history here. The city was named one of Trip Advisor's Top 10 Spooky American Getaways because this is q...

The Holly Hotel is located in Holly, Michigan and has survived through several fires, the Great Depression, two world wars and a visit from the infamous temperance leader Carrie Nation. This is a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian that once provided lodging to railroad men and is today a popular restaurant that reputedly is full of ghosts. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of the Holly Hot...

There is nothing quite so epic when it comes to ghost stories as a haunted wood. About an hour outside of London is Epping Forest. This is an ancient woodland with more aged trees than any other site in the United Kingdom. One can only imagine how many elementals and fae people must call this place home. There is history and some legends and, of course, ghosts. Join us as we set off on an adventur...

We love our cemeteries around here. They are places of such peace and for many of us, strangely, a place of comfort. And as we have found, many have a spirit or two unable to let go of their terrestrial bonds. On this episode, we are going to share some of the burial practices of rural families at the turn-of-the-twentieth-century and some of the traditions that are still carried on in cemeteries...

St Briavels Castle dates back to 1075 and is located in Gloucestershire, England. This isn't one of those grand and beautiful castles that Britain is known for, but it has an important place in history, serving as a hunting lodge for King John and a debtors' prison. Today, it is a Youth Hostel. And this castle is believed to be one of the most haunted castles in Britain. Join us as we explore the...

The Ramsey House has also been known as Swan Pond and is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was built by a prominent man in the town, Colonel Francis Alexander Ramsey in the late 1700s. The house has a unique stone look to it and was the main home on a plantation that was held by the Ramseys until the Civil War. Today, it is a historic museum on 101 acres that includes gardens and a visitor cente...

Petersburg, Virginia is about 21 miles south of Richmond. Not many people know that this city has been thought of as the graveyard of the Confederacy. Anyone who has seen the movie Cold Mountain is familiar with the horrific scene of Union soldiers being slaughtered in a pit that is surrounded by the Confederates. That really happened. And Petersburg was the scene. The town still carries the resid...

Bardstown is the second oldest city in the state of Kentucky. This capitol of bourbon making and town once voted "The Most Beautiful Small Town in America" has several haunted location. One of these is the Jailer's Inn Bed and Breakfast where guests can literally sleep in a cell. This was originally the Nelson County Jail and apparently, some of the former inmates are still calling it home in the...

Alaska is a land just ripe for hauntings. Darkness cloaks the land for much of the year and thick pine forests spread across the expanse. There are legends that have filtered down through the various cultures and time periods, passed around by the Inuit, the gold miners, the trappers, the explorers or the soccer moms. Anchorage grew from a tent city to a major American city. The city has experienc...

Miss Molly's Bed and Breakfast has been on the suggestions list for quite a while and we decided to produce it now because our longtime listener and Executive Producer Amy Martinez's daughter recently visited the location and had a chance to investigate. A sign outside one of the rooms reads, "Street ladies bringing in sailors must pay for room in advance." So clearly, this wasn't always a simple...

This fairly prosperous mining town was established in the mid-1800s and had been mostly abandoned for decades. New life was breathed into it recently after being purchased in 2018 for almost $1.5 million. This mining camp had been a dangerous place to live. People died from gunfights, disease and mining accidents. And now it would seem that spirits still remain because of all those deaths. Join us...

This is a special bonus episode featuring our private investigation of the St. Augustine Lighthouse in September 2021 that we hosted along with Jerry and Tracy Paulley of Hillbilly Horror Stories. We had special guest Nick McGirr, a tour guide in Charleston, join us and he brought some nice equipment with him. We had some interesting experiences!

Covington, Georgia is nicknamed Hollywood South due to the number of movies and television shows that have been filmed there. One location that not only hosts weddings and other events, but has also served as a set for films and TV shows is the Gaither Plantation. The house dates back to 1850 and there are two cemeteries on the property along with other historic buildings, one of which is an old c...

Happy Halloween! When one thinks of Halloween and Trick or Treating, more than just pillow cases full of candy come to mind. There's always that one creepy house in the neighborhood. The abandoned one. The one everyone claims is haunted. Maybe one with 999 ghosts and room for one more? Join us as we explore the history of the most famous haunted house in America, Disney's Haunted Mansion! We also...

Werewolf lore has been a part of human history for centuries and some of the best horror movies feature werewolves. We've covered the hysteria that surrounded the witch hunts and trials in Europe and America. Not many people realize that there was a similar hysteria when it came to reports of werewolves. It is possible that 100,000 people were executed for being suspected werewolves in Europe from...

We like to think of cemeteries as open-air museums. They not only represent the culture and beliefs of an area, but they serve as a historical record of who has lived in the region. For many people, the only record we have of their life is their headstone. They are so important and should be considered, even when making the choice to be cremated. Cemeteries are important as well because many still...

We joined Larry Lawson, founder of The Florida Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, and his team Indian River Hauntings for a paranormal event that included ghost hunting the Old School House and Marsh Landing Restaurant in Fellsmere, Florida. On this episode, we share several of the haunted locations in this small Florida town and the results of our investigation. The Moment in Oddity was suggeste...