Always on the Hunt for the Haunts

Orange mini painted jack-o'-lantern with triangular eyes and zigzag mouth sitting on ground with autumn leaves in background.

With Halloween just around the corner, I am endlessly in search of all things haunted, spooky or mysterious. Whether it be a scary book, movie, or destination – you can always count me in! As a child of the 90’s, I grew up with a love for spooky books like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, and tuned in weekly for shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps (yes, obviously I couldn’t get enough of R.L. Stine’s stories!).

I fondly remember making annual visits to places like Shady Brook Farm in Newtown, PA for their fantastic Haunted Hayrides that would leave me screaming….with joy of course! And my parents driving us up to Gravity Hill, where they’d put the car in neutral, tell us a spooky story, and “let a wayward ghost push our car to safety.” (For anyone unfamiliar with the site, Gravity Hill is a place where an optical illusion makes it seem like cars are rolling uphill. It occurs because the lack of a clear horizon line distorts the perception of the road's actual slope, creating the illusion of reversed gravity—which as a kid was some scary stuff!)

Stone memorial statue on ornate pedestal

Now, as an adult, I still have a deep love and appreciation for scary movies and places, and that feeling of anticipation and jump scares that get your adrenaline pumping. The first truly scary horror film I ever watched (and mostly through my fingers to keep some of the scary at bay) was The Exorcist. Talk about diving into the genre head first! I remember my parents putting it on, and my sister and I being (happily) horrified at the backwards spider walk down the stairs and 360-degree head spin moments. I’ve been hooked ever since. There are definitely a variety of types and intensities of horror movies, from ghostly spooky, to psychological thrillers, to full on blood and gore serial killers. Let’s also not forget the horror/comedy genre! I will watch all of the above, but do tend to love the jump scares more so than the really gory stuff.

Over the years, I’ve visited haunted places and gone on chilling ghost tours. I’ve vacationed in places like Savannah, GA (pictured in second photo), Fort William Henry in Lake George, NY, the Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, Williamsburg, VA, Alcatraz in San Francisco, CA, and St. Augustine, FL. I’ve also taken day trips to local spots like Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA (museum pass available from MCLS!) and driven through the Pine Barrons (home of the Jersey Devil). I also take an annual walk through Lambertville, NJ around Halloween to see their Spooktacular decorations (pictured in third photo)!

If you’re looking for haunted destination ideas, check out some of the books I’ve listed below. And if that’s not enough to satisfy your eerie explorations, you can always search our catalog for the words “haunted” “ghost’ or “paranormal” for more books about haunted people, places and things!

Victorian house decorated for Halloween with green lighting, spooky window signs, and fake spider webs on front porch.

I’ve also shared several spooky movie and show recommendations, which are all available in MCLS’ collection and also happen to be some of my personal favorites to watch this time of year -- and let me say, there were so many that it was hard to narrow this list down!

Book Recommendations –

Travels of Terror: Strange and Spooky Spots Across America by Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl

A Haunted Road Atlas: Sinister Stops, Dangerous Destinations, and True Crime Tales by Christine Schiefer

Food To Die For: Recipes & Stories From America’s Most Legendary Haunted Places by Amy Bruni

Passport to the Paranormal: Your Guide to Haunted Spots in America by Rich Newman

American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States by Michael A. Kozlowski

Movie/Show Recommendations –

The Babadook

The Conjuring (whole franchise)

Scream (whole franchise)

World War Z

Smile