Local Hauntings
The House on Weaver Hill
8 min read
Every autumn, the lights return to the old Weaver place — even though the power was cut forty years ago.
Read by candlelightHaunts Halloween — Vintage Folklore & Tales
A candle-lit magazine of hauntings, urban legends and old country folklore — with vintage pictures, recipes and games for the season.
Recent Tales
New stories for the season, gathered from attics and back roads.
Ghost Stories6 min read
The Librarian of Ravenwood
In the oldest wing of Ravenwood Library, a reader is never truly alone.
Read the tale
Urban Legends5 min read
The Hitchhiker of Route 9
She asks for a ride to the old cemetery. By morning, the seat beside you is empty — but your car is not.
Read the taleSupernatural Creatures7 min read
The Beast of Black Pine
Hunters in Black Pine Forest speak of a creature that walks on two legs and leaves no tracks.
Read the taleLocal Hauntings6 min read
The Mirror of Mrs. Calloway
A gilt mirror in a forgotten attic reflects more than the room behind you.
Read the taleUrban Legends8 min read
The Last Train to Dunwich
A train that no longer runs still arrives at the old Dunwich station at 11:11 p.m.
Read the taleFrom the Archives
The Librarian of Ravenwood
In the oldest wing of Ravenwood Library, a reader is never truly alone.
Read more →The Hitchhiker of Route 9
She asks for a ride to the old cemetery. By morning, the seat beside you is empty — but your car is not.
Read more →The Beast of Black Pine
Hunters in Black Pine Forest speak of a creature that walks on two legs and leaves no tracks.
Read more →Collections to Read Aloud
The Gaslight Shelf
Victorian Ghost Stories
Read classic Victorian ghost stories online — original gaslight-era tales of lamplighters, governesses and polite letters from the dead, plus what made 19th-century supernatural fiction unforgettable.
The Empty Rooms
Haunted House Stories
Scary haunted house stories to read online — original short tales of inherited farmhouses, rented duplexes and hotels that won't let go, plus why a haunted house is never really about the house.
The Old Anthology
Classic Ghost Stories
Classic ghost stories to read online — timeless original tales of roadside coats, drowned bells and letters from the dead, written in the old spoken tradition and perfect for Halloween night.
The Picture Room
Vintage Halloween Pictures
Black cats, glamorous witches, trick-or-treaters and carved lanterns, printed on aged paper.
The Almanac
Halloween How-To Guides
Pumpkin Carving Techniques
Cut the lid at an angle from the back, scrape the carving wall down to about one inch, transfer your design with a pin-poked stenc…
Halloween Cookie & Cupcake Decorating
Make royal icing with 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons meringue powder and about 6 tablespoons warm water. Keep some stiff for…
Halloween Party Tips & Tricks
Start four weeks out with the guest list and invitations, two weeks out with the menu and games, and the last week with decorating…
Vintage Halloween Costumes
The most authentic vintage Halloween costumes are the homemade ones: a crepe-paper witch, a bedsheet ghost with cut eyeholes, a ca…
Halloween Traditions & Their Origins
Halloween traditions descend from the Gaelic festival of Samhain (31 October to 1 November), which marked the end of harvest and a…
Are Ghosts Real? Classic Ghost Myths Explained
There is no scientific evidence that ghosts exist. No study has produced a repeatable, verifiable observation of the dead, and the…
Halloween Cats: Black Cats, Orange Cats & Their History
Cats became Halloween symbols because medieval and early-modern Europe tied them to witchcraft — a cat was believed to be a witch'…
Scarecrows: History, Meaning & Halloween
Scarecrows began as practical bird-scarers in ancient Egypt, Greece and Japan, spread through medieval European farming as human '…
Crows & Ravens: Folklore, Omens & Halloween
Crows and ravens became Halloween birds through a long chain of associations: Celtic war goddesses like the Morrígan took crow for…
Halloween Candy: The Countdown, the Classics & Why Candy at All
Candy is at Halloween because of a chain of substitutions: medieval souling and guising traded prayers or a performance for food, …
90s Halloween Decorations: A Retro Decorating Guide
The essentials of a 90s Halloween are a glowing blow-mold pumpkin or black cat on the porch, honeycomb paper centerpieces and hang…
Vintage Halloween Collectibles: Beistle, Blow Molds & Antique Finds
The most collected vintage Halloween items are Beistle die-cut cardboard decorations (1920s-1960s), German composition and pulp ja…
Retro Halloween Party: Playlist, Snacks, Invites & Photo Booth
A retro Halloween party needs five things: warm low lighting with candles and orange string lights, a playlist of 1950s and 60s no…
Vintage Halloween Recipes: Old-Fashioned Treats, 1920s-1960s
Classic vintage Halloween treats are popcorn balls, molasses taffy, caramel or candy apples, molasses and ginger cookies, doughnut…
Why Vintage Halloween Costumes Look So Scary
Vintage Halloween costumes look scary because they were homemade from cloth, sacking and papier-mache with crude, asymmetrical fea…
Recipe
Witch's Brew Punch
A bubbling green punch that smokes and sparkles — perfect for greeting little goblins at the door.
See all recipesFor Little Ghouls
Spooky Games
Keep the younger monsters entertained with memory match, a ghost clicker, and a pumpkin maze. No real frights — just fun.
- 1Memory Match with spooky icons
- 2Catch the Ghost clicker game
- 3Pumpkin Maze puzzle