Ghost stories and haunted places have always held a specific place within the vast love of horror and the paranormal for the curious. There are a few particular places that I have found to be wildly fascinating and evoke a serious sense of curiosity within. On top of that, many of these stories that end up documented are tragic and decrepit, but despite how gory and gruesome things get, I have the sole belief that it is important to remember the dead, no matter how they may appear to us. Thus, these are my top three favourite spooky places and some stories they have to tell.

The Tower of London

When it comes to ghosts and phantoms, the Tower of London reigns supreme as one of the most haunted places, at least in England, merely due to the volume of tragic events which have taken place on these grounds.

Back in the Middles Ages, the Tower of London was famously known for its grim history of public executions while the castle was used as a prison. One of the most famous individuals that were executed at the tower were Queen Anne Boleyn, who was beheaded on Tower Green following the accusations of adultery just three years after her marriage to Henry VIII. It is believed that a headless Anne and her procession of knights and ladies haunt the Green Tower, looming amongst the halls in the dead of night, following a dimly lit torch. Anne is just one of the headless women that have been reportedly seen. Among the executions at Green Tower, the beheading of Margaret Pole took place, improperly at that.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Among various rumours and stories that stem from the Eastern State Penitentiary, there are a few happenings that are frequently reported by visitors. One of the most notable instances happen to be within Cellblock 4, where visitors have reported intense negative feelings and even various sightings of unidentified movements.

This place in particular sparks interest in plenty of people largely due to the mass historic elements that has taken place within the torn and battered walls of the Eastern State Penitentiary. In fact, one of the most notable things the prison was known for was its unethical practices of reformation, which eventually ended up causing its closure. There is one incident in particular that stands out amongst the rest, and that belongs to the death of Mathias Maccumsey, who was subjected to the torture of the “iron gag” as punishment for speaking to the other inmates, which was disallowed as a means of “reform”.

The purpose of the gag is like any other, to prevent the individual from speaking. Unfortunately, the gag is highly suspected to have led to Mathias’ death, who was found dead in his cell merely an hour after being placed in the gag, which was place on the tongue and around the jaw. The chains attached to the gag connected to the ones on his wrists so that pressure was applied to his jaw and tongue with movement.

The Island of The Dead Dolls

Although this island near Mexico City, Mexico is eerily spooky and chilling, the story behind it is rather tragic. These creepy dolls were placed around the island by a man named Don Julian Santana Barrera, who was the caretaker of the island.

The way the story goes is that Julian came across a little girl drowned in the river and was unable to save her life. To show respect to her, Julian hung the doll he found not far from where the little girl drowned on a tree. Unfortunately, his grief and guilt did not stop there, and Julian continued to collect hundreds of dolls, hanging them all across the island as a means to appease the spirit of the girl, who he believed was inhabiting the dolls. It is reported that Julian was found dead 50 years later by drowning mysteriously in the same spot that he found the little girl. Does it make you wonder if it was really an accident, or if there was something else at play that wanted attention?

Even to this day, visitors and occupants of the island have reported various sightings of movement from these dolls. That those with heads, or even just the hanging heads, will turn to watch passersby, and that the eyes will even blink. Despite Julian’s death in 2001, more dolls are still being added to this island, and perhaps they will be until the island becomes overrun with creepy dolls.

Sources:

https://sailingstonetravel.com/eastern-state-penitentiary/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tower-of-London

https://great-castles.com/londonghost.html

https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/eastern-state-penitentiary/

https://isladelasmunecas.com/

Anders Bourne is a creative person with a love for quiet places and his pets. He grew up in the small town of Chalk River, Ontario and went on to study Professional Writing at Algonquin College. He enjoys various arts, such as drawing, music, and writing—if you consider it an artform. He certainly does, and depicting the scary tales of the world, from the paranormal stories of ghosts and the otherworldly to the immoral creatures that lurk in the night, feasting on our fear.