Please enjoy this little piece of candy corn that originally ran in October 2008~
If you plan on taking the kiddo's out to beg for candy, there are a few places that you may want to steer clear of.
This seemingly charming Dutch Colonial is located at 112 Ocean Avenue...in AMITYVILLE, NY.
In the center of Louisville, KY is historic "Old Louisville". It is reportedly "America's Most Haunted Neighborhood". These brick Victorian homes have an Italianate influence and I find them rather charming. Of course this photograph was taken in the daytime...
The Winchester Home in San Jose, CA. began construction in 1884 and and continued to be added onto by round the clock construction until September 5, 1922. Sarah Winchester, the homes owner, was the widow of gun magnate William Winchester. She believed that the house was haunted by those killed from Winchester rifles and only continuous construction would keep the haunted souls at bay. You can now tour this home and view staircases going nowhere and doors that lead out to 10 foot drops.
In Fayetteville, NC you may want to avoid the Sandford House, a classic Georgian colonial home, built in 1797. It is reportedly haunted by "The Lady in Black".
Even the White House is riddled with apparitions and hauntings.
This is Craigdarroch Castle in Vancouver, British Columbia. Many visitors have reported strange disturbances and loss of time. As for the last, aren't there are some occasions where this might come in handy?
Bruce Castle in Tottenham, London has a detached Tudor tower which was constructed in the 15th century in the Strawberry Hill Gothic style. The main mansion was built around the 17th century. It's most distinguishing feature is the ashlar quoining. The design stands out as light colored bricks were used in this feature. Lady Coleraine appears every November 3rd. She was kept locked up in a chamber by her husband, Henry Hare, until her death in 1680. Hare desired her out of the way so that he could carry on with his mistress. I believe I'd haunt the place too.
If you plan to spend Halloween in church, I wouldn't recommend the Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech republic. The entry features a coat of arms made entirely from human skeletons.
Around 1400, this centuries old Roman Catholic church desired to rebuild and also needed to clear out its mass graves to make room for newer inhabitants. The skeletons that were removed were then used in some areas of interior decoration, such as this candelabra. This is a case where "green" design went a bit to far.
If you have 78 million dollars lying around, you could purchase Bran's Castle in Romania, as it is currently up for sale.
It was once the home of Vlad Tepes, the Prince of Wallachia. He became known as "The Impaler" due to the cruel punishments he imposed during his reign. His Romanian name was Drăculea. He is said to have inspired Bram Stoker who is famous for a little novel written in 1897 entitled: "Dracula".
Another famous castle is Burg Frankenstein located near Darmstadt, Germany. It was built sometime before 1250 AD. The German alchemist and natural philosopher Johann Conrad Dippel was born and lived in the castle in the 17th century. He was accused of body snatching and attempting to bring the dead, back to life. This story was of course the inspiration for Mary Shelley's novel, "Frankenstein" written in 1818.
It remains a treasured, fun filled memory for our family. We experienced no eeriness while visiting the castle.
Indeed, I find that the scariest image of this entire post may well be my 90's theme sweater and MC hammer styled pants I wore to the event.
My escort in the photo is Robert, who also worked as a guide for the USO.
Another famous castle is Burg Frankenstein located near Darmstadt, Germany. It was built sometime before 1250 AD. The German alchemist and natural philosopher Johann Conrad Dippel was born and lived in the castle in the 17th century. He was accused of body snatching and attempting to bring the dead, back to life. This story was of course the inspiration for Mary Shelley's novel, "Frankenstein" written in 1818.
My family and I lived in Germany for a few years. At the time, I worked for the USO at Landstuhl Hospital. No, not dancing with sailors... I arranged sightseeing tours for soldiers and their families. One event was a Halloween party at the castle. So of course my daughter, 10 at the time, had to attend.
It remains a treasured, fun filled memory for our family. We experienced no eeriness while visiting the castle.
Indeed, I find that the scariest image of this entire post may well be my 90's theme sweater and MC hammer styled pants I wore to the event.
My escort in the photo is Robert, who also worked as a guide for the USO.
May you have a bootiful day!
