The House is Haunted....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all my friends!

I'll be offline until after the holiday, so here is my annual “holiday spirit” post.

If you're looking for some online resources to help "set the mood" for the holiday, I have compiled a list of favourite/useful links. I began collecting these (mostly free) Halloween resources a few years ago, but have updated it quite a bit this year & added some really fun sites, so please check it out. Enjoy!

Lost In The Web:
The Book of Halloween (period book recounting origins & traditional celebrations in the UK & Europe): http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/boh/boh02.htm
A page of links to sites that discuss the history of Halloween & its customs: http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/history.htm
Halloween traditions from around the world: http://www.jackolanterns.net/traditions.htm
Halloween superstitions: http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-superstitions.shtml

Some General Halloween websites:
Halloween News (articles, links, tips, fairly comprehensive & looks pretty utd): http://www.halloween-news.com/net/index.html
HalloweenMagazine.com (general info/tips/cards/links): http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/
Halloween.com- http://www.halloween.com/
The Halloween Database- http://www.halloweendatabase.com/
Halloween Online: http://www.halloween-online.com/
Halloween link lists: http://www.halloween.com/links/directory/, http://www.darklinks.com/dhauntweb.html,

Happy Haunting!
In the Haunted House (commercial haunted houses):
This site bills itself as the most complete listing in/for the country (beware, annoying but closeable pop ups): http://www.horrorfind.com/Haunted_Houses/
A few back-ups, in case it's an empty boast: http://www.hauntworld.com/ (easy to search) or http://www.hauntedhouse.com/search/Haunted_Attraction_Directory/
A site devoted to commercial houses, dark rides, & their tricks: http://www.halloweenproductions.com/
The best haunted house I've ever been in (though the website SUCKS as it doesn't really tell you much about the place, just ticket info, etc): http://www.edgeofhell.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
DoomBuggies (a site devoted to Disney's Haunted Mansion ride/s): http://www.doombuggies.com/

DO believe in Spooks! I DO! I DO! (TRULY haunted places):
Haunted Places Listings for all states & around the world- http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/
Haunted Places in the Twin Cities: http://twincities.citysearch.com/roundup/40468/ or http://www.pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=2774 (or for ghost hunters: http://twincitiesparanormalsociety.com/)
Haunted Places in MN- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntmn.html (or for ghosthunters http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/10/25/72164065 or http://minnesotaparanormalinvestigators.com/hauntedmn.html)
Haunted Places in WI- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntwi.html
Haunted Places in IA- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntia.html
Haunted Places in Kansas City: http://kansascity.about.com/od/entertainmentattractions/a/HauntedKCMO.htm (or for ghost hunters: http://www.ghost-investigators.com/
Haunted Places in MO- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntmo.html (or for ghosthunters http://www.missourighosts.net/ or http://www.hauntedmo.com/)
Haunted Places in KS- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntks.html
Haunted Places in NE- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntne.html
Haunted (& Weird) Places in IL- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntil.html (or if you'd prefer COMMERCIAL haunted attractions: http://www.hauntedillinois.com/ )
Haunted Places in OH- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntoh.html or http://www.forgottenoh.com/haunted.html (or if you prefer COMMERCIAL haunted attractions: http://www.scaryohio.com/home.htm)
Haunted Places in OK- http://www.prairieghosts.com/oklahoma.html
Haunted Places in AR- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntar.html
Haunted Places in TX- http://www.texasescapes.com/FEATURES/Texas_ghosts.htm or http://www.hollowhill.com/tx/tx.htm (or for ghosthunters http://www.lonestarspirits.org/hauntedtexas.html)
Haunted Places in DC- http://godc.about.com/od/pictures/ig/Gallery-of-Ghost-Stories/ (or for ghosthunters http://www.dchauntings.com/)
Haunted Places in MD- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntmd.html
Haunted Places in NYC- http://gonyc.about.com/od/halloween/a/haunted_newyork.htm Haunted Places in NY: http://www.essortment.com/travel/hauntedplacesn_skfn.htm
Haunted Places in Sacramento, CA- http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/38986/haunted_sacramento_the_ghosts_and_spirits.html?cat=8 or http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ghosthunting/hauntedcities/SacramentoCalifornia.php.

Haunted Places in Canada- http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i261-10_Most_haunted_Places_to_Visit_in.html
(Winnipeg- http://www.unexplainable.net/artman/publish/article_3360.shtml)

Haunted places in the UK- http://www.haunted-britain.com/ or http://theshadowlands.net/places/uk.htm or http://www.ghosts-uk.net/modules/news/index.php?storytopic=0&start=610 (fyi- these people want you to sign up)
Haunted Places in London- http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/london/lonpages/london.htm or http://www.spookystuff.co.uk/HauntedLondon.html
Ghosthunters site for Sheffield- http://www.sheffieldparanormal.co.uk/
Haunted Places in Gloucestershire (Cotswolds): http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/focus/2003/05/ghost/ghosts_meredith.shtml or http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/gloucestershire/glosshire.htm or http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Cotswolds_mystery2.htm
Haunted Places in the Midlands & Eastern England (Surrey): http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/surrey/surrdata.php &
101 British Ghosts: http://www.mysterymag.com/hauntedbritain/?page=article&subID=5&artID=273
Pretty UK ghost site: http://www.headlesshorseman.co.uk/
British Ghost Hunters: http://www.hauntedbritain.co.uk/

Spook Searches (large sites that list haunted places by state/area. PLEASE NOTE- most of these do NOT verify submitted stories!):
The Shadowlands: http://theshadowlands.net/
Real Haunted Houses: http://www.realhaunts.com/

Historic Hauntings (A Collection of Articles on Ghosts, Hauntings and the Unknown)- http://www.prairieghosts.com/haunt_history.html

Haunt Your Own Home
The Monster List of Halloween "do it yourself" projects: http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/
How to make a Haunted House: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/mischalloween/a/091100a.htm
Professional Props: http://www.thehorrordome.com/ or http://www.spookyfx.com/

Ghost Lit (If you like your ghost stories a little less local & more literary):Horror stories & poems: http://www.horrormasters.com/
Literary Gothic: http://www.litgothic.com/index_fl.html
The Haunters & the Haunted 57 ghost stories from literary works, folklore and myth: http://www.bartleby.com/166/
Victorian Ghost Stories (a nice little selection): http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/ghost-stories.html
Amalgamated Brotherhood of Spooks library (a good variety & some hard-to-find stories): http://www.amalgamatedspooks.com/library.html
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8486 or http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9629
The Moonlit Road (ghost stories of the South): http://www.themoonlitroad.com/index.html
The Little Colonel's Halloween (a fictional account of a typical period celebration): http://www.littlecolonel.com/books/Holidays/Chapter11.htm

Dark Poetry (scroll down a bit): http://www.geocities.com/anadreams/hallpoetry.html or http://thingsthatgoboo.com/scarypoems/darkpoems.htm or http://www.horrormasters.com/Themes/DarkPoetry.htm

Something Visual that's not too Abysmal:
Instant Gratification (stuff to watch online):
Thomas Edison's "Frankenstein:"


Edward Gorey's Dracula (stop motion adorability)


Vincent Price reads the Raven


The Walls Keep Talkin'


The Skeleton in the Closet


Betty Boop's Halloween Party


Mickey Mouse in "The Haunted House"


Lonesome Ghosts


Donald Duck's Halloween


Egyptian Melodies


Broomstick Bunny

Bugs Bunny - Broomstick Bunny ( Looney Tunes )
by finash

Hyde & Hare

A Witch’s Tangled Hare


Monster Mash


SHINDIG Halloween Episode, starring Bobby "Boris" Pickett singing the Monster Mash, Lurch singing & dancing to his namesake tune, the Lurch, and three other songs by Jim Doval & the Gauchos, & The Wellingtons.


Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Michael Jackson MTV Music

Disneyland's Haunted Mansion Super 8


Home-Rental Horror:
A Horror movie fansite w/ list of the best 100 ever: http://www.best-horror-movies.com/100-greatest-horror-movies.html
a list of lists of horror movie choices for different occasions: http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/8287.asp
The annual Halloween movie recommendations of Brian Showers: http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2008.html
(see also http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2007.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2006.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2005.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2004.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2003.html)

Lights Out: If you like Old Time Radio, there is a wonderful webgroup here: http://timespast.ning.com/ , & if you choose to join the “OTR before 1962” group: http://timespast.ning.com/group/OTRbefore1962 , there is an AMAZING collection of Halloween Radio shows (available only to group members, but well worth joining if you like OTR) here: http://timespast.ning.com/group/OTRbefore1962/forum/topic/show?id=1535737%3ATopic%3A37241
Or for streaming shows, Horror Old Time Radio (beware: annoying commercials): http://www.live365.com/stations/radiobones

Monster Mood Music:
Evil Online:
Halloween Radio (3 different tracks): http://www.neverendingwonder.com/halloween.htm
The 13th Track (online music & ordering info for Halloween recordings) http://www.13thtrack.com/
Haunted Radio- http://hauntedradio.50webs.com/

Share the Scare:
A blogsite with many WONDERFUL Halloween songs, stories, & sounds to share (search back a little): http://davesworld56.blogspot.com/
Another fantastic blogsite with a Halloween count down, cool songs & a lot of fun comic art: http://armagideontime.blogspot.com/
& a generally excellent Music blog with wonderful, hard-to-find (& some original)"older" pieces that you (possibly) won't hear anyplace else: http://musicyouwont.blogspot.com/
"Spook Party" & "Ghoul-Arama" (two super-ghoul original mixes complete w/ cover art for your own cd)- http://scarstuff.blogspot.com/2006/04/various-ghouls-spook-party-scar-stuff.html

Make Your Own Spooky Music: (Halloween musical suggestions for your own mixes):
a list of lists: http://userpages.chorus.net/burleigh/music/h_playlists.html
rock mix suggestions: http://userpages.itis.com/burleigh/music/my_hsongs.html
classical: http://music.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/0010_halloween/playlist.shtml

Booed Food (recipes):
elegant entertaining: http://www.perfectentertaining.com/halloween/
silly snacks:
http://www.masterstech-home.com/The_Kitchen/Recipes/Recipe_Indices/Seasonal_Recipe_Indices/HalloweenRecipesIndex.html
Ghoul Treats: http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/halloween/goulish.htm
plenty of pumpkin recipes: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/cookbook.htm#recipe

A Slice of Halloween (pumpkin carving sites):
The Pumpkin Nook: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/hween/carve.htm
Pumpkin Carving 101: http://www.pumpkincarving101.com/
Pumpkin Masters: http://www.pumpkinmasters.com (more commercial but fun free patterns)
More free carving patterns: http://www.jack-o-lantern.com/
Tips for creating a new pattern: http://wls.wwco.com/garden/patterns.html

Virtual pumpkin carving:
Carve & Post it: http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf
Carve & Email it: http://www.theoworlds.com/halloween/

Dressed to Kill
An excellent page of costume idea/planning site links, including several for wheelchair users: http://www.costumepage.org/hallocst.html

Last minute/inexpensive costume ideas you can put together yourself:
Pretty Easy: http://papa.essortment.com/easyhalloweenc_rdfm.htm
also easy & lots of ideas (including costumes for those in chairs): http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm
cool site w/ one annoying pop-up: http://www.costumeideazone.com/
Easy, 3-colour face paint costume ideas: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/family/33402089.html?elr=KArksUUUU
Martha Stewart goes buggy: http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=59bac137bf22f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=related

& tongue in cheek: http://members.tripod.com/disneyitis/LATE_H_COSTUMES.HTM


Art in the Blood (my fave Halloween artists):
the paintings of John Atkinson Grimshaw: http://john-atkinson-grimshaw.chez-alice.fr/Page1.htm or http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/index.cfm?event=catalogue.artist&artistID=2565
The Haunted Studio (Lewis Barrett Lehrman): http://www.hauntedstudio.com/Gallery1.htm
Dandelion Halloween Cards (Lori Preusch): http://www.dandelionpress.com/halloween.html
Vintage Halloween Postcards: http://halloween.lisamorton.com/cards.html
Old Haunts- Vintage pictures of Halloweens gone by: http://oldhaunts.blogspot.com/
Halloween collectables chronicled on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintagehalloweencollector/

Momento Mori Miscellany:
Mysterious Memorials (odd gravestone inscriptions): http://www.bbchistorymagazine.com/memorials_2.asp

Frightening Fun:
Halloween Hangman:


Monsterise Your Name: http://www.i-mockery.com/halloween/bag/monster-initial-generator.php

Hope some of these might come in handy &/or help get you into the Halloween Spirit. Happy Haunting!