Creepy Show
The exploration of unexplained encounters. We talk about the paranormal, bigfoot, UFOs, true crime, conspiracy stories, and all things creepy. With your host, The Master of Creep
Creepy Show
The Five Most Haunted Houses in the USA
Uncover the spine-chilling secrets of America's most haunted houses with us on the Creepy Show! Ever wondered what it's like to walk through halls echoing with ghostly footsteps or to feel the sudden drop of temperature in a seemingly empty room? We guarantee a hair-raising journey as we explore the infamous Whaley House in San Diego, where public executions and family tragedies have left a supernatural mark. And that's just the beginning! Get ready to unravel the mysteries of the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, home to the bizarre architectural whims of Sarah Winchester, who spent decades building an enigma of staircases that lead to nowhere and doors that open to walls—all to appease restless spirits.
But hold onto your hats, little creepies, because there's more! We'll whisk you away to the notorious Amityville House in New York, where the gruesome DeFeo family murders set the stage for eerie incidents that still provoke skepticism and wonder. Then, our spectral tour takes us to the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, a place shrouded in ghostly lore, from the tragic tale of Chloe, a slave woman, to the unsolved murder of William Winter. Each location is a labyrinth of history and haunting, promising an unforgettable experience for thrill-seekers and skeptics alike. Join us as we navigate these stories of tragedy, fear, and the unexplainable, leaving you both spooked and entranced by the end of our journey.
Well, hello, my little creepies. Oh, yes, it's that time again. We talk about UFOs and Bigfoot, paranormal true crime and conspiracy stories and all things creepy. Yes, this is the Creepy Show. You can find us online at creepyshow and I'm your host, the Master of Creep.
Speaker 2:Well, hello, my little creepies. Well, let's talk about the five most haunted houses in America. If you dare to listen, well, if you're so inclined to take a oh I don't know maybe an extended vacation, well, you could visit all five of these houses, but you'd have to travel from new york all the way to california to see all of them. You also must be a little bit crazy to want to do this. However, let me know if you decide to go, because I would like to go with you. Well, I will tell you about these haunted houses, but in no particular order, because they all have their own paranormal charm and also the ability to scare the hell out of you. So the first house we're going to visit is the Whaley House. Why? It's located in San Diego, california, and, of course, it's one of the most famous haunted houses in the United States. Now, this house was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley and it's considered to be the oldest brick structure in Southern California. It is designed in the Greek Revival style and served as the Whaley family residence, also a general store, a granary, a courthouse and even San Diego's first commercial theater. But we need to know why is it haunted? Well, it seems that the land in which the house was built on has a very dark history. It was previously used as a public gallow where criminals were often hanged. This is one of the reasons that the site is believed to be haunted with some spirits reportedly being those of executed criminals. Now, one of these criminals was Yankee Jim Robinson. He was hanged on the property in 1852, before the house was built. Thomas Whaley alleged witnessed the hanging and purchased the land anyway, and the ghost of Yankee Jim is believed to haunt the house, with reports of his footsteps echoing throughout the property. The Whaley family themselves suffered multiple tragedies within the house. Thomas Whaley's daughter, violet, committed suicide in the house in 1885 after a troubled marriage, and several other family members, including children, died of illnesses in the home. These personal tragedies added to the house's haunted reputation. Reported paranormal activity over the years has been countless. We're talking about hearing noises and seeing shadows and, of course, feeling cold spots. Why, you know this house is still standing the Whaley House. It's located in Old Town, san Diego, and it's preserved as a historic landmark. It functions as a museum and is open to the public for tours, including special nighttime ghost tours that focus on the house's paranormal history. I know exactly what you're thinking. Oh, master of Creep. Please, please, tell us about another house. Well, of course I will. How about the Winchester Mystery House? Well now, the Winchester Mystery House is located a little bit north of San Diego, in San Jose, california, and it's one of the most famous and unusual haunted houses in the United States, renowned by its sprawling, maze-like design and mysterious backstory surrounding its creation.
Speaker 2:The house's construction began in 1884 and continued non-stop for 38 years until Sarah Winchester died in 1922. So how long did it take to build your house? I bet it didn't take 38 years. I believe that Sarah Winchester was a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. Now, sarah Winchester was the widow of William Wirt Winchester, the heir to the Winchester repeating arms fortune. Now, this was the driving force behind the house's construction.
Speaker 2:According to popular legend, sarah Winchester was haunted by the guilt and grief after the death of her daughter, who was an infant, and her husband. She reportedly believed that she was cursed by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifles. The family business, you know business, you know when. To appease these spirits, she moved to California and started on a continuous building project. Instructed by a spiritualist medium, a person told her to build a house that would confuse the spirits and allow her to live in safety. This led to decades of non-stop building, creating a mansion with bizarre features and with no coherent plan, including staircases that led to nowhere and doors that opened into walls and non-stop work, drop-offs into the house, secret passages, windows in the floors yes, windows in the floors, let that soak into your thoughts and upside-down columns. Well, these oddities have sparked the fascination and speculation about the house's true purpose, whether it was meant to be confusing to the spirits or simply maybe reflect the crazy mind of Sarah Winchester.
Speaker 2:Now, the mansion originally had seven stories we're talking about a big house, my friends but following an earthquake in 1906, it was reduced to four stories rooms, including 40 bedrooms, 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, two basements and three elevators. Now, during the earthquake in 1906, it damaged the house significantly and actually trapped Sarah Winchester in one of the rooms, and she had to be rescued. Now, this stopped the building for a little while and she sealed off many of the damaged parts of the house, which have remained unaccessible for years Now. Sarah passed away in 1922 and that's exactly when the continuous building of the house came to an end. Many of the rooms are still unfinished. But guess what, my little creepies, you can go there and take a tour. Why, yes, they have tours available.
Speaker 2:The Winchester Mystery House, matter of they have tours available. The Winchester Mystery House. Matter of fact, they have several different kinds of tours. You could go on the standard mansion tour. This takes you through many of the mansion's rooms, showcasing its architectural oddities. But they have a tour called Explore More Tour, and this is more in-depth. It takes visitors through rooms that are usually closed to the public, including the attic and the basements. And, of course, let's not forget the haunted night tours for those seeking a spookier experience. For those seeking a spookier experience, the house offers nighttime flashlight tours that focus on the supernatural aspects of the mansion. And, of course, let's not leave out Halloween. They have seasonal tours. The house hosts special haunted house events and actors, scary effects and other spooky elements. So if you're going to go to the Winchester house, make sure you go during the Halloween season. All right, my little creepies, we're going to go from California all the way across to New York.
Speaker 2:The Amityville House. Why? The Amityville House was located at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, new York, and this is one of the most infamous haunted houses in America. In pop culture, this is largely due to the horrific events that occurred there and subsequent paranormal claims made by later occupants. It was the DeFeo murders in 1974,. A very tragic event that brought attention to the house occurred in November 13, 1974, when a 23-year-old, ronald DeFeo Jr, shot and killed six members of his family while they slept his parents and four siblings all dead. The brutal murder shocked the community and DeFeo was convicted of the killings. He claimed various reasons for the murders over the years, including hearing voices telling him to kill his family.
Speaker 2:Now, after he murdered his family, just a year later, the Lutz family bought this house, even though it had such a horrible history. George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house with their three children. Now they bought it at an unbelievably low discounted price due to, of course, the murders, and after just 28 days they fled the house, claiming to have experienced terrible, terrifying paranormal activity. Now the Lutz family accounted their time in the house and they actually documented it, and it was turned into a book and a movie, the Amityville Horror by Jay Aniston. Now listen to this. They had foul, strange odors in cold spots, green slime oozing from the walls, doors and windows open and close on their own. Kathy Lutz reported seeing a dynamic apparition, including one that resembled a pig with glowing red eyes. George Lutz became awakened every night at 3.15 in the morning, approximately the same time when the DeFeo murders took place. They also reported levitation events and other oddities. Now, while the Lutz story was widely publicized, it was also the subject of much skepticism. Some believe that the haunting was a hoax concocted to sell books and generate publicity. However, to this day, the case remains one of the most famous paranormal incidents recorded in the United States history.
Speaker 2:Now maybe you're wondering is the Amityville Horror House still standing? Why, yes, it is. However, it is owned by a private family and they changed the address from 112 Ocean Avenue to another address, which is not disclosed. The reason for that is they had so many people driving by, curiosity seekers, looking for the house, and I can tell you that today the house looks much different. You might not even recognize it. Of course, it is not open for tours.
Speaker 2:Okay, my little creepies, let's go from New York to Louisiana, the Myrtles Plantation. Why? It's located in St Francisville, louisiana, and it's often regarded as one of the most haunted homes in the United States. Its history is rich with tales of murder, mystery and, of course, paranormal activities, so let's take a deeper look into the plantation's dark past and haunted reputation. This house was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, also known as Whiskey Dave. He was a leader in the Whiskey Rebellion and he originally built the house as a respite from the law after fleeing Pennsylvania.
Speaker 2:So what happened there? Well, the Chloe legend that's what happened there. It's one of the most famous ghost stories linked to the Myrtles plantation, and it revolves around a slave woman named Chloe around a slave woman named Chloe. According to legend, chloe was owned by Judge Clark Woodruff, who took her as a mistress. But over time, chloe began to fear that she would be sent back to the fields. So she allegedly baked a poisoned cake intended to sicken the family so that she could nurse the family back to health and regain favor. But unfortunately, the plan went terribly wrong and the poison killed Woodruff's wife, sarah, and two of their children. So Chloe was hanged by other slaves and thrown into the Mississippi River.
Speaker 2:The plantation is said to have seen up to 10 murders over the years, but only a handful of them have been documented. One such murder was William Winter, now William. He lived at the Myrtles Plantation and he was an attorney. He lived in the plantation from 1800s to 1871, but Winter was shot on the front porch of the house by an unknown assailant. He staggered inside and attempted to climb the stairs before dying in his wife's arms on the 17th step. Today it is said that visitors can still hear his footsteps echoing in the house, stopping abruptly on that faithful step. Family tragedies over the years, many people, including former owners and children, died at the myrtles plantation from various causes, such as illnesses and diseases. Now these deaths have added to the house's reputation as a site of sorrow and lingering spirits.
Speaker 2:Of course, there is a lot of paranormal activity. The Myrtles Plantation is known for its intense paranormal activity and numerous ghost stories. Over the years, many guests and staff have reported seeing full body apparitions, often believed to be those of former slaves, children and members of the Woodruff family. There's a mirror there. Oh, it's a very haunted mirror. It's one of the most famous mirrors in the United States in terms of paranormal activity. It's said to hold the spirits of Sarah Woodruff and her children. Many people have reported furniture moving all on their own and objects disappearing or found in locations different from where they were left, cold spots and phantom sounds, children laughing and crying, unexplained footsteps frequently reported by visitors.
Speaker 2:Now the Myrtle Plantation, which was built in 1796, is over 225 years old and of course you can go there and visit this place. There are many tours available. They have a daily historic and mystery tour. Now. These tours explore the history of the plantation, covering its architecture and ghostly legends. Visitors see the plantation's beautiful interiors while learning about the spirits that inhabit it. They also have an evening tour Now. These nighttime tours focus on the haunted history of the Myrtles Plantation. They are designed for those interested in the darker side of the house's past and often include eerie stories about various spirits that haunt the property. And if you have the desire, you could even stay overnight in one of the plantation's historic rooms or cottages where many have reported paranormal activities. And now, my little creepies, let's talk about the fifth and final of the five most haunted houses in America, and the next house is the Lizzie Borden house.
Speaker 2:The Lizzie Borden House is located in Fall River, massachusetts. This is one of the most infamous haunted homes in the United States. Its notoriety stems from the brutal double murder that took place there in 1892. And here's everything you need to know about this house. And here's everything you need to know about this house. It's, of course, haunted.
Speaker 2:The house was originally constructed in 1845. And it's a simple, two-story Greek revival home that became the site of a brutal murder. It happened on the morning of August 4th 1892. Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered in their home. Andrew Borden, lizzie's father, was found lying on a sofa in the sitting room. His face was bludgeoned with an axe. Abby Borden, that's Lizzie's stepmother, was found upstairs in the guest bedroom, having been struck multiple times in the head and the back using the same weapon. Now, who is Lizzie? Well, lizzie Borden was the youngest daughter of the Andrew Borden family. Now she was charged with the murders and at the time the case was very public and had a lot of people back and forth on different opinions and whether it was Lizzie that did it or maybe somebody else. Well, it turns out that Lizzie is a very prominent figure in the community and, in spite of her suspicious behavior and consistent testimony, lizzie was acquitted of the murders after a sensational trial. No one else was ever charged with the murder, so it's still considered unsolved, though Lizzie remained the primary suspect in the court of popular opinion.
Speaker 2:Now there's a lot of paranormal activity. Over the years, the house has gained a reputation for being haunted, probably due to the violent deaths that occurred there. Now you can actually go there and take a tour, guests and staff. Paranormal investigators have reported strange phenomena, such as apparitions of Andrew and Abby Borden, footsteps heard in many of the empty rooms, doors opening and closing by themselves, cold spots and eerie sensations in the rooms where the murders took place, unexplained sounds around the staircase and the second floor, such as whispers and laughter. Many believe that the spirit of Andrew and Abby Borden remain in the home and are unable to rest due to the brutal nature of their murder. And, of course, the house is still standing, meticulously preserved to resemble its condition during the murders, and today it functions as a museum, a bed and breakfast and attracts many history buffs and paranormal enthusiasts.
Speaker 2:You can take a daytime tour if you'd like. The Lizzie Borton House offers guided tours that take visitors through the crime scene, exploring the various rooms and where the murders occurred. The tour focuses on the history of the borden family and the trial of lizzie borden and if you're uh up to it, you can take the ghost tour. Now, that's, of course, for people who are interested in the paranormal. Now these tours usually take place in the evening and explore the reported hauntings and paranormal phenomenon associated with the property, and you can even stay overnight. If you're truly brave, you can stay in the Lizzie Borden house. You can stay in the Lizzie Borden House. Visitors stay in the rooms that belong to the Bordens and even the room where Abby Borden was murdered. Many guests have reported strange experiences during their stay, making it a very popular destination for paranormal investigators. Now the Lizzie Borden house is over 175 years old and its combined age with the association with the most notorious unsolved murders in America puts this house on the map of one of the five most haunted houses in the United States.
Speaker 2:Well, that's it for this week, folks. I hope you enjoyed tonight's story. Maybe you have an opportunity to go visit some of these houses and if you would like to leave your impression about your visit, make sure you go back to the website at creepyshow that's creepyshow and tell me about it. I would love to hear from you and we'll see you again next week for another exciting episode of the Creepy Show. Oh, show.
Speaker 1:As the casket closes on another creepy episode, we bid you farewell to the shadows that danced upon your fears. Oh, and thank you for joining us on this creepy journey into the unknown, where the darkness whispers secrets and the silence echoes within your soul. Find us online for some extra creepy content at creepyshow and, if you happen to make it through the night, don't forget to share this podcast with someone you want to terrorize. Good night, my little creepies. Sleep with one eye open, for the night is long and full of horror.