tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84457888268836702442024-03-21T01:39:39.296-07:00Dark DestinationsDark Destinations is the first user-driven database for the complete range of macabre locations and events all over the globe. Use it to plan trips, show other folks horrific places you have been, write about your favorite dark parts of the world or simply just be entertained by reading the entries.Dark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-30750936100814008482010-10-23T07:33:00.000-07:002010-10-23T07:58:21.890-07:00Pursuing the Lady in White: Part One<img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1286486257.jpg" /> <p style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><br /><br />For this Halloween season I decided to visit destinations tied with the production of the movie Lady in White (1988) and the legend which inspired the movie. Despite having lived in the Rochester, New York area for most of my current life and having been a Lady in White fan since the late 1980s, I had never gone to the towns that were used in the making of the movie despite them being only an hour's drive away. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I finally visited Durand-Eastman Park, right here in my very own city, where the legend of the White Lady stems from. This October, I decided it was about time I finally took an in-depth look at these local dark destinations.<br /><br />I decided to begin with the source of the legend, Durand-Eastman Park. The park was created in the early 20th Century on land donated by Kodak founder George Eastman and Doctor Henry Durand. The park borders Lake Ontario and contains a pair of smaller lakes. The spot where the three lakes come the closest to each other is generally the focal point for the legend of the White Lady ghost of Rochester. A picnic area known as the 3-Lakes Pavilion is claimed to be site of the former home of Eelissa, the Lady in White. The pavilion is a hill with a cobblestone wall built into the side that faces Lake Ontario.<br /><br />The legend states that a vengeful feminine wraith cloaked entirely in white stalks the park in the vicinity, searching for male victims. The reasons for White Lady's wrath and where exactly in the park she manifests vary from story to story. Often, the legends have the ghost motivated by a tragedy involving her daughter and a pre-existing distrust/dislike for men on the part of Eelissa. In this semi-sympathetic version of the story, the ghost is searching for her long-lost daughter and may attack any mortal men who have the misfortune to interrupt her search.<br /><br />In some tales the White Lady is a woman who was driven to madness and murder by the actions of an unfaithful husband. Still blinded by her jealous rage, she is said to stalk the roads of the park, mistaking unfortunate young lovers in cars for her husband and his mistress whom she seeks to slay again and again, doomed to re-enact her crime with fresh victims over the centuries.<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1286488174.jpg" /><br /> </p><p style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><br /><br />My recent visit to the park was on an over-cast and gloomy afternoon, the next best thing to visiting the park at night. The stretch of beach along Lake Ontario was my first stop. The first stories I had heard of the White Lady had her prowling this rocky beach with a pair of spectral dogs that she would sic on any man unfortunate enough to choose the wrong evening for a nighttime stroll.<br /><br />I then moved on to the 3-Lakes Pavilion and the two smaller lakes across the street from Lake Ontario. The cobblestone wall of what some legends refer to as the “White Lady's Castle” has long cracks running through a few spots, but has held up otherwise well over the nearly 100-years since it was built. The view from the pavilion was wonderful, though there was a disquieting silence in the area. The only sign of wildlife I spotted were some swans quietly skimming through the water of Durand Lake when I wandered deeper into the park and away from the pavilion. Some legends claim that the White Lady forms from the mists of that very lake.<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1286488569.jpg" /><br /><br />Overall, it was a nice fall hike with a with a slightly spooky ambiance. It made me want to return again during evening hours and take a stroll... hopefully not on a night when Eelissa is on the hunt.<br /><br />My next journey was to Lyons, New York and a number of locations used in the filming of Frank LaLoggia's nostalgic supernatural mystery Lady in White. I will write about this in a future second installment.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=d&location_id=durandeastman_park">In the meantime, you can click here to read our full article on Durand-Eastman Park for further details about the legend and photos I took during my last visit</a>.<br /><br /><br />-Tom G<br /></p>Tom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-67602160165010529332010-10-11T07:20:00.000-07:002010-10-11T07:37:52.245-07:00Fright Rags: We Belong Alive<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDP-4sSdIqQVfzJe5iWzWUhKKL2naGencMsNNtVDkVk0Usmo9J7huybiQmFwlbJOChSv42pYeBd8Oym8VRdFdMNNT7l0bQ0gyWEbT3I95QObMWEwe04wt8j5dQ_r03bzzyzGJN8k5QAGC/s1600/prod_we_belong_alive.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDP-4sSdIqQVfzJe5iWzWUhKKL2naGencMsNNtVDkVk0Usmo9J7huybiQmFwlbJOChSv42pYeBd8Oym8VRdFdMNNT7l0bQ0gyWEbT3I95QObMWEwe04wt8j5dQ_r03bzzyzGJN8k5QAGC/s320/prod_we_belong_alive.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526793522135331346" /></a>It is little off from our usual topics, but I wanted to call attention to the wonderful work being done by the Fright Rags horror T-shirt company. They recently released this limited edition breast cancer awareness T-shirt featuring the Bride of Frankenstein (and the Frankenstein Monster's hands) in a pose very similar to one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Janetrollingstonecover.jpg">Janet Jackson did back in 1993 for the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine</a>. The shirt's name "We Belong Alive" makes an ironic play off of the Bride's famous line "We belong dead." The first printing of the shirt sold out in a just a few hours. Fright Rags is taking pre-orders for one more printing and then this shirt design will be retired. If you would like a shirt, there are only a few days left to order, so move quick! <div><br /></div><div>The We Belong Alive shirt can be ordered through the following link: <a href="http://www.fright-rags.com/we-belong-alive-p-392.html">http://www.fright-rags.com/we-belong-alive-p-392.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The proceeds from the shirt sale goes to help a young mother without medical insurance who is currently battling advanced breast cancer. So far Fright Rags has raised close to $4,000 toward this cause. You can learn more at the link posted above. Please spread the word along. </div><div><br /></div><div>-Tom G</div>Tom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-83676186704202661412010-05-13T06:37:00.000-07:002010-05-13T07:36:17.654-07:00The Black Dog of Lake ErieA week from tomorrow will be 119 years since the sinking of the Thomas Hume. The schooner was returning to its home port in Muskegon, Michigan when it vanished on May 21, 1891. Many rumors were caused by the ship's disappearance and the lack of any witnessed wreckage washing ashore following its disappearance. Some even theorized that the schooner's captain had stolen the vessel for himself, disguising it with a new paint job. However, the wreck of the Thomas Hume was discovered at the Southern end of Lake Michigan in 2005.<br /><br />The Thomas Hume is one of a number of vessels at the bottom of the Great Lakes that are said to have fallen victim to the supernatural beast known as the Black Dog of Lake Erie. Legend has it that the Black Dog was the result of an incident that occurred in the Welland Canal. The story goes that a Newfoundland dog that served as a ship's mascot fell overboard while travelling through the canal. In some versions of the tale the sailors mocked the dog as it swam, desperately trying to catch up with its ship. The poor animal was crushed to death when one of the canal lock gates came down. It had the effect of trapping the ship inside the lock as the gate could not completely close. Once the sailors were able to free the large furry corpse from the gate mechanism, they were able to continue on their way. However, the story goes, they found themselves haunted by the vengeful spirit of the dead Newfie. They had begun a curse that would result in the sinking of many ships in the Great Lakes. It is said that on occasion a large black dog will appear on one side of a ship, run across the deck and leap from the other side. Soon after, the ship will run into trouble. When the Issac G. Jenkins sank in Lake Ontario on November of 1875, a farmer claimed to have witnessed a large black dog swim to shore and drag itself onto land, vanishing into the darkness.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=l&location_id=lake_erie">Click here to learn more about the Black Dog, the legend of Jenny Greenteeth and the monster of Lake Erie</a>.<br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-22769617104335015912010-04-11T07:42:00.000-07:002010-04-11T08:01:22.037-07:00Odd Tales of the Lincoln Assassination<img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1208826430.jpg" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br />This Wednesday will be the 145th anniversary of the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was shot in the head by actor John Wilkes Booth as the President and his wife sat in a balcony at Ford's Theatre, watching a production of <b>Our American Cousin</b>. Booth escaped, but was tracked by the US Army who caught up with him twelve days later. Despite orders to capture the assassin, a soldier named Boston Corbett shot Booth dead. Corbett, a former prisoner of war who had served time in the Confederacy's Andersonville Prison (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=a&location_id=andersonville_national_historic_site">Andersonville National Historic Site</a>) claimed that God himself gave the soldier the order to kill Booth.<br /><br />The same night as the assassination of Lincoln, a fellow conspirator, Lewis Powell attempted to murder Secretary of State William Seward. Powell attempted to stab the man to death as he lay in bed, recuperating from injuries sustained from a carriage accident. Ironically, the very injuries that had him bedridden may have also saved Seward's life; a brace the secretary wore for a neck injury prevented the assassin from cutting Seward's throat and the Secretary's children managed to fend off the killer, driving him from their home.<br /><br />As the conspirators were rounded up by the authorities, a case of mistaken identity led them to arrest Francis Tumblety, a con man who posed as a doctor to sell odd concoctions he claimed cured various ills. Francis, who was using one of his aliases, was incarcerated for three weeks until he was cleared of charges and set free. Years later, Tumblety would become one of many suspected to be the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=h&location_id=holy_sepulchre_cemetery_rochester_ny">Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY</a>).<br /><br />It is said that President Lincoln had a prophetic dream about his own assassination days before it occurred. There are also numerous ghost tales associated with the assassination. Witnesses have claimed to have to seen the ghost of Lincoln at the White House, his grave in Illinois and the Peterson House (where Lincoln actually died of his injury sustained at the theatre). The ghosts of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln are claimed by some to haunt Ford's Theatre (See <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=f&location_id=fords_theatre_national_historical_site">Ford's Theatre National Historic Site</a>). Even the route traveled by Abraham Lincoln's funeral train is said to be haunted by a spectral train.<br /><br />Part of Abraham Lincoln's skull is on display at the National Museum of Health in Medicine in Washington, D.C. (see the <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=n&location_id=national_museum_of_health_and_science">National Museum of Health and Science</a>). Part of his blood-stained collar can be seen at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania along with part of the thorax of John Wilkes Booth (see the <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=m&location_id=mutter_museum">Mutter Museum</a>).<br /><br />These are just some of the strange stories surrounding the first assassination of a United States President.<br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-67388010694899075802010-02-28T14:20:00.000-08:002010-02-28T14:22:09.754-08:00Happy Birthday, Frozen Dead Guy!<img alt="Granpa Bredo's Frozen Coffin" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1207936903.jpg" /><br /><br />Today would have been the 110th birthday of Bredo Morstoel. “Grandpa Bredo”, as he is now known to locals in Nederland, Colorado, passed away on November 6, 1989 at the age of 89, but his story didn't end there. Bredo's corpse became the subject of his grandson's home-brewed cryonic experiments. Though his relatives were deported Grandpa Bredo has remained behind, lying frozen inside of a shed in Colorado. His postmortem predicament led to support from locals and finally a festival that began eight years back. The ninth annual Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival will be held next weekend (March 5-7, 2010).<br /><br />This joyously macabre winter festival features frozen turkey bowling, frozen salmon tossing, tours of Grandpa's shed, live music, ice carvings, a hearse parade, and much more. The festival also has a coffin race, though their coffin race is much different than the one held during the Emma Crawford Festival and Memorial Coffin Race in the relatively nearby Manitou Springs (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=e&location_id=emma_crawford_festival_and_memorial_coffin_race">Emma Crawford Festival and Memorial Coffin Race</a>). This year's festival is being covered by a crew from a Japanese reality show. Considering the crazy Japanese reality shows I've seen, that is a pretty strong sign that this festival is a wacky one to attend.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=f&location_id=frozen_dead_guy_days">Wish Grandpa Bredo Happy Birthday and read more about his strange tale and the unusual festival that centers around his frozen remains</a>.<br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-17396631874909701442010-02-25T13:02:00.000-08:002010-02-25T13:19:57.551-08:00Honoring the Man in BlackTomorrow marks 78 years since the birth of Johnny Cash. His final album, <span style="font-weight:bold;">American VI: Ain't No Grave</span>, came out this past Tuesday, more than six years after the iconic musician passed away. Johnny Cash's relatives and the record company that released the final album are encouraging fans to celebrate his birthday by wearing all black on Friday. They are running a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?awesm=50iWn&eid=289583189558&utm_medium=awe.sm-CASH_FB_EVENT_Gupta&utm_source=direct-awe.sm&utm_content=site-custom">Facebook event</a> for that day with free prizes being awarded to some of those who post photos of themselves wearing black.<br /><br />During the 1970s, Johnny Cash made his tendency toward wearing black clothing into a trademark, releasing the album <span style="font-weight:bold;">Man in Black</span>. In the title song from the album, Cash explains why he wore black so often.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,<br />And tell the world that everything's OK,<br />But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,<br />'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.</span><br /><br />Considering how much of my own wardrobe is black, it is likely that I would have been wearing all black tomorrow anyhow. So, I will honor Johnny Cash's birthday instead by choosing the birthplace of Johnny Cash and his hometown as the Dark Destinations for this week.<br /><br /><a href="http://thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=the_birthplace_of_johnny_cash">Visit Kingsland, Arkansas, the birthplace of Johnny Cash</a>.<br /><br />Or<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=j&location_id=johnny_cashs_childhood_hometown">Visit Dyess, Arkansas, his hometown</a>.<br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-50341926570550638432010-02-15T07:54:00.001-08:002010-02-15T08:10:22.050-08:00The Haunting of the Hotel del Cornado<img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1178391772.jpg" /><br /><br />This coming Friday will mark 122 years since the Hotel del Coronado opened for business. The hotel was possibly an inspiration for description of the Emerald City in some of author Frank L. Baum's <strong>Land of Oz</strong> books. It has also been used as a filming location for a number of films (including <strong>Some Like It Hot</strong> and <strong>Wicked, Wicked</strong>). The Hotel del Coronado is also reputed to be haunted due to a tragedy that occurred when the hotel had only been open a mere four years. It is a tale of love gone wrong; a chilling Valentine for our dark travelers.<br /><br />On November 24, 1892, a young woman, using an alias, checked into the hotel's room 302. Five days later the woman was dead. Her corpse was discovered, the apparent victim of a suicide, outside the hotel on the steps leading up from the beach. It wasn't until after her death that her identity was discovered; she was Kate Morgan, a con artist who assisted her card shark husband at bilking unsuspecting men out of their money during poker games. Her husband had left her after discovering that she was pregnant and wished for them to settle down. She apparently took her own life after days of fruitlessly waiting for him to return to her.<br /><br />The hotel has changed the room number twice since the incident, but the rumors of haunting persist and it remains the most requested room in the hotel. Some have claimed to witness the ghost of Kate Morgan looking from the room's window or wandering the halls of the hotel. It has been theorized that Kate may not have taken her own life: rather she had been the victim of a murder staged to look as though it had been suicide. The truth may never be known. Perhaps if you stay at the Hotel del Coronado, the long dead Kate Morgan will whisper her story into your ear as you sleep.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=h&location_id=hotel_del_coronado">Check in to the Hotel del Coronado to read more about the hotel, the current number of Kate Morgan's room, the other haunted room and learn what horror television show regularly used the hotel as a shooting location.</a><br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-67670713443743996272010-02-08T10:15:00.000-08:002010-02-08T10:16:46.480-08:00Own Bill Murray's Mansion!Okay, it's not really Bill Murray's mansion; it's the house in Georgia that was used as the fictional home of Bill Murray in the film <b>Zombieland</b> (2009). I should also mention that you will need at least a few million dollars for your down payment on this very large home. The actual owner of the mansion, Lee Najjar, has put the house on the market with an asking price of 25 million dollars.<br /><br />In <b>Zombieland</b>, the main characters (portrayed by actors Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) spend a memorable night in the mansion just prior to the climax of the film at Pacific Playland amusement park. The scenes for Pacific Playland were actually shot at Wild Adventures Water & Theme Park in Georgia, nearly four hours away from where the mansion scenes were filmed (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=w&location_id=wild_adventures_water_and_theme_park">Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park</a>).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=j&location_id=jacksonalsoparnold_house">Click here to learn more about the mansion used in the film Zombieland and to see it in Google Streetview</a>.<br /><br />-Tom GDark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-86793138051518003522010-02-07T09:23:00.000-08:002010-02-07T09:27:13.060-08:00Elastic ParkLarry Moss, the artist behind the Balloon Manor Halloween attraction (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=balloon_manor">Balloon Manor</a>), is at it again. His newest project is called Elastic Park; it is an interactive dinosaur-themed exhibit featuring Airigami balloon artistry. The exhibit, which will be both fun and educational, is intended to be a travelling exhibit that will be featured at numerous museums (<a href="http://elasticpark.com/">click here to view Elastic Park Web site</a>).<br /><br />Larry needs your help to make this exhibit a reality. Pepsi Cola is running a contest called the Pepsi Refresh Project. Various organizations are competing for a $50,000 grant to fund their projects. The winner will be determined through online voting. Currently, Elastic Park is in 13th place in the contest. Voters are allowed to vote once per day and voting ends February 28. Please take a moment to visit the Elastic Park page at the contest web site and vote.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/ElasticPark">Click here to vote for Elastic Park!</a><br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-51956606732939662012010-01-31T08:09:00.000-08:002010-01-31T08:11:37.119-08:00Top 20 Dark Destinations for Month of January 2010Typically when we blog one of our top 20, 25 or 50 lists, Casey or I will post the top locations on the site based on the hits each article has gotten since its creation. We thought we'd do something a little different this month and show you what has been getting the most attention over the course of the past month. Some of the same locations are on both lists, but there are a few that have gained in recent popularity that have made the Monthly list. Take a peek.<br /><br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=the_sylvia_likens_house">The Sylvia Likens House</a><br />2. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=h&location_id=the_haunting_in_connecticut_house">The Haunting in Connecticut House</a><br />3. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_2008_thunderbird_and_whale">Twilight (2008): Thunderbird and Whale</a> <br />4. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=the_sharon_tate_house">The Sharon Tate House</a> <br />5. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_saga_the_cullen_house">Twilight Saga: The Cullen House</a> <br />6. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=e&location_id=emma_crawford_festival_and_memorial_coffin_race">Emma Crawford Festival and Memorial Coffin Race</a> <br />7. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=a&location_id=amityville_horror_house">Amityville Horror House</a> <br />8. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=w&location_id=west_virginia_penitentiary">West Virginia Penitentiary</a> <br />9. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=the_body_farm_knoxville_tn">The Body Farm, Knoxville, TN </a><br />10. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_saga_the_swan_house">Twilight Saga: The Swan House</a> <br />11. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=sylvia_likens_memorial">Sylvia Likens Memorial</a><br />12. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_2008_the_swan_house">Twilight (2008): The Swan House</a> <br />13. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=e&location_id=the_empire_state_building">The Empire State Building</a> <br />14. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=l&location_id=la_push_washington">La Push, Washington</a> <br />15. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_2008_kalama_high_school">Twilight (2008): Kalama High School</a> <br />16. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=m&location_id=missouri_state_penitentiary">Missouri State Penitentiary </a><br />17. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=o&location_id=old_alexian_brothers_hospital">Old Alexian Brothers Hospital</a> <br />18. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_2008_bloated_toad">Twilight (2008): Bloated Toad </a><br />19. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=t&location_id=twilight_2008_the_cullen_house">Twilight (2008): The Cullen House</a> <br />20. <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=the_saint_louis_exorcist_house">The Saint Louis Exorcist House</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/locations.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=all&display_order=popularity">If you would like to see the current Top 20 of all time list click here. </a><br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-11744444548676393232010-01-24T07:37:00.000-08:002010-01-24T07:51:17.628-08:00The Poe Toaster Nevermore?For sixty years, the mysterious black-clad figure known as the Poe Toaster would make an appearance at the Old Westminster Burial Ground on the anniversary of author/poet Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. The unknown individual (who is assumed to be male) pays a yearly tribute to Poe by laying three red roses and half-empty bottle of Martell Cognac upon the author's gravestone. The gift is occasionally accompanied by a note from the mysterious mourner. Last year, for the two-hundredth birthday of Edgar Allan Poe, the Toaster failed to leave a note. This year, on January 19, 2010, the Poe Toaster failed to show up at all.<br /><br />A crowd of around fifty people stood vigil throughout the night (a larger crowd than had been present for the year prior), keeping an eye out for the Poe Toaster and occasionally singing Happy Birthday to Edgar Allan Poe. They were disappointed when the Toaster did not arrive with his annual tribute. It has led to speculation on what may have happened.<br /><br />Some have wondered whether the Poe Toaster may have died or was in ill health. A week earlier, David Fanks, a local poet and performance artist known for his pranks passed away, leading some to speculate that the Poe Toaster had been him. Others have speculated that the tradition may have just ended at the sixty year mark, on the two-hundredth birthday of Poe. ESPN reporter Cam Martin even suggested that the Poe Toaster may have failed to show because he was upset about the Indianapolis Colts beating the Baltimore Ravens in a football game on the Saturday prior to Poe's birthday.<br /><br />Whatever the reason for the Poe Toaster's absence this year, Jeff Jerome, curator for the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=e&location_id=edgar_allan_poe_house_and_museum">Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum</a>), has said that he will continue to watch for the Poe Toaster until 2012. If the Toaster fails to return by January 19, 2012, Jerome will give up the vigil he has kept since the 1970s.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=all&display_order=date_modified&location_id=old_westminster_burial_ground">Pay a visit to the Old Westminter Burial Ground to learn more</a>.<br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-7105337921167809092010-01-11T03:47:00.000-08:002010-01-11T11:30:01.838-08:00The Graveyard of the Pacific<a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1226108103.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1226108103.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The winter months are truly treacherous ones for those who sail the waters of the "Graveyard of the Pacific"; a section of the Pacific Ocean that runs along the western coast of North America. The turbulent waters have claimed thousands of ships and many lives. This week alone marks the separate anniversaries of two different sinkings in that section of the "Graveyard" that is the mouth of the Columbia River, with more later this month and over the next two.<br /> <br />The most infamous of the sinkings took place 49 years ago this coming Thursday. On January 14, 1961, The Mermaid, a crab boat with two crewman aboard, ran into trouble when it lost its rudder in violent weather conditions. The Coast Guard came to the ship's rescue. Unfortunately, the rescue attempt failed and led to the sinking of The Mermaid as well as causing three Coast Guard vessels to capsize in the process. The Mermaid's crew was lost as well as five members of the Coast Guard who were aboard the rescue boat Triumph. The names of the lost Coast Guard members were added to the memorial in Maritime Memorial Park in Astoria, Oregon (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=m&location_id=maritime_memorial_park_astoria_or">Maritime Memorial Park, Astoria, OR</a>).<br /><br />Unsuprisingly, the area has also been the location of claimed ghost ship sightings and other paranormal activity. It has also reportedly been home to one or more sea monsters.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=m&location_id=mouth_of_the_columbia_river">Click here to brave the treacherous waters along the Mouth of the Columbia River to learn more about its shipwrecks and supernatural lore</a>.<br /><br />- Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-69576736588119602052010-01-06T06:48:00.000-08:002010-01-06T06:51:04.657-08:00The Inspiration for the Song JeremyThis Friday will mark 19 years since the suicide of Jeremy Wade Delle. Delle, a student at Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas, took his own life in front of his fellow students in their English class on the morning of January 8, 1991. The 15-year-old had recently relocated to Richardson from Dallas and had apparently been in counseling at the time.<br /> <br />Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder happened upon a news story about the incident which inspired him to write the lyrics for the song Jeremy. The song wound up being one of three hit singles from the band's debut album Ten. When interviewed by [title]Rockline[/title] in 1993, Vedder said the following about the song and its controversial music video:<br /> <br />"<em>It came from a small paragraph in a paper which means you kill yourself and you make a big old sacrifice and try to get your revenge. That all you're gonna end up with is a paragraph in a newspaper. Sixty-three degrees and cloudy in a suburban neighborhood. That's the beginning of the video and that's the same thing is that in the end, it does nothing... nothing changes. The world goes on and you're gone. The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself. Be stronger than those people. And then you can come back.</em>"<br /> <br />Two different music videos were made for the song, with the second one being the one shown on Mtv, though in a censored version which caused some confusion and further controversy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=r&location_id=richardson_high_school_richardson_tx">Click here to read more about the school, Jeremy Delle and the song that was inspired by his suicide</a>.<br /><br /><br />- Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-91688352972609634182009-11-08T10:42:00.000-08:002009-11-08T10:59:11.314-08:00Amityville: 35 Years SInce the DeFeo MurdersThis coming Friday the 13th will mark the 35th anniversary of the infamous night that 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. stumbled into a bar near his home asking for help and stating that he thought his parents had been shot. He assembled a small group of people and led them back to his family's house. A horrific scene awaited them -- not only had his parents been shot, Ronald's four young brothers and sisters (ranging in age from 18 to 9) had been murdered as well. All of the family members had been shot as they lay sleeping in their beds. Ron DeFeo suggested that the murders were mob related, but confessed to the murders the following day when details in his story unraveled.<br /><br />Oddly, all six members of the family were slain while laying face down in their beds, with no signs of any of them waking up from the sound of a rifle going off. Neighbors also did not report hearing the sound of the rifle despite evidence that a silencer wasn't used. Toxicology reports on the slain family failed to reveal the presence of any sedatives that could have kept the family asleep during the murders. Ronald Defeo's ever-changing claims about the murders have at times included accounts in which he had accomplices -- including his own 18-year-old sister (herself one of the victims), but there has never been solid evidence to show that anyone else but Ronald had been involved. Some believe that this strange aspect of the DeFeo murders points to Ronald having assistance in his crimes from a supernatural force.<br /><br />Indeed, a little over a year later the Lutz family moved into the murder house and lasted only a mere 28 days in the home before fleeing it. Their tales of demonic haunting in the home led to the book The Amityville Horror (which in turn led to a book and film franchise), increasing the infamy of the former DeFeo house.<br /><br />Ronald Defeo was convicted on all six counts of second degree murder and given six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life. He is incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, New York. DeFeo has been eligable for parole for nearly a decade, but has been turned down for it each time he has applied. His family was buried in nearby Saint Charles Cemetery (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=saint_charles_cemetery_farmingdale_ny">Saint Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY</a>).<br /><br />Did DeFeo have accomplices in murdering his family? Are there people wandering free who helped him shoot his parents and younger siblings? Or was Ronald's accomplice something even more sinister and intangeable in nature?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=a&location_id=amityville_horror_house">Visit the Amityville Horror House and learn more about the controversies surrounding the home</a>. You can also use Street View on our map to see the house as it appears today.<br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-44128333125567259542009-10-25T13:41:00.000-07:002009-10-25T13:50:21.754-07:00Attack of the Bunny ManWhile some versions of the Bunny Man legend have his story extending back more than a century, the oldest recorded account of the Bunny Man appearing dates back to October 1970. On October 18, 1970, a Virginia couple had their vehicle attacked but what appeared to be a man in bunny suit with a hatchet (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=bunny_man_first_encounter_at_guinea_road">Bunny Man: First Encounter at Guinea Road</a>). Less than two weeks later the mysterious man in a bunny suit would once again appear, vandalizing property and menacing a security guard with an axe (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=bunny_man_second_encounter_at_guinea_road">Bunny Man: Second Encounter at Guinea Road</a>). If this indeed is the genesis of the Bunny Man legend, then the legend turns 40-years-old next year.<br /><br />The legends of the Bunny Man vary from a mentally ill young man hacking up his family at Easter to a malevolent spirit that has haunted a Fairfax County culvert for nearly a century and likes to kill victims at the stroke of midnight on Halloween. Whatever the story, it is always bad news for those who see the Bunny Man.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=bunny_man_bridge">Pay a visit to Bunny Man Bridge to learn more about the legends, but should you spot a rabbit... Run away! Run away!</a><br /><br />-Tom GPS: Feel free to let loose with the Monty Python quotes.Tom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-24175147613432549582009-10-18T06:59:00.000-07:002009-10-18T07:24:15.428-07:00Investigators Needed for Possibly Haunted TheatreI was recently approached by The Little Theatre, an art house movie theater in Western New York, about writing an article about their Halloween film festival. In the process of gathering information about the place, I found that some employees of the 80-year-old movie theater had experienced some possible paranormal activity over the years. Theater workers have witnessed doors opening and closing with no apparent physical cause and a voice that calls out the name "Anne."<br /><br />While I was writing my article, one of my relatives came by and asked what I was writing. When I told him I was writing about The Little Theatre, he told me that he had been hired to install a pair of stained glass windows there. The windows were originally from the Powers Building. I instantly had an odd sensation and a vague memory about the Powers Building. I zipped over to my bookshelf and pulled out a couple of books about hauntings in Rochester, NY. Sure enough, there it was... the Powers Building and the attached Powers Hotel with their stories of haunted elevators that sometimes kill... and the first elevator victim back in the 1890s was a woman named "Annie."<br /><br />I passed this information along to my contact at The Little Theatre and she asked if I could possibly find a group of paranormal investigators who might be interested in performing an investigation of the historic theater. I told her I would pass the word along. If you represent a group who is interested in conducting an investigation of The Little, you can contact their management through the contact information on their Web site. Ask for Beth.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=l&location_id=the_little_theatre_rochester_ny">If you'd like to learn more about The Little Theatre, it's possible haunting, and their upcoming Halloween event click here</a>.<br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-24015707755585543682009-10-10T09:19:00.000-07:002009-10-10T09:35:55.009-07:00The Haunt of Moundsville PenitentiaryBy now, most everyone is familiar with the infamous West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia. The facility (and its "<i>Sugar Shack</i>") left a rather impressionable mark as the setting of the debut episode of the MTV reality series, <b>Fear</b>, and kept the momentum going with recent appearances in the likes of <b>Ghost Hunters</b> and <b>Ghost Adventures</b>. Well, today marks a rather notorious date in the facility's history. 110 years ago to this day, October 10, 1899, inmate Shep Caldwell was executed for murdering his mistress. His death marked the first execution in West Virginia Penitentiary and there would be 93 more before the prison closed in 1995.<br /><br />Today, the facility is open to the general public as a living museum where guests can see what life was like behind bars for the inmates of the Moundsville prison. In addition, it also offers ghost tours/hunts for the would-be ghost hunters to hone their skills and attempt to shine some light on the facility's mysterious happenings. It is run by the Moundsville Economic Development Council who takes advantage of this time of year to turn the prison into the Halloween haunted attraction, <b>Dungeon of Horrors</b>. Intended to raise funds for the general upkeep of the prison and keep it open to the general public, the haunt has become one of the more popular Halloween attractions in the United States - drawing around 10,000 visitors each year.<br /><br />This week, a minor controversy erupted in Wilmington, North Carolina over a similar fundraising haunted attraction that transforms the USS North Carolina into the annual <b>Ghost Ship</b>. Local area news reported on a veteran of the ship's objections that the Halloween haunted attraction was not respectful of those that served and died on the vessel. The staff that run the haunt defended the attraction by saying that the ship did not receive state or federal funding to keep the memorial open and that the group relied on dollars raised from the haunt (and other events throughout the year) to keep the ship open to the general public.<br /><br />So a question for you all - Do you believe it is disrespectful to run a Halloween haunted attraction at a facility where lives were lost - be it a prison, military vessel, or similar public venue? Does the money raised that help keeps the facility open to the general public justify the means?<br /><br />For more information on West Virginia Penitentiary and <b>Dungeon of Horrors</b>, check out our articles on Dark Destinations:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=w&location_id=west_virginia_penitentiary">West Virginia Penitentiary</a><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=d&location_id=dungeon_of_horrors">Dungeon of Horrors</a><br /><br />-Casey H.Dark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-18816512341252462792009-09-25T03:47:00.000-07:002009-09-25T03:52:08.814-07:00Crazy BetAs of today, it has been 109 years since the death of American Civil War Spy Elizabeth “Crazy Bet” Van Lew. During the war, Elizabeth was a young lady living in what had become the capitol city of the Confederate States of America (also known as the Confederacy). She garnered a reputation for being “hysterical” due to her very outspoken support of the Union both before and during the war. Her blatant support for the other side led others to believe her insane – something that Elizabeth Van Lew picked up on and used to her advantage. She purposely let her hair go scraggly and wore unkempt clothing to further the misconception that she was mentally ill, leading to her nickname “Crazy Bet.” Elizabeth wasn't insane, but she was crazy like a fox as they say.<br /><br />Due to her falsely perceived insanity and the social status of her family, Van Lew was allowed access to Union soldiers captured and imprisoned nearby. She would bring them care packages and books – allowing secret messages to be slipped back and forth by using pins to mark under letters on pages of the books, spelling out information beneficial to the Union. The Confederacy's arrogance in underestimating the intelligence of both African Americans and women added significantly to their downfall. Van Lew's servants (former slaves she'd freed who chose to work for her) were included in her spy ring. Elizabeth even managed to place one servant spy, Mary Bowser, directly into the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. There, Mary risked her life as one of at least two spies posing as slaves in the Davis home (the other was a man named William Jackson). Jefferson Davis so underestimated the intelligence of African American slaves that he left important classified papers laying about and conducted military planning discussions right front of slaves in his household. Davis assumed the slaves were all dull and illiterate. Not only could Mary Bowser read, it was stated in some accounts by those she relayed information to that Mary possessed a photographic memory, enabling her to retain every word in the documents without having to worry about being caught transcribing.<br /><br />Elizabeth Van Lew and her servants were the first to proudly fly the United States flag once again in Richmond, Virginia when the Union retook the city from the Confederacy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=shockoe_hill_cemetery_richmond_va">Pay your respects at Shockhoe Hill Cemetery to learn more about Elizabeth Van Lew and others who are buried there</a>.<br /><br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-39088021056480170482009-09-21T11:55:00.000-07:002009-09-21T11:59:08.121-07:00Stephen King's Birthday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1177177931.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 414px;" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1177177931.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Prolific horror author Stephen King turns 62-years-old today. In honor of his birthday today's Dark Destination is the Stanley Hotel. The hotel was part of the inspiration for Stephen King's 1977 horror novel, <b>The Shining</b>. King was inspired after staying at the hotel with his wife on October 30, 1974. It was the night before the hotel closed down for the season and the author and his wife were the only guests. The empty halls and ballroom along with ghost stories about the place caused King to resurrect a story he'd never finished and change the setting from a carnival to a hotel called The Overlook.<br /><br />Over two decades later, the hotel became the primary shooting location for the television mini-series adaption of the novel, directed by Mick Garris. Dark Destination's own Casey Hopkins was actually on set during part of that shoot, and had the chance to chat with King and others after being invited by the director following an interview for the site. Perhaps he'll share his story with all of you sometime. The mini-series followed King's novel closer than Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaption, leading to fans being polarized in opinion over the two adaptions. It is rare to find a fan who enjoys both adaptions equally.<br /><br />Which adaption do you prefer?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=s&location_id=the_stanley_hotel">Stay the night in the haunted rooms of the Stanley Hotel if you dare</a>.<br /><br />-Tom GDark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-24925988568407772262009-09-17T05:50:00.000-07:002009-09-17T05:56:13.901-07:00The Torture Tree<img alt="" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1253052624.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />The month of September holds a number of dates associated with the historical tale of the Boyd-Parker Ambush – today is one of the few that actually has a positive note to it. On September 17, 1927, the Livingston County Historical Society dedicated the Boyd and Parker Wayside Shrine. The event drew a large crowd and brought attention to a place of historical significance that had largely been forgotten for decades. The creation of the shrine eventually led to what is now Boyd & Parker Memorial Park.<br /><br />The story of what happened to Lt. Thomas Boyd and Sgt. Michael Parker is one of the most gruesome tales to come out of the American Revolutionary War. I can recall my seventh grade history teacher, Mr. Dumas, telling my fellow classmates and I the gory details of the tortures visited upon these two men who had the misfortune of being captured by Chief Little Beard's Seneca tribe. It was so extreme, that I thought he was embellishing the story. I found out decades later that he hadn't embellished a bit. I was also surprised to find out that the story didn't end with their agonizingly prolonged deaths, but continued with with tales of grave robbery, conspiracy accusations, and human remains dug up and denied proper burial for more than two decades (and even once finally buried, were dug up yet again).<br /><br />A large bur oak (pictured in the background of the photo above) that still stands in the park is believed to be the tree which played an incredibly sickening role in the final moments of Boyd and Parker back in 1779. Estimated at over 240-years-old, it is known as the Torture Tree. It looms over the park, an ancient reminder of the horrors of war and the painful sacrifice that likely prevented an ambush of General Sullivan's army by British Loyalists and their Native American allies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=all&display_order=date_modified&location_id=boyd_and_parker_memorial_park">Pay a visit to Boyd & Parker Memorial Park – though be cautioned, the stories there are very bloody and aren't for the faint of heart</a>.<br /><br />-Tom GTom Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14155338568671911316noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-47331930781641554832009-09-01T09:55:00.000-07:002009-09-01T09:57:26.391-07:00Rediscovery of a Legend24 years ago on this day, a joint American-French expedition located the wreckage of the famed-ship, the R.M.S. Titanic. The expedition was led by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean-Louis Michel and was funded by the United State Navy with the understanding that Ballard would first lead secret missions to survey the wreckage of the naval nuclear submarines, Thresher and Scorpion. The knowledge and experience he learned from the two missions aided him greatly in his search for the famous Titanic. In fact, it was his new understanding of underwater debris field which led him directly to the famous wreckage. On September 1, 1985, the team's lifelong dreams were fulfilled and the Titanic was found. The ship had sunk during its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912 and took an estimated 1,520 lives with it - a tragedy that left the world shaken and installed the name "Titanic" forever in popular culture.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=r&location_id=rms_titanic">Read more about the famed ship at Dark Destinations</a>.<br /><br />-Casey H.Dark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-41667378942732267582009-08-30T10:59:00.000-07:002009-08-30T11:00:29.741-07:00Halloween and the EconomyIn past years of economic difficulties, Halloween still managed to bolster retail sales figures as people purchased candy, costumes and decorations despite financial woes. Last year, despite the recession, Halloween resulted in between five to six billion dollars in sales for the retail sector. This year, however, as I look about my hometown of Rochester, NY, I'm seeing less costume shops and Halloween supplies available than I did at this time last year.<br /><br />Last year one of the most popular local haunted attractions, Fear at Frontier (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=f&location_id=frontier_field__fear_at_frontier">Frontier Field/Fear at Frontier</a>), chose to skip the season. It now appears that they have chosen not to reopen for 2009 as well. I was then saddened to learn from artist Larry Moss that due to lack of donations his Balloon Manor Halloween event (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=b&location_id=balloon_manor">Balloon Manor</a>) was also going to have to skip this year. It has left me wondering what other haunted attractions are keeping their doors closed this year, or have possibly had to change venues due to the economy. It also has me wondering about the impact on ghost tours. Casey mentioned to me that a ghost tour local to him is skipping the 2009 season. I had actually been wondering if haunted attractions being closed might drive further business toward guided ghost walks and spooky-themed bus tours. Tours require far less staff and materials than a haunted attraction and despite the economy there are bound to be a large number of folks who will be in search of creepy Halloween thrills.<br /><br />What is happening with the haunts and tours near you? Have you noticed any changes this year in your local retailers gearing up for the Halloween season? Do you plan on laying low this Halloween? Or are you going all out to spread and enjoy the Halloween spirit?<br /><br />If you are a haunted attraction owner or an operator of a macabre-themed tour that is running this year, please give us a shout. We'll make sure to plug your business on our Web site.<br /><br />-Tom GDark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-61894209805174312272009-08-28T09:39:00.000-07:002009-08-28T09:42:07.833-07:00The Haunting of Malco Theatre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1184967920.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1184967920.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Malco Theatre is a celebrated landmark in the tourist city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Although the current building dates back only to 1935, the Central Avenue location has hosted theatrical venues since the 1880s. Previous incarnations were torn down for one reason or another (one after it was gutted by fire), but perhaps something was left behind. In addition to reports of paranormal activity, the Malco Theatre is home to a rather unusual tale. From 1996 until very recently, the theater was also host to <b>Maxwell Blade's Theatre of Magic</b> and while researching the venue's history, he reportedly stumbled across an interesting legend.<br /><br />The date was August 28, 1888 and a German magician was performing at an early incarnation of the theater when he asked a woman in the audience to join him on stage to assist with his final illusion. The woman was Clara B. Sutherland and a red silk sheet was placed over her. When the magician pulled it away, she had vanished - a fairly normal routine. What was not normal was that when the magician ordered the woman to reappear, she didn't. According to the legend, the woman had simply vanished and could not be summoned back despite the magician's best efforts. She was never seen again. While some might dismiss the tale as being just part of Maxwell Blade's former act, there are several who believe that there is a connection between it and the reports of an apparition of a woman that has been spotted in the venue's basement.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=m&location_id=malco_theatre_hot_springs_ar">Read more about the Malco Theatre at Dark Destinations</a>.<br /><br />-Casey H.Dark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-80817437118199995522009-08-24T10:37:00.000-07:002009-08-24T10:39:48.156-07:00Introducing Edgar, Allan, and Poe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1178127020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 406px;" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1178127020.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>With the NFL preseason off and running and college football set to kick off in just under two weeks, we figured it okay to take a slight diversion today and look at how the dark side can penetrate popular culture. In 1996, the city of Baltimore, Maryland was thirsting to host their own NFL team (after losing the Colts to Indianapolis in 1983) and the prospects tempted Cleveland Browns owner, Art Modell, to bring his team there. Cleveland did not let go without a fight and a deal was struck between the parties and the NFL to keep the team name and history of the Browns in Cleveland, while designating Modell's team as an “expansion team" or new franchise, despite keeping many of the former Browns players on the roster. Confusing, no? Well, the gist is that the former-Browns were now a new NFL franchise that was in need of a name and the city of Baltimore turned to their citizens for a vote. At long last, the city decided to name the team after the famous poem, <b>The Raven</b> by author Edgar Allan Poe, whose body was laid to rest inside the city limits (see <a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=o&location_id=old_westminster_burial_ground">Old Westminster Burial Ground</a>).<br /><br />For the first two years, the newly-formed Baltimore Ravens played in the city's Memorial Stadium, while a more permanent location was built. They finally took the field in what-is-now M&T Bank Stadium (formerly known as Ravens Stadium and PSINet Stadium) two years later. The final piece of the puzzle was put into place that year when on August 24, 1998, the team's new mascots “hatched" on the field during a preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles (perhaps starting the ongoing feud between Philadelphia and Baltimore as the one true home of Edgar Allan Poe). The mascots were aptly named Edgar, Allan, and Poe - although apparently only the latter is still with the team to this day (are Edgar and Allan victims of the down economy?). In one more twist to the tale, the infamous Poe Toaster of Old Westminster Burial Ground shocked the city in 2001 when they left a note during their traditional visit to the author's grave that more than strongly put their support behind the New York Giants in the upcoming Super Bowl game with the Ravens. As it would turn out, they must have been sorely disappointed as the Ravens walked away with the game and the crown of Super Bowl champs with a dominating 34-7 victory.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=m&location_id=mt_bank_stadium">Read more about the Ravens/Poe connection at M&T Bank Stadium</a>.<br /><br />-Casey H.Dark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8445788826883670244.post-46457294251559376102009-08-23T12:02:00.000-07:002009-08-23T12:05:04.541-07:00The Original Hollywood Celebrity Death<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1213030788.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/images/1213030788.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In a year where celebrity deaths have garnered their fair share of the headlines – most notably with Michael Jackson but also including Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Walter Cronkite, David Carradine, Karl Malden, Dom DeLuise, Patrick McGoohan, John Hughes, and many more – it is worth taking a look back at the fascination and phenomenon of celebrity deaths. Before there ever was a Michael Jackson (and a CNN that still devotes quite a bit of coverage to his death) or an Elvis Presley, there was an Italian actor known as the "<i>Latin Lover,</i>" Rudolph Valentino.<br /><br />The death of Valentino at the young age of 31 following complications of appendicitis was a devastating blow to the film industry and his countless fans. It has been said that there was a growing false sense of security that actors that graced the silver screen were somehow invincible and larger than life. That illusion came crashing down on August 23, 1926 when Valentino passed away in a hospital in New York. His subsequent funeral in that state drew over 100,000 mourners, which caught the organizers completely off guard and unprepared. While the <b>Los Angeles Times</b> ran with the headline, "<i>Scores in Battle to See Valentino Body,</i>" the <b>Chicago Tribune</b> perhaps described it best with their headline, "<i>Riot to See Dead Valentino.</i>" The NYPD was forced to deploy a large show of force to disrupt the unruly crowds who were unsatisfied with a two-second glimpse at the dead icon.<br /><br />Things ran smoother when Valentino's body was returned to Los Angeles, California and he was laid to rest in the then-Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery (now known as Hollywood Forever Cemetery). Another crowd of 80,000 mourners witnessed his casket being carried into the Cathedral Mausoleum where he was ultimately interred. The story of Valentino's legacy did not end there though. In fact, the crypt was only meant to be a temporary home, but the plans went awry. Within years, stories of a woman mourner dressed entirely in black making annual visits to his tomb caught on with the press and began the mystery of the "<i>Lady in Black.</i>" In fact, the mystery even served as an inspiration to the famous folk tune, <b>The Long Black Veil</b>, which has been popularized by such names as Johnny Cash and The Band.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=h&location_id=hollywood_forever_cemetery">Read about it and other stories of Hollywood Forever at Dark Destinations</a>.<br /><br />-Casey H.Dark Destinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00830648721926649877noreply@blogger.com0