Episodes An Acrobatic Ghost in Woodside (Haunted Queens) In 1893, a strange, acrobatic ghost dressed all in white appeared in a forest in Woodside, Queens. The entity that was seen in the 19th century didn’t seem to communicate verbally, though he made strange, chilling sounds. He was able to move on all fours as quickly as an
Episodes The Gold and Ghost Haunted House in Astoria (Haunted Astoria) When a series of dangerous paranormal events plagues a home, famed psychical researcher and author Hereward Carrington is called in to investigate the “Gold and Ghost” haunted house in Astoria In 1934, a 30-year-old man and his 80-year-old housekeeper supposedly experienced a series of paranormal events at their home in
Episodes Haunted Houses in Astoria, NY (Haunted Astoria) A look at some 19th century tales of haunted houses in Astoria, NY. Highlights include: • A ghost spider • Debunkings • A runaway horse Episode Script for Haunted Houses in Astoria, NY (Haunted Astoria) DISCLAIMER: I’m providing this version of the script for accessibility purposes. It hasn’t been proofread, so
Episodes A Smuggler's Ghost and Tunnels in Astoria, NY (Haunted Astoria) A smuggler’s ghost in Astoria, NY, stories about tunnels in Astoria, NY, as well as more of the neighborhood’s grim history. Note: There’s mention of chattel slavery around the 15 min mark, and more details after the 18 minute mark. Highlights include: • A haunted cave that’s
Episodes Ghosts of Astoria, NY (Part 1) A look at some female ghosts of Astoria, Queens, in New York City. Note: There’s discussion of chattel slavery after the 26 minute mark. Highlights include: • The American president who was supposedly shot on his way to see a haunting • A ghost who disappears if she stops knitting • A
Episodes Fortune Telling Teacups A look at the fortune telling teacups, which were popular in the early 20th century, and were adorned with symbols meant to aid in interpreting tea leaves. Highlights include: • The different varieties of fortune telling teacups • An attempt at a tea leaf reading Episode Script for Fortune Telling Teacups DISCLAIMER:
Episodes The Caladrius (Weird Medieval Creatures) A look at the caladrius, a fancy legendary bird that could supposedly diagnose and heal illnesses. Plus weird info about medieval bestiaries, and more. Highlights include: • A weird supposed cure for blindness • A visit to the Cloisters • A video game that makes you feel like a wizard • A bit of
Episodes Weird Medieval Creatures A look at some weird medieval creatures from legend and lore. Plus some stories about some recent cemetery visits in Queens, New York, including Houdini’s grave. Highlights include: • An ancient, impenetrable European forest • A magical glowing bird • A dragon with a rooster’s head Episode Script for Weird Medieval
Episodes Moore-Jackson Cemetery (Hidden Cemeteries) The Moore-Jackson Cemetery, a colonial-era cemetery sits in a quiet residential part of Woodside, Queens, in New York City. Forgotten for years, and even used as a dump for construction materials and other detritus, the Moore-Jackson Cemetery recently been transformed into a beautiful community garden. Here’s the story behind
Episodes Riker Home and Cemetery: Part 2 (Hidden Cemeteries) A look at the remarkable Riker Home and Cemetery, or the Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead and Cemetery, which one woman’s dream and grit turned into a beautiful site with a secret garden. Highlights include: • A unique second date • A collection of vintage ventriloquist dummies • Fun historic home renovation details Note: There’
Episodes Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead and Cemetery: Part 1 (Hidden Cemeteries) A look at the Lent-Riker-Smith Cemetery, a hidden family graveyard tucked away behind one of the oldest homes in New York City, which is still a private residence. This is part 1 of the history of the little-known Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead and Cemetery. This episode focuses on the history of nearby
Episodes Lawrence Family Cemetery, Astoria, Queens A look at Lawrence Family Cemetery in Astoria, NY, a small family cemetery dating from the 1600s, tucked into a residential neighborhood in New York City. The Lawrences were an old family from Queens, New York, arriving in the area in the 1600s and buying land all over. Despite the
Episodes Tombstones Around Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria, Queens Why are there tombstones around Socrates Sculpture Park? A look at a riverside New York City park surrounded by a wall of tombstones. It seems that very few people have asked this question, at least on the internet, and there are no obvious answers. There is, however, a fascinating history
Episodes Hidden Cemeteries in Astoria, Queens Two tiny, forgotten cemeteries sit near each other in old Astoria: one was a burying ground for the wealthy families who ran the town, and the other was for Irish immigrants who fled the famine. Here’s a look at the history behind the graveyards, as well as a puzzling
Episodes The Ghostbusters Ruling When a woman sells her home and doesn’t disclose that friendly ghosts haunt it, the subsequent court case leads to the New York Supreme Court officially declaring the house haunted. In 1989, Helen Ackley sold the 18-room Victorian mansion that she’d lived in for 24 years. Located at
Episodes Johannes Kelpius and Occult Monks in Philadelphia In the 1690s, a Transylvania-born mystic, occultist, musician, and writer named Johannes Kelpius led a group of 40 Rosicrucian monks to colonial Philadelphia to wait for the end of the world. Though Kelpius and his group of highly-educated mystics were disappointed when the day of revelation didn’t come, they
Episodes The New York Crystal Palace Destroyed (Part 2) It only took 15 minutes for the New York Crystal Palace, a beautiful building made of iron and glass, to be destroyed. Financially insolvent and falling apart, the building had seen better days. New management attempted to save the beautiful edifice, but its ruin was too far gone. What had
Episodes The New York Crystal Palace (Part 1) The New York Crystal Palace: A look at New York City’s ill-fated Crystal Palace, a beautiful structure built on an abandoned cemetery on the outskirts of town. In the mid-19th century, a castle of glass stood in the wilds of what is now a bustling part of New York
Episodes Haunted St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery A look at haunted St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, the second-oldest church still standing in Manhattan, which is full of hauntings both legendary and questionable. Highlights include: • A wealthy man’s remains being stolen and held for ransom • A very grumpy ghost • An heir who convened with his ancestor’s ghost
Episodes Haunted Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel, NYC A look at two of NYC’s oldest and most haunted churches: Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel, two famous houses of worship in Manhattan’s Financial District with cemeteries tucked into their churchyards. Highlights include: • Disinterring corpses to free up space in the cemetery • A body (and ghost?
Episodes The Haunted Hell Gate, New York City Paranormal stories about New York City’s Hell Gate abound, from stories about a serial killer living inside the Hell Gate Bridge, to a tale of an encounter with the devil and a possible EVP that Chris just found in a recording from April. Many of the stories of the
Episodes The General Slocum Disaster, Hell Gate, New York City The General Slocum Disaster: On a summer afternoon in 1904, the General Slocum, a supposedly unsinkable ship carrying about 1,300 people bound for a picnic, caught fire and sank in New York City’s notorious Hell Gate. The General Slocum disaster was the second-worst maritime disaster in US history
Episodes Sunken Treasure at Hell Gate, New York City Sunken Treasure at Hell Gate, New York City: Legend has it that beneath the East River lies millions of dollars in gold. In 1780, during the Revolutionary War, a British frigate called the HMS Hussar struck a reef and sank to the bottom of the East River. Many people believe
Episodes The Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, or The Blackwell Island Light, NYC A look at the mysterious Gothic lighthouse that stands at the tip of New York City’s Roosevelt Island. Did a lunatic named Thomas Maxey build the lighthouse? If so, why did a now-missing stone say that an unknown person named John McCarthy built it? Or was it designed by
Episodes A Victorian Lunatic's Fort: Fort Maxey, Blackwell's Island, NYC In the mid-19th century, Thomas Maxey, a patient at the New York Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, built Fort Maxey, a strange structure complete with cannons, a garden of tall flowers, and mysterious carvings. The infamous New York Lunatic Asylum has its share of chilling stories. But one odd,
