Haunted Hospitality

We wanted to call this episode "Stay Sh!tty" but we were worried about the censorship of the word. This week we talk about the past bathroom stories we've covered in previous haunted locations. It's also...the end. Thank you so much for joining Haunted Hospitality, Robin, and Zoey as they traveled on this three year journey, but the sun has set on this podcast. Feel free to follow our social media because we will remain semi-active on those. Goodbye, everyone, and don't forget to Stay Spooky :') Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/04/02/ep-156-stay-spooky/ Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

This episode, we’re venturing outside of the South to discuss Annabelle, possibly the world’s most famous haunted doll story. In the Conjuring movies, Annabelle is a tall, porcelain-esque doll with an angry, vengeful expression. She is possessed by a demon and, to say the least, exhibits some violent tendencies. And while the actual Annabelle is a much sweeter-looking Raggedy Ann doll, she is allegedly just as violent as her onscreen counterpart. The story goes that Annabelle was given to Donna, a 28-year-old nurse, by Donna’s mother in 1970. It soon became clear that Annabelle was more than just a doll when she began moving around the apartment Donna shared with her roommate and eventually attacked the roommate’s fiancé. Soon after, Ed and Lorraine Warren came to investigate, becoming so concerned they removed Annabelle from the apartment altogether. In this episode, we discuss the story of Annabelle and what we think of it — plus, Robin talks about the time she *thought* she had a real-life encounter with Annabelle! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/03/26/ep-155-from-the-patreon-annabelle Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

We hope you aren't done drinking from the St. Patrick's Day weekend (if you're 21 or over) because we have a new way to celebrate, and this includes two types of spirits! Zoey takes us to Pat O'Briens, mostly in New Orleans but partially in The Alamo. The bar is the Irish pub that many go to, to celebrate Mardis Gras, St. Patrick's Day, and Halloween! We have some mysterious footsteps, self-playing pianos, and ghostly activity in the women's bathroom (because why isn't it the men's?). The bar is so haunted that people leave in the middle of their drinks or the middle of their shifts. We also stop briefly at the Alamo to talk about Little Timmy, a boy in the window who doesn't seem to realize that bars aren't for kids. But first, Robin brings our Something Something, the 100 Steps Cemetery. Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/ep-154-a-very-haunted-st-patricks-day-in-new-orleans/ Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

The USS Lexington, AKA the Blue Ghost, is an aircraft carrier that first entered into service in 1943 during World War II. She, and the approximately 3,000 people who lived and worked on her during the war, were primarily in the Pacific. There, the ship was attacked but never sank — despite claims to the contrary. Now, she's stationed in the bay off of Corpus Christi, Texas. Much like her sister ship the USS Yorktown (episode 83), the Blue Ghost is now a museum where many people tour, work, volunteer — and experience ghostly phenomena. There are reports of shadow figures, disembodied voices, and the eerie feeling of being watched. There are even some who say that full-bodied apparitions appear on the boat; one may even give you a rundown on the mechanics of an engine. In this episode, we discuss the USS Lexington and all the ghostly shenanigans onboard! But first, Zoey is here with her Something Southern: Alabama Man! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/03/12/ep-153-the-girl-dinner-of-ghost-stories Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

The Poinsett Bridge is the oldest bridge in South Carolina and debatably the oldest bridge in the entire South Eastern United States. It was built in 1820 as a part of the state road from Charleston and Columbia to the North Carolinian mountains. It was named after the president of the Board of Public Works, Joel Poinsett, and may have been designed by Robert Mills, a very famous architect. This bridge is also a very haunted bridge. There are many reasons, from the burial of workers in the bridge to various murders, but the one thing we can be sure of is that we can't be sure of anything. The bridge is in a very rural part of town where rumors spread like wildfire, and most of what we know comes from word of mouth, where stories were passed down from generation to generation. Case in point, the common local belief that the bridge was built on top of a Cherokee burial ground and cursed, despite Cherokees not commonly having burial grounds and proof that the grounds were actually used for hunting. Next to the bridge is the Gosnell Cabin, which has since moved. It was the home of the overseer of the state road before the Gosnell family bought it. The last Gosnell family member was injured in the cabin and later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital, and locals claim to hear him moaning in pain. One wise storyteller, however, learned the true story. But first! Robin has faith in Zoey's Geography skills and makes her something Southern a test for them. Zoey comes out victorious, no matter what Robin says. Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/03/05/ep-152-the-not-cursed-poinsett-bridge-and-the-not-haunted-gosnell-cabin Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

While traveling on family vacations to the Golden Isles while she was growing up, co-host Robin would peer out of the car window into the gray waters of Georgia’s Altamaha River — searching for the Altamaha-ha. A long, scaly, aquatic cryptid with an alligator-like head that parascopes above the water’s surface, the Altamaha-ha is rumored to swim so powerfully that boats rock in its wake. But are the tales of this much-beloved creature (nicknamed Altie by locals) true? Some believe it's instead an alligator gar — a fascinating creature in its own right that, however, lacks the "loch ness monster" quality of our dear Altie. In this episode, we discuss the recorded accounts and theories of Georgia's Altamaha-ha. But first, Zoey is here with her Something Spooky: the top 10 states for UFO sightings! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/02/27/ep-151-tales-of-the-altamaha-ha Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

This episode is not for those planning to fly out for spring break, because we're off the coast of Florida, in the Florida Keys, and we're going to talk about the mystery of Flight 19. This mystery claimed the lives of 27 men and made 6 planes go missing. The flight of trainee navy pilots took off from Ft. Lauderdale on Dec 5, 1945 to do a routine navigation and bombing flight exercise. However, the 5 planes of 13 men that is now known as Flight 19 never made it back to shore, despite the efforts of the entire Fort trying to get them back to land. Through a series of very confusing radio transmissions, the base was able to conclude that they were very lost, but not much more than that. They then sent a larger plane with 14 men on board, which also disappeared with barely a trace. To this day, none of the bodies and not a single piece of the planes have beached, which is unusual. Theorists believe that the Bermuda Triangle is to blame, either through rogue waves, wormholes, or magnetic tampering. But first, Robin brings us her Something Southern, a very unique tomb in New Orleans. Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/02/20/ep-150-flight-19-and-the-bermuda-triangle Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

This episode’s subject is not paranormal. It’s not true crime. And it’s not folklore. But it is a mystery — and a puzzling one at that. Installed at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, Kryptos is a sculpture designed by artist Jim Sanborn with four encrypted messages. In the approximately 33 years since the sculpture’s unveiling, only three of the messages have been decoded. And since no one has yet figured out the fourth message, we don’t yet know Kryptos’ riddle or its ultimate answer. In this episode, we discuss the history of Kryptos and the clues the artist has given the public for decoding the fourth message. But first, Zoey’s here with her Something Spooky: twin telepathy! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/02/13/ep-149-a-puzzling-sculpture Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

This week Zoey has a new genre of Haunted Hospitality episodes: a Hunted Cemetery Tour. This first episode focuses on Kentucky! Our first cemetery is the witch filled Wynns Cemetery, which Zoey did a bit of a deep dive on. The second one is Pikeville Cemetery, where a woman was allegedly buried alive. The third is the large and beautiful Cave Hill Cemetery, with a woman who cares for the graves of children and floating orbs. The last one is the Baker Hollow Road Cemetery, and Zoey treats us to a narrative that stars you as the main character. But first, Robin has her Something Southern, the Appalachian Trail! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/02/06/ep-148-a-tour-of-haunted-kentucky-cemeteries Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

Founded in 1736, the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, was the first building on the continent solely for theatrical performances before it likely burnt down in the Great Fire of 1740. The Calder House Hotel — later named the Planter's Hotel — was built at or near the theatre's original location in 1809. Many passed through the hotel, including: Robert Smalls, who worked at the hotel before escaping slavery and joining the Union navy during the Civil War, and Junius Brutus Booth, the father of John Wilkes Booth. According to legend, a woman named Nettie Dickerson also often stayed at the hotel. Proud, angry, and sure of herself, the legend of Nettie has lasted long after her alleged lifetime. Over eighty years after the former hotel was reopened as the Dock Street Theatre, Nettie is considered the building's most famous ghost. In this episode, we explore the many stories and paranormal experiences of the Dock Street Theatre. But first, Zoey is here with her Something Spooky: soulmates! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/01/30/ep-147-the-dock-street-theatre-we-love-nettie Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

This week's episode isn't for the faint of heart. Zoey brings us the bloody history of The Sloss Furnaces, a national historic landmark in Birmingham, Alabama that once produced iron. The town of Birmingham was built almost overnight when Colonel James Withers Sloss, a merchant and railroad man, convinced he L&N Railroad company to merge the North and South lines through Jones Valley. Jones Valley was selected as the home for Birmingham because it had all the raw ingredients needed to make iron within a 30 mile radius, including iron ore, coal, limestone, dolomite, and clay. The time period was after the Civil War when the need for iron, and later steel was at an all time high. So company's like James Sloss' Sloss Furnace Company grew very quickly. However, they didn't care too much about their employee's safety. Around 60 men died while the Furnaces were in operation, and about 47 of them were under the watch of the night manager who was known as Slag. Slag mistreated the employees more than anyone else, and he, too, found his death at the property. People, including Zoey, believe that Slag refused to leave the factory. There are more ghosts, though, and a visit from our favorite paranormal investigation team. But first, Robin brings us a Something Spooky to talk about the Megalodon shark. Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/01/23/ep-146-the-gruesome-sloss-furnaces Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

The Grand Galvez (also known as the Queen of the Gulf) has stood by the Galveston, Texas shore for over one hundred years, hosting weddings, swimsuit contests, and tourists visiting the Gulf of Mexico. During that time, ghost stories have collected around the building, with some calling it the most haunted hotel in the state. In this episode, we dive into the ghost stories surrounding the Queen of the Gulf — from Audra, the "Love-lorn Lady" who believed her fiancé died at sea, to Sister Katherine, the protective nun who watches for the coming storm. We also discuss more recent paranormal experiences at the hotel, including slamming doors, a malfunctioning elevator, the smell of gardenias, and a ghost girl who" slept in a guest's bed for a night. But first, Zoey is here with her Something Spooky: twin flames! CW: suicide Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/01/16/ep-145-the-queen-of-the-gulf Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

Zoey decided to go big for their first episode of the new year, and they're covering The Bigfoot! It's about damn time, as Robin says. Bigfoot, or Sasquatch is a big, hairy, stinky man who has a foot that spans 24 inches. To put that into prospective, since Zoey did the math, Bigfoot would wear a men's size 50 to 56 shoe. In this episode, Zoey dives deep into what the Bigfoot is, how he came to be, and what are some sciencey reasons for Bigfoot to exist. To quote Robin, "We're trying to science so hard." That's right, Zoey does their best to deep dive into things like the Bering Land Bridge, evolution, and anthropology. Somehow, it actually makes sense. To round off the episode, Zoey then brings some stories from Southern Bigfoot Stories. First YouTube Video with the audio of Bigfeet calls: https://youtu.be/rvFvzaKmVkY Second YouTube Video that showed the Bigfoot: https://youtu.be/xb9YcIlkl_c?si=Owq7z2p-HdzC-p4a But first, Robin brings a Something Spooky where she gives Zoey a Tarot Card reading for the New Year! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/01/09/ep-144-did-grandpa-make-the-bigfoot Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

You may know it as the Witching Hour, the Devil's Hour, or simply 3 a.m. No matter which you call it, the hour between 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning is known for being a time when things go bump in the night. There's a wide range of theories for this phenomenon: from this being when the veil is thinnest, to the idea that demonic forces are at play, to a straightforward case of natural hallucinations from our sleep cycles. In this episode, we explore these theories and talk about creepy, potentially supernatural experiences people have had from 3 to 4 a.m., including: a shadow figure sighting, claw marks, and two instances of *something* impersonating a mother. Special thanks to friends-of-the-pod Rachael and Lindsey for sharing their stories with us! But first, Zoey is here with her Something (Future? Spooky? Southern?): New Year's Resolutions! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2024/01/02/ep-143-the-witching-hour Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

Robin and Zoey are celebrating the end of the year with booze, presents, and a deep dive into the conspiracy theory of the Men In Black! You may know them from the movie, Men in Black, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith that came out in 1997, the same year as your hosts. These are men who wear all black, and usually sunglasses, whose raison d'être is to prevent the common person from knowing about aliens. Zoey dives into the reason the Men in Black theory came to be, including the first few stories of them, and shares a few more stories of encounters with the mysterious Men in Black. MIBs, as we attempted to call them, are theorized to either be government spies or aliens attempting to look like humans. Zoey believes they're aliens, and Robin doesn't believe they exist. Before we get to that, though, Robin shares a Buzzfeed quiz for her Something Southern, Order A Southern Feast And We’ll Guess Where You Grew Up! https://www.buzzfeed.com/jesseszewczyk/southern-feast-state-quiz Also, a reminder to everyone that Zoey's book has been published! You can order it here: https://a.co/d/5EAKzI6 Happy New Year, everyone! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/12/26/ep-142-an-introduction-to-the-men-in-black/ Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

People would ask Simon Warner just about anything: where they might find their lost guitar, whether or not they should divorce their husbands, if their parents might reunite. They would stare at the crystal ball in his bungalow in Shelbyville, Tennessee, give him honest answers to his questions. And, in turn, he would give his advice: determined by some combination of astrology, self-professed psychic abilities, and his own vast knowledge of how people work. He also had a special interest in crime prevention and claimed he could tell when a murder would happen months before it actually did. He frequently worked with the police, drawing national attention in 1941 for correctly determining where a missing woman's body could be found. But in 1957, his life came to a sudden end when a customer killed him in his home, believing Simon hexed him and caused him agonizing stomach pain. In this episode, we discuss Simon Warner's life, death, and career as a psychic. But first, Zoey is here with her Something Spooky: a classic dark and stormy cocktail! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/12/19/ep-141-the-life-and-death-of-simon-warner Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

It's time to go to Zoey's favorite city: New Orleans, Louisiana! We're visiting Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop in the French Quarter. While the shop did originate as a Blacksmith Shop and keeps the name, the shop is better known for the drinks that they can make you. That's right, here's another Haunted Boozy Place! The Blacksmith Shop wasn't just any store in it's heyday, however. It was owned by Jean Lafitte, famous pirate and privateer. He was known to smuggle his stolen goods and sell them at the blacksmith shop. Jean himself is one of the ghosts who may haunt the place, along with an unnamed woman and a demon with red eyes. But first, Robin brings us a Something Southern and Spooky, where she talks about Doll's Head Trail in Atlanta, GA! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/ep-140-haunted-boozy-places-part-4-lafittes-blacksmith-shop/ Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

We're back with another episode of our Frights in the Wild series, where we discuss first-person accounts of paranormal or otherwise spooky wilderness experiences from the web! Today's stories involve: 1) a young girl trying to find her way home in the woods, when she hears footsteps following her; 2) a man about to go to sleep beside his girlfriend in her childhood home, when he suddenly hears her voice speaking outside the house; 3) an annual father-and-son trip that leads to an eerily abandoned campground; and 4) a family staying in a cabin in the mountains, when they encounter a doppelgänger, an intruder, or something else entirely. As always, we discuss the mysteries each of these stories hold and our theories. But first, Zoey's here with an extra special Something Spooky: video footage of a ghost, caught by her mother's security camera! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/12/05/ep-139-frights-in-the-wild-4-the-stranger-on-the-stairs Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

Hello everyone! It's been a HOT minute since Robin and Zoey have had a break from researching, recording, editing, and posting a Haunted Hospitality episode. I'm sure we'll tell you all about it in our next how's life section, but life got busy there for a while around the Thanksgiving Holiday. So we're taking a break this week, and we're sharing a sneak peek into our Patreon episodes. This episode came out in January 2023, and it was a Friday when it was released, so the entire episode is about Friday the 13ths and why they're considered so unlucky. If you want to see more episodes like this, you can subscribe at patreon.com/hauntedhospitality. For only $3 a month, you get a new episode from us on the 13th, because we're spooky! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/11/28/thanksgiving-break/ Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

Cassadaga, Florida is an unincorporated community in Volusia County, which is on the east coast of Florida. Cassadaga was founded by well known "Seer of Spiritualism" George P Colby. George was a trance medium, meaning he would conduct seances with the dead by going into a trance and allowing a spirit to speak through his body. He formed relationships and bonds of trust with a few special spirits, who became his spirit guides and would communicate through him to the human realm on behalf of other spirits. One of these spirit guides was a Native American man named Seneca, who told George that he was destined to be instrumental in founding a Spiritualist community in the south. Seneca gave George a vision of his future home, and George left Cassadaga, NY to find Cassadaga, FL. The land that is known as Cassadaga, FL hosts The Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association, where like minded people attend meetings, seances, and lectures on all things Spiritual. In today's episode, Zoey goes deeper into the lore of the town and shares the three biggest draws: the vortexes, the Devil's Chair, and the ghosts of the Cassadaga Hotel. But first, Robin shares her something spooky: Krampus! Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/11/21/ep-138-the-psychic-capital-of-the-world/ Visit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!