Perhaps the creepiest place I've ever heard of. Apparently this little island in a canal in Mexico was home to one man, Don Julian Santana. He discovered the body of a drowned girl (whether in reality or in his mind, its up for debate) and decided to honor her memory by...hanging up dolls? The result, all these years later, is a island draped with armless, eyeless, decomposing dolls that you can only get to by paying tour guides to take a detour. I'll never feel the same way riding Small World again.
2. Winchester Mansion
So, I've actually been to this place. It is truly bizarre. Apparently a recently widowed Sarah Winchester was told by a fortune teller woman that she must travel west and build. And build. That she would live as long as she kept building, but that if she stopped she would die. See those stairs? Yeah, they go nowhere. Obviously this house is prime territory for ghosts. When we lived in California our house was almost 100 years old and had hidden rooms and a window downstairs with surgical tools embedded in it. So when we visited the Winchester Mansion it was a little too...close to home.
3. Sedlec Ossuary
The Sedlec Ossuary is your average Czech Catholic chapel. Just, ya know, with unique interior design. Yes that is an actual chandelier. Yes, it is made with actual human bones. Apparently in the 13th century holy land was sprinkled on the grounds of this chapel and then during the period of Black death so many people wanted to be buried here that it became sort of a mass grave that was exhumed centuries later to make room for expansion, and then the bones unearthed were used for decoration? The coat of arms is also made of bone. This place has been used in several movies and documentaries. It's easy to see why.
4. Hellingly Hospital
Is there anything creepier than an abandoned hospital? How about an abandoned lunatic asylum? This place opened in 1903 and was used off and on until it was abandoned in 1994. Which is incredibly recent, in my opinion, and, looking at pictures, looks like suspiciously fast deterioration. Sure vandalism hasn't helped, but I don't think spirits of the insane dead have helped either. And hello, it's called HELLingly.
5. Takakonuma Greenland Park
There are quite a few abandoned amusement parks, but not too many shrouded in as much mystery and cover-up as Takakonuma Greenland Park in Japan. It is not on any maps of Japan and there are very few current photos. It was built in the 70's, only opporated for a couple years before being shut down, and is associated with several mysterious deaths. And nowadays its too close to the nuclear meltdown at Fukishima to be readily accessible. Bumper cars, anyone?
Come back tomorrow for part 2!
Sarah Allen
I've never heard of any of those places and am now sufficiently creeped out. A very fun post. I don't even know where to begin commenting-- how did you find all those?
ReplyDeleteYou alluded to it, but I think It's A Small World really does deserve a spot on the creepy list too. And worse, since Johnny Depp'd rendition of Willy Wonka, I can't help but seeing melting dolls eyes. ;)
I really wish I hadn't read this late at night!! I'm very easily scared :-)
ReplyDeleteChandalier of human bones??? What if the Black Death virus is dormant in the bones and could escape if they were ever crushed?? Now there is a story for you!! This is very cool info...can't wait for part two.
ReplyDelete1994 was almost twenty years ago. And the place was probably not in great condition when they closed it down, anyway.
ReplyDeleteNeat post. I wonder if Winchester Mansion wasn't the inspiration behind Stephen King's "Rose Red"?
ReplyDelete