Haunted Literary Places to Make You Scream this Halloween
By Laura Whitman Dy
Let’s dive into some haunted book-related sites, whether that’s an author's house, a place a book is based on, a library, or something else. This article will certainly get you in the spooky season vibes!
Willard Library | Evansville, Indiana
Located on the border of Indiana and Kentucky, this gorgeous Gothic Revival library was built in 1881. While being the location for many genealogical and other collections for the local area, the Willard Library is also said to be home to the Grey Lady.
There are two theories on who the Grey Lady might be: First, the Grey Lady could be the ghost of Louise Carpenter, daughter of the original owner of the library, William Carpenter. William gave the library to the city after his death, but Louise was convinced the gift was inappropriate because William was not in a correct state of mind. Therefore, Louise haunts the library as an act of revenge. The second theory is that the ghost is a former librarian’s child who was killed while playing at the library during one of her mother’s shifts. The last Grey Lady sighting was in 2010. However, the library still has special connections with the ghost, including a Grey Lady tea during the Halloween season, ghost tours, and ghost cams that can be visited online. You can support Willard Library and the ghost cams by purchasing online merchandise!
Moravian Book Shop | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Moravian Book Shop is the oldest continuously running bookstore in the country, at 280 years old. It even moved locations at one point in its history to Philadelphia, PA. The bookstore was founded in 1745 by the Moravian Church, but is now home to the Moravian College student bookstore and boasts 15,0000 square feet.
There are stories of two spirits that may haunt the space, including a lady in white and a man in a black coat. A store manager saw the lady in white, who at first thought that a shoplifter was in the store. After consulting with other employees, who hadn’t seen a woman in white, the manager realized that they may have seen a spirit. The man in the black coat is believed to be a more helpful spirit after one night during closing, he led two employees to the kitchen where a stove burner was accidentally left on. The store is located in downtown Bethlehem, which has many historic (and possibly haunted) locations.
The Stanley Hotel | Estes Park, Colorado
This spot is perfect for all Stephen King fans out there. This historic hotel was built in 1909 and boasts many luxurious amenities. However, beyond the luxury, this hotel was the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in King’s The Shining.
During your visit, you can watch The Shining movie anytime on TV and they even host a Shining Ball during spooky season with a costume contest and all the horror vibes you could want! You can even request a Spirited King room, which has many reported spirits on the haunted fourth floor, including sounds of children running around. Another infamous room is 217, where there lives a ghost of a maid who was killed in a gas explosion in the 1910s. You can even grab a reproduction of the room plate in the hotel’s gift shop. Are you brave enough to turn on Jack Nicholson’s most famous movie in this room?
So, whether you are traveling near or far this Halloween, may your candy be sweet, your costume be amazing, and your book be creepy!