Four Famous Hauntings
Written by David M Downs   
Saturday, 12 September 2009 10:23
Everyone loves a good ghost story or tale of a haunted house. The best stores are the ones that are real, documented, and involve people and places we have heard of. Here are four such stories.
by DavidMDowns


Everyone loves a good ghost story or tale of a haunted house. The best stores are the ones that are real, documented, and involve people and places we have heard of. Here are four such stories.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London's history goes back over a thousand years when it was used to murder, torture, execute, and imprison it's many unfortunate victims. There have been many ghost sightings since and, given it's past, one can certainly understand why.

Ann Boleyn, one of Henry VIIIs wives who had the misfortune of displeasing him, was beheaded. Since that time, it has been said that she walks the tower on the night before a death. In World War I, a sergeant claimed to see her the night before a spy was executed.

A guard in 1816 was at his post when he noticed a dark shadow on the steps to one of the buildings at the Tower. As he investigated, a large bear emerged from the shadow and attacked him. In self defense, the guard used his bayonet against the animal but it passed clean through and the bear appeared to swallow him. The man passed out and died a short while later.

Winchester Mystery House

Located in San Jose, California is perhaps one of the strangest homes ever built. After her daughter and husband were killed, Sarah Winchester, wife of the man who created the famed Winchester rifle, was convinced that the spirits of those killed by his rifles haunted her home. She believed that to live with the ghosts, she had to keep building on to her home forever.

For 38 years, Sarah continued to add on to and modify her mansion. Hoping to confuse the ghosts so they would be unable to find her, the house contains doors opening into walls, stairs that lead to nowhere, mazes of small rooms and other tricks to deceive the spirits. Over 38 years some 600 rooms were built and demolished.

The have been a number or reported incidents in the mansion. Sightings of ghostly apparitions and rooms becoming cold for no explainable reason. During a seance, a psychic reportedly appeared to age and take on the appearance of Sarah Winchester.

Lizzie Borden

Now a bed and breakfast, Lizzie Bordon's home sits in Fall River, Massachusetts. As the story goes, Lizzie killed her father and stepmother with an ax. Never found guilty of a crime, Lizzie was however seen burning a dress in the yard.

Cold spots are felt in many of the rooms. Some guests have had the ghost of Abbey supposedly get into bed with them. Others have seen Abbey doing laundry and dusting. Employees of the B & B have claimed to hear two women arguing and then someone crying.

The Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado long been thought to be haunted. If you dont believe it, just ask Stephen King who was inspired to write The Shining after a stay there. Between things he heard about the place and some things he witnessed, a classic book and movie were created.

A made for TV version of the novel was filmed at the Stanley Hotel and many of the cast reported strange events during the filming.

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