15 Items Tagged

Scary Stories

Sharing nightly ghost stories and other scary tales was a tradition for generations of summer campers—until now.

The Tale of the Vanishing Summer Camp Ghost Story

To avoid traumatizing children, many camps are banning scary stories. But can a little fun with fear be a good thing?

Roxanne Hoorn June 21, 2024

The horse-headed visage of La Siguanaba may just be your last sight.

Beware La Siguanaba, Latin America's Murderous, Horse-Headed Beauty

Do not follow the woman in white.

April White April 30, 2024

Springtime is full of ancient rites, such as Edinburgh's annual Beltane Fire Festival (shown here).

rites and rituals

Explore Sinister Spring Tales with Atlas Obscura

We find scary stories pair well with brighter days.

Sarah Durn April 29, 2024

Don’t let the mitaartut find you on a cold, January night.

How to Celebrate the New Year in Greenland? Terrify Everyone

Masked figures chase people throughout Mitaarfik.

Lauren Breedlove December 30, 2023

Every night across the U.S., local horror hosts, such as Cleveland's Janet Decay (left) and Grimm Gorri (right), introduce classic horror films with humor and kitsch.

The Year in Movies, TV, and Gremlins

Exploring Patricia Arquette's desert obsession, how Elvira became the queen of late night horror, and other behind-the-screen stories.

Sarah Durn December 26, 2023

Particularly terrifying clowns were used throughout the experiment, which is totally normal.

For the Love of Fear

In a Swedish amusement park, two volunteers faced their greatest fears—for science.

Roxanne Hoorn October 31, 2023

14 Haunting Places in Literature

From Dracula's castle to the villa where Frankenstein came to life.

Atlas Obscura October 27, 2023

Wander into our forest of blood-chilling spring tales—if you dare.

Spring Is for Monsters, Ancient Rituals, and Scary Stories

From haunting tales of the Bell Witch to child-eating swamp monsters, the season is full of frights.

Sarah Durn May 8, 2023

As Edinburgh's days lengthen and warm, the Beltane Fire Festival celebrates the shifting seasons in style.

Welcome to the Dark Side of Spring

The sun is out and the monsters are here.

Sarah Durn May 1, 2023

Costumed performers at Bloodview Haunted House in Ohio prepare to frighten guests. We visited haunted houses this year to examine the science of fear and sexism in the haunted attraction industry.

2022 Was Another Scary Year, and We Have the Spooky Stories to Prove It

From oomancy to human hematophagy, we got weird, wondrous, and wicked this year.

Samir S. Patel December 29, 2022

Mirrors and images of previous owners line the walls at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Now best known for inspiring the setting of <em>The Shining</em>, the building is reportedly one of America's most haunted hotels.

The Spooky Science of Why Mirrors Can Freak Us Out So Much

We reflect on what these shiny surfaces reveal, from the curse of Narcissus to an experiment you can try at home—if you dare.

Kate Golembiewski October 14, 2022

This depiction of the Demon Boatman from the 1835 <em>Calendar of Horrors!</em> is one of the many penny dreadfuls that fueled Victorian moral panic over what children were reading.

How Gruesome Penny Dreadfuls Got Victorian Children Reading

Despite causing a moral panic, these salacious tales helped boost literacy in Victorian England.

Sarah Durn October 22, 2021

Innocent kids' stories can be horror stories too.

24 Children's Stories That Still Give Us the Creeps

Atlas Obscura readers wrote in about the classic tales that taught them one thing—unease.

Eric Grundhauser January 25, 2019

The durian is a scary fruit even before you open it.

8 Inspiring Stories of Getting Over a Food Fear

Conquering a culinary anxiety isn't always pretty, but it can be pretty tasty.

Eric Grundhauser October 26, 2018

Left to right: "Abracadabra #4: The Sneezing Spell" by Eve Becker; "Dark Forces: Beat the Devil" by Scott Siegel; "Pen Pals #7: Handle With Care" by Sharon Dennis Wyeth.

What Children's Book Do You Remember That No One Else Does?

This week, Atlas Obscura is collecting memories of long-lost YA and kids' books that remain burned in your brain.

Sommer Mathis June 12, 2017