Out – Haunted Houses for Jump Scares. In – Real Haunted Places

In Halloweens past it was common to venture to a “haunted house” that was full of scenes of horror and characters from horror movies and random creepy clowns jumping out to scare you.

These evolved over the years getting more technical with illusions and getting larger in size from homes to several story buildings to outdoor adventures in an effort at immersion. Could you suspend disbelief and allow yourself to be legit frightened by the experience?

As horror in media became more common and ultimately consumable and profitable genre the seasonal attractions were mainstays. But like anything, the more you experience the more it takes to get to you. A razor toothed Pennywise with a few balloons? Meh. Pinhead with disfigured Cenobites? Yawn. A disturbed surgeon with rusty tools in a decrepit operating room splattered in blood and body parts? So 2012. You want the hair on the back of your neck to stand up? You want a real haunted location.

Whether an old building with sketchy history, a stretch of highway with tales of ghostly hitchhikers, an old cemetery, locations where real tragedy happened, this is where those who want to be scared go these days.

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Every part of the country has stories of haunted places and buildings. The trick is getting access to these places. Sometimes the property owners aren’t onboard with having the location labeled “haunted” as it could affect its value. Others embrace the history and happenings and welcome paranormal teams and groups for visits. Increasingly not just in October or around Halloween, but “Scream Tourism” is a growing phenomenon in the U.S.

If this is fascinating to you, you aren’t alone. Most places these days have “haunted tours” or paranormal groups that you can join or tag along with to “research” just how haunted some places are. Some places are definitely haunted. Some more than others. Make sure you have someone in your group (or a guide) who can share the history of the location. You won’t get the jump scare from previous “haunted houses” of years gone by, but when something does occur it’ll hit on a different level.

One tip though, from a guy who lived in a haunted house and visited many haunted places for overnight stays over the years…..No Ouija boards.