History Goes Bump: Ghost Tours For The Mind

Happy Halloween Spookies! Welcome to the HGB Halloween Special for 2026. Our Halloween specials have covered a favorite of topics from the history of certain elements of Halloween like craving pumpkins and trick or treating to clowns to the history of Disney's Haunted Mansion to the history of haunted attractions to vintage Halloween decor to horror hosts to 1980s Halloween horror movies and so much more. We have a very cool interview for this special as we explore the history of the guillotine through the black comedy/horror/pseudo documentary film named Guillotine with the co-writer, producer and director of that film, Iranian-American Filmmaker Ray Izad-Mehr. You can watch Guillotine on Amazon Prime or TUBI and we believe you are going to enjoy it! Film synopsis: The guillotine was built on the ideals of The Enlightenment, an attempt to instill grace to an otherwise brutal expression of justice. Told through the lens of 5 true tales, we explore the Guillotine's role in history, from The French Revolution to the Fall of Saddam Hussein. At times humorous and ironic, poignant and thoughtful, these stories also reflect the morality of their times, tracing the philosophical attitudes about capital punishment, and the power structure that allows it to be. From a necessary evil to cold-blooded amusement, the blade falls with no less detachment. Intro Music: Halloween 2026 Vol. 3 by Sascha Ende at ende.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Outro Music: Halloween 2025 Vol. 1 by Sascha Ende at ende.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Video by DavidGallie from Pixabay Video by victorsteep from Pixabay

Poltergeists can be really bothersome spirits. Rather than just appearing out of the corner of our eyes or leaving a dime on the windowsill or unmaking the bed, they usually play pranks and enjoy scaring people. Poltergeist stories are always tough to believe because the activity is so intense, it's hard to believe. But even more fascinating are the evolving theories about what is behind the phenomenon. On this episode, we're traveling through centuries of strange disturbances, terrified families, baffled investigators, and some of the most famous poltergeist accounts in history. We'll explore the stories, examine the evidence, and follow the changing theories about what — or who — might be responsible for things that move when no one touches them. Because the history of the poltergeist isn't just a history of things that go bump in the night. It's also a history of how we try to explain the things that frighten us most. So turn down the lights, settle in, and keep an ear out for any unexplained noises nearby. Because this time, when something goes bump in the night, we're going to ask a different question. What if it isn't a ghost? This Month in History features Orson Welles' War of the Worlds.  Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2026/10/hgb-ep-661-history-of-poltergeists.html Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump Music used in this episode: Main Theme: Creepy Carnival Theme  Created and produced by History Goes Bump Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (This Month in History) "In Your Arms" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Halloween 2026 Vol. 1 by Sascha Ende at Ende.app Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Sound Effect by DRAGON-STUDIO from Pixabay Sound Effect by Scottish Guy from Pixabay Sound Effect by Paul ( PWLPL) from Pixabay Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay

We couldn't think of better cemeteries to explore before Halloween than the two located in Sleepy Hollow, New York. We visited both in 2022 and highly recommend that everyone peruse them at least once in their lifetime. One cemetery is the Old Dutch Burying Ground that is situated next to the Old Dutch Church. The other cemetery is the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which was originally named Tarrytown Cemetery as Sleepy Hollow only became an official village name in 1996. There are many notable people at final rest in both cemeteries.   Intro and Outro music "Stones and Bones" was written and produced by History Goes Bump and any use is strictly prohibited. Check us out at: https://historygoesbump.com

Cemeteries are some of our favorite locations and when they are haunted, it's like they are wrapped in a giant purple bow. Some are just little rural knockabout places with few burials. Others are large cemeteries with grand mausoleums. Some have legends that lean more towards the invented, while others have videos confirming that shadowy figures wander through the tombstones. All of them honor the dead, which may be why spirits are comfortable hanging out in them. Join us for Haunted Cemeteries #32! The Moment in Oddity features Burro Schmidt Tunnel. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com   Show notes can be found here: https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2026/10/hgb-ep-660-haunted-cemeteries-32.html    Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump Music used in this episode:  (Moment in Oddity) "Vanishing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Halloween 2026 Vol. 6 by Sascha Ende at Ende.app Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We've heard people say that Tranquille Sanatorium was the good and the scary, all mixed together. This is a perfect description for this complex on the outskirts of Kamloops, British Columbia. The property was once a thriving self-sufficient city for the sick. It eventually housed the physically challenged and those with mental health issues. The grounds were beautiful and when we first recorded an episode about this location in 2016, there were attempts to revitalize the property. A farm moved in for awhile, but that is closed and a developer has just let the property go to waste. It is private property and has security, so there are no ghost hunts hosted there. Despite the basic abandonment, spirits continue to knock about the place. The years of loneliness and sadness seem to have been absorbed into the environment. Join us for the history and hauntings of Tranquille Sanatorium.  Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Music used in this episode: Main Theme: Creepy Carnival Theme  Created and produced by History Goes Bump Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Title: "Creaky Weird Stuff" Artist: Tim Kulig (timkulig.com) Licensed under Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0997280/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1