There’s something about the October weather that makes the Halloween season a perfect time to share scary ghost stories. The bizarre history of obscure happenings and inexplicable circumstances provide the perfect setting for scary Halloween stories. 

These frightening ghost stories are certainly not for the faint of heart. Even those who obsess over horror movies or dive right into frightening books might be creeped out after reading a few of these tales. At this time of year, we seem to turn to the supernatural for a thrill, but the thrill becomes more chilling when we learn that some of our favorite ghost stories are based on real historical events.

The Conjuring

If you are a horror movie fanatic, you have most likely seen one of the most talked about horror movies of all time, The Conjuring. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve heard of it. It is remembered to be that one movie that keeps you up at night. But did you know that the 2013 film was based on a true story? Yes, the Perron family existed and lived in the haunted farmhouse. According to the Perrons, their 18th-century farmhouse located in Rhode Island was the site of several strange occurrences with things moving at random, unexplained noises and ghosts. Many children even died under mysterious circumstances. Doesn’t The Conjuring seem a little scarier now that you know that it is based on true events?

Phantom Steamboat on the Tombigbee River

In February 1858, a steamboat named Eliza Battle set out on a cruise down Alabama’s Tombigbee River. Sixty passengers and more than 1200 bales of cotton were onboard. But when the cotton caught fire on March 1, guests and crew were overcome by smoke and flames. The cause is uncertain, yet there are rumors that a robber lit the blaze or sparks were emitted by a passing steamboat that ignited the cotton. As the fire spread and destroyed the steering mechanisms, passengers abandoned ship, many freezing to death in the cold river. Thirty-three passengers died on the boat or in the Tombigbee. It is said those passengers haunt the river to this very day, and on brisk nights, people have claimed to see the Eliza Battle in the waters.

The Bell Witch

Much like The Conjuring, the Bell witch is the subject of two films, An American Haunting and The Blair Witch Project, as well as several podcasts and books. Rumor has it the Bell witch first appeared in the early 1800s when the Bell family—for whom the witch was named after—moved to Tennessee. The Bells began hearing strange noises, including dogs barking, chains rattling and a woman whispering, and the latter became known as the Bell witch. Legend has it she’s the ghost of a former neighbor Kate Batts, but of course, no one knows her true identity. Batts and the Bells had a dispute over land, and she had sworn vengeance on the Bell family before she died. It is also believed the witch played a role in the untimely loss of John Bell, who died from poisoning.

The Ghosts of the LaLaurie Mansion

Delphine LaLaurie’s extravagant Creole mansion in New Orleans’ French Quarter is the city’s most legendary haunted house to date due to the gruesome torture that occurred over 200 years ago. Dr. Louis LaLaurie and his wife, Delphine, were once known to be one of society’s most influential high-society couples. Delphine soon gained a reputation for being brutally cruel to her servers, and neighbors began noticing the unexplained disappearance of parlor maids and stable boys. One night, after a fire broke out in the kitchen, firefighters discovered a chilling secret room full of tortured servants. As word spread throughout New Orleans, angry citizens formed a mob set on avenging the tortured humans.As Louis managed to escape to France and haunted souls began seeking revenge on the building’s occupants immediately, the house fell to ruin, as no one wants to live in a house haunted by tortured souls.

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge

The Bellamy Bridge Ghost just might be Florida’s most infamous ghastly legend. Bellamy Bridge is a steel frame bridge that spans the Chipola River. In the 1830s, Elizabeth Jane Croom Bellamy married local politician Dr. Samuel C. Bellamy. Elizabeth was only 18 when she died, only days after marrying her husband. It is said that her wedding gown caught fire the night of her wedding. She initially survived but eventually passed away. After her death, her husband, was so stricken with grief that he eventually committed suicide. On dark and foggy nights, Elizabeth is said to roam the swamps surrounding the bridge, mourning the loss of love cut short. The deceased newlywed, dressed in white, can allegedly be seen wandering the banks from the vantage point of the bridge. It’s said that she appears to be on fire either walking through the swamps or diving straight into the river as if to douse the flames, or somberly walking along the side of the river.