Not every pub in London has a spying room complete with binoculars so patrons can gaze into the windows of the British Intelligence Service across the street – nor does just any old pub have a historic basement so creepy and rife with strange activity that the owners have set up a CCTV system just to keep an eye on it. The Morpeth Arms is definitely one of a kind, used as a prison and transfer facility for inmates waiting to be shipped off to Australia before its conversion into a business.

If you think this sounds like a publicity schtick to get more tourists to spend fists full of quid on burgers and ale, you’re not far off, but there’s a layer of fascinating history beneath the hype. Built in 1845, this public house at 58 Millbank in London’s Pimlico district was originally established as a deportation facility. A tunnel system running beneath the city streets carried convicts from the old Millbank prison to a holding area beneath the pub, while they waited for transportation to whisk them away. The prison itself, which featured six wings attached to a central chapel like the petals of a flower, closed in 1890 and was ultimately demolished.

The basement isn’t open to the public, but customers can see into it via a live feed on a prominently placed monitor, over a sign reading ‘Can you see the haunted prisoner?’ According to Atlas Obscura, employees have reported glimpses of inexplicable movement, items going missing and a general sense of unease. The beer barrels are kept in the area beside the former cells, which are just dank, mildewy rooms off the arched brick tunnels.

The tongue-in-cheek spying room, meanwhile, really does look in on MI6. It has its own bar, a Mata Hair theme and is, unsurprisingly, often packed full of actual spies from across the street, who sometimes bring members of the FBI with them. So, fair warning, if you’re running from the Feds, find ye another pub on Millbank to patronize.

Whether you’re haunted by a fear of ghosts, gripped by night terrors involving oversized insects, or find horror in more realistically pressing matters like nuclear meltdowns and the looming environmental apocalypse, there’s something to be scared about among these extraordinarily creepy art installations.

Monster House by Christine McConnell

Artist, photographer and baker Christine McConnell, who’s well known on Instagram for her creepy culinary creations, decided to transform her parents’ house for Halloween sing materials like foam core insulation boards, lighting and a fog machine. The result, ‘Monster House,’ is pretty incredible.

Chiharu Shiota’s Tangled Webs

Japanese-born, Berlin-based installation artist Chiharu Shiota stretches her web-like creations throughout gallery interiors and other structures, almost like a spider herself. The threads or hoses are woven into abstract networks and attached to objects in the room, like pianos and boats. In 2013, she completed a performance piece entitled ‘Earth and Blood’ reflecting a traumatic personal history of cancer and loss.

Horror Vacui by David Zink Yi

A giant squid seems to have been unearthed fro the sea and left on a gallery floor to decompose in a puddle of putrid black liquid. This installation by David Zink Yi, entitled ‘Horror Vacui,’ is made of ceramic coated with copper and lead, the liquid consisting of ink and corn syrup.

Giant Ant Infestations by Rafael Gómezbarros

If you’re creeped out by insect swarms, you might not want to see any of Rafael Gómezbarros’ incredible oversized ant installations in person. Each one measures 20 inches in length. In an interview with Art Media Agency, Gómezbarros explained, “Through the portrayal of this creature which generates so many positive processes in nature, I aim to create a reflection upon the reality in which we live, which is repeated throughout world history: the displacement of humanity and the resulting immigration, especially in the current era of globalisation.  For me, immigration is often the result of the internal problems within a country. The immigrant can be represented by the ant, which in turn embodies duality: positive energy that leads it to construct and create elsewhere is juxtaposed by the notion of infestation.”

Ghosts in a Czech Church by Jakub Hadrava

After part of the roof of St. George’s church in the Czech village of Lukova collapsed in the middle of a funeral service in 1968, locals believed the structure to be cursed, and left it to rot. Whether or not any real ghosts ever haunted its pews, it’s now filled with seriously spooky specters in the form of sculptural installations by local artist Jakub Hadrava.

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Creepy Art Installations

If you just happen to stumble upon the dilapidated St. George’s Church in the Czech Republic, passing through the crumbling entrance to glance around at the shadowy interior, you might just be in for the most terrifying moment of your life. Abandoned since the 1960s, the church has long since been devoid of human worshippers, but that doesn’t mean it’s empty. Ghostly shrouded figures line its pews, some hovering in doorways and in the aisles.

Located in the northwestern Bohemia town of Luková, the ‘Church of Nine Ghosts’ first fell into disrepair after the ceiling caved in during a funeral service in 1968. Locals took that as a bad omen, and boarded up the 14th century structure, holding services outside instead. But many residents saw the church as an important part of the town’s history, and wanted to see it restored.

“The figures represent the ghosts of Sudeten Germans who lived in Lukova before World War Two and who came to pray at this church every Sunday,” says artist Jakub Hadrava, who was commissioned to create the installation. “I hope to show the world that this place had a past and it was a normal part of everyday life, but that fate has a huge influence on our lives.”

Made of plaster, the ghosts were put in place over the summer of 2014 in the hopes of drawing more tourists to the region, raising money to rehabilitate the historic 1352 church. The plan worked, as people have come from all over the world to see the statues in this unusual environment, and the church will soon be restored to its former glory.

Ghost ships are one of the most enduring legends of the sea, and tales of mysterious ships with missing crews have peppered the accounts of mariners both ancient and modern for hundreds of years. Some ghost ships exist in the realm of rumor, others are real but remain unexplained.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

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English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge penned The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in 1798, where it anchors the dawning of the Romantic Era of literature. This epic poem centers on a wandering seaman, cursed by the Gods for shooting the albatross had guided his ship and crew out from the clutch of chill antarctic waters. It is from Coleridge’s magnum opus that the old maxim “water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink” originates.

(image via: Neosurrealismart)

After the Ancient Mariner is forced by his crew to wear the albatross he killed around his neck, his ship encounters a ghostly “skeleton ship” crewed by Death and Nightmare Life-in-Death. The two gamble with dice over the lives of the crew and captain; Death claims the crew while the Ancient Mariner is forced to wander the earth, telling his sorry tale to all he encounters. Kinda makes a three-hour cruise seem insignificant, hmm?

The Mary Celeste

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One of the most famous actual ghost ships – “ghostly” at least – is the Mary Celeste. A 282-ton brigantine merchantman built in 1861, the Mary Celeste left New York City on November 5, 1872, on what would be her fateful final voyage. Exactly one month later, sailors on the Dei Gratia spied the Mary Celeste in the eastern Atlantic Ocean heading in the direction of the Strait of Gibraltar. Aside from several torn sails and a missing lifeboat, the ship was in relatively good condition… what it was without, was a captain and crew.

(image via: Cruel Kev)

To this day, the exact reason for the disappearance of the Mary Celeste’s compliment is unknown. Theories center on the cargo: 1,701 barrels of commercial alcohol of which 9 barrels were empty. Rumors that hot tea was found in the ship’s galley have been discounted though the Mary Celeste did have a full 6 months worth of food and water aboard when discovered.

Here’s a video showing a segment of a History Channel documentary on the Mary Celeste:

The Flying Dutchman

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Though it sounds like a name a clipper ship might have, the Flying Dutchman is a colloquial contraction of a Dutch warship, or “man of war” in archaic terms. The story goes, a Dutch East India Company ship rounding the treacherous Cape of Good Hope encountered a severe sudden storm. Rather than head for safe harbor, the captain swore he would maintain his heading until Judgment Day, if necessary. The ship vanished into the storm, never to be seen again… or was it?

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Many have claimed to see the Flying Dutchman, including the future King George V of England while aboard a Royal Navy ship off the coast of Australia in 1881. In describing the unexpected apparition, the young prince noted “A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief.” Seeing the Flying Dutchman is not a good thing: according to sailor’s folklore, the appearance of the legendary clipper is an omen of impending doom.

The Carroll A. Deering

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Think mysterious ghost ships are exclusive to the 19th century? The Carol A. Deering begs to differ. On January 28, 1921, the Cape Lookout Lightship encountered the ship off the North Carolina coast. The large five-masted cargo schooner looked to be in rough shape and had lost both her anchors, according to one of the crewmembers who shouted this information to the lightship. Three days later, the Deering ran aground on Cape Hatteras’ Diamond Shoals with nary a soul aboard.

(image via: Tauy Creek)

Theories ranging from mutiny to piracy to the paranormal effects of the Bermuda Triangle have been put forth to explain the disappearance of the Carrol A. Deering’s captain and crew but almost 90 years later, the ship’s final days remain shrouded in mystery – as do the fate of the captain and crew, none of which were ever heard from again.

One-Eyed Willie’s Ship from The Goonies

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Ghost ships aren’t always mysterious or frightening – just ask The Goonies. One of the best-loved movies of the ’80s, The Goonies featured a group of kids who found an old treasure map and followed it into an amazing adventure full of crooks, treasure and pirates. Especially pirates such as One-Eyed Willie, who guarded his ship and his treasure long after he and his crew had walked the big plank in the sky.

(image via: IMDB)

The climactic scene in The Goonies involves the gang escaping from both the evil Fratellis and One-Eyed Willie’s subterranean, booby-trapped ship… which, thanks to the pirate captain’s ancient engineering, sails itself out into the ocean.

The Octavius

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One of the oldest legendary ghost ships is the Octavius. The story goes, the Octavius was set to return to England with a cargo of trade goods from the Far East. The ship’s captain, motivated by greed, decided that the tried & true “round the Horn” route was far too long. His rudimentary maps revealed a more direct route – straight across the fabled Northwest Passage. The key word here is “fabled”.

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The Octavius wasn’t seen again until October 11th, 1775 when the Herald, and Atlantic whaling ship, came across the Octavius drifting off the coast of Greenland. Sailors from the Herald boarded the Octavius only to find the crew dead and the captain sitting at his desk… frozen solid. The captain was in the midst of writing an entry into the ship’s log dated 1762. Though the Octavius had accomplished the impossible by sailing the Northwest Passage, the captain’s desire for a speedy homecoming was, well, somewhat less successful.

The Baychimo

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The Baychimo may not be exactly ghostly but its staying power has been nothing short of supernatural. Built in Sweden in 1914 and boasting a steel hull, the Baychimo was perfectly suited for the iceberg studded arctic waters through which it plied its trade: re-supplying the Hudson Bay Company’s far-flung northern outposts. In 1931, however, the Baychimo’s luck ran out as the arctic icepack moved in, locking the hardy steamer in an icy grip. Fearing the ship would be crushed, the captain and crew abandoned her… but the Baychimo didn’t sink, it stayed afloat season in and season out – for decades.

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Sightings of the Baychimo were reported at various times and in various places over the years and the ship was even boarded several times in the 1930s. In March of 1962 it was seen drifting in open water along the Beaufort Sea coast and in 1969 it was spotted again, frozen in pack ice. No sightings have been reported since then, so perhaps the Baychimo has finally, as they say, given up the ghost.

Ghost Ship: The Movie

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Ghost Ship was a 2002 horror film starring Gabriel Byrne and Julianna Margulies that doesn’t have much to recommend it besides its eerie premise and frightful opening scene (which will not be revealed here). The plot of Ghost Ship, in a nutshell, revolves around an Italian luxury ocean liner that mysteriously vanished in 1962 and, 40 years later, was rediscovered by a commercial salvage ship as it drifted aimlessly in the chilly Bering Sea.

(image via: Wallpapergate)

The Antonia Graza – the doomed liner in the film – nicely updates the traditional ghost ship mythos embodied by wood & canvas sailing ships like the Mary Celeste and the Octavius. If anything, the Graza’s rusted, cavernous bulk is more sinister than any creaking wood-hulled clipper could be.

Kaz II

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From ghost ships to the “ghost yacht” – the Kaz II, a 32-ft (9.8 m) catamaran, was discovered drifting 88 nautical miles (160 km) off the northeast coast of Australia on April 18th, 2007. No one was aboard and there were no indications of why the 3-man crew was missing, how they left, or where they might have gone. The mystery of the Kaz II has been compared to that of the Mary Celeste.

(images via: Magonia and Kaorulogia)

The story of the Kaz II doesn’t stop with the disappearance of the crew. When investigators boarded the yacht on April 20th they found the engines were running, a laptop computer was on and the crew’s midday meal had been laid out uneaten. The yacht carried its full complement of life jackets and a small emergency dingy was tied up near the stern. Commented Jon Hall of the Queensland Emergency Management office, “What they found was a bit strange in that everything was normal; there was just no sign of the crew.”

The Black Pearl

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Fans of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film series are quite familiar with The Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow’s black-sailed pirate ship which was raised from the ocean depths by Davey Jones in return for Sparrow’s soul. For many, The Black Pearl is the archetypical ghost ship, usually seen shrouded in night mists and crewed by undead pirates cursed by their theft of gold coins from the Chest of Cortez.

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The Black Pearl was said to be “The only ship as what can outrun the Flying Dutchman”, thus linking it to the long and storied history of the world’s most legendary ghost ships. The film series’ producers also called up other longstanding legends of the sea, such as the monstrous Kraken that swallows Jack Sparrow and sinks The Black Pearl at the climax of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

(image via: Taholtorf)

Will there be more ghost ships, either in fact or fiction? Undoubtedly – the nature of ocean travel hasn’t changed much though the ships have, and both writers and film-makers know the value of a good scary story… especially one anchored in reality.

Have you ever heard an odd sound in the dark, a weird whisper of the wind, shiver with unexplained goosebumps, or have the feeling of being watched? Scoff if you like but most people have at some point in their lives. In every culture from ancients to present, there have been documented beliefs in ghostly spirits. Some people are fascinated by claims of ghosts, spirits, and even demons. There are unnerving places on this planet in which paranormal phenomenon is reported almost identically throughout history, such as castles that are centuries old. Some castles are seeped through with myths and legends, scary stories of spooks, and are believed to be haunted places where restless souls linger in the night. Some castles have been investigated by paranormal teams who record and offer “proof” of the hauntings.

These are not the most beautiful castles on the outside, some even in sad disrepair, but on the inside there is supposedly paranormal activity and the darkness bumps back at night. Whether you wish to support your obsession with ghosts and ghouls or just for thrills and chills, here is a tour of 10 of the creepiest, most ghost-infested and haunted castles in the world as well as a video after each for you to draw your own conclusion about the proof of the haunted castles.

Castle Bran – Dracula’s Castle

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Dracula’s Playground can be found in a creepy and remote corner of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Bran Castle sits high upon craggy peaks within Transylvania, bringing vampires to mind. But there is no historic proof that Vlad the Impaler resided in Dracula’s Castle during his reign of terror. Dracula impaled thousands at a time, sometimes making their agonizing torture go on for months until death would claim his victims. Castle Bran is renowned for its infamous claim to haunted fame. Tourists are welcomed to find out. The little chapel, or grotto, in the bottom right adds an extra creepy element. As requested in Queen Marie’s will, after her death, her heart was placed in a gold casket and buried in Balcic, later moved to this grotto by Bran Castle.

Scariest Places on Earth visits Dracula’s Castle.

Leap Castle – Ireland’s Most Haunted

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Perhaps the most haunted castle in Ireland is Leap Castle. More than 400 years ago, in 1532, brother turned against brother to shed blood. One was a warrior who rushed into the chapel and used his sword to slay the priest who was his brother. The priest fell across the altar and died. The chapel is known as Bloody Chapel since that time. The dungeon in the castle is called an oubliette. Prisoners pushed into the oubliette fell eight feet onto spikes coming up from the floor. Leap Castle is also haunted by an Elemental, a dark evil creature about the size of a sheep and has a human face and black pools for eyes. It smells of rotting flesh.  It’s a great place to go for a ghost hunt. See if you agree with the paranormal “proof.”

TAPS, the Ghost Hunters, investigated and here is their reveal.

Newcastle Castle Keep & The Black Gate

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About AD 12, the Romans constructed a fort in this location which later became a cemetery. Hundreds of the dead in the graveyard were supposedly moved when in around 1172, this stone castle was built upon that very same land. It’s now Newcastle upon Tyne, England. There is about 75 feet separating the Castle Keep and the Blackgate gatehouse. Many teams of paranormal experts have led investigations here where tragedy is seeped into the ancient ground. Many of those experts claim Castle Keep is very haunted.

Most Haunted roams Castle Keep, searching for paranormal proof of a haunting.

Belcourt Castle

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Construction began on Belcourt Castle located in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1891. The entire first floor was an extravagant stable as was requested by the owner. But in 1956, the Tinney Family bought Belcourt Castle. Harold Tinney adored his castle. He is said to roam the grounds and haunt his castle even in his afterlife. If haunted castles are your type of place, you can do more than travel there to visit. The castle is currently for sale and you can make it your own for a cool $ 7.2 million.

After an investigation at Belmont Castle, Ghost Hunters analyzes the evidence.

Witches Castle

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Moosham Castle in Unternberg, Austria, has a terrible and accursed past. It was in this castle where Austria’s bloodiest witch trials took place. Untold thousands of young women who were accused of being witches were tormented and killed in torture chambers in the dungeon. Moosham Castle is now better known as Witches Castle.

Ghost Hunters International conducts a ghost hunt at Witches Castle.

Predjama Castle

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A castle built within a cave, now that is brilliant in terms of defense and offense. In Slovenia, Predjama Castle is known to date back to at least 1274. In the 15th century, a renowned robber baron fled the revenge of the Holy Roman Emperor and settled his family in this castle fortress. There ensued a long siege in which the castle was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1511 before being destroyed by an earthquake. The castle was once again rebuilt in 1567 and has a secret natural shaft that leads out of the castle for supplies as well as when the robber baron needed a quick in and out for his robberies. With at least 700 years of violent history, Pedjama Castle is said to be extremely haunted.

Ghost Hunters International reveals their evidence at Predjama Castle.

Dragsholm Castle

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Dragsholm Castle in Denmark was built in the late 12th century. Today it is a renowned hotel, but Dragsholm Castle’s biggest claim to fame is its alleged haunting of over a hundred ghosts. Legend has it that three of these spirits continue to demand attention: Grey Lady, White Lady and the Earl of Bothwell. Perhaps the most tragic of all, the White Lady, was a young girl who fell in love with a commoner who worked in the castle. The girl’s father found out about the lovers and ordered his daughter imprisoned in her room, never to be seen alive again. During the early part of the 20th century, workers were tearing down some old walls. To their horror, they came across a small recess in one of the walls which contained a small skeleton wearing a white dress.

Ghost Hunters International leads an investigation at Dragholm Castle.

Edinburgh Castle

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The Scottish fortress built high upon a plug of an extinct volcano dates back to the 9th century. Edinburgh Castle has been there since the 12th century. Although it appears impregnable, in 800 years, the castle has taken part in numerous historic conflicts and wars, having been besieged both successfully and unsuccessfully many times. Deep in the bowels of Edinburgh Castle, dark and damp dungeons lie hidden away that had been used for imprisonment and torture over the centuries. Additionally there was construction of the vaults in the fifteenth century, but now that underground labyrinth of tunnels with 120 rooms are in an area known as Crown Square. At one point in history, the vaults were used to quarantine and eventually entomb victims of the plague. Archaeological evidence points back to the Iron Age, so Castle Rock and Edinburgh may very well be the longest continually occupied site in Scotland. With so much conflict and so much history, is it any wonder that many people swear Edinburgh Castle is haunted?

Screaming Vaults

The vaults that run underground are said to perhaps be even more haunted than Edinburgh Castle. You be the judge as people scream.

Rational

Edinburgh Castle and the vaults are like any so-called haunted place. There are believers in ghosts and things that bump back in the night as well as rational explanations as to what might be causing the “paranormal” events.

Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh, Scotland

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More than 800 years old, teenage Lady Catherine of Dalhousie was once deeply in love. Her parents however forbid her to see her young man. She then locked herself in the top room of the castle and starved herself to death. Legend has it that her lovelorn ghost roams the castle still to this day. Dalhousie Castle is now a renowned hotel, ironically a hotspot for lovers and newlyweds.

An investigative reporter, a non-believer in ghosts, quickly has her mind changed.

Chillingham Castle

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Chillingham Castle in England is most famous for its ghosts and is marketed as the most haunted castle in Britian. The “star” ghost of castle is the “blue boy” who is sometimes also called the radiant boy. Legend has it that he haunts the Pink Room. Guests of the Pink Room have reported seeing blue flashes of light or a blue halo of light above their bed after a long loud wailing. The hauntings decreased or perhaps ceased after renovation work revealed two bodies, a man and a young boy who were both bricked inside a 10-foot thick wall. The owners however claim the hauntings continue, so ghost hunters and paranormal investigators still come to investigate the mysteries of Chillingham Castle.

Most Haunted visits Chillingham Castle to investigate the paranormal.