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

Is this the most terrifying musical instrument ever made? If you just take a quick glance at it, you’ll likely say no – it’s an unassuming (albeit rather strange) jumble of strings, rods, reverbs and metal rulers attached to a boxy wooden base. But just you wait until composer Mark Coven, whose work includes the stunning score for the 2016 horror film The Witch, sits down at it and starts to play. The sounds that emerge from the ‘Apprehension Engine’ are designed to give you the creeps, and they’re quite effective.

Korven, who has scored a number of feature films over the years, was sick of using the same old digital samples to get the signature scraping, creaking, squealing and rumbling sounds that help provide a hair-raising atmosphere. The world of creating analog sound effects in audio post-production is pretty fascinating, and foley artists use all sorts of weird objects to create many of the sounds you hear in an average movie or TV show.

But Korven wanted something very specific, all together in a single instrument, so he turned to his friend Tony Duggan-Smith, a guitar maker, to help him craft it. In this video, Korven demonstrates to Great Big Story how the Apprehension Engine works as he plucks, wiggles, flicks, thumps and runs a bow across the various objects connected to the instrument.

Looking to get a head in the housing market? Think location matters less than gray matters? From natural parks to theme parks, these 10 man-made skull rocks, mountains and islands show that home isn’t always where the heart is.

Skull Rock, Disney’s Fantasyland, CA, USA

(images via: Yesterland and Gorillas Don’t Blog)

Skull Rock, looking over Skull Rock Cove just steps away from Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship Restaurant at Disneyland’s former Fantasyland, took its inspiration from Walt Disney’s 1953 classic animated film, Peter Pan. Though demolished during the extensive 1982 overhaul of Fantasyland, Skull Rock set the bar for theme park skulls worldwide.

(image via: Yesterland)

At night, Skull Rock really came alive (so to speak) thanks to cleverly positioned lighting and of course, those eerily glowing green eyes. Gone but not forgotten, Skull Rock continues to prompt fright and delight thanks to pre-1982 visitors who’ve posted their photos on the Internet.

Disneyland Hotel’s Never Land Pool, Anaheim, CA, USA

(images via: Expedia, TripAdvisor and Travelmuse)

Skull Rock at Fantasyland may be gone but it’s not forgotten – in particular, by Disney’s Imagineers who reincarnated it at the nearby Disneyland Hotel. The hotel’s Never Land Pool, which was included in a large-scale 1999 renovation, now features a new and updated Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship and a re-worked Skull Rock.

(image via: Yesterland)

Though somewhat smaller than its Fantasyland ancestor and lacking its progenitor’s signature waterfalls, the revised Skull Rock at the Never Land Pool overlooks a hot tub and a 100-foot water slide.

Disneyland Paris, France

(images via: Yesterland, Panoramio/Mald, Meanderingmouse and Subhayubagchi)

What is it with Disneyland and giant skulls? Whatever the reason, the entertainment empire seems to like them – almost every Disney theme park has got a skull or two. Take Disneyland Paris for example. The Gallic noggin can be found in the Adventure Isle section of Adventureland which features Captain Hook’s pirate ship, a suspension bridge and a pirate lookout. The giant skull itself displays a complex facade meant to evoke the appearance of tilted and eroded sedimentary rock.

(image via: Adrian Langford)

Unlike most other skull rocks, the one at Disneyland Paris was designed as a cave. Visitors who enter can look out through the eye socket windows and get a skull’s eye view of Fantasyland.

Skull Rock at Desert View Tower, Jacumba, CA, USA

(images via: Notcot, Subarite&Ryquail and Travelmarx)

Desert View Tower, located along I-8 between San Diego and El Centro, was built in the mid-1920s. Declared a California Historical Landmark, the 70-ft (21m) tall tower and adjacent Boulder Park are striking examples of folk art that offer visitors a hands-on, interactive experience like no other.

(image via: Tech109)

It’s in Boulder Park, carved during the Great Depression by out-of-work engineer W.T. Ratcliffe, that you’ll find hand-sculpted quartz granite boulders including an imposing painted skull.

Skull Mountain, Six Flags, New Jersey, USA

(images via: Theme Park Review)

Skull Mountain, a 1,377 ft (420m) long enclosed roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari in New Jersey, USA, opened in 1996 and is one of the theme park’s most popular attractions. Strobe lights and sound effects provide a sufficiently spooky atmosphere during the ride, which only lasts a minute and a half but seems longer due to a series of unexpected twists and turns along the way.

(image via: Gary Burke)

Due to its enclosed format, Skull Mountain is one of the few large roller coasters to remain open during heavy rain and thunderstorms. That doesn’t mean guests are guaranteed to stay dry, however. The huge skull on the ride’s front facade incorporates a waterfall that can be turned on and off at the park’s discretion, allowing water to pour out of the skull’s eye sockets. Be prepared to get “cried upon” on hot, crowded summer days!

Skull Mountain, Phantasialand, Germany

(images via: Theme Park Review, Panoramio/Gustl, Cool_Colonia4711 and Killer Bob)

Phantasialand, located in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, opened in 1967 and is one of Germany’s largest theme parks attracting around 2 million visitors annually. The park includes one of the most spectacular large skulls found anywhere – and its awesomeness is helped by its isolation from other man-made distractions.

(image via: Wikimedia)

You can find the skull rock behind the Arabian Nights Gondola Ride as it forms part of the ride’s exterior wall. The lushly landscaped area around Der Totenschädel makes a great place to enjoy an outdoor picnic.

Skull Wall, Treasure Island Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA

(images via: Flickriver/Rosa71uk and My Real Vegas)

Las Vegas’ Treasure Island Hotel was a more kid-friendly place to stay in the late 1990s, mainly due to the sprawling Pirate Village of Buccaneer Bay complex built right out front. The outstanding feature of the faux pirate’s cove was an ominous skull that leered out from a plaster & concrete wall. Night lighting gave the eerie visage an extra-gothic glow.

(image via: Darknews)

In 2003, Buccaneer Bay matured into “Sirens’ Cove”, along with the hotel distancing itself somewhat from the pirate theme with its new “TI” nameplate. Luckily, the skull wall survived the transition – adults like to get scared a little too, amiright?

King Kong’s Skull Island

(images via: King Kong Wiki, Designzzz and Brady McIntosh)

Mythical Skull Island, home of King Kong and any number of angry, toothy dinosaurs, has been represented a number of ways since the franchise first came down from the trees in the 1930s. The greatest of great ape’s stomping grounds have even made the jump to video games, in King Kong Skull Island Adventure.

(image via: Every Picture Tells A Story)

“Kong, King of Skull Island”… really, whose going to argue the point? And if you think about it, where else would one expect the gargantuan gorilla to live – Candy Apple Island?

Skull Island & SS Venture, Universal Studios Hollywood, USA

(images via: Hollywood Movie Costumes & Props)

One of the most striking modern-day attractions based on King Kong’s Skull Island can be found on the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. Visitors can view the actual model of the 1930s SS Venture ship that appeared in Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong remake.

(image via: Hollywood Movie Costumes & Props)

The movie was shot in New Zealand to take advantage of the country’s awe-inspiring scenery (LOTR fans will agree). Upon completion of filming, the models of both the SS Venture and Skull Island were disassembled, shipped to California, and set up again on the Universal Studios backlot.

Longhorn Bar & Grill, Amado, Arizona, USA

(images via: Visual Funhouse, Chris Mooney and Roadside Peek)

Ahh, the sweet, succulent scent of sizzling beef hot off the grill… how does one improve on that? Simple: serve it inside an enormous Longhorn Steer skull! That’s exactly what the Longhorn Bar & Grill does, and the Amado, AZ (near Tucson) landmark has been serving up steaks with style since the mid-1970s.

(image via: Beige Journal)

According to Roadside America, directions to the Longhorn Bar & Grill are as follows: “Take I-19 until exit 48. Drive west on Arivaca Rd., then immediately turn right onto S. Nogales Hwy. The big skull will be on the right.” You can’t miss it… in more ways than one!

(image via: FrogMiller)

If you’re up to some skullduggery, you’ve come to the right place… to 10 right places, actually. These supersized skulls add a little dash of Goth to your travels, so be sure to bone up on your tibia, er, trivia before planning your next vacation.

Cemeteries are a staple of horror movies new and old, and when it comes to setting a suitably horrific tone, the creepier the better. These 10 creepy cinema cemeteries pull out all the stops, featuring choking undergrowth, tilted headstones and a general malevolent air of disrepair. Best of all, most are easily accessed via DVD, YouTube and television: same tomb, same channel.

Poltergeist

(images via: SkyscraperPage, Bloody Disgusting and Arcadia Clips)

They’re heeeere… The plot of the 1982 modern horror classic film Poltergeist revolved around a suburban California housing development built over an old cemetery. The usual practice in such cases was to relocate both the gravestones and those buried below, but as film daddy Steve Freeling discovered to his shock, “You moved the cemetery, but ya left the bodies, didn’t you? You left the bodies and you only moved the headstones!”

(images via: Dread Central and Temperamental Broad)

Though the overgrown cemetery depicted in the film was merely a matte painting, the story behind it is factual: Mount Prospect cemetery in Denver, Colorado, was converted to a public park in the late 1890s and removal operations commenced. The undertaker put in charge of the relocation was paid $1.90 per body but pocketed most of the cash – up to 5,000 unclaimed bodies were left in situ. Residents living nearby have long reported moaning sounds and other odd manifestations occurring at night, blamed on lost and confused spirits looking for the light.

Here’s the finale to Poltergeist, complete with the evil clown, erupting coffins and one imploding house:

Gangs Of New York

(images via: Cameron Diaz and WorldNews.com)

Gangs Of New York is Martin Scorcese’s 2002 film of 19th century New York and the characters – both savory and unsavory – who brought the gritty, grubby Five Points neighborhood to vibrant life. The film featured tour de force acting by Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and especially Daniel Day-Lewis (as Bill the Butcher).

(image via: Gangs of New York video clip)

The cemetery where the DiCaprio character’s father, Priest Vallon, is buried doesn’t make an appearance until the final scene of the 167 minute epic but it’s one of the film’s most powerful scenes, masterfully wrapping the long and convoluted storyline. Unlike many movie cemeteries, this one actually exists: it’s Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Here’s that final scene, still emotionally moving whether or not one watches the film from the beginning:

National Treasure

(images via: Disney.com and North Carolina Geodetic Survey)

Whether you love or hate Nicholas Cage – and he has his haters to be sure – the National Treasure franchise has proven to be an ideal showcase for his acting talents. The first film in the series dates from 2004 and offers viewers a veritable smorgasbord of history, action, adventure and even a few laughs (mainly provided by nervous tech expert Riley Poole). National Treasure is included in this listing by virtue of a notable chase scene through a cemetery: Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not quite Tomb Raider but for a moment at least; tomb dodger.

(image via: Blu-ray.com)

Dating from 1719, Christ Church Burial Ground hosts a number of historically noteworthy Americans including Benjamin Franklin. Oh, those headstones damaged and destroyed by gunfire during the movie chase scene? Merely dummies, not to worry!

Here’s the trailer for National Treasure, a money-maker at the box office that helped revive Cage’s career and reputation.

Pet Sematary

(images via: Cnet and Icons Of Fright)

“I don’t want to be buried, in Pet Sematary.” So sang The Ramones and if you saw the film I’m sure you’ll agree. One of Stephen King’s more successful screen efforts, 1989’s Pet Sematary also brought Fred Gwynne (The Munsters) favorable reviews that may have helped him land the part of Judge Haller in 1992’s My Cousin Vinnie.

(images via: Film School Rejects and Icons Of Fright)

Pet Sematary is pure horror, however, and that includes Stephen King’s bit part playing a priest. The whole idea of pet cemeteries is, well, kinda creepy to begin with and Pet Sematary builds on that disturbing premise. Animal zombies? Get your tickets here.

The trailer for Pet Sematary offers a chilling glimpse into what makes this film tick – and just might make you want to flea:

Army Of Darkness

(images via: IMDB, Comic Art Community and Planet Swank)

Known by some as Evil Dead 3, 1992’s Army Of Darkness stars perennial alternative action hero Bruce Campbell as Ash, a “boomstick”-wielding discount-store clerk transported back to the year 1300 AD. Between slaying monsters and getting a girl who was beautiful once (“Honey, you got reeeal ugly!”), Ash steals the Necronomicon from a stereotypical spooky cemetery and all Hell breaks loose… one demon at a time.

(image via: High-Def Disc News)

Check out Ash flubbing his lines just when it counts the most, followed by a bunch of skeletons channeling Curly of The Three Stooges:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

(images via: IMDB and Alt Film Guide)

Next time you’re in the proverbial doghouse and want to make it up to your significant other, tell her you’ll take her to a Susan Sarandon movie… and make sure it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for both your sakes. Long before there was Tim Robbins, there was Barry Bostwick and, of course, Tim Curry chewing the scenery for all he’s worth. Rocky Horror was pretty hot for 1975 and it’s aged well… not unlike the aforementioned Ms. Sarandon.

(image via: NIN Forum)

Dammit Janet, who puts billboards in cemeteries?!? The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s big cemetery scene occurs early in the film, and watch out for Tim Curry doing double duty as a very un-Frankenfurter-like priest.

Here’s the trailer from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Go ahead, I see you shiver with antici… pation!:

Plan 9 from Outer Space

(images via: You Don’t Have To Visit, Fandango.com and Minaday)

“When it came to making bad movies, Ed Wood was the best.” So went the tagline from Ed Wood, the 1994 biopic of the flamboyant director played with gusto by Johnny Depp. Wood’s best bad movie was undoubtedly 1958’s Plan 9 From Outer Space, a low-budget, high comedic (though not intentionally) flick that raised the bar for cinematic cheesiness.

(images via: Filmjunk and Metromix Atlanta)

Plan 9 from Outer Space could serve as an instructional video for film-makers as it offered up just about every error possible. Boom mike shadows, exceptionally poor special effects (a string holding up a flying saucer catches on fire at one point), the use of footage of an actor (Bela Lugosi) who had died 2 years earlier, and cardboard tombstones that wobbled or fell over were part & parcel of this celluloid travesty.

Here’s a short video compendium of the movie’s worst bits of dialog; the long version being the uncut film itself:

Fandango

(images via: Rotten Tomatoes, Ultimate Fandango and Alex Musson)

Overlooked in its time but emerging as a true cult classic, 1985’s Fandango starred Kevin Costner and Judd Nelson – but don’t hold that against it. Fandango is a road trip film with a message, a last waltz through the American southwest for 5 college pals calling themselves The Groovers.

(images via: Ultimate Fandango)

With Vietnam on the horizon, The Groovers decide to live it up while they can. Their final fandango includes skydiving, train-surfing and an apocryphal fireworks fight in a cemetery that eerily foreshadows the ultimately inescapable war overseas. The cemetery used in the film actually exists and is located in the town of Marfa, Texas.

The trailer for Fandango showcases the fireworks fire-fight scene among others. Rent this DVD while Blockbuster’s still in business.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

(images via: Slashfilm, Cinevistaramascope and ScienceBlogs)

The film that gave “spaghetti westerns” a good name, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was trashed by most critics upon its release in 1966 but is now rated among the best films of all time. OF ALL TIME (thanks, Kanye). The story follows three very different men who reluctantly work together in search of the same goal: $200,000 in stolen Confederate gold buried in a Civil War cemetery.

(images via: The Inside Of The Sun Frozen Solid and Fistful Of Leone)

Filmed on location in Spain, the film’s epic climax is a three-sided Mexican standoff between Blondie (The Good, played by Clint Eastwood), Angel Eyes (The Bad, played by Lee Van Cleef) and Tuco (The Ugly, played by Eli Wallach) in the center of Sad Hill cemetery. The winner of the gunfight would be able to read the name of the grave in which the gold was to be found. Director Sergio Leone wasn’t able to find an actual cemetery to suit his needs so his chief of pyrotechnics paid 250 Spanish Army soldiers to construct one – it took them just 2 days. Almost 50 years later, the basic layout of the cemetery can still be seen at Carazo near Salas De Los Infantes.

(images via: Non Solo Cinema Forum and Blu-ray.com)

Here is the finale (though not the final scene) from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly that begins with Tuco excitedly (though mistakenly) digging up the grave of Arch Stanton in Sad Hill cemetery:

Carrie

(images via: IMDB and Best Horror Movies)

Stephen King makes our list once again with Carrie, the 1976 shocker directed by Brian DePalma. The film features a number of rising stars including Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Amy Irving, William Katt and Piper Laurie (as Carrie’s deranged mother). Movie buffs will note several homages to the late Alfred Hitchcock’s classic chiller Psycho including naming Carrie’s high school Bates High.

(images via: I Get Lifted and Scanners:Blog)

Though the film doesn’t feature a cemetery in the true sense of the word, the final scene does depict Carrie’s final resting place complete with a desecrated cross – and a single mourner who attempts to leave a bouquet of flowers. Bad idea, Sue, VERY bad idea.

(image via: Sydney Morning Herald)

Real cemeteries, though certainly places of sadness and loss, still best their reel counterparts when it comes to manicured good looks and a peaceful atmosphere. Then again, who visits the cemetery on bleak, moonlit nights when the mist creeps in on tiny cat feet… er, that WAS the mist, wasn’t it?

Halloween has come around once more and geeks worldwide are rousing themselves from their basements and consoles to enjoy the best Friday the 31st has to offer. It takes a lot to scare, excite or even impress a geek, however… geeky Halloween pumpkins and costumes don’t just have to be good, they’ve got to be BLOODY great!

(image via: StudentHacks, Cybernet News and Didomenico)

Geeks come in all shapes, sizes, sexes and sub-genres, but computer geeks are probably the most well known. The skull, er, skill-fully carved pumpkins above cater to the tastes of classic computer geeks with (clockwise from above left) Pi, Firefox, Linux and Windows. Note that the Windows pumpkin features a few security patches that haven’t stopped worms from appearing. At least we can be thankful they DO work against Trojans.

(image via: Walyou)

Mommas don’t let your Apples grow up to be pumpkins… unless you’re a Mac user. The quartet of Mac pumpkins above display various degrees of expertise, much like actual Mac users.

(image via: ForeverGeek and iPhone Matters)

Once the sun sets and trick-or-treaters begin to make their rounds, geeks may feel reluctant to leave their work- or play-station. Wearing a comp costume eases the pain of separation. Even so, you can take a geek out of the basement but you can’t take the geekiness out of the geek – as in the socks & sandals style of the Human Palm above left. The Human iPhone on the right at least has an excuse for wearing this literally over-the-top costume – he’s a kid.

(image via: Technabob, Kotaku and GayGamer)

From computers to computer games, and our number one gaming character, Mario! It helps potential pumpkin carvers that Mario is cartoonishly drawn to begin with. Even so, the Mario pumpkin carvers whose work is shown above definitely have their game on.

(image via: Geekadin, Loonygamers and Infendo)

Mario costumes are an annual favorite as well, though some get a little too deep into the game. That means you, Game Boy Boy!

(image via: Kotaku and MikeWebkist)

Space Invaders is another classic arcade game that, thanks to its clunky big-pixel design, lends itself to geeky pumpkin carvers intent on recapturing their mis-spent youth.

(image via: TechRepublic)

Speaking of arcade games, they make great Halloween costumes. The theme that is, not the actual arcade game itself… well, too late. Give the guy above props for building a working laptop into his Pacman costume so that other games such as Q-Bert can be played. Er, easy on the joystick please.

(image via: Innergeek, Make, World of Star Wars and Kreative Kassie)

Geeks also love sci-fi, maybe even more than games & gaming. Not just ANY sci-fi either – Star Wars is the focus of legions of ubergeeks. The selection of Star Wars pumpkins above is highlighted by Jabba the Hutt and one very mean Death Star.

(image via: EvilMadScientist)

Let’s not leave out Brit-geeks and their fave obsession, Doctor Who. The Dalek pumpkin above doesn’t look all that scary, but it does excel in geekiness as the constructor has outfitted it with a rotating turret top and drive wheels. Pop in an MP3 player and you’re set to “Exterminate!” the neighborhood kiddies.

(image via: EvilMadScientist)

The four shots above show the evolution of a store-bought pumpkin into a dastardly Dalek, while the video below shows the finished creation in action as it invades the builder’s kitchen floor.

EXTERMINATE! Daleks invade English kitchen, presumably in search of Spam…

(image via: Ufonies and Dan Coulter)

Star Trek also has its share of geek adoration – they don’t call ’em Trekkies for nothing – and the enterprising designers of the Dan Coulter”>Spock pumpkin above went to a lot of tribble (trouble, even) to get the fine details just right. It may not be logical, but that’s just how Halloween is.

(image via: Xanga, Jake and Kenna and How Stuff Works)

To close, we honor not a subject of geek interest but an interesting geek: Napoleon Dynamite! One would need some sweet pumpkin-carving skills indeed to create the designs shown above. Maybe they used nun-chucks.

(image via: Entertainment Earth, WORD and Extras For Moviess)

Trick-or-treaters too have taken to dressing up as Napoleon – Dynamite, not Bonaparte – but you really have to be a movie geek to get the Kip Accessory Kit and go out as Napoleon’s suddenly streetwise brother. The same company makes a Pedro accessory kit consisting of a wig, a mustache and a bolo tie. You provide the accent. Sweet!

(image via: Violet Eclipse)

And that wraps up Geek Halloween (Did you mean: greek halloween) for another year. Hmm, “greek halloween”… wonder what Google is hinting at?