The 6-6-6 on Haunted Lighthouses in North America

In the tradition of bringing you the 6-6-6 on the best haunted locations and ghost tours in the United States, here is the 6-6-6 on haunted lighthouses in North America. Lighthouses have long been a powerful symbol of solitude, perseverance and stoicism, and have served as homes for brave men and women who light the lanterns to guide ships from rocky shores and shallow waters. Considering the many tragic events tied to many lighthouses in the United States and Canada, The 6-6-6 on Haunted Lighthouses is sure to give you a chill.

All prices quoted are for the 2011 season and for adult entry.

Top 6 Haunted Lighthouses on the Atlantic

1. New London Ledge Light – New London, CT

Photo by L’eau Bleue, CC BY-SA 2.0

No doubt you have seen New London’s famous lighthouse on any number of ghost hunting TV shows. It is certainly one of the most haunted lighthouses in New England, home to the ghost of a former keeper or a construction worker named Ernie. Completed in 1909, New London Ledge Light was fully manned until 1987 when it was finally automated. The lighthouse is currently not open to the public due to an unsafe stairwell; however, it is visible thanks to boat tours of Long Island Sound.

Advertisement

Unusual Band Names: Halloween Edition

In this edition of unusual band names, we turn to the dark side. . . to the more sinister band names in our database. As always, we find some band names that are truly scary and awesome, others that seem to be trying a bit too hard, and of course, a few that seem not to be trying at all.

Ghosts!

Looking through the database, there were a surprising amount of band names containing the word “ghost.” Not surprising,  since the word does evoke mystery and spirituality. However, the word also evokes images of  people draped in bedsheets with eyeholes. In any case, some of these ghostly names are quite inspired. One of our favorites is Ghostface Killah, from Wu-Tang Clan.Vicious, fierce, mysterious–pretty much everything necessary for a good hip-hop name. It’s certainly better than his real name, Dennis Coles. Another one we really liked is Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. The name carries just the right amount of exoticism, ferociousness and mysticism you would expect from a band led by Sean Lennon. Interestingly enough, it is an indie folk  duo whose music has a definite 1960s pop vibe, reminiscent of Serge Gainsbourg. Not exactly the ferociousness you would expect.

Unusual Events: Emma Crawford Festival & Coffin Races

The annual Emma Crawford Festival and Coffin Races in Manitou Springs is certainly one of the oddest celebrations in the country. Held each October in Manitou Springs, Colorado (a small town of about 5,000 outside Colorado Springs), this one-day event honors the passing of the town’s most famous former resident, Emma Crawford.

Emma Crawford was a young woman who came from South Royalston, Massachusetts to Manitou Springs for fresh Rocky Mountain air to help her battle tuberculosis. At age 28, Emma passed away in December 1891 and requested to be buried atop Red Mountain, which overlooks the town. Her body remained in that location until 1912, when the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company did some work on Red Mountain and moved her coffin to the south slope. Unfortunately, rains and other turbulent weather loosened the soil and rocks, resulting in Emma’s coffin sliding down the mountain and onto the main thoroughfare of Manitou Springs.

Photo by Andra DuRee Martin.

The 6-6-6 on Ghost Tours in the U.S.

The third installment of my Halloween series is devoted to ghost tours in the United States. There are plenty of great tours in many American cities, so eventseekr is bringing you the 6-6-6 on paranormal tours throughout the country.

Prices quoted are for adult tickets in 2011. Many of these tours operate year-round and have additional tours offered in the month of October, so it’s not too late to check them out! Some tours are cash only, so look at their websites for payment information.

Top 6 Ghost Tours in the Northeast & Midwest

1. Original Ghosts of Gettysburg Tours – Gettysburg, PA – $10 to $20

The Original Ghosts of Gettysburg offers five different walking/minibus tours that cover much of the city, including Steinwehr Avenue and Baltimore Street. With over 46,000 casualties on the fields of Gettysburg, every inch of this town has been touched by the tragic events of July 1-3, 1863, from the Gettysburg College’s elevator, which is a time portal to a Civil War-era operating room, to the home of civilian casualty Jennie Wade.

2. Baltimore Ghost Tours – Baltimore, MD – $13 to $20

Baltimore, the city that brought you Edgar Allan Poe, is a great place to take a ghost tour. The Original Fell’s Point GhostWalk in the historic waterfront district recounts tales of rowdy sailors, bawdy prostitutes and travel-weary immigrants who docked in Baltimore in the 18th and 19th Centuries. If you are interested in a more, well, cultural side of Baltimore, the Mount Vernon GhostWalk goes into more than the stunning architecture of the area where tours meet up at the very haunted The Owl Bar. Of course, if you want to grab a pint and hear a tale, Fell’s Point Haunted PubWalk might be more up your alley.

Photo courtesy of Baltimore Ghost Tours.

Top 6 Halloween Hot Spots & Parties in the U.S.

Halloween is next week. For many here in the U.S., it is quite a big deal. Whether you’re taking your kids out trick-or-treating or going to a party to get into a little mischief, Halloween is one of those special occasions where you can’t just stay at home all night long. While Jules has got you covered on what you can do to keep yourself spooked throughout the holiday, here is a choice short list of places where you can go out and party the night away.

MSTRKRFT, Laidback Luke, Wolfgang Gartner and araabMUZIK in Chicago (Oct. 29 at Congress Theatre)

Wolfgang Gartner & MSTRKRFT. Photos provided courtesy of Undocumented Management.

Simply put, this is a solid lineup, and you could do worse things than spend $30 for general admission into the Congress Theatre on this night: a speeding ticket, overdraft fees at your bank, a bad first date at Applebee’s, whatever. MSTRKRFT, Luke and Wolfgang are heavy hitters in electronic dance music, and araabMUZIK is no slouch either. With a venue as big as the Congress is, coupled with the solid, hard-edged electro that will be pumping through the building’s subwoofers via the talent involved, you will still be wanting to party well after this shin-dig is over.