One of the most popular themes for a Halloween attraction is the haunted house. After all, what would Halloween be without a haunted house or two?? Theatrical haunted house attractions are plentiful around Halloween time, but what about a
real haunted house? Such is the case with the house pictured above (the second picture was taken around 1900). Known as the Vineyard House, it's located in the historic town of Coloma, Ca-- home of the famous California Gold Rush. I have always thought it was pretty cool to live near such a historic place, but what I especially loved about it was the Vineyard House. From the time I was quite young, my parents and neighbor kids told stories about the house being haunted, and of course I loved hearing them. The stories fascinated me, and I loved it when my parents would take us to Coloma to have dinner at the house (when it was open as a restaurant and bar), and also to the James Marshall monuments by the river. The history of the house is a very long and tragic one. It is a known fact that Robert and Louisa Chalmers, the original husband and wife, died there, as did numerous others when the basement of the house was later used as a jail. The story goes that Robert came down with syphilus and began to lose his mind and his eyesight. He supposedly claimed that Louisa was trying to poison him, and at some point after things had gotten out of control, she had him chained in the basement, where he eventually died of starvation. Robert is one of the people who is believed to haunt the house, as is his wife, Louisa. After his death, she became desperate for money, and finally allowed the lower part of the house to be used as a jail. According to accounts, there were at least several executions that took place right outside the house as well. One of the owners many years later found very old, wooden coffins underneath the stairs leading to the front door while the house was being renovated.
Over the years, different owners have come and gone and tried to make a go of the place as a restaurant and inn, and many of them had unsettling experiences. The basement, where Robert Chalmers died chained to a wall, was used as the bar, and many strange incidents took place in there. One bartender, while cleaning up late at night, claimed that while he was wiping down one end of the bar, a glass at the far other end slid all the way down the bar towards him all by itself, and stopped right in front of him. Other stories were told by guests who stayed in the upstairs bedrooms. One story was told by a couple who were awakened late at night by the sound of people talking loudly as they walked up the stairs. The husband opened up the door to tell the noisemakers to quiet down, and when he did, he saw three men dressed in Victorian clothing fade before his eyes. Another story was another couple who experienced something that scared them so badly that they packed their things and left in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, they did not share what happened to scare them like that, so I cannot say what it was. If only they had told someone!
Another cool thing about the place is that there is a very old graveyard directly across from the Vineyard House. The Chalmers' family are among the people buried there. There is supposedly the ghost of a lady dressed in black period clothes who has been seen in the cemetery. She is known as the Lady in Black. I always wished I would see or hear something paranormal whenever I was there, but I never did. The house has been a private residence for many years now, but I have heard talk of it being re-opened as a restaurant and bar. I keep hoping there's truth to this rumor. It has such a fascinating history, and there are so many stories told by its owners, its customers, and guests that the place is famous for its hauntings. I once read that it was featured on 'That's Incredible' and also 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not'. I wish I had those episodes. I'd have loved to have seen them. I will always think of how cool it is that I grew up not too far from a real haunted house!
My fellow witches, ghouls and other creatures of the night...it is finally time. Our holiday is upon us at last. The weather here is perfect for All Hallow's Eve--dark, damp and dreary. I hope everyone has a scare-ific time tonight! Above all, be sure to scare the living hell out of those unsuspecting victims who dare to venture into your yard. *evil grin*
So, it looks like I am probably not going to be going out on Halloween this year. Normally, the thought of staying home on my favorite night of the year would seriously depress me, but luckily this year, I have a good reason for spending it at home. In fact, a part of me actually *wants* to be home so that I can watch one of my favorite shows, 'Ghost Hunters'. I'm not usually a big fan of reality shows, but seeing as how this one deals with the paranormal, I'm pretty hooked. On Halloween night, the TAPS team will be doing a ghost hunt live at the "Black Hole" in Fort Delaware-- a location that's reportedly very active in terms of paranormal activity. I missed last year's live investigation on Halloween, so I'm really looking forward to seeing this one. Viewers can communicate with the team all during the investigation, and alert them to anything out of the ordinary that the team might not notice. It should be very interesting. I've become quite a fan of this show. I really like that they go into an investigation while trying to be as objective as possible. Instead of trying to prove that a location is haunted, they first try to rule out all other possible reasons for the strange goings-on. This seems to separate the team from other ghost hunters, who go into investigations with the assumption that a place is haunted without having good evidence to support it. It should make for a fun way to spend Halloween.
I love how surreal this one is.
I couldn't resist adding this one. How beautiful it is. Even the sky is just brilliant. I would love to wake up to a view like this greeting me every morning. I had to put it on my desktop. I just had to.
Another great site with tons of fantastic carving patterns. I love this one with the cat.
I never would have thought you could make such wonderful props with something like papier mache, but obviously, I was wrong. These are great!
I love Fall festivals. One of my favorites was the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival. I don't live in that region anymore, but when I did, I always enjoyed going to this event. They have all sorts of entertainment, and the streets are blocked off from traffic, and lined with vendors selling all sorts of stuff from art, jewelry, food, clothing, etc. There is also a haunted house, and of course, a great pumpkin weigh off. The pumpkins are incredible!
One of the most popular themes for a Halloween attraction is the haunted house. After all, what would Halloween be without a haunted house or two?? Theatrical haunted house attractions are plentiful around Halloween time, but what about a real haunted house? Such is the case with the house pictured above (the second picture was taken around 1900). Known as the Vineyard House, it's located in the historic town of Coloma, Ca-- home of the famous California Gold Rush. I have always thought it was pretty cool to live near such a historic place, but what I especially loved about it was the Vineyard House. From the time I was quite young, my parents and neighbor kids told stories about the house being haunted, and of course I loved hearing them. The stories fascinated me, and I loved it when my parents would take us to Coloma to have dinner at the house (when it was open as a restaurant and bar), and also to the James Marshall monuments by the river. The history of the house is a very long and tragic one. It is a known fact that Robert and Louisa Chalmers, the original husband and wife, died there, as did numerous others when the basement of the house was later used as a jail. The story goes that Robert came down with syphilus and began to lose his mind and his eyesight. He supposedly claimed that Louisa was trying to poison him, and at some point after things had gotten out of control, she had him chained in the basement, where he eventually died of starvation. Robert is one of the people who is believed to haunt the house, as is his wife, Louisa. After his death, she became desperate for money, and finally allowed the lower part of the house to be used as a jail. According to accounts, there were at least several executions that took place right outside the house as well. One of the owners many years later found very old, wooden coffins underneath the stairs leading to the front door while the house was being renovated.
This is truly unbelievable. I wish I could go to West Virginia just to see this. If you visit the site below, there is a video of it, along with the lights all blinking in tune with music. Amazing!
I thought this was one hell of a yard display! I must admit that I'm arachnophobic, but I can still appreciate a great yard haunt--and a most unusual one, at that-- when I see one. I love the lighting in this display, too. Fantastic.
One of many scenes from New Orleans' Halloween parade with the Vampire Lestat and Armand! I so wish I could be back in New Orleans again for Halloween...especially to see my favorite vampires!
I came across this awesome prop awhile ago and have always wanted it.
Another wonderful life-size prop from The Horror Dome. I have a thing for vampires. I would love to have this thing hanging from the corner of my room. It reminds me of the one from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
...then you should dig the art of Joseph Vargo. Some very cool stuff.
One of my favorite symbols of Halloween--the evil scarecrow. I absolutely love this one in particular. Aside from how creepy its face looks, there's something especially creepy about it being dressed in a tux. Don't know why, but to me, it makes it all the more creepier.
Now this is seriously too cool. I love Jack and Sally on the top. I wonder if the bride and groom were dressed like them. hehe
This picture is simply magical! I want to live there. Oh, the Halloween parties I would throw!!
