When the Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage in 1936, she was the second largest cruise liner in the world, with almost twice the tonnage of the Titanic. Before the era of jet travel, luxury liners such as these were seen as the only way to travel in style, and famous personalities such as Fred Astaire, Bob Hope, Clark Gable and the royals were often seen enjoying it’s first class amenities while crossing the Atlantic from Southampton to New York City.

In World War II, she was converted into a troop carrier, earning records for carrying the most troops across the seas. Winston Churchill secretly traveled in it for Allied meetings in the United States, and demanded his own lifeboat with a machine gun, so as to fight until the bitter end, if it came to that. After the war, it functioned again as a passenger ship until 1967. It sailed to Long Beach, California, where it’s been a combination museum, hotel and tourist attraction ever since. The Queen Mary receives over 1.5 million visitors per year.

Some of these visitors are permanent – ghosts and hauntings! There is even a show devoted to the ghosts of Queen Mary, and signs are installed within the ship where ghosts have reportedly been spotted. There is also a Halloween event every year, called Dark Harbor, which runs for two weeks leading up to Halloween (more on that later.)

So, what are some of these stories that would make this ship one of the world’s foremost haunted attractions? Let’s get into the bloody history of the Queen Mary, who witnessed 49 deaths onboard while in operation.

The Grey Ghost

In World War II, the ship was painted grey as camouflage, and due to that and the fact it held the world record for speed at sea, it was nicknamed The Grey Ghost. To avoid torpedoes, it sailed in a zig zag pattern, and once sliced through an escort warship that went off course, sinking it rapidly and drowning 338 of her 439 sailors. 40 years later, a television crew accidentally left an audio recorder running overnight in the exact location where the collision happened – the tape played back sounds of pounding hands on a metal hull and noises of drowning sailors.

The Crushed Crewman

In 1966, a young seaman named John Peddar was crushed to death in the depths of Engine Room #13 during a drill. To this day, visitors report sightings of a young man in coveralls wandering around. One visitor felt something brush across his face while visiting the room, and later his wife noticed a streak of engine grease on his face.

Ghostly Swimmers

There’s been several reports of ghosts in the first class swimming pools aboard the ship (which is empty), such as sightings of bathers in 1930′s era bathing suits. You can sometimes hear the sounds of splashing, and many have seen wet footprints on the tile. In the second class pool (long since converted into a theatre), a little girl named Jackie had drowned, and visitors can sometimes hear her calling for her Mommy, or her childish laughter and singing in the first class pool (where else would she go?) Some have also seen a little girl in the pool area clutching a teddy bear.

Little Spirits in the Playroom

There is a children’s playroom and nursery, where some visitors may hear children laughing and playing. In 1991, one passenger on a guided tour heard the sounds, but could only see the usual toys, games and books on the display. But then the doorknob began rattling and they heard the door being kicked. She quickly went to catch up with the rest of the tour group, but felt her purse and shirt constantly being tugged. I guess they needed a play companion?

A much darker spirit is that of a little infant named Leigh, who unfortunately died a few hours after birth (though not without the surgeons trying to save his life.) Some could still hear the wails of the baby while passing what was once the third class playroom.

The Woman in White

A “regular” ghost seems to reside in the ship’s first class lounge – a beautiful woman in a white evening gown is often seen dancing alone within the shadows. On one tour, a little girl, who had never heard of the sighting, kept pointing and asking about a “woman in white.” Nobody else saw it, but the girl insisted she was there, and continued watching her dance.

The Lonely But Playful Girl

In 2000, a hotel service member was vacuuming the carpet in the Exhibit Hall when the temperature suddenly dropped. Turning around, he saw a little girl sucking her thumb and floating in the air. She then stretched her arms out, as if wanting to be picked up. Her eyes were also glowing. Terrified, the crew member fled and reported the incident.

A few weeks later, just leaving the Grand Salon on R Deck, another cleaning crew member was pushing his mop and bucket. It suddenly jammed, so he checked to see what was stopping the wheels. He felt a presence, and turned around to see a little girl in a white dress and white hat sucking her thumb. She was floating in mid air and had no legs. She floated away into the Grand Salon, where the doors were shut (they were always open), and tried to open them. They swung out so powerfully it knocked the man to the floor. He heard the girl’s playful laughter recede in the distance. The next day, he checked the (open) doors, and realized they were much too heavy to be swung shut by one person.

Cabin B340

This cabin is now closed for rentals, due to its high paranormal activity. Previously, guests sleeping in this room were awakened in the night by lights turning on and off, water being switched on and off, and covers being pulled off. Other people have heard a moaning, angry voice saying “Get out!”

There’s two (unconfirmed) stories involving this cabin. The first is that in 1948 it was used as a holding cell for a deranged man who had been threatening his family. When the family visited later, the men flew into a rage and murdered his 5 year old daughter. The second story involves a crew member who was murdered in the room in 1937, and that his ghost still resides there.

The Piano Player

One evening, a mother and daughter were staying aboard the Queen Mary for the night, and they were waiting for a friend at a quarter to two in the morning. They waited in the Lobby, which was deserted – even the front desk clerk has stepped away for a moment. The daughter decided to sit at the grand piano, which was constructed especially for the Queen Mary in the 1930′s. The lid on the keyboard was down, but suddenly a melody came from it. Both the daughter and mother heard it. They decided to wait for their friend outside on the deck instead.

The Dark Harbor Haunt

Many people would list the Queen Mary as among the top world destinations for hauntings. To celebrate, the ship puts on a frightful Halloween bash every year. It features 7 mazes and attractions, as well as a complex for live entertainment, food and cocktails.

To enter the haunt, visitors must first pass through a 220 foot long, fog-shrouded tunnel of shipping containers containing ghouls and monsters. They then emerge at “Hell’s Bells Tower,” a 33-foot tower made of shipping containers and which shoots flames into the night sky. Throughout the mazes, pyrotechnical and other spooky special effects keep visitors spooked and their skin crawling. Such attractions include “Containment” where the ship’s infirmary gets a bit sick, “Submerged” where it feels like you’re sinking (the ship almost sunk once due to a rogue wave on choppy seas), and “The Village of the Damned” where creatures attempt to make you their permanent residents.

The show this year goes from October 7th to 31th, and prices start at $20. For more information, check out www.queenmary.com/dark-harbor. The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach.

By Roberta Beach Jacobson

Europe feels a wee bit spooky now and then, you say? No, it’s not your imagination. The continent is filled with creepy, crawly things of all manner. Here are some of the ghoulish highlights:

Skulls and Skeletons
Due to lack of burial space, these skulls and skeletons were removed from area cemeteries during the Plague years and the Palatinate War. They have been stored in the cellar of St. Michael’s Church in Oppenheim, Germany.

The Sewers of Paris
Who knows what sort of monsters inhabit the 2100 kilometers of the city’s famous sewers? Find out for yourself. Guided tours are given Wednesday to Saturday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). You enter at Pont d’Alma, two bridges upstream from the Eiffel Tower.

A Grave Matter Indeed
Did you know you can crawl through the Royal Crypt of Brussels every Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. and it’s free? The place to head is the Church of Our Lady in Laken, Brussels. Be careful.

Dracula Park
The Romanian town of Sighisoara (about 180 miles northwest of Bucharest) plans a Count Dracula Theme Park. It is set to open in 2003. How can this idea miss? Don’t you agree it has a certain bite to it?

Witches of Belgium
The annual Witches’ Festival takes place every June in Ellezelles, Belgium.

Dead Rat Ball
The Anglo-Belgian painter and printer, James Baron Ensor made much use of masks in his paintings to better emphasize the qualities of the people in his crowd scenes. So it came to be that the Dead Rat Ball is held every year in Carnival season in his memory in his home town of Ostend, Belgium, The event has nothing to do with ex-rodents, but is named after Le Rat Mort, the artist’s favorite cabaret in Paris.

Medieval Crime Museum
Go surround yourself with torture from the Middle Ages. This four-story museum in Rothenburg, Germany is bound to give anybody the willies, as you view fingerscrews (to make people tell the truth) and masks of shame (for people who missed church). The Middle Ages offered all sorts of unusual punishments for citizens, as evidenced by the so-called “baker’s chairs”&emdash;for those bad bakers who dared to short customers on loaf sizes. Tsk-tsk. There is a large display of chastity belts, too. The address for the Kriminalmuseum is Burggasse 3-5. You must request guided tours in advance, but all displays are also in English. Visit their website at http://www.kriminalmuseum.rothenburg.de.

Savoring Scorpions and Spiders
If you like amazing tales, this Copenhagen museum is for you. Find out how people enjoy dining on spiders and scorpions (and maybe you can get a few good recipes to try at home). You’ll discover 13 galleries full of the unusual, including art made from cockroaches. Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum is open daily and is located in Copenhagen at Radhuspladsen 57.

(Keith Kellett contributed to this article.)

Texas Fan Builds Replica Home of TV’s The Munster’s

Some Halloween fans are content to celebrate their favorite holiday once a year. Die-hard fans, however, find ways to keep the pumpkin flame burning all year long to feed their Halloween addiction. Some keep a few select collectibles on display year-round. With each glance they feel a twinge of excitement&emdash;their Halloween fix. Others gather with their fellow fans during the year and swap stories, share ideas, and generally have a Hallow-rific good time.

Front View of Munster Mansion

Then there are fans that kick it up a few notches. They host a website. They transition from home haunter to commercial haunter. Legend has it one fan went so far as to publish a year ’round print magazine based on their passion for Halloween (can you imagine!).

By far one of the most ardent fan is Sandra McKee who lives in Waxahachie, Texas. Along with her husband Charles, she has spent the better part of a year building a replica of the Munsters Mansion in which to live. You see, not only is Sandra the ultimate Halloween, she’s the ultimate Munsters fan.

The Munsters

It all began when Sandra fell in love with the Munsters television show. The show debuted on September 24, 1964 on CBS and ran until September 1, 1966. There were 70 episodes.

Front Entrance to Munster Mansion

With a homestead located at 1313 Mockingbird Land in Mockingbird Heights, the Munsters were a quirky yet lovable family. Heading the household was Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) and his vampish wife, Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo). Her father, Grandpa (Al Lewis) is Transylvania’s dark-haired son, Count Dracula while their son, Eddie (Butch Patrick), is a mini-wolfman. Rounding out the family is the one misfit, niece Marilyn, who is a pretty, perky blond teenager (played by Beverly Owen and later Pat Priest).

Much of the show took place at the Munsters home. The house was a classic Victorian Mansion, circa late 19th Century. One distinctive feature was the massive front door, both welcoming and foreboding at the same time. Another distinctive feature was the dramatic staircase in the foyer that lifted to expose their resident dragon, Spot. Grandpa’s favorite hide away was his dungeon&emdash;a place to plot, scheme and generally engage in deep thoughts. And what spooky abode would be complete without a few secret passages.

Making a Dream Come True

Sandra adored Halloween for about as long as she loved The Munsters. Over time her two loves intensified, eventually uniting with her decision to build and live in her dream home, the Munster Mansion.

While the television show depicted a complete house, in reality only the façade of the house existed. With no real blueprints available, the McKee’s sought counsel from experts on the topic. One source of aide was Keith Benson, assistant to the producer of the television show. Conversations with Keith proved helpful in piecing together what, in essence, was a floor plan puzzle Tony Greco, president of the Munsters fan club shared his expertise on the show while also providing Sandra a roomful of Munster memorabilia.

Staircase inside Munster Mansion

Ground breaking for Munster Mansion took place in January 2001. Located on a two-acre plot of land, the completed Mansion stands two stories and a whopping 5,825 square feet. Fortunately Sandra already has a house of antiques that fit in perfectly. One addition she anticipates is reproducing the sofa in the television show. Being an avid collector of Munster memorabilia, Sandra will at last have the perfect showcase for her items.

As for authenticity, the front door was painstakingly built to match the one in the show. Yes, the staircase will rise, through the use of pneumatics. Yes, Spot will emerge from the staircase. No, Spot is not a dragon but rather their German shepherd canine. There were a couple of details that will not be in the mansion. While there will not be basement, a storm shelter will serve as Grandpa’s dungeon. Another detail absent will be the phone in the coffin. It’s a bit too macabre for Sandra!

Halloween at Munster Mansion

The McKee’s have always decorated them selves and their yard for Halloween and this year will be no exception. A big shindig is planned the Saturday prior to Halloween at ’1313 Mockingbird Lane,’ with Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster) slated to appear and – hopefully – Al Lewis (Grandpa). There will be live music, refreshments, and several hundred guests.

Of course, Sandra and Charles McKee will complete their fantasy and appear in costume as their favorite host and hostess, Lily and Herman Munster.

A Star is Born

When you build a house like the McKee’s, you’re bound to attract a lot of attention. Sandra has done innumerable radio interviews from places as far away as Germany and even Australia. Mainstream magazines (People, Women’s World) have also called. Other notable contacts include Ripley’s Believe It or Not and Good Morning America.

Through all the requests for information, Sandra remains cheerful and upbeat about her new home, stating “It’s nice people like what you’re doing.” While not an easy endeavor, it is quite possible that others will follow in the footsteps of the McKee’s. Yet in the end, Sandra and Charles McKee will always be able to say that they built the first real Munster house.

A Little Town On It’s Way Up

“Eternity in Hell” is a sentence of suffering for most. But not for John Colone. Eternity is just about the length of time it would reasonably take to put in place the thousands of ideas that spew from the mind of this former top Chrysler dealer who has made a commitment to transform Hell – Michigan, that is – into a year round Halloween destination.

“We’ll be celebrating, and selling, Halloween 363 days a year,” says John Colone, the energetic owner of two of the three businesses in the tiny town. “Christmas and Easter, we’ll be closed. We don’t want to compete with Santa Claus or that crazy rabbit.”

Colone’s vision of Halloween in Hell is inclusive, family-friendly and decidedly original. Here you won’t find the gore that has become increasingly realistic in the Halloween trade. Despite the name, Hell is no haven for those who take their devils – or anything else for that matter – seriously. Instead, you’ll visit “Screams,” (The Scariest Ice Cream Parlor on Earth), for a build-your-own premium ice cream sundae, ladling toppings from a previously-owned European toe-pincher coffin (newly-lined in stainless steel, of course). And here in Hell, they don’t miss a trick: instead of calling the marshmallow sauce, well, Marshmallow Sauce, you’ll find it filed under Scary Ghost Poop. Chocolate chips are Hog Warts. The big portions of ice cream are Frankenscoops, and when you drink a frozen fruity drink, you’ll be getting a BrainFreeze.

“Screams” will also host a truly esoteric collection of Halloween decorations for inside and outside the home, candles and candle holders, and an entire wall of masks, ranging in price from under $10 to over $150.

Colone recognizes that he’s not really in the ice cream business. Nor is he in the Halloween business, per se. He’s in the entertainment business; his plans for Screams include an element that most customers at an ice cream shop, even one with a Halloween theme, will find extraordinary: a haunted chamber of commerce office. With a couple of high-end pneumatic effects from The Scare Factory in Columbus, Ohio, Colone intends on dishing up a few surprises for his guests.

“Every thirty minutes, the lights in the office area will flicker and go dim. We’ll pump in a little smoke, rev up some spooky audio, and trigger the first effect: a banging set of shutters that eventually fly open to allow a gruesome ghoul to fly out toward the visitors.” Colone starts to get warmed up when describing the action. It’s easy to see his enthusiasm for the project. “And just after the first scare, when they’re laughing and catching their breath, we’ll pop the top on our Deskolator – a normal-looking desk until the blotter swings up and out pops a masked head. It’s great,” says the head Hellion.

Colone owns another business in town: Hell Country Store and Spirits. The store serves the just shy of 300 (living, mortal) residents, who, like anyone else, need their daily groceries and newspapers. Inside the store, Hell’s Kitchen serves up outstanding pizzas, sandwiches, hot dinners, salads, and desserts, and is increasingly busy with catering. Another corner of the Hell Country Store and Spirits is occupied by the U. S. Post Office. A favorite for tourists, its specialty rubber stamp impressions adorn visitors’ envelopes all year, and in April, hundreds of taxpayers send their “Taxes from Hell.”

Folks who go to “Hell and Back” want souvenirs, and they’ll find them in the Country Store: bumper stickers, T-shirts, bandanas, mugs, shot glasses, ashtrays, key tags, watches, small wooden bats (‘Bat Out of Hell,’ of course), and much more.

Not surprisingly, Hell is on the internet, too. The main site for the town, with products, Hell history, and a Hellish take on the news of the day, is at www.hell2u.com. And Hell’s fully non-accredited institute of higher learning, Damnation University, can be found at www.damu.com. There, you can buy diploma packages, with Dam U apparel, which commemorate the foibles and follies of everyday life.

To say there’s a lot of angles to Halloween in Hell is, well, a helluva understatement. It would take a small army to develop the place to match the vision of Colone, but even without the army, Hell’s new owner is steadfast. “We’re in Hell for the duration,” vows Colone. “One eternity or two, I’ll be here.”

Located in Mansfield, Ohio – One Spooky Place

Touring any empty prison is an eerie experience, to be sure. Now enhance that experience by doing it at night with only flashlights to light your way down deserted corridors that resonate of prior inhabitants. Intensify it further by placing that tour in a 149,000 square foot structure that looks more like a turn-of-the-century medieval chateau than a prison. The result is an Ultimate Halloween Destination – the Ohio State Reformatory (OSR) in Mansfield, Ohio. So intriguing is this setting that it has been a location for four films since 1975, most notable being The Shawshank Redemption in 1993.

While attending the Ohio Haunted Conference last June, I jumped at the chance to tour OSR. My only other experience with a prison tour was of Alcatraz in San Francisco, California which included a memorable 30-second stay in solitary confinement.

Approaching the Reformatory at dusk, one is in awe of the massive size and beauty of the structure. Construction began in 1886 for what was to be a new level of service for troubled young boys, somewhere between a boys school and a penitentiary. The Reformatory had education and spirituality overtones with the goal of preparing boys for a productive life upon release. The purpose shifted by the 1930s to being a maximum-security prison as the population doubled in size to a stifling 3,500 inmates. A federal lawsuit was filed in 1978 on behalf of inmates by a coalition of church and civic groups eventually closing the facility in 1990.

Presently the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society, cooperating with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, has as its mission “to save this magnificent structure as a museum facility. A fund raising process of donations and grants will preserve the historic and architectural importance of OSR and infuse a sense of civic pride by bringing nationwide recognition and tourism to Mansfield.”

In 1987 the Ohio State Reformatory was listed with the National Register of Historic Places. A notable designation is the East Cell Block, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest free standing steel cell block rising six tiers.

OCR has been featured on Fox Family Channel’s Real Scary Stories and listed as 101 Things to Do Before You Die by Travel Channel, both recognition’s well deserved. Happy Halloween Magazine is pleased to give OCR our own special designation as an Ultimate Halloween Destination.

Should your travels bring you to Ohio, make sure to visit to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. Special events and Sunday tours are available May through October, with special Halloween events every mid-September through October. Visit their website for details (www.mrps.org).

A Scary Place Located in Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River (MA) Our tour guides will be informing you of the history and mystery of each room during your tour of the house where the most infamous crime of 19th century America took place. We are providing this guide to assist you and hope you will be able to decide for yourself who murdered Andrew and Abbey Borden on that fateful day.

On Thursday, August 4, 1892 the bodies of Andrew and Abbey Borden were found shortly after 11:00 am in the house at 92 Second Street, Fall River, Massachusetts.

Lizzie Borden B&B in Fall River, Mass.

Andrew Jackson Borden, 69 years old at the time of his death, was a wealthy retired businessman. He lived in this home with his second wife Abby Durfee Gray Borden, 64, and his two adult daughters by his first marriage, Emma and Lizzie.

Emma Lenora Borden was 41 in 1892. Lizzie Andrew Borden was 32 at the time of the murders. An Irish servant, Bridget Sullivan, had quarters in an attic room. She was 26 years old and was called “Maggie” by Emma and Lizzie.

Andrew’s first wife was Sarah Anthony Morse. She bore him three daughters, Emma, Alice and Lizzie. Alice died when she was an infant. Sarah Borden died in 1863 when Lizzie was almost 3 years old.

John Vinnicum Morse was Sarah Morse Borden’s brother. He had remained close to the Borden family and was considered to be a friend by Andrew. He was visiting the Borden household at the time of the murders and was considered an early suspect.

Lizzie Borden Bedroom

Alice Russell was a friend of Emma and Lizzie. Lizzie had visited Miss Russell on the evening before the murders and complained of being “depressed” and she feared that someone would do harm to her father. Adelaide Churchill lived next door to the Bordens in the Buffinton house. Lizzie summoned both Miss Russell and Mrs. Churchill to the house immediately following the murders.

City Marshall Rufus Hillard was head of the Fall River Police Department. His assistant was John Fleet. A portion of the police department were at their annual outing at Rocky Point Amusement Park in nearby Warwick, Rhode Island on August 4, 1892.

Shortly after the murders, Lizzie was required to testify at an inquest without the presence of an attorney. She was charged with the crime, arrested and sent to the Taunton House of Correction and remained there until her trial in June 1893. Lizzie did not testify at her trial in New Bedford and the prosecution was not allowed to introduce her inquest testimony.

After her acquittal, Lizzie and Emma returned to this house. They soon purchased a home in the fashionable Highland section of the city which Lizzie later named “Maplecroft.” Lizzie and Emma remained together until 1905 when Emma moved away. The house at 92 Second Street remained a rental property for 25 years until Emma and Lizzie sold it in 1918.

Both Maplecroft and the Borden’s summer house in Swansea are still standing and are private homes.

Lizzie died at her home in 1927 from heart failure. She was 66 years old. Emma passed away 9 days later in Newmarket, New Hampshire at the age of 76. The Borden family is buried at the family plot in Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River. The cemetery is open daily from dawn to dusk.

At the turn of the century, Lizzie began calling herself Lizbeth. Her granite gravestone has Lizbeth carved on it. The larger family marker is inscribed Lizbeth Andrews Borden.

Thanks to Sally McGinn, proprietor of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, for this story and photos. For more information or to make reservations, phone/fax 508.675.7333.