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The Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, Colorado

Image: Fern M. Lomibao

The majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado, surrounded by towering peaks and crisp mountain air already set a specific scenario, don’t they? Now, in that already eerie landscape emerges The Stanley Hotel . If the name doesn’t ring a bell already, you can probably recognize it as the one in the novel-based movie "The Shining." But let us tell you, the real-life tales of this place are even more hair-raising than anything King could dream up.

Built by F.O. Stanley, a man with a penchant for the paranormal, the Stanley Hotel is dripping with history and intrigue.

Only a few steps inside it and you’ll feel it, an otherworldly vibe that sends shivers down your spine . Some say it’s the owner’s ghost lingering around. Others swear they’ve encountered apparitions wandering the corridors, lost souls searching for peace. Whatever it is, only the boldest souls will dare to find out, are you one of those?

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Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Image: Lance Anderson

Philadelphia is full of spots that witnessed the history of the country’s Independence. Amidst the cobblestone alleyways and colonial charm lies a place shrouded in darkness: Eastern State Penitentiary.

Once hailed as a revolutionary institution for its innovative approach to incineration, the Eastern State now stands as a crumbling relic of the past. But don’t let its dilapidated facade fool you, this place is teeming with ghostly energy.

Step through the iron gates, and you’ll feel it immediately, a sense of unease you can’t just shake. They say the spirits of former inmates still haunt these crumbling halls , trapped between this world and the next.

Eastern State Penitentiary is a playground for the paranormal enthusiast. But beware, for not all who enter emerge unscathed. Are you brave enough to confront the ghosts of the Eastern State? Yours is the choice!

3

The Myrtles Plantation - St. Francisville, Louisiana

Image: David Hertle

In the heart of the south, you will find sprawling plantations and moss-draped oak trees. It is a picture-perfect scene straight out of a Southern Gothic novel. But, within the beauty lies a dark secret: The Myrtles Plantation.

At plain sight, this place seems like something out of a fairytale , it has stately columns and picturesque gardens. But that is not all, this place has a sinister side as well and the feeling you are not alone is always there.

But perhaps the most chilling part of all is the infamous "mirror room," where the spirits of the dead are said to be trapped for all eternity . If you are craving a taste of Southern hospitality with a side of spine-tingling thrills, the Myrtles Plantation awaits.

4

The Queen Mary - Long Beach, California

Image: Bradley Pisney

The history behind RMS Queen Mary takes different turns, from luxurious to creepy in just one lifetime. Initially, this ship served in the war, and it later transitioned to its opulent role, welcoming esteemed passengers across the vast seas. This first part of its story is not free of tragedy and mystery. For example, one incident involves a sailor who met his end crushed by a door in the engine room , while others recount the loss of children in the ship’s pool.

As of 1967, the Queen Mary belongs to Long Beach which acquired it and transformed it into a hotel that continues to charm guests to this da y. Yet, along with its hospitality, the ship harbors whispers of spectral inhabitants, ghostly remnants of its tumultuous past.

However, they have used it to its favor since the ship offers a visit and guided tours to explore the place around, ghosts and everything!

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Alcatraz Island - San Francisco, California

Image: Rodrigo Soares

The San Francisco Bay, the iconic Golden Bridge, PIER 39, San Francisco is filled with marvelous places to visit . Just as marvelous is the fact that one of the scariest spots, not to mention haunted, is located there as well. Just the name is creepy enough, don’t you think so?

Alcatraz was once the prison where America’s most notorious criminals were sent. And, today, it is home to a thousand ghostly anecdotes. According to them, Alcatraz is haunted by the ghosts of its former inmates, who weren’t necessarily meek as lambs!

The curious thing is that it’s not just the prisoners who refuse to leave, or at least that’s what one can assume. Visitors and park rangers alike have reported eerie encounters with unexplained phenomena, especially inexplicable sounds echoing through the empty corridors.

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The Whaley House - San Diego, California

Image: Phil Hearing

In 1857, against the backdrop of San Diego’s burgeoning landscape, Thomas Whaley built up his family house on the historic ground of the city’s original public gallows. Now, legend has it that as soon as they settled into their new abode, Whaley began to experience mysterious phenomena , to say the least. He reported hearing the echoing footsteps of "Yankee" Jim Robinson, a notorious drifter, who met his end at the very site four years prior to the construction of the house.

However, the haunting tales did not cease with Robinson’s spectral presence. Tragedy seemed to shadow the Whaley family, with a series of untimely deaths and suicides befalling several members of the family inside the house. To this day, whispers persist of apparitions roaming the halls, often accompanied by the unmistakable scent of cigar smoke and heavy perfume.

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San Fernando Cathedral - San Antonio, Texas

Image: Priscilla Fraire

San Fernando Cathedral stands as the oldest church in the state, it hosts the unique El Mariachi Mass every Sunday. Its Gothic Revival architecture is a sight to behold. However, as darkness falls, the atmosphere around it takes on a creepy aura and only the bravest souls are willing to venture onto its myth-laden grounds.

In 1936, during structural renovations, construction workers made a chilling discovery near the altar: bones, nails, and tattered military uniforms, believed by some to have belonged to three soldiers of the Alamo.

Since the unsettling event, reports of shadowy futures and orbs appearing in photographs have circulated among visitors, along with sightings of ghosts within the church itself. Among these spectral sightings are accounts of mysterious men dressed in black and hooded figures reminiscent of monks, adding to the cathedral’s mystique.

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Sheffield Island Lighthouse - Norwalk, Connecticut

Image: Randy Laybourne

This lighthouse was erected in 1868 and it served as a beacon for ships navigating the waters to reach Sheffield Island , a mere 45-minute ferry journey from South Norwalk. This historic landmark harbors a somber history.

In 1972, tragedy struck when the lighthouse’s original keeper passed away under mysterious circumstances while scanning the horizon with a spyglass, his demise shrouded in unanswered questions. Nearly two decades later, in 1991, an archaeologist conducting preservation work on the site uncovered unsettling occurrences. Eerie melodies, distant pleas for assistance, and the unmistakable sound of a foghorn.

Legend has it these phenomena are attributed to the relentless spirit of Captain Robert Sheffield, the enigmatic figure who acquired the islands in the early 1800s and reputedly possessed a penchant for peculiar musical instruments, adding an aura of mystique to this maritime marvel.

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Winchester Mystery House - San Jose, California

Image: Kelly Zhang

The Winchester Mystery House stands as a testament to Sarah Winchester's unique response to tragedy. After losing her husband and child, Sarah was convinced by a seer that her family's demise was orchestrated by vengeful spirits seeking retribution for deaths caused by Winchester rifles.

Intending to keep these spirits at bay, she embarked on an elaborate construction project that resulted in the eerie mansion known today . Among its unsettling features are staircases leading to nowhere, doors opening onto solid walls, and windows revealing hidden passages, all perpetuating the house's mystique and intrigue.

Exploring this enigmatic abode offers a glimpse into Sarah Winchester's profound grief and her quest for solace among the paranormal.

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Emily’s Bridge - Stowe, Vermont

Image: Xiaocong Yan

In picturesque Stowe, Vermont, located among the charming covered bridges that dot New England’s landscape, there is one that harbors a chilling tale: Emily’s Bridge.

It is only 50 feet long, but this bridge has become synonymous with a tragic legend dating back to the mid-1800s.

As the story goes, a young woman named Emily was meant to rendezvous with her lover there for an elopement, but he never arrived . Devastated Emily took her own life, by hanging herself from the rafters. Yet, her spirit is said to linger, casting a sinister presence over the bridge. Locals tell Emily’s ghost allegedly torments passersby by clawing at their cars and leaving behind scary scratches.

Among the tales of spectral hauntings, sightings of a ghostly figure in white and inexplicable sounds echoing from the tunnel only add to the bridge’s macabre mystique.

1

Alabama: The first 911 call

Today, the number 911 is synonymous with emergency assistance. Yet, before 1968, there was no universal number to call for help. In fact, citizens had to remember specific ten-digit numbers for their local police, fire department, or ambulance service.

Contrary to what you may think, the first 911 call didn’t take place in a metropolis like New York or Los Angeles. The Alabama Telephone Company developed the system to prove that a universal emergency number was a good idea. So, on February 16, 1968, Alabama Speaker of the House, Rankin Fite, made the inaugural call from the mayor’s office in the small town of Haleyville.

2

Florida: The first sunscreen

Florida is famously known as the Sunshine State, so it’s no wonder that it’s the birthplace of the world’s first effective sunscreen. That said, the invention wasn’t driven by beachgoers looking for a tan, but by the war.

In 1944, during World War II, a Florida pharmacist named Benjamin Green was concerned about the severe sunburns suffered by soldiers stationed in the Pacific. So, he developed a substance known as "red vet pet", a thick, red, petroleum product. While it was sticky and messy, it worked by physically blocking UV rays. After the war, Green refined the formula, added coconut oil and cocoa butter, and eventually founded the world-famous Coppertone brand.

3

Iowa: The first electronic digital computer

If you think of the birth of computers, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Silicon Valley or the ENIAC machine in Pennsylvania. However, the world’s first electronic digital computer was built in the basement of the physics building at Iowa State University.

Between 1937 and 1942, Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry developed the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). Unlike previous mechanical calculators, the ABC used vacuum tubes and binary math, and it was the first to separate the memory from the processor.

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New York: The first commercial brewery

New York City may be the mecca of finance, but in the 1600s, its primary concern was refreshment. Long before the craft beer craze, the first commercial brewery in the New World was established in New Amsterdam (now Manhattan) in 1632.

The brewery was built by the Dutch West India Company on what is now named Stone Street, near Wall Street. At a time when water was often unsafe to drink, beer was a dietary staple for both adults and children. This early industry laid the foundation for New York’s long relationship with brewing, which would eventually make the state a global powerhouse for beer production in the 19th century.

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South Carolina: The first opera performance

While the high arts are typically associated with the Northeast, the first opera performed in the American colonies took place in Charleston, South Carolina.

In the colonial era, Charleston was a wealthy, culturally vibrant port city, and its citizens loved European entertainment. So, on February 18, 1735, the British ballad opera Flora premiered at a makeshift theater built in a courtroom. Needless to say, this performance predated the formal theaters of Philadelphia and New York.

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Maryland: The first dental school

For centuries, dentistry was a trade practiced by blacksmiths and barbers who had no formal medical training. This changed in 1840 in Baltimore, Maryland, with the founding of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery.

Established by dentist Horace Henry Hayden and doctor Chapin A. Harris, it was the first school in the world to offer a formal degree in dental surgery. The founders had initially approached the University of Maryland’s medical school to include dental instruction, but they were dismissed by physicians who claimed dentistry wasn’t that important. They didn’t give up and eventually started their own college, which still exists today as the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

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Maine: The first city

There are many really old cities in America. However, the first place to be officially chartered as a city in the English colonies was located in what is now York, Maine. In 1642, English military commander and proprietor of the Province of Maine, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, granted a charter to a settlement then known as Gorgeana. He even envisioned it as a grand capital for his new territory. While the city’s status was eventually revoked when the Massachusetts Bay Colony took control of the area, the charter remains the first of its kind in American history.

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Michigan: The first paved road

As the home of the American automotive industry, it is only fitting that Michigan would be the birthplace of the modern road. Before the beginning of the 20th century, most American roads were made of dirt, gravel, or bricks, which were ill-suited for the weight and speed of the newly invented automobile.

In 1909, the Wayne County Road Commission paved a one-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue in Detroit with concrete. It was the first time cement had been used to create a long-distance road surface. The experiment was so successful—costing less to maintain and providing a smoother ride—that it became the global standard for road construction.

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Minnesota: The first shopping mall

The American shopping mall is a cultural icon, but did you know it was born of a desire to escape the brutal winters of the Midwest? In 1956, the Southdale Center opened in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina, Minnesota, becoming the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall in the U.S.

The mall was intended to be a town square that would foster community interaction regardless of the weather outside. It featured two levels of shops and a central atrium. The design was so revolutionary that it served as the blueprint for thousands of malls across the globe. Fun fact: Minnesota is also home to the largest shopping mall in the world, the Mall of America, which opened in 1992 in Bloomington.

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Arizona: The first McDonald’s drive-thru

The drive-thru is a staple of fast food culture. Yet, contrary to what you may think, the first one wasn’t created for convenience but for military compliance. In 1975, a McDonald’s in Sierra Vista, Arizona, installed a service window to feed soldiers from the nearby Fort Huachuca.

At the time, soldiers were forbidden from wearing their military uniforms in public establishments. However, they were allowed to remain in their vehicles while in uniform. To capture the business of the hungry soldiers who couldn’t legally walk inside the restaurant, the owner installed a sliding window in the wall. The concept was an immediate success, quickly adopted by the rest of the venues.

1

Rotary telephones

Rotary telephones became common in America around the 1920s. In contrast to the push-button models that would come about in the 1970s, rotary telephones required a bit more work to dial a number. As the name suggests, users would have to place a finger in a numbered hole on the dial and then rotate it to a metal stop and release it — repeating this process with each number.

Dialing a long number could take quite some time , especially if you had many 9s and 0s, because these required the dial to travel the longest distance. It was normal to see these phones connected to the wall by a cord with a sturdy handset that rested on top of the base. Making a phone call was a completely different experience.

2

Tube television (CRT TVs)

When you see how thin and sleek TVs are nowadays, it’s almost impossible to imagine them as massive and heavy objects. CRT TVs became common after World War II , and the ownership boom happened throughout the 1950s.

These bulky cubes became the centerpiece of the typical family’s living room , where they gathered to watch TV. At first, images were black and white until the 1960s and 1970s, when color television would transform the viewing experience. Early televisions also didn’t have remote controls (something we now take for granted), so viewers would have to walk across the room to change channels or adjust the volume.

3

VCRs

It’s almost strange to remember that there was a time when people couldn’t watch movies at will, and their main choices were to wait until they aired on television or to buy theatre tickets. But this changed with the 1977 introduction of the VHS (Video Home System) players, aka VCRs, which revolutionized the way folks watched movies. The rise of VHS led to the explosion of video rental stores (such as the once-ubiquitous Blockbuster chain), which became a staple during the 1980s and 1990s.

Before returning a rented movie or in order to rewatch it, users had to rewind the tape , and many rental stores charged an extra fee if the tapes weren’t rewound. VCRs were later phased out after the rise of the DVD player.

4

Cassette Tapes and Cassette Players

Philips changed the world in 1963 when it released the compact cassette player, which became one of the most popular ways to listen to music from the 1970s through the 1990s . Cassette tapes made music portable, and suddenly people could listen to their favorite albums in the car or on a walk once Walkmans were introduced in 1979.

There are so many memories attached to cassette tapes, but homemade mixtapes are worth highlighting. This made it possible for listeners to create their own custom playlists on a cassette to share with friends and family, and making someone a mixtape was considered a very thoughtful and personal gift.

5

Telephone Directories

What would you do today if you wanted to find phone numbers, addresses, and local businesses? Probably Google. But not so long ago, you had to resort to The Yellow Pages. We all remember the large, thousand-page phone book; every family needed one if they wanted to be connected to the world. In some ways, phone books were the internet before the internet.

They included everything from residential phone numbers listed alphabetically to business directories organized by category. Whether you needed to reach a doctor or a plumber or even a school classmate, the phone book was the way to go.

6

Typewriters

The "click-clack" of the keys, followed by the familiar "ding" at the end of each line is likely one of the most recognizable sounds of the 20th century. Before personal computers, the only way to craft professional-looking documents was with typewriters — you could find them in schools, businesses, and homes.

Commercial typewriters came about in 1874, unlocking a new era of written communication. So many famous novels, newspaper articles, letters, and school assignments were written on typewriters before the digital era kicked in. Typewriters became a symbol of the art of writing , and we still use the QWERTY keyboard layout, introduced with them, on our modern computers and iPhones, too.

7

Encyclopedias

Instead of asking Google for the answer, a few decades ago, one of our only trusted sources of information was encyclopedia sets . Whether you were trying to find information on any topic for research, a school project, or simply out of curiosity, you had to go through the 20 to 30 hardcover volumes and find the one that contained the portion of the alphabet you needed to look into.

One of the most famous sets was the Encyclopedia Britannica, and having any set was considered a sign that a family valued education. But unlike digital encyclopedias, which can be modified in a matter of minutes, these had to be updated and printed again every year; therefore, companies offered door-to-door service.

8

Ashtrays in nearly every room

It’s almost impossible to explain to younger generations that people were once allowed to smoke in theatres, hotels, planes — even hospitals! Smoking was the most natural thing to do ; around 40% of American adults smoked cigarettes , which created a necessity for ashtrays everywhere.

From the 1940s through the 1970s, most homes had ashtrays in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms; it was considered basic courtesy to have them around the house when guests visited. They came in all shapes and colors, made of glass, ceramic, crystal, or metal — different designs to match the home’s decor. This trend began fading after the 1980s with the growing awareness of the dangers of smoking.

9

Rolodex card files

Before the 2000s, if you were a salesperson, executive, secretary, journalist, or anyone who managed a large network of contacts, chances are you had a Rolodex. This compact and useful tool was perfect for managing information from different contacts when there were no cellphones . Professionals relied on them to keep track of clients and colleagues — actually, the phrase "having a good Rolodex" meant having an impressive network of connections.

It consisted of hundreds of small index cards arranged alphabetically on a rotating wheel, and users could quickly flip through the cards to find the information they kept there. In contrast with a normal address book, with a Rolodex, if someone moved or got a new phone number, you could simply replace the old card with a new one rather than having to rewrite it.

10

Manual Can Openers Mounted Under Kitchen Cabinets

If you grew up sometime between the 1950s and 1980s, you probably remember manual can openers permanently mounted beneath an upper cabinet in the kitchen. These can openers were very convenient when cooking, and they were built to last — made of durable steel and sturdy enough to keep being used for decades .

Once handheld and more ergonomic can openers (and later electric models) became more affordable, mounted versions gradually disappeared from households, though some are still found in professional kitchens.