64. The Brookdale Lodge

The Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains is both a large resort hotel and a local haunted house. In this episode, Matt shares the local lore, talks with two people who had eerie encounters at the Brookdale Lodge, and shares his own experiences there.

63. Summer Camp Stories With Dawn Burley

Ghost stories are often associated with campfires, and common perception is that Scout camps are a prime place to learn ghost stories. But the logistics of camp, and of the counselor’s need to keep control over campers, makes that situation a bit more complicated. In this episode, Matt is joined by his old friend, and former Girl Scout camp counselor, Dawn Burley to talk about ghost stories in the Girl Scout camp experience. 

62. Ghosts of NYU (With Dr. Michele Hanks)

Colleges and universities attract spooky stories like nobody’s business. The sharing of creepy tales and urban legends is a common part of student life on many campuses. But New York University is somewhat unusual in that it seems to obtain its creepy folklore as part of real estate transactions. In this episode, NYU faculty member Dr. Michele Hanks speaks with Matt about the stories associated with the historic campus.

61. Robert Johnson, Reconsidered

In this episode, Matt revisits the story of Robert Johnson and his supposed deal with the Devil at the crossroads. Along the way, we discuss the history of Blues music, Jim Crow-era racism, and how the culture of the 1980s led to the story of the bluesman who sold his soul becoming permanently affixed to Johnson.

60. Bloody Mary

You have likely heard, especially if you have ever been a pre-teen girl, that if you stand in front of a mirror in a dark room and perform a specific ritual, you will summon a ghost, or demon, or witch or some other such being. It’s dangerous, thrilling, and, for many, a rite of passage. In this episode, Matt discusses one of the most widespread ghost stories on earth – Bloody Mary. 

59. The Bandage Man of Cannon Beach

The Cannon Beach and Seaside areas of Oregon’s coast are home to an unusual spirit – the Bandage Man. Part ghost, part mummy, part reanimated corpse, this creature is the central character of a local urban legend and serves as something of a local mascot. Join Matt for a discussion of this weirdly delightful story.

58. Gnomes and Ghosts

No, Matt is not going to turn this into a podcast on gnomes and other fairy folk…but there are more connections between fairies, gnomes, and ghosts than one might think. In this episode, Matt talks about a scary gnome that might be a demon, as well as a man who died and came back as a ghost that appears to resemble a gnome or brownie.

57. Mission La Purisima Concepcion, California

The ghost stories about the La Purisima Mission, what they include and what they surprisingly don’t, tell us a lot about how Californians think about their state’s past.

55. The Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, Oregon

In this episode: how commerce, tall tales, and xenophobia collide with notions of innocence and victimization to create the folklore of Portland’s Haunted Shanghai Tunnels.