halloween

Don’t worry, these commercials are more silly than scary.

From loving tributes to the genuinely bizarre, here are some of our favorite Halloween commercials from decades past.

Friends consult a Ouija board during a séance.

Harry Houdini and Princess Diana are just a few of the spirits that mediums have tried to contact over the years.

You may not want to be alone in some of these libraries.

Libraries are usually quiet, secluded spots. But not all are as peaceful as they may seem.

See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

We ran the lyrics of a hit song through multiple languages, then translated them back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?

From the ‘manananggal’ (Philippines) to the ‘csodacsirke’ (Hungary), you’ll want to make sure you steer clear of these terrifying supernatural beings.

This spooky season, be able to tell your bugaboos from your tommyknockers.

Liberty Island, site of the Statue of Liberty, was reportedly where the pirate Captain Kiss stashed his loot.

From the Smithsonian’s “castle” to modern landmarks like the Hollywood sign, America’s most famous places bear histories of haunting.

A face no one with coulrophobia wants to see.

Clowns have a long and spooky history.

Women have written some of the most blood-curdlingly scary stories of all time, but they haven’t always gotten the credit they deserve. Explore some delightfully spooky Halloween reading from 11 masters of horror literature.

You won’t believe what scared Alfred Hitchcock.

You’ll never guess what frightens these masters of horror.

A ‘witch’ grave makes a cemetery even spookier.

When these supposed spell-casters died, the stories about them lived on.

The first jack-o'-lanterns were made with turnips, not pumpkins.

You might want to visit these places—or not.

Kick off the spooky season with these haunted highways from New Jersey to South Africa.

Costumes are ok—as long as they’re safe and don’t stress your pet out.

Yes, pet costumes are adorable. But they—along with candy and strangers at the door—can also be dangerous.

From a weeping statue to painting that moves on its own, the stories behind these supposedly haunted pieces of art are downright spooky.

From ‘skeletons in the closet’ to ‘graveyard shift,’ here’s how five eerie idioms came to be.

The first horror film was already using a castle as the setting.

'Le Manoir du Diable' has some pretty sweet special effects for the 19th century.

Get ready for spooky season with this Halloween-themed brainteaser.

Aliens in New Jersey. Ghosts in London. Satanic cults. Every Halloween brings a new round of panic thanks to hoaxers.

From ‘six-foot bungalow’ to ‘pine overcoat,’ there have been some creative euphemisms for coffins over the ages—and some terms that were surprisingly (and uncomfortably) direct.