Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday, mostly because of my adoration for spooky stuff. I especially love reading about areas rumored to be haunted - and sometimes visiting them. If you're from Pittsburgh like me and happen to share my interest in all things creepy, you should check out this list of supposedly haunted sites in the southwestern Pa region.
1. Frick Mansion
The Frick Mansion in Point Breeze was home to Henry Clay Frick and his wife, Adelaide, from 1883 to 1900. Their youngest daughter, Helen, reclaimed the house and died in 1984. The Frick Mansion now serves as a museum, and Helen is believed to count for one of the several spirits inhabiting the house. It is speculated that Adelaide's spirit also resides here, for impressions appear in her bed as though someone has been laying there. Hey, ghosts need naps too.
2. Summit Cut Bridge
Situated just off of Shenango Road in Beaver County, Summit Cut Bridge is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a woman in a white dress. The woman supposedly ran her car off the bridge and onto the railroad tracks below one rainy night, which as you can imagine, killed her instantly. It is said that she can be seen walking down those tracks late at night when it's pouring.
3. Hill View Manor
Visitors have reportedly experienced so much activity at Hill View Manor that the crew from Ghost Adventures has filmed an episode about the establishment. Formerly known as the Lawrence County Home for the Aged, the manor saw a range of patients including the mentally ill and the elderly who had no known family. A plethora of deaths occurred over the years, both natural and suicidal. Those who've entered the vicinity claim to have heard voices and footsteps, as well as slamming doors. Additionally, the ghost of a young boy called Jeffrey is believed to haunt the premises... And it is said that whoever sees him dies soon afterwards. I think this is one kid you might want to avoid.
4. 133 Kiester Road
The house at 133 Kiester Road is a former Slippery Rock frat house. According to legend, the building is haunted by the spirit of Sam Mohawk, a Seneca Indian who killed a man named James Wigton, Wigton's wife and their five children in 1843. Sam Mohawk was caught and hanged, though historians cannot find clear connections between him and the house at 133 Kiester Road. Former fraternity members have experienced the slamming of doors, footsteps and the sound of objects being thrown in vacant rooms.
5. 3406 Brownsville Road
"The Demon of Brownsville Road," written by Bob Cranmer, is a fairly well-known book to those who dwell in Pittsburgh - and it's written about the events that once took place in this house. Cranmer and his family moved to 3406 Brownsville Road in 1988 and soon came to the conclusion that their new home was haunted. Cranmer claims that a demon had also taken up residence in the house, often manifesting as black fog. Cranmer would discover bent crucifixes and crushed rosary beads throughout the house, as well as a substance resembling blood dripping down the walls. Over the course of an extensive exorcism, Cranmer took notes on what was happening and turned them into his book.
6. Omni Bedford Springs Resort
Fun fact: I've actually had the pleasure of staying at this gorgeous resort and although I personally did not experience any paranormal activity, there are plenty of people who have. For the most part, the spirits here seem to keep to themselves (probably relaxing quietly at the spa), at least until you whip your camera out. Many guests have discovered odd figures and apparitions in their pictures. Who said that ghosts don't like to selfie?
7. The Mather Miners
In 1928, the mine in Mather, Pa., exploded as a result of a gas pocket being ignited by an underground locomotive's arc. The incident killed 195 workers in total. To this day, the inhabitants of the older homes in Mather claim to hear water spouting from the unused showers in their basements. It has also been reported that, when walking anywhere in the town just before dawn, the voices of men and crunching of gravel can be heard as if a group of miners are walking right alongside you, even when you are alone.
Call me a weirdo or a freak, but I'd love to visit any of these places. There's something so dark and suspenseful about entering a space where you don't know what you'll encounter, which makes for a great Halloween excursion in my book!
