Ah, October! The leaves have begun to fall with the start of autumn, there is a beautiful overabundance of candy that has lined the walls of every store around, the temperature is dropping, the corn mazes and hay rides are in full swing and pumpkin flavored everything has become socially acceptable again.

The best part? Halloween is just around the corner. As kids we all fell in love with Halloween for the fact that we were able to dress up and go out in search of the full-sized candy bars that we knew the little old lady down the street was handing out. As "adults" we still find Halloween holding a special place in our hearts. Maybe we can't get dressed up to go out and receive candy (or maybe you do) but we do find other, arguably better, ways to make up for this.

The Halloween season is chuck full of fun surprises in every corner. Sugary treats, fall fun and haunted everything. If you enjoy getting the poop scared straight out of you then you're in the right place. Time to get a little spoopy, my friends. Here is a list of five cool haunted locations around us here in Dayton:

1. Woodland Cemetery

What's really cool about Woodland Cemetery is that it's located right next to/behind the University. Woodland Cemetery is home to many, many occupants. Somehow I've managed to live basically on top of this place every year as a resident of UD housing (maybe its some kind of sign...). Buildings and streets all over campus have been named after several of the occupants such as our good pals Orville and Wilbur Wright, Erma Bombeck and many others that now reside within the barbed wire confines of this spooky place. And really, whats creepier than a cemetery? If you don't get a little tense near cemeteries then there is something seriously wrong with you.

2. Liberty Hall

Right here on campus! According to several sources, Liberty Hall is reported to have its own ghoulish friend roaming around. There have supposedly been sightings of a very unkempt man that walks with a limp. Apparently the building was used as an infirmary at one point in time and the overall consensus among many paranormal specialists and such is that this man may have died in the infirmary. Whether you want to believe in this is purely up to you but I, for one, will not be going to search out any ghost in any building on campus anytime soon. No thank you.

3. The Patterson Homestead

Another one located almost directly on top of campus. The Patterson Homestead was home to Colonel Robert Patterson and his family (obviously). Patterson is famously known for and, subsequently, remembered by many things, one being Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The house itself is said to have a decent amount of ghostly activity. Reports of sightings of a man in uniform, laughter and voices, the movement of objects and various other creepy things have circled this location. It's another good place to go if you're interested in being creeped out, or a very good place to stay away from if you want nothing to do with creepy children laughter (LOL AGAIN NO THANKS).

4. The Air Force Museum

Taking things a little ways away from campus, the Air Force Museum is known to be the residence of many phantom figures. This is not incredibly surprising considering the fact that this is also the home to many air-crafts, some having unfortunate stories that did not end well for the men and women that controlled them. According to various sources, this museum features many areas that leave people feeling as though there are some other museum goers standing right there with them. This would definitely be a very cool place to visit if one were trying to tour a museum with a ghoulish guide.

5. The Dayton Masonic Temple

The Dayton Masonic Temple is located nearby downtown Dayton. This creepy location is said to have the pleasure of several paranormal activities such as frequent mysterious footsteps, elevator issues and an apparition that supposedly was a mason from years ago that still wanders the halls. The security staff seems to report a lot of activity so read up on this one if you're into ghosts, masons and things that go "click" in the night.

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So there you have it folks! Five spoopy locations near (or on) the university that have some interesting history and activity. I wouldn't advise going to look for these ghastly groups, especially if you're planning on trespassing on private properties. And these are certainly not the only locations that host paranormal activity. Just stay safe, keep your eyes peeled for our paranormal pals, and have fun with the rest of this Halloween season. Happy Haunting!