Paranormal

5 True Life Cases of Haunted Dolls

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

admin

With the movie “Annabelle” being released this week, everyone is curious about the creepy dolls with the creepier history. Annabelle isn’t the only haunted doll in history; tales also tell of other dolls that take on a life of their own. Here are five dolls who terrorized their owners, and will go down in history as toys you definitely don’t want to play with.

Image courtesy of Haunted America Tours

Voodoo Zombie Doll

This particular doll originated in New Orleans, and was sold through eBay to a woman in Galveston, Texas. The doll came with rules of care, including instructions to not remove it from its silver casing; a rule the woman broke as soon as the doll arrived.

The Texas woman claimed it haunted her dreams, and would attack her repeatedly. She re-listed the doll on eBay and promptly sold it. However, the new buyer claimed to have received an empty box, and the Texas woman claimed the doll kept reappearing at her doorstep.

The doll is now in the possession of a self-proclaimed ghost hunter, who hopes to figure out the mystery behind the traveling doll.

Image courtesy of Haunted America Tours

Joliet

The current “mother” to the little baby doll named Joliet, is Anna. For four generations of Anna’s family, the women in Anna’s family have been cursed to keep up a cruel tradition. Each daughter gives birth to two children, one boy and one girl. In each case, Anna claims that the son mysteriously dies on the third day of life.

They attribute the curse continuation to Joliet, who was given to Anna’s then-pregnant great-grandmother by a vengeful friend.

The family claims they can hear giggles and inhuman screams in the night, coming from the doll. They also claim that the cries are of different infants, making the doll appear to be a vessel for all the baby boys who have been lost over the years.

Image courtesy of Fisher-Price

Elmo

While not considered an entirely “haunted” case, the case of the Bowman family’s Elmo doll is admittedly funny.

In 2008, 2-year-old James Bowman was given an Elmo Knows Your Name Doll by his parents. The doll was programmed to say your name, along with various personalized phrases.

This Elmo doll, however, liked to say “kill” before saying James’ name. Elmo would sing “Kill James!” repeatedly, until James’ distraught mother Melissa decided to put it out of the toddler’s sight.

The malfunction started right after the batteries to the doll had been changed. Fisher-Price, creator of the doll, offered to replace the Elmo doll. It’s not know whether or not the Bowman family accepted the offer.

Image courtesy of Quesnel Museum

Mandy

Mandy is a porcelain baby doll reportedly made in either England or Germany between 1910 and 1920, and was donated to the Quesnel Museum in British Columbia in 1991.

The donor said she would hear crying in the middle of the night coming from the basement, and it wasn’t until she gave Mandy away, that the crying stopped.

Museum employees claim that since Mandy’s arrival, strange occurrences have taken place. They say lunches go missing, and turn up elsewhere in the building; the same with office supplies. Employees claim to hear footsteps when no one is around, and that Mandy makes visitors feel very uneasy. Mandy is no longer kept with other dolls, because employees claimed she has “harmed other dolls”. She has even been known to cause cameras and other electronic equipment to malfunction.

Robert

When it comes to haunted dolls, Robert is arguably America’s most famous. The Key West doll is a fixture on local ghost tours and even served as an inspiration for Chucky in Child’s Play.

Robert belonged to Key West painter and author Robert Eugene Otto. In 1906, a Bahamian maid reportedly gave the doll to Robert and then cursed the toy after Robert’s parents displeased her. Soon after, strange events began plaguing the Otto household.

Young Robert enjoyed talking to his namesake, and servants insisted the doll talked back. They also claimed the plaything could change expressions at will and move about the house on his own. Neighbors reportedly saw the doll move from window to window when the family was away, and members of the Otto household heard maniacal giggles emanating from the toy.

Robert the Doll spooked plenty of folks during the day, but at night he focused on young Robert Otto. The boy would wake in the middle of the night, screaming in fear, as the heavy furniture in his room crashed to the floor. When his parents demanded to know what happened, Otto’s response was always the same: “Robert did it! It was Robert.”

Robert Otto died in 1974, and his notorious doll now sits on display at the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West. Legend has it the doll will curse anyone who takes a photo without permission, which Robert grants by slightly tilting his head. Visitors who forget can always beg for forgiveness which is what cameramen from the Travel Channel did after their HD camera mysteriously stopped working.

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Related Topics:Annabelle Dolls Elmo haunted dolls home Joliet latest Mandy real life recent Robert the doll voodoo Zombie

Paranormal

The Warrens Occult Museum Destined for Salem?

Published

1 month ago

March 16, 2026

Piper St. James

Rumor has it the Warren’s Occult Museum may be moving to a new home in Salem, Massachusetts. The unverified gossip has it that the new location will be on Essex Street next to Blackcraft.

Currently the collection of haunted items resides in Monroe, Connecticut. Infamous paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, kept these items under lock and key in the basement of their home for safety. A priest regularly visited to bless the collection up to three times a week for spiritual protection.

However, this location has created problems for the small Monroe neighborhood time and time again.

A Nightmare on Knollwood Street

The modest Connecticut neighborhood is not equipped for the heavy traffic and looky-loos it has drawn over the years. Constant traffic caused excessive congestion on the narrow road. In addition, noise complaints, property damage, and parking issues from those stopping in the quiet neighborhood have led to constant complaints to the Monroe police department.

These issues did not cease after the passing of Lorraine Warren in 2019. Paranormal enthusiasts continued to flock to the home. This was only exacerbated with the release of The Conjuring movies; a horror franchise based off of the Warren’s paranormal investigations. A resurgence for the Monroe, Connecticut home and museum continued the nightmare for neighbors.

Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home in Monroe, Connecticut

Finally, in 2019 the Occult Museum was closed to the public for zoning violations. Now the Warren’s home has new owners; Matt Rife and Elton Castee.

From the Warrens to Rife

Comedian Matt Rife and friend Elton Castee now own the Monroe, Connecticut home. However, they are only the guardians of the haunted objects in the museum for the next five years. They do not own them.

Elton Castee and Matt Rife, new owners of the Warren’s house

When they purchased the home, the pair announced their plans to open it for overnight stays and tours. Rife claimed on his Ins t agram he is “obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted.” In addition, he continued by saying, “The Conjuring films are my favorite scary movies of all time.”

Despite claiming to have a respect for the paranormal and what the Warrens have done for the community, some wonder if the move to Salem aligns with this.

While the move to Salem has not yet been confirmed or denied by the comedian, the idea has caused ripples of debate among the paranormal community. The city of Salem seems appropriate for its association of all things spooky to some, but it seems cliche to others.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

News

Paranormal Investigator Elizabeth Saint Launches Interactive Podcast “Stories with Saint”

Published

1 month ago

March 12, 2026

Anthony Pernicka

Elizabeth Saint (Ghosts of Shepherdstown, The House in Between 2) has announced the launch of Stories with Saint, an interactive podcast where listeners help decide where the story goes each week. The first episode arrives Friday, March 13 and will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and StoriesWithSaint.com.

Paranormal fans may already recognize Saint from television series and documentaries where she has spent years investigating unexplained phenomena and haunted locations. Her work in projects like Ghosts of Shepherdstown, Paranormal Lockdown, and The House in Between 2 helped introduce her to audiences fascinated by the mysteries that exist just beyond what we can easily explain.

Now she’s bringing that fascination with the unknown into a new format.

With Stories with Saint, listeners are not just hearing a paranormal story unfold. They’re helping decide what happens next.

A Paranormal Story That Listeners Control

The idea behind Stories with Saint began as an experiment on social media. Saint started posting interactive paranormal stories online, allowing her audience to vote on what direction the narrative should take next. Each story unfolded over five parts, with weekly installments guided by audience decisions.

The themes covered everything from paranormal investigations and cryptids to UFO encounters, psychological horror, true crime, and the strange gray area in between.

“Stories with Saint began with a nostalgia for old text-based video games and choose-your-own-adventure stories,” Saint said. “Bringing those narratives into audio fiction lets them unfold in a more immersive way.”

A Podcast Built With the Community

Saint has already created 11 interactive stories, and the connection with her audience quickly became one of the most exciting parts of the project.

Instead of letting those stories disappear into social media feeds, she decided to expand the concept into a fully produced podcast that keeps the audience involved.

Fans can still vote on story decisions through StoriesWithSaint.com and Saint’s social channels, helping shape how each narrative unfolds. Even more interesting, listeners are also invited to audition and participate as voice actors in the series.

The result is a unique blend of professional production and community collaboration.

A Cinematic Audio Experience

To bring the series to life, Saint assembled a creative team focused on immersive storytelling.

Voice direction comes from Fredi Bernstein, whose credits include Smile 2, American Horror Story, and the Ambie Award–nominated audio drama The Box.

The series also features sound design by Jordan Suckley, music from producer Al Creedon, and sound effects editing by Stuart Barefoot, all working together to create a cinematic listening experience.

Exploring the Line Between Belief and Reality

Each episode of Stories with Saint follows investigators, filmmakers, researchers, or everyday people as they find themselves facing strange events where reality begins to feel unstable.

Rather than relying on jump scares, the series leans into atmosphere, psychological tension, and the unsettling feeling that something just isn’t quite right.

And in this case, the story begins with the listener.

New episodes of Stories with Saint will arrive monthly as part of ongoing story arcs. Follow Elizabeth Saint on Instagram here or on Facebook here. We’ll definitely be tuning in as the mysteries of Stories with Saint begin to unfold and we hope you’ll join us for the ride into the unknown.

Lists

Then & Now: 11 Horror Movie Locations and How They Look Today

Published

3 months ago

January 23, 2026

Timothy Rawles

Ever heard a director say that they wanted a filming location to be a “character in the movie?” It kind of sounds ridiculous if you think about it, but think about it, how many times do you remember a scene in a film based on where it takes place? That is of course the work of great location scouts and cinematographers.

These places are frozen time thanks to filmmakers, they never change on film. But they do in real life. We found a great article by Shelley Thompson at Joe’s Feed Entertainment that is basically a photo dump of memorable movie locations that show what they look like today.

We have listed 11 here, but if you want to check out the over 40 different side-by-sides, head over to that page for a browse.

Poltergeist (1982)

The poor Freelings, what a night! After their house is repossessed by the souls who lived there first, the family must get some rest. They decide to check into a Holiday Inn for the night and don’t care if it has free HBO because the TV is banished to the balcony anyway.

Today that hotel is called the Ontario Airport Inn located in Ontario, CA. you can even see it on Google Street View.

Hereditary (2018)

Like the above Freelings, the Grahams are battling their own demons in Ari Aster’s Hereditary. We leave the below shot to be described in Gen Z speak: IYKYK.

The Entity (1982)

Families battling the paranormal is a common theme in these last few photos, but this one is disturbing in other ways. Mother Carla Moran and her two children are terrorized by an evil spirit. Carla gets assaulted the most, in ways we can’t describe here. This film is loosely based on the true story of a family living in Southern California. The movie house is located at 523 Sheldon Street, El Segundo, California.

The Exorcist (1973)

The original mainstream possession movie still holds up today even if the location exteriors don’t. William Friedkin’s masterpiece was shot in Georgetown, DC. Some of the house’s exteriors were altered for the movie with a clever set designer, but for the most part, it is still recognizable. Even the infamous stairs are close by.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

The late horror master Wes Craven knew how to frame the perfect shot. Take for instance the Evergreen Memorial Park & Crematory and Ivy Chapel in Los Angeles where, in the movie, stars Heather Langenkamp and Ronee Blakley descend its steps. Today, the exterior remains pretty much as it did nearly 40 years ago.

Frankenstein (1931)

Terrifying for its time, the original Frankenstein remains the seminal monster movie. This scene in particular was both moving and terrifying. This controversial scene was shot at Malibu Lake in California.

Se7en (1995)

Way before Hostel was considered too gruesome and dark, there was Se7ven. With its gritty locations and over-the-top gore, the film set a standard for horror movies that came after it, especially Saw (2004). Although the film alluded to being set in New York City, this alleyway is really in Los Angeles.

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Although everyone remembers the logging truck stunt, you might also remember this scene from Final Destination 2. This building is actually the Riverview Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is such a popular location, that it was also used in the next movie on this list.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

This underrated shocker never gets the respect it deserves. It is always tricky to make a time travel film, but Butterfly Effect manages to be just disturbing enough to ignore some of its continuity errors.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

This Leatherface origin story was a lot. But it kept tempo with the franchise reboot that came before it. Here we get a glimpse of the backcountry where the story is set, which actually is in Texas: Lund Road in Elgin, Texas, to be exact.

The Ring (2002)

We can’t seem to get away from families stalked by supernatural forces on this list. Here single mother Rachel (Naomi Watts) watches a cursed videotape and inadvertently starts a countdown clock to her death. Seven days. This location is in Dungeness Landing, Sequim, WA.

This is only a partial list of what Shelley Thompson did over at Joe’s Feed Entertainment. So head over there to see other filming locations from past to present.