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If you’re looking for some atmosphere this spooky season, there are plenty of spots around the country–and abroad–where you can commune with the spirits.

Rumor has it that Chicago’s Hull House was once home to the spawn of Satan. Known as the Devil Baby, the child sported a tail, horns and scales on his skin. Legend says the good women of Hull House locked the child in the attic after he became too disruptive. So if you drop by, you might want to check out the child’s attic lair. Or not.

If you find yourself near Long Beach, California on Halloween, why not take a tour of the Queen Mary. Pay special attention to the pool: You might see a woman in bathing cap and old-fashioned swimsuit dive in and swim to the end of the pool, where she’ll disappear. Look closely and maybe you’ll see her wet footprints walking away from the pool.

Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman of Alcatraz, and Al Capone were scary enough when they were alive. Now their ghosts are roaming the halls of Alcatraz. Pretty scary. Consider taking a night tour of the prison for maximum creepiness.

How do you feel about spending the night at an ax murderer’s house? Guests at Lizzie Borden’s Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts apparently have no qualms about it. You, too, can stay overnight at the very place where Lizzie allegedly gave her father 50 whacks. If you’re lucky, the ghost of an older woman will tuck you into bed at night. Could this be the mother who got 51 after Lizzie saw what she had done?

Was it suicide? Or murder? Guests who stay in room 3327 at the Hotel del Coronado near San Diego swear they’ve seen the ghost of Kate Morgan, a young woman who stayed at the Del in 1892. Kate’s visit was cut short, however: her corpse washed up on the beach.

You’ve got a choice if you’d like to stay at a haunted hotel in San Francisco. Guests staying on the 4th floor at the Majestic have reported eerie occurrences while staying there. It’s said to be the work of the daughter of the original owner of the building. Dashiell Hammett left a little piece of his history at his favorite hotel, the Hotel Union Square. His lover Lillian Hellman is said to haunt room 207.

But you don’t have to stay in a haunted hotel to see ghosts this Halloween. A number of cities offer ghost tours, including New Orleans, San Antonio, St. Augustine and, the scariest city of all, Salem, Massachusetts. Or you can travel across the pond to the UK, which is lousy with castles and ghosts.

Mary, Queen of Scots is only one of the ghosts haunting Tutbury castle. There’s also the the Keeper, who swans around in a full suit of armor; the White Lady; and a pale-haired child of 7 who likes to hold hands with visitors.

Edinburgh Castle has a diverse group of guests that include a headless drummer, a piper and a dog. Not surprising that a 900 year old fortress, with dungeon, would be considered the most haunted spot in Scotland.

Anne Boleyn, the Little Princes and a bear are among the ghosts believed to haunt the Tower of London. Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, the last of the Plantagenet princesses, is another. It’s said that on the date of her execution Margaret ran from the chopping block in hysterics only to be followed by the executioner wielding his ax. Eventually, Margaret was felled from behind, but it took more than a few whacks. Margaret, and her executioner, return every May 27 to reenact the scene.

Berry Pomeroy castle has a pretty grisly past with a sprinkling of incest and a dollop of infanticide in its history. Margaret Pomeroy was imprisoned by her sister, Eleanor, in a fit of jealous rage. She died of starvation as a result. Now, it’s said that Margaret, also known as the White Lady, rises from the castle dungeon to its rampart, beckoning visitors.

Photos: 1. InTheSunStudio; 2. Matt Tillett ; 3. brighter worlds; 4. number stumper; 5. Adam Arthur; 6. vpvasquez8; 7. Phillip; 8. Steve Deger; 9. TonyP67; 10. baivab.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 29th, 2007 and is filed under Holiday & Vacation Planning.