From torture museums in Flanders to haunted tours in las Vegas, we bring you some of the spookiest and mysterious places around the world
Mysterious Places in Flanders
Torture Museum - Bruges (Flanders)
located In probably one of the oldest, historical European prisons, ‘De Oude Steen’ (the old stone), Brugge landmark, brings a gripping exhibition of cruel instruments engineered to cause unbelievable pain and suffering on human body and mind.
The more than hundred torture and execution devices in our museum are placed and commented in a chronological, judicial context which brings a new light and significance on the origin of torture and the use of these horrifying instruments.
The Torture museum ‘The Old Stone’ explores the medieval quest for justice through the world of the rack, the inquisition chair, the thumbscrews , the strappato, all engines of torture with a license to investigate crime in the European legal system from the 12th century till deep into the eighteenth century.
And yes the devices are cruel, diabolic sometimes. But what is the realinstrument of torture, the device or the humansIJ The devices are designed to inflict intensive pain on individuals, but humans are the ones who built and operate the torture machines and instruments.
Mysterious Places in Philadelphia
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Eastern’s massive, medieval frontage stands in stark contrast to it’s church-like interior. Opened in 1829 and known for its magnificent architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to enthuse penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts.
Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but today it is a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America’s most notorious criminals, including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and gangster Al Capone. No longer has a home to prisoners, today the Eastern State Penitentiary offered a comprehensive visitor experience.
located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the penitentiary is open seven days a week, year round. A trip to Eastern State includes an audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi, hands-on experience that allows visitors to unlock an escape-proof cell door, history exhibits in addition to other activities. In the fall, Eastern State also offers one of the scariest haunted houses in the country, Terror Behind the Walls.
The original seven cellblocks spread like spokes on a wheel, and had running water and central heat before the White House. Closed in 1971, an estimated 300 prisons worldwide have been modeled after Eastern State.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia
Philadelphia is America’s most historic and most haunted city with hundreds of cemeteries buried beneath the city. In the mood for something truly mysteriousIJ Join the Ghost Tour of Philadelphia for a candlelight stroll along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where mysterious tales of ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards lurk in the night! Philly’s most unusual and popular evening activity gives you the chance to discover a ghost story, experience a haunted house, and visit a spooky cemetery as it brings history back to life. At Independence Hall, the souls of American history are as restless today as they were in colonial times. library Hall, overlooking Independence Mall, is one of Ben Franklin’s favorite haunts in the afterlife and explore the lost and lamented tradition of storytelling, hear chilling tales of long-ago lovers, the nation’s first bank robbery, the Yellow Fever epidemic, and the ghosts that have been left behind!
Hear chilling tales of Benedict Arnold and other Founding Fathers that may have you looking over your shoulder as you cruise through Society Hill. Benjamin Franklin, who recently turned 300, is said to still roam the streets of Old City. While on the Ghost Tour, one can visit several of his old haunts, as well as St. Peter’s Cemetery, known to be the most haunted site in the city.
Mysterious Places in las Vegas
Haunted Vegas Tours and Ghost Hunt
If spirit moves you, visit the spookiest places in las Vegas. The spirited and spooky Vegas Ghost Tour will take you to the haunting grounds of Bugsy Siegel, liberace, Redd Foxx and Elvis. Haunted Vegas Tours now makes it possible to visit such eerie sites by offering a guided Tour and Show, featuring las Vegas’s Darkest Ghostly Secrets.
According to Janice Oberding, a paranormal historian and author of the book Haunted Nevada, there are more than 21 places where paranormal activity has been documented in las Vegas. The tour covers sites such as the ‘Motel of Death,’ where numerous celebrity deaths have occurred and the former home of a las Vegas legend where his ghost continues to haunt despite numerous attempts to exorcise it. On this haunted ghost hunt, guests are given the ghost hunting equipment that includes EMF meters and dowsing rods. After instructions on their use they get to participate in an interactive paranormal investigation.
The Haunted Vegas Ghost Hunt is designed to point out and inform the public about legitimate documented ghost sightings in the las Vegas area. While this event was created to be interesting and a lot of fun, it is not a “ghosts and goblins” amusement.
A Skywalk Express Tour at Grand Canyon
Before your adventure begins in the Grand Canyon, fly over lake Mead, Hoover Dam and extinct volcanoes. Once you land at the West Rim, surround yourself with the beauty of the canyon walls by an adventurous walk across the Skywalk. The Grand Canyon Skywalk is the first ever cantilever-shaped glass walkway to suspend more than 4,000 feet above the canyon’s floor and extend 70 feet from the canyon’s rim. The amazing part of this structure is that it is sturdy enough to hold the weight of a dozen fully loaded 747’s, and strong enough to withstand winds up to 100mph. Your sightseeing adventure continues with a return flight over the las Vegas Strip. You'll get to keep a souvenir photo of your tour on the Skywalk Bridge.
Other attractions available at Grand Canyon West include The Indian Village with authentic dwellings, The Hualapai Market, and The Hualapai Ranch, a western town with horseback and wagon rides.
Ready to pack your packsIJ