Unmasking the truth behind 9 tales of historical horrors this Halloween

Unsurprisingly, Snopes has investigated a great number of strange and supernatural stories over its decades of fact-checking urban legends and internet rumors. Here we continue our tradition of assembling special story collections befitting the Halloween season, including an assortment creepy legends with at least some element of truth to them in 2025 and our Halloween-related investigations the year prior. This year, we're bringing together a set of fact checks on claims of things related to the past, including vintage photos, abandoned castles and ships lost at sea. Here are nine mysterious tales of historical anomalies that you won't soon forget: Sources Emery, David. "A Frightful Collection of Our Spookiest Stories." Snopes, 31 Oct. 2024, www.snopes.com/collections/halloween-legends-rumors/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.Winter, Emery. "Not All Creepy Stories Are Made up. These 14 Have Some Truth." Snopes, 19 Oct. 2025, www.snopes.com/collections/halloween-stories-collection/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026. By Emery Winter Emery Winter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and previously worked for TEGNA'S VERIFY national fact-checking team. They enjoy sports and video games. Article Tags